Fantasy Football Week 10 recap: Peyton benched

It should have been one of the best days of Peyton Manning's illustrious career. Instead, it was the worst.

And now Manning is done as a starting Fantasy quarterback - if he wasn't benched or cut in the majority of leagues already.

On the day Manning set the NFL record for most career passing yards, breaking Brett Favre's mark of 71,838 yards against the Chiefs, he was also benched for Brock Osweiler. Manning was terrible and finished the game 5-of-20 passing for 35 yards and four interceptions, and he scored minus-7 Fantasy points.

Coach Gary Kubiak said after the game he should have never started Manning against the Chiefs because he wasn't healthy. Manning missed practice during the week with a foot injury and also dealt with injured ribs, but Kubiak said Manning "wanted to play" in Week 10.

Kubiak also said Manning is "our quarterback" heading into Week 11 at Chicago when the Broncos will face their former coach in John Fox and former offensive coordinator in Adam Gase. We'll have to see if the Broncos consider Manning healthy for that game, or maybe they use health as an excuse to bench him outright for Osweiler. Either way, Fantasy owners have to avoid him in all leagues.

This season has been a disaster for Manning, and for Fantasy owners who have continued to trust him. He only has two games this season with more than 20 Fantasy points, and the last time he reached that mark was Week 3. He has nine touchdowns and 17 interceptions on the season, and he's thrown at least one interception in every game.

Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders have suffered with Manning's down year, and they were both bad Sunday against the Chiefs. Thomas had seven catches for 71 yards on 10 targets against Kansas City, and he's scored just one touchdown on the season and reached double digits in Fantasy points in a standard league just four times.

Sanders, who came into Week 10 dealing with an ankle injury, didn't have a catch against the Chiefs on four targets and was evaluated for a concussion in the second half. He was cleared to return, but he failed to make an impact. For the season, Sanders has just four games with double digits in Fantasy points in a standard league. Hopefully he will be fine to face the Bears in Week 11.

If the Broncos turn to Osweiler as their starter, Fantasy owners should stay away in the majority of leagues. He was 14-of-24 passing for 146 yards, one touchdown and one interception, and he'll have to deal with the same poor offensive line and lack of running game that has plagued Manning. The Broncos gave up five sacks to the Chiefs, and Ronnie Hillman (11 carries for 42 yards and a touchdown) and C.J. Anderson (two carries for 9 yards) again struggled.

Denver is lucky to be 7-2 on the season with a strong defense and Manning, prior to Sunday, doing just enough not to hurt the team. But his poor play caught up to the Broncos in this disappointing loss, and a great day turned into a disaster.

Manning has been a disaster for Fantasy owners all season long, and it's time to move on from him. He's a Hall of Fame quarterback, but he should remain on your bench or the waiver wire for the rest of the season.

Quarterbacks

Player on the rise

Jay Cutler

MIA • QB

Week 10 stats30 Fantasy points

Jay Cutler got help from his receivers making some big plays Sunday at St. Louis, but his performance against the Rams just continued to magnify the quality season he's had in 2015. Cutler came into Week 10 with five games in a row scoring exactly 21 Fantasy points in a standard league. He's been a steady Fantasy option, but he broke out with his best game of the season against arguably his toughest opponent with 258 passing yards and three touchdowns for 30 Fantasy points. He has another tough matchup in Week 11 against the Broncos, but Cutler might be worth using as a starting option in the majority of leagues.

View Profile

Player on the decline

Tyrod Taylor

NYJ • QB • #2

Week 10 stats13 Fantasy points

Tyrod Taylor's best game of the season came in Week 2 against the Patriots when he scored 31 Fantasy points, and we hope he can replicate that performance in Week 11 at New England. He needs a strong outing because he's struggled since coming back from a two-game layoff with a knee injury. Taylor has combined for 30 Fantasy points against Miami and the Jets the past two games, and we'd love to see him play well against the Patriots. He'll be a low-end starting option in Week 11 with the hope he can post quality stats while likely chasing points on the road.

View Profile

Quarterback injuries: Sam Bradford (shoulder/concussion) and Landry Jones (ankle)
Quarterback waivers: Jay Cutler (71 percent ownership), Marcus Mariota (49 percent), Ryan Fitzpatrick (46 percent), Kirk Cousins (35 percent), Mark Sanchez (12 percent) and Brock Osweiler (2 percent)
Of note:

• Ben Roethlisberger was the backup quarterback for Week 10 against the Browns, but he replaced Jones when he got hurt in the first quarter. We're not sure why Roethlisberger didn't start in the first place if his injured foot was OK, and he actually set an NFL record for the most passing yards by a quarterback off the bench with 379 to go with three touchdowns and one interception for 33 Fantasy points in a standard league. The Steelers are on a bye in Week 11, but Roethlisberger should be a Top 10 quarterback to close the season from Week 12 on.
• Bradford injured his left, non-throwing shoulder in the third quarter against Miami, and he also was diagnosed with a concussion. He will likely be out for Week 11 against Tampa Bay, which would allow Sanchez the chance to start. Last year, when Sanchez took over for the injured Nick Foles as the Eagles starter, he had four games with at least 22 Fantasy points in a standard league in the final eight games. He would be a decent streaming option against the Buccaneers.
• We liked Kirk Cousins coming into Week 10 with his matchup against the Saints, and he delivered in a big way with 324 passing yards and four touchdowns for 36 Fantasy points. This was his best game of the season, and now you can throw him back to the waiver wire. He faces the Panthers in Week 11 at Carolina, and he'll definitely regress in that matchup. Fantasy owners also won't have the luxury of using a starting quarterback against the Saints in Week 11 since New Orleans is on a bye.
• Eli Manning had a much better day than his brother in Week 10, but he failed to lead the Giants to an upset victory against the Patriots. You can't blame Eli Manning since he had 361 passing yards and two touchdowns and finished with 25 Fantasy points. The Giants are on a bye in Week 11, but Manning has now scored at least 23 Fantasy points in four of five home games. He should be a must-start quarterback in his three remaining home games against the Jets (Week 13), Carolina (Week 15) and Philadelphia (Week 17), and he also has favorable road games at Washington (Week 12) and Miami (Week 14). Manning is a No. 1 quarterback for the rest of the year.
• Like Manning, Joe Flacco is a great Fantasy quarterback at home, and he had 25 Fantasy points against Jacksonville in Week 10. This is now four games with at least 24 Fantasy points in each home game, and hopefully he can remain successful in his remaining home games this year. The problem is he faces St. Louis (Week 11) and Seattle (Week 14) in his next games in Baltimore, but he also gets Cleveland (Week 12) and Miami (Week 13) on the road. Flacco will be a borderline starter in all four of those matchups.
• Derek Carr didn't have his best game in Week 10 against Minnesota, but he still delivered 21 Fantasy points as a solid starter and Start of the Week option. He has now scored at least 21 Fantasy points in four games in a row, and he should continue to play well in Week 11 at Detroit. He then plays at Tennessee in Week 12 and vs. Kansas City in Week 13, and he should post quality stats in those matchups.
• Are we back to benching Drew Brees when he plays on the road? You would say yes after his performance in Week 10 at Washington when he scored just 16 Fantasy points. Brees now has 19 Fantasy points or less in four road games against Arizona, Philadelphia, Indianapolis and Washington, and he still plays at Houston (Week 12), Tampa Bay (Week 14) and Atlanta (Week 17) to close the season. He should play well against the Texans and Buccaneers, but we definitely feel safer with Brees when he's playing in New Orleans.
• Carson Palmer solidified his standing as one of the best Fantasy quarterbacks with his performance in Seattle in Week 10. He had 363 passing yards, three touchdowns and one interception, and he lost two fumbles, but this was impressive against the Seahawks on the road with 26 Fantasy points. He should be great again in Week 11 against Cincinnati, which is one of his former teams.
• Russell Wilson had another bad Fantasy performance against Arizona with 240 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception and six carries for 52 yards. He now has just two games on the season with 20 Fantasy points, and he's been among the biggest busts at quarterback this year. We hope he rebounds in Week 11 against the 49ers, but he scored just 13 points at San Francisco in Week 7.

Running backs

Player on the rise

Jeremy Langford

ATL • RB • #43

Week 10 stats29 Fantasy points

The Bears might want Matt Forte to take his time coming back from a knee injury because Jeremy Langford has been spectacular in his place. He was great in Week 10 at St. Louis with 20 carries for 73 yards and a touchdown and seven catches for 109 yards and a touchdown for 29 Fantasy points. He had 22 Fantasy points at San Diego in Week 9, and he should do well against the Broncos in Week 11 if Forte remains out. Since Forte is an impending free agent we should be looking at Langford like Chicago's starting running back in 2016.

View Profile

Player on the decline

Antonio Andrews

TEN • RB • #26

Week 10 stats0 Fantasy points

I didn't expect Antonio Andrews to play well against Carolina in Week 10, but I also didn't anticipate him getting shutout with 11 carries for 8 yards and no catches for zero Fantasy points. The only running back to play well against the Panthers was Dexter McCluster, who had three carries for 25 yards and a touchdown and four catches for 27 yards, but he's too inconsistent to trust. David Cobb (calf) was inactive in Week 10, but he could be a factor in this backfield soon. I still like Andrews the best of this group after his workload the previous two games (at least 19 touches against Houston and New Orleans), but this is a volatile backfield for Fantasy owners to rely on. Andrews is only a flex option at best in Week 11 at Jacksonville on Thursday night.

View Profile

Running back injuries: Ryan Mathews (concussion) and Mark Ingram (unknown)
Running back waivers: Matt Jones (58 percent ownership), Darren Sproles (58 percent), Jay Ajayi (23 percent), Dexter McCluster (13 percent) and Tim Hightower (0 percent)
Of note:

• Ingram left Sunday's game at Washington in the first half with an undisclosed injury, and he missed action in the third quarter, including a couple of goal-line chances that Hightower and C.J. Spiller failed to convert. He returned to the game, but he finished with just five carries for 77 yards and three catches for 13 yards. He could have had a huge game after getting a 70-yard run in the first quarter, but he should be fine after the bye in Week 11.
• I expected Charcandric West to play well at Denver because of his workload, and he didn't disappoint with 24 carries for 69 yards and a touchdown and three catches for 92 yards and a touchdown. The matchup was tough with the Broncos, but there have now been four running backs to get at least 16 carries against Denver (Jamaal Charles, Adrian Peterson, Frank Gore and West), and all four have scored double digits in Fantasy points in a standard league. Keep that in mind with Langford this week. As for West, he's now scored at least 17 Fantasy points in three games in a row, and he gets a dream matchup at San Diego in Week 11.
• The Redskins dominated the Saints on Sunday, and it was a field day for Jones and Alfred Morris. Jones had 11 carries for 56 yards and three catches for 131 yards and a touchdown, and Morris had 15 carries for 104 yards and three catches for 14 yards. Both will struggle in Week 11 at Carolina, but I'd rather have Jones moving forward over Morris. There's more upside with Jones because of his versatility as a receiver.
• The Patriots played their first game without Dion Lewis (knee) at the Giants, and James White and Brandon Bolden failed to do anything with limited touches. White had one carry for 5 yards and one catch for 6 yards on one target, and Bolden had one carry for minus-3 yards and no catches on one target. The only New England running back to own now is LeGarrette Blount, who had 19 carries for 66 yards and a touchdown and two catches for 11 yards on two targets in Week 10. He'll remain a must-start running back in all leagues in Week 11 against Buffalo.
• The Eagles were expected to run all over the Dolphins, but it didn't work out that way as Miami pulled off the upset in Philadelphia. DeMarco Murray was productive with 22 carries for 61 yards and six catches for 58 yards, which was the fourth time he's scored double digits in Fantasy points in a standard league in five games, and Mathews scored a touchdown on eight carries for 18 yards before suffering a concussion. If he's out in Week 11 against Tampa Bay we could see Sproles get more work, but Murray would be the only Eagles running back worth starting in the majority of leagues.
• Hillman easily had the best day of Denver's backfield against the Chiefs with 11 carries for 42 yards and a touchdown and two catches for 9 yards on four targets. Anderson had just two carries for 9 yards and no catches on one target. It looked like Anderson would have a bigger role based on his performance the past two games, but Hillman is the only Broncos running back to trust moving forward. He should be considered a No. 2 option at Chicago in Week 11, and Anderson should remain on the bench in most formats.
• Marshawn Lynch might have been the most frustrating Fantasy options in Week 10. He was expected to miss the Sunday night game with an abdomen injury, which sent many Fantasy owners scrambling to add and start Thomas Rawls against the Cardinals. Then after warming up, Lynch was active and played against Arizona, and he finished with eight carries for 42 yards and a touchdown and one catch for 8 yards. But he also lost a goal-line touchdown to fullback Will Tukuafu, and hopefully all the owners who started him were satisfied with his 11 Fantasy points in a standard league.
• Chris Johnson was terrible against Seattle with 25 carries for 58 yards and no catches on two targets, but Andre Ellington was a star with five carries for 61 yards and a touchdown and three catches for 27 yards on four targets. We'd love to see Ellington get more work, but the Cardinals will likely continue to lean on Johnson as the primary rusher, with Ellington working on passing downs and as a change-of-pace option.

Wide receivers

Player on the rise

Danny Amendola

HOU • WR • #86

Week 10 stats7 Fantasy points

Danny Amendola wasn't the best receiver in Week 10, but he deserves a mini-headline with Julian Edelman suffering a potential season-ending foot injury against the Giants. Edelman will have surgery to repair a broken bone in his foot for the same injury that sidelined Dallas receiver Dez Bryant for six weeks earlier this season. He likely won't play again in the regular season, which means Fantasy owners can drop him, and Amendola should see a huge boost in value. We already expected Amendola to see an increase in production with Lewis out, and he had 10 catches for 79 yards on 11 targets against the Giants. Amendola should be the most-added free agent in all leagues this week.

View Profile

Player on the decline

James Jones

LAC • WR • #89

Week 10 stats0 Fantasy points

If we were handing out grades for the Packers receivers this week then Davante Adams and Randall Cobb would both get a D, and James Jones would get an F. All three were disappointing in what should have been an offensive bonanza against the Lions at home. Adams had a whopping 21 targets, but he finished with just 10 catches for 79 yards. Cobb had five catches for 53 yards on 10 targets, and James Jones had no catches on two targets, including a dropped touchdown. None of Green Bay's receivers got much separation from Detroit's mediocre secondary, and the routes they were running were terrible. Something needs to change, and hopefully Cobb and Adams will improve moving forward. Jones is an easy player to drop in most 10- and 12-team leagues.

View Profile

Wide receiver injuries: Julian Edelman (foot), Emmanuel Sanders (concussion), Michael Floyd (hamstring), Justin Hunter (ankle) and Andrew Hawkins (concussion)
Wide receiver waivers: Rishard Matthews (66 percent ownership), Doug Baldwin (56 percent), Kamar Aiken (52 percent), Danny Amendola (45 percent), Jamison Crowder (9 percent), Chris Givens (6 percent) and Dwayne Harris (6 percent)
Of note:

• I thought the Steelers receivers would play well with Landry Jones, but I would have upgraded them significantly if Roethlisberger was expected to start. Thankfully he played against Cleveland because Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant were awesome. Brown had 10 catches for 139 yards and two touchdowns on 14 targets, and Bryant had six catches for 178 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets. We expect both to dominate after Pittsburgh's bye in Week 11.
• Brandin Cooks continues to make up for his slow start with another dominant game against the Redskins in Week 10. He had five catches for 98 yards and two touchdowns on eight targets for 22 Fantasy points, and he has scored at least 13 Fantasy points in three games in a row. We hope the bye in Week 11 doesn't slow down this momentum. His teammate, Willie Snead, played despite a knee injury, but he had no catches on one target. We hope he'll rebound in Week 12.
• Mike Evans continues to be a target hog, which has been great for his Fantasy value. He had 13 targets Sunday against Dallas and finished with eight catches for 126 yards. He's now scored at least 12 Fantasy points in a standard league in three of his past four games despite one touchdown over that span. His success has been based on volume with at least nine targets in each outing since Week 7, and we hope that continues heading into Week 12 at Philadelphia.
• The Jaguars again got solid performances from Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns in Week 10 at Baltimore. Robinson scored double digits in Fantasy points in his fifth game in a row with five catches for 51 yards and a touchdown on 11 targets, and Hurns played through a foot injury and scored a touchdown for the seventh game in a row with five catches for 62 yards on nine targets. Both receivers should continue to thrive in Week 11 against the Titans on Thursday night.
• While the Jaguars receivers stayed hot in Week 10, the Raiders receivers cooled off in a big way against the Vikings. Amari Cooper was held to five catches for 79 yards on nine targets, and Michael Crabtree had a season-low five targets for four catches and 55 yards. Both should rebound in Week 11 at Detroit and remain must-start receivers in the majority of leagues.
• The Ravens played their first game without Steve Smith (Achilles), and Aiken and Givens did a nice job stepping up in his absence. Aiken led Baltimore with 14 targets, and he finished with seven catches for 73 yards. And Givens was second in targets with seven, and he had four catches for 37 yards and a touchdown. Aiken should be owned in all leagues, especially PPR formats, and Givens is worth a look in deeper leagues.
• Hunter is likely out for the season with a broken ankle. He finished the season with 22 catches for 264 yards and one touchdown on 31 targets.
• DeSean Jackson was a letdown against the Saints in Week 10 with two catches for 45 yards on five targets. Even though Cousins was awesome with four touchdowns, Jackson again was left with limited production. And you can't trust him in Week 11 at Carolina when he will likely draw Josh Norman. You might consider dropping Jackson in most 10- and 12-team leagues.
• Floyd injured his hamstring against the Seahawks, which was frustrating because he played great Sunday night with seven catches for 113 yards and two touchdowns on nine targets. He has now scored a touchdown in four games in a row, and we hope he's healthy for Week 11 against the Bengals. Larry Fitzgerald also played well against Seattle with 10 catches for 130 yards on 15 targets, and he should remain a must-start Fantasy option in all leagues moving forward. John Brown was the lone disappointment of the Cardinals triplets with no catches on three targets, but he could benefit if Floyd is forced to miss any time.
• Baldwin was easily Seattle's best receiver with seven catches for 134 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets against Arizona. I wouldn't get overexcited about this performance because this was his first touchdown since Week 4 and just the second time he's scored double digits in Fantasy points in a standard league this year. If he can string together some quality outings like this then he'd be worth adding in the majority of leagues.

Tight ends

Player on the rise

Jordan Reed

SF • TE • #81

Week 10 stats14 Fantasy points

Jordan Reed continues to make plays for the Redskins and Fantasy owners, and Week 10 against the Saints was no exception. He didn't have a dominant game, but he finished with three catches for 29 yards and two touchdowns on four targets. He has now scored five touchdowns in his past three games, and he's scored at least seven Fantasy points in a standard league in six of the seven games he's played. If he stays healthy for the rest of the season then Reed will finish as a Top 10 Fantasy tight end in all leagues. He's a must-start option in Week 11 at Carolina.

View Profile

Player on the decline

Travis Kelce

KC • TE • #87

Week 10 stats3 Fantasy points

Travis Kelce had a tough matchup in Week 10 at Denver, and he finished with just five catches for 36 yards on nine targets. He needs to start playing better because Fantasy owners are frustrated with his recent lack of production. Kelce has scored one touchdown in his past eight games and reached double digits in Fantasy points in a standard league just twice over that span. He has a great matchup at San Diego in Week 11, and hopefully Kelce will finish the season strong.

View Profile

Tight end injuries: No one of significance
Tight end waivers: Richard Rodgers (40 percent ownership), Zach Ertz (35 percent), Crockett Gillmore (31 percent), Brent Celek (4 percent), Maxx Williams (2 percent), Zach Miller (0 percent) and Justin Perillo (0 percent)
Of note:

• The Bears appear to have found a new weapon in Miller, who had five catches for 107 yards and two touchdowns against the Rams on five targets. He has now scored three touchdowns in his past two games, and he outplayed Martellus Bennett against St. Louis since he had just three catches for 18 yards on three targets. We'll see if Miller can keep this up, and he's worth adding in deeper leagues. But don't drop Bennett just yet because he's still the No. 1 tight end in Chicago.
• The Ravens used three tight ends to help in their passing game with Smith out as Gillmore (four catches for 42 yards and a touchdown on four targets), Williams (four catches for 40 yards and a touchdown on four targets) and Nick Boyle (three catches for 35 yards on three targets) all made plays against the Jaguars. Gillmore is the one to target off waivers in all leagues, and he's worth starting in Week 11 against the Rams.
• While the Packers receivers were terrible against the Lions, the tight ends did great. Rodgers had five catches for 32 yards and a touchdown on five targets, and Perillo had five catches for 58 yards and a touchdown on six targets. Perillo came into Week 10 with two catches for 27 yards for the season, but Rodgers has now scored three touchdowns in his past two games and is worth owning in all leagues.
• Gary Barnidge finally played a good game with Johnny Manziel starting for the Browns with six catches for 65 yards and a touchdown on eight targets at Pittsburgh. This was the first time he's scored or reached double digits in Fantasy points with Manziel, as the majority of his production came with Josh McCown (ribs), who was inactive in Week 10. We'll see who starts for Cleveland in Week 12 after the bye, but this should make Fantasy owners feel better about starting Barnidge if Manziel starts again this year.
• The Eagles got a great game from their tight ends against Miami with Celek catching four passes for 134 yards on four targets, and Zach Ertz had seven catches for 68 yards on 10 targets. Ertz also had a touchdown called back due to a penalty. I hope both guys continue to play like this, but I wouldn't add either one yet in the majority of leagues. This was a great matchup, and they have been inconsistent all season.
• Jimmy Graham had eight targets against the Cardinals, but he finished with just three catches for 41 yards. This is the first time this season that Graham had at least eight targets and failed to score at least seven Fantasy points in a standard league. We hope he gets back on track in Week 11 against the 49ers, but he had just two catches for 31 yards on five targets in that matchup. He should remain a low-end starter in the majority of leagues.