Week 10 Rankings: Standard | PPR
Joe Flacco was a sleeper we listed in the Week 10 Start 'Em and Sit 'Em, and he came through in a big way on Thursday night against the Browns. Flacco scored 27 Fantasy points in a standard league, and it's always fun when you get one right in the first game of the week.
I had a choice to make in one league where I share the team with my brother-in-law, Kyle Whiting, between Flacco and Jay Cutler, and Kyle was adamant about Flacco. I'm glad he was right, but I'm also hopeful that Cutler will play well this week at Tampa Bay.
There are a lot of sleepers I like this week, especially with four teams on a bye (Indianapolis, Oakland, Buffalo and Detroit). Our hope is that if you need to use these players in Week 10 that they deliver the way Flacco did against the Browns.
For all of your must-start options go here for the Week 10 Start 'Em and Sit 'Em.
Editor's Note: Projections are provided by CBS Sports and not Jamey Eisenberg.
Quarterbacks
We hope Cutler plays just like Flacco (maybe minus the interceptions) and takes advantage of this great matchup with the Buccaneers. He's coming off his best game of the season in Week 8 against Minnesota, but he only scored 16 Fantasy points in that matchup. He should do much better this week against Tampa Bay since the Buccaneers just allowed 857 passing yards, eight touchdowns and no interceptions in their past two games against Derek Carr and Matt Ryan, and those two combined for 78 Fantasy points in a standard league. For the season, Tampa Bay has allowed five quarterbacks to score at least 21 Fantasy points out of eight games, and Cutler is a great streaming option for this week.
Again, we're playing the matchup here with Siemian since he's not a great Fantasy quarterback. But Colin Kaepernick just scored 25 Fantasy points against the Saints, and six of eight quarterbacks have scored at least 20 points against New Orleans this year. Siemian might be forced to throw this week if the Broncos are chasing points on the road, and we have moderately high expectations for Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, which means we're relying on their quarterback. His three best games have come on the road this year (36 Fantasy points at Cincinnati in Week 3, 15 points at San Diego in Week 6 and 19 points last week at Oakland), and hopefully that trend continues this week. He's a good streaming option in two-quarterback leagues.
We're looking at a flier here in deeper leagues, especially two-quarterback formats, but Wentz has the chance for a rebound game this week. He hasn't scored 20 Fantasy points since Week 5, and in his past four games he's averaging just 9.5 points in a standard league. But the Falcons allow the most Fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks, and we'll see if Wentz can get back on track at home. He has at least 23 Fantasy points in two of three home games, and the one game in Philadelphia when he struggled was against Minnesota in Week 7. The Falcons have allowed a quarterback to score at least 27 Fantasy points in six of nine games, including two in a row with Aaron Rodgers and Jameis Winston. We doubt Wentz plays that well, but 18 Fantasy points is well within reach.
Running backs
Saints coach Sean Payton wasn't kidding when he said Hightower will continue to share touches with Mark Ingram, and both guys played well in Week 9 at San Francisco. Ingram was the better of the two with 15 carries for 158 yards and a touchdown and two catches for 13 yards and a touchdown, but Hightower had 23 carries for 87 yards and a touchdown and one catch for 15 yards. We would still start Ingram over Hightower, but both running backs can be used this week, even against the Broncos. Denver's run defense has struggled this season, and Melvin Gordon and Latavius Murray both had over 100 rushing yards against the Broncos in the past two games. Derek Wolfe (elbow) is out for Denver, which will hurt the defensive line, and the Broncos are playing their second road game in a row. Hightower should be considered at least a flex option this week in all leagues.
The Jaguars first game under new offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett featured Ivory in a prominent role with 18 carries for 107 yards and a fumble against Kansas City. Ivory has proven to be a volume running back in his career, but he only has three games this season with double digits in carries. He scored at least eight Fantasy points in two of them, and his lost fumble last week looked like a potential touchdown when he tried to reach the ball into the end zone. The Texans have allowed a running back to score double digits in Fantasy points in six games in a row, with eight touchdowns over that span. Ivory is worth using as a low-end No. 2 running back this week, and even T.J. Yeldon is in play as a flex option. Yeldon had seven carries for 33 yards and five catches for 32 yards and a touchdown against the Chiefs, and he's the preferred Jaguars running back in PPR.
It's not a guarantee he's going to play this week, but if he's activated off the PUP list and active for Sunday against the Seahawks he has the potential to be a No. 2 running back in the majority of leagues, especially PPR. He would likely take over for James White, who has at least eight Fantasy points in a standard league in his four games with Tom Brady. White has 16 catches over that span, and Seattle has allowed three running backs to catch at least four passes this season and go over 50 receiving yards. Last year, Lewis was a key part of the Patriots offense with double digits in Fantasy points in a standard league in five of seven games before suffering a torn ACL. Hopefully he picks up where last season ended, and he's worth a look as a starter this week if he's on the active roster. If we find out that Lewis is not playing then White should go in this spot as the same type of Fantasy option this week against Seattle.
You know the drill by now with the Vikings running backs. The offensive line is terrible, and Asiata will share touches with Jerick McKinnon and Ronnie Hillman. Asiata remains the best of this trio because of his potential work at the goal line and the passing game, and he does have at least 75 total yards in three of his past four outings. But he needs to convert some of these scoring chances, and that's where the Redskins come into play. Washington has allowed 10 rushing touchdowns this season, including three in the past two games against Zach Zenner, Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard. Only Baltimore and Philadelphia failed to score a rushing touchdown against the Redskins this season, and Asiata can be used as a flex option this week based on his chances to score.
This is a total Hail Mary call because Ellington hasn't been involved much this year as the No. 2 running back behind David Johnson. The most touches Ellington has this year are six, which happened in the first game against the 49ers in Week 5. But in San Francisco's past three games we've seen a pair of running backs score double digits in Fantasy points against the 49ers, with Ingram and Hightower, Jacquizz Rodgers and Peyton Barber and LeSean McCoy and Mike Gillislee. Johnson had two touchdowns against San Francisco, and he's the No. 1 overall running back in our rankings this week. But in a complete desperation mode, you might want to look at Ellington if the recent trend of backup running backs against the 49ers continues in this contest.
I expect Devontae Booker to get the majority of work this week, but it's clear the Broncos want to get Bibbs more involved. Last week at Oakland, Booker struggled with 10 carries for 22 yards and one catch for 8 yards, while Bibbs had Denver's best play on a 69-yard touchdown catch, along with two carries for 11 yards. I wouldn't bench anyone of significance for Bibbs this week because his workload is uncertain, but if he makes this a 50-50 split, he could be in the flex conversation. New Orleans has allowed multiple touchdowns to running backs in four games this year, which could bode well for Booker and Bibbs this week.
We hope the Giants give even more work to Perkins this week after he had a 50-50 split in touches with Rashad Jennings last week against the Eagles. Perkins had 11 carries for 32 yards and three catches for 15 yards, and Jennings finished with 11 carries for 26 yards and three catches for 13 yards. Perkins can be a flex option in deeper leagues, and the Bengals have allowed a running back to score in four games in a row against Dallas, New England, Cleveland and Washington, with seven total touchdowns to running backs over that span. The Giants offensive line is banged up with Justin Pugh (knee) hurt, but Perkins could come up big if you're looking for a desperation play this week.
Christine Michael saw his workload reduced last week against Buffalo with just five carries, and he finished with 1 yard and a touchdown. It's not like Prosise was much better against the Bills with three carries for 9 yards and one catch for 6 yards, but he could be more involved this week, especially with Michael dealing with an apparent hamstring injury (he's listed as questionable). The Seahawks will likely be passing a lot in this matchup, and New England has struggled with receivers out of the backfield this year. There have been seven running backs to catch at least four passes against the Patriots, including LeSean McCoy with six catches in Week 4 and Le'Veon Bell with 10 catches in Week 7. Now, Prosise won't play at that level, but he could be a flex option in PPR leagues this week. In Week 8 at New Orleans, he had four carries for 23 yards and four catches for 80 yards on four targets.
Wide receivers
Diggs has been solid the past two games against Chicago and Detroit with 22 Fantasy points in a standard league. In PPR leagues, he's been fantastic with 21 catches over that span, and he's combined for 156 yards and a touchdown in those two outings. He also has at least 13 targets in each game, and we hope the Vikings continue to lean on him this week at Washington. The Redskins have allowed four receivers to score at least eight Fantasy points in a standard league in their past two games, and he should line up in the slot enough to avoid Josh Norman this week. He's a safe No. 3 Fantasy receiver in standard formats and a low-end starter in all PPR leagues.
I'm excited about the Cardinals passing game this week, with Larry Fitzgerald, Brown and Nelson leading the way for Fantasy owners. Fitzgerald is the best option and a No. 1 Fantasy receiver, but Brown and Nelson remain No. 3 receivers with the chance to be starters in all leagues. San Francisco has allowed 15 touchdowns to receivers this year, and four teams (Carolina, Dallas, Buffalo and Tampa Bay) have had a pair of receivers score against the 49ers in the same game. Brown and Nelson played well in their last game against Carolina in Week 8, with Brown getting four catches, 49 yards and a touchdown on four targets and Nelson going for eight catches, 79 yards and two touchdowns on 12 targets. Nelson has the higher ceiling this week, but Brown is safer and can also go off. I like Brown better, but both are worth using in this matchup.
Matthews has quietly been a standout Fantasy receiver of late, and we expect him to keep playing well this week against the Packers. He's scored at least eight Fantasy points in a standard league in five of his past six games. He's also scored a touchdown in four of his past five games, including five touchdowns over that span. Now, the problem with Matthews has been a lack of receptions and yards. He only has three games this season with more than 40 yards and four games this year with more than four catches. It's clear he could struggle if he doesn't score, but this game should be high scoring in Week 10. The Packers have allowed 11 touchdowns to receivers this year, including seven in the past five games. For the season, 10 receivers have scored at least eight Fantasy points in a standard league against the Packers, and that has been the floor for Matthews for most of the year. He's a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues with the chance to be a top-20 option if he finds the end zone again.
Matthews is more of a start option than a sleeper, but I wanted a place to write about him, so he falls into this category and should be considered a low-end No. 2 receiver in all leagues. His targets have been solid for the past two games with at least 10 in each outing against Dallas and the Giants, and he combined for 20 Fantasy points in a standard league in those matchups. He has at least seven Fantasy points in six of eight games this year, and this is a good matchup to trust him against the Falcons. Atlanta cornerback Desmond Trufant (shoulder) is out for this game, which makes a struggling secondary even worse, since the Falcons have allowed the second-most Fantasy points to opposing receivers. Matthews should continue to dominate targets again this week, and this is a favorable spot to trust him in all formats.
Rogers is coming off a solid game at Baltimore in Week 9 with six catches for 103 yards, and he could make it two good outings in a row this week against the Cowboys. Dallas has struggled this year with slot receivers, as guys like Sterling Shepard, Jamison Crowder, Jeremy Kerley, Randall Cobb and Jordan Matthews have all scored against the Cowboys this season. We've only seen Rogers have two relevant games this season, which were Week 1 and Week 9, but this is a good week to consider using him as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in deeper leagues.
Tight ends
We hope this isn't chasing points with Ertz, who finally played well for the first time this year in Week 9 at the Giants. He had eight catches for 97 yards on eight targets, and maybe the Eagles realized he can make plays when he has more than four targets, which is all he had in each of the four games prior to Week 9. This is a good matchup to trust him since the Falcons have allowed six tight ends to score at least nine Fantasy points this year, including last week when Cameron Brate had five catches for 43 yards and a touchdown. Ertz is better in PPR leagues than standard formats since he's still looking for his first touchdown, but hopefully last week was a sign of things to come.
This isn't an easy matchup against the Jaguars, who have allowed just one touchdown to a tight end (Antonio Gates in Week 2) and two tight ends to go over 50 yards (Delanie Walker and Travis Kelce). But Fiedorowicz comes into this game playing well, and he's a low-end starter in deeper leagues. He has scored at least 10 Fantasy points in a standard league in three of his past five games, including his last outing in Week 8 against Detroit. He has at least seven targets in four games in a row, and Brock Osweiler is leaning on him, which we like. Fiedorowicz is a good streaming option if you need a starter this week.
Kendricks has been a nice surprise for Fantasy owners of late with seven catches in each of his past two games against the Giants and Panthers, and he had seven receptions for 90 yards against Carolina in Week 9 on 12 targets. And this is a good matchup to trust him in deeper leagues since the Jets have struggled with tight ends this year. There have been four tight ends to score at least 10 Fantasy points against the Jets, including Dominique Jones for the Dolphins last week when he had three catches for 42 yards and a touchdown. Kendricks only has one touchdown on the season, so he's better in PPR leagues than standard formats, but he can be a streamer this week if you're stuck at tight end.
DFS Advice for Week 10
Here's my FanDuel lineup for Week 10
- QB: Ben Roethlisberger ($7,700) vs. DAL
- RB: David Johnson ($9,400) vs. SF
- RB: Darren Sproles ($5,100) vs. ATL
- WR: Julio Jones ($8,800) at PHI
- WR: Antonio Brown ($8,600) vs. DAL
- WR: Tyrell Williams ($5,900) vs. MIA
- TE: Zach Miller ($5,400) at TB
- K: Will Lutz ($4,500) vs. DEN
- DST: Rams ($4,600) at NYJ
Here's my DraftKings lineup for Week 10
- QB: Marcus Mariota ($5,700) vs. GB
- RB: Melvin Gordon ($7,100) vs. MIA
- RB: Jay Ajayi ($7,000) at SD
- WR: Mike Evans ($9,000) vs. CHI
- WR: Alshon Jeffery ($6,600) at TB
- WR: Rishard Matthews ($4,200) vs. GB
- TE: Antonio Gates ($3,900) vs. MIA
- FLEX: Eli Rogers ($3,500) vs. DAL
- DST: Rams ($2,900) at NYJ
Roethlisberger is our Start of the Week in Week 10, and I'm excited about his outlook at home against the Cowboys. It's easy to stack him with Brown on FanDuel, and I also spent big money on Jones to get two elite receivers in my lineup. Johnson is worth the money with his matchup against the 49ers, and I like Sproles and Williams to post quality stats this week. And Miller should do well against Tampa Bay coming off a bye.
On DraftKings, I went with a Titans stack of Mariota and Matthews, and hopefully that duo stays hot this week against Green Bay after they connected for two touchdowns last week at San Diego. I paid for two high-end running backs in Gordon and Ajayi, and that should be a fun matchup as the two face each in Week 10. Evans is over his concussion from Week 9 and should be heavily involved against the Bears, who should get plenty of production from Jeffery. Gates has been rolling lately and should stay hot against the Dolphins, and I'm excited about both of these lineups this week.
#fantasymail
If Jones and Tate are your top two receivers then yes, accept the trade. Jones is a star, but it's hard to expect consistent production from Tate moving forward. I expect Jeffery and Hopkins to take off from this point forward, and that duo should be able to outscore Jones and Tate, especially with Jones having a bye in Week 11. Now, if you have another capable receiver to pair with Jones, and Tate is just your third option, pass on the deal and let Jones lead you to a Fantasy title.
I don't like that trade because Dez Bryant could go off this week against the Steelers, and then his price tag should rise. You're selling low on Bryant right now, which is never a good thing with a player of his caliber. And while it might seem like you're selling high on Murray, I'm excited about his outlook based on his recent workload with at least 16 touches in three games in a row. McCoy is great, but I think you can do better if Bryant plays as expected in Week 10.
Yes, make that move now. Harris might still start against the Cardinals this week, but he should struggle and will eventually head to the bench when Carlos Hyde (shoulder) is healthy. We don't know how Starks will do as the starter for the Packers, especially with how Ty Montgomery has done playing in the backfield, but he should be in line for more work than Harris in the future. I'd rather stash Starks than Harris in the majority of leagues.
I would trade Booker before Adams, and that should end up being a fair deal given what Williams has done so far and should do this week against the Dolphins. Booker could still do well for the Broncos, but he could also lose his job to Bibbs if he continues to struggle. Ware is locked in as the Chiefs starter, and he has the potential to be a No. 1 Fantasy running back for the rest of the season.
He could be, and this should be a telling week for his outlook. We'll see if the Redskins have Matt Jones active, and he could be a healthy scratch after missing Week 8 with a knee injury. And it will help if Kelley plays well in a tough matchup against the Vikings, especially with left tackle Trent Williams (suspension) out for the next four games. The Redskins still face Green Bay, Dallas and Arizona while Williams is out, and Kelley will be hard to trust in those matchups. Still, he's worth stashing, and he could be a No. 2 running back if he proves himself, starting this week against the Vikings.