Brian Robinson Jr. (hamstring) was ruled out Friday, which means Austin Ekeler should be the lead running back for the Commanders in Week 10 against Pittsburgh. Ekeler is worth using as a low-end starter in all leagues and is one of my favorite sleepers for this week.
In Week 9 at the Giants, Ekeler did well with Robinson out. He had 11 carries for 42 yards and a touchdown and three catches for 41 yards on four targets. He also has scored at least 10.2 PPR points in six of eight games this season, which gives him a relatively safe floor.
The Steelers aren't an easy matchup, but they have struggled with pass-catching running backs. Pittsburgh has allowed four running backs to catch at least five passes in a game this season, and hopefully, that's where Ekeler has a chance to win.
In deeper leagues, if you're looking for help at running back, Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez Jr. could once again help Ekeler in Washington's backfield. But it's a toss-up who will be the better of the two, and it's probably a situation to avoid, given the matchup.
Against the Giants, Rodriguez had the better game with 11 carries for 52 yards, but he played fewer snaps than McNichols (24-20), who had eight carries for 20 yards. Neither one had a target, and the Commanders would have to sign Rodriguez for the rest of the season if they make him active Sunday.
I'd give a slight lean toward McNichols, given his body of work for the season. He has four games with at least seven carries, and he scored at least 10.4 PPR points in two of them.
But given the matchup, you're better off avoiding both guys. Ekeler is the only running back for the Commanders I would recommend trusting with Robinson out in Week 10.
More Week 10 content:
- Full Week 10 Fantasy Projections
- Fantasy Football Start 'Em and Sit 'Em
- Fantasy Football Lineup Decisions
- Week 10 Fantasy Football Trade Chart
- QB Fantasy preview | RB Fantasy preview | WR Fantasy preview | TE Fantasy preview
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Week 10 Sleepers
Week 10 Preview
Sleepers
Sleeper QBs
Tagovailoa had a solid outing in Week 9 at Buffalo, where he missed on just three of 28 pass attempts for 231 yards and two touchdowns, and he scored 21.5 Fantasy points. I'm expecting another quality performance from Tagovailoa against the Rams, who have allowed the past two opposing quarterbacks to score at least 22.2 Fantasy points. This game has the potential to be a high-scoring affair, and the expected point total is 50 points. That bodes well for Tagovailoa and Matthew Stafford having a shootout.
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Herbert is getting hot at the right time, and he has scored at least 23.5 Fantasy points in each of his past two games. He's worth starting again heading into Week 10 against Tennessee, and the Titans have allowed two of the past three opposing quarterbacks to score at least 21.7 Fantasy points. Herbert could end up as a top-12 quarterback in Week 10.
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Jones scored a season-high 28.4 Fantasy points in Week 9 against Washington, and I'm expecting him to stay hot against the Panthers in Germany. Carolina is No. 4 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, and two of the past three quarterbacks against the Panthers scored at least 28.8 Fantasy points. Jones has played four games outside of New Jersey this season, and he scored at least 22.3 Fantasy points in three of them. I hope the matchup, along with playing abroad, helps Jones have another big game in Week 10.
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I would only use Wilson in deeper leagues in Week 10 at Washington, and we'll see how much the addition of Mike Williams helps Wilson this week and moving forward. He's done a nice job in his first two starts for the Steelers, averaging 22.3 Fantasy points over that span, and hopefully, he stays hot against the Commanders. Washington just allowed Daniel Jones to score 28.4 Fantasy points in Week 9, and five quarterbacks for the season have topped 20 points against the Commanders heading into Week 10.
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Sleeper RBs
Stevenson hasn't run well in his past three games against Jacksonville, the Jets, and Tennessee, with 37 carries for 82 yards over that span. But he has three rushing touchdowns, 10 catches for 62 yards, and a touchdown on 11 targets in those games, and he scored at least 22.4 PPR points in his past two outings. The Bears just allowed three Cardinals running backs (James Conner, Trey Benson, and Emari Demercado) to score at least 12.5 PPR points in Week 9, and I like Stevenson as a low-end starter in all leagues in this matchup on the road.
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Mason is worth using as a flex in Week 10 at Tampa Bay, even with Christian McCaffrey (Achilles) expected to play. McCaffrey might have a limited workload in his 2024 debut, which could mean 10-15 total touches for Mason. And it's a good matchup since the Buccaneers have allowed six running backs to score at least 13.5 PPR points against them in the past four games.
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Davis caught a 63-yard touchdown in Week 9 against Miami and finished with four carries for 20 yards and, two catches for 70 yards and the touchdown for 17 PPR points. He also managed five carries for 41 yards and a touchdown and one catch for 6 yards on one target in Week 7 against Tennessee for 11.7 PPR points. In Week 8 at Seattle, Davis had six carries for 29 yards and no targets for 2.9 PPR points, and all three of these games were played in tandem with James Cook. He's not getting much work, but he's providing some big plays as the backup to Cook. Given the matchup against the Colts, I don't mind taking a chance on Davis this week as a flex option in deeper leagues.
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Spears is expected to play in Week 10 after missing the past three games with a hamstring injury. I'd consider using him as a flex in deeper leagues, as he plays in tandem with Tony Pollard. Prior to getting hurt in Week 6 against Indianapolis, Spears scored at 10.1 PPR points in his previous two games against Green Bay and Miami. It's a tough matchup against the Chargers, who are No. 2 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, but Spears could be a factor in the passing game if the Titans are chasing points.
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Perine could be a desperation play in deeper leagues in Week 10, given the matchup against the Broncos. Remember, Denver cut Perine this season before he ended up in Kansas City, so there's a revenge game narrative for him in this game. It helps that he just caught four passes for 25 yards and a touchdown on five targets against Tampa Bay in Week 9, and his targets and receptions were a season-high. If you need help at running back, Perine could be a flex option in deeper formats.
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Sleeper WRs
Nico Collins (hamstring) is expected to return in Week 10 against the Lions, but I still like Dell as a borderline starter in all leagues. Keep in mind that Stefon Diggs (knee) is out for the season, and Dell just had his best game of the year in Week 9 at the Jets with six catches for 126 yards on nine targets for 18.6 PPR points. The Lions are No. 3 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers, so Dell should have the chance to make plenty of plays once again in Week 10.
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Johnston and Ladd McConkey are both worth using as high-end No. 3 Fantasy receivers against the Titans, who are dealing with injuries in their secondary to L'Jarius Sneed (quad) and Quandre Diggs (foot). Johnston returned from a two-game absence with an ankle injury in Week 9 at Cleveland with four catches for 118 yards and a touchdown on five targets for 22 PPR points, and he's capable of big performances now that Justin Herbert and the Chargers have opened up the offense. And McConkey has combined for 40.5 PPR points in his past two games.
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I'd like to see more targets for Legette, but he's scored four touchdowns in his past six games, including two in a row, and he's worth using as a high-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues in Week 10 against the Giants in Germany. In his past two games, Legette has 13 targets for eight catches, 67 yards, and two touchdowns, and he scored at least 13.4 PPR points in each outing against Denver and New Orleans. The Giants have allowed nine receivers to score at least 11 PPR points in their past five games, so Legette should have a safe floor with a potential high ceiling if Bryce Young gives him more chances in this game.
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Williams is back from his two-game suspension for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances, and hopefully, he can pick up where he left off. Prior to missing the past two games, Williams had scored at least 14.4 PPR points in four of six outings, and this is a great matchup against the Texans in Week 10. Houston is No. 7 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers, and I like Williams as a high-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver in the majority of leagues. Seven receivers have scored at least 13.8 PPR points against the Texans in the past four games alone.
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I'm hopeful that Jennings will make his return to the field in Week 10 at Tampa Bay after missing the past two games with a hip injury. Brandon Aiyuk (knee) is out for the season, and Jennings will be the No. 2 receiver for the 49ers opposite Deebo Samuel. Jennings has four games this season with at least five targets, and he scored at least 11.4 PPR points in three of them. This week, he has a great matchup against the Buccaneers, who are No. 5 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers. Eight receivers have scored at least 12.6 PPR points against Tampa Bay in the past five games, which bodes well for Samuel and Jennings in Week 10.
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We'll see how the Jaguars look with Mac Jones starting in place of Trevor Lawrence (shoulder), but I still like Washington as a sleeper against the Vikings, who are No. 2 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers. In the first game without Christian Kirk (collarbone) in Week 9 at Philadelphia, Washington got six targets and finished with three catches for 41 yards. If you're willing to trust Washington with Jones, then it should be a better performance for Washington in Week 10. I would start him in deep, three-receiver leagues in this matchup.
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Let's see if Robinson can continue to find the end zone. In his past two games, Robinson has four touchdowns with eight catches for 129 yards on 12 targets. He's scored twice in each game, and before you say that's tough to trust, let's look at last season. Robinson scored four touchdowns in his final five games in 2023 while playing as the No. 3 receiver behind Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp, so maybe he can keep this up. The Dolphins pass defense is nothing to fear, and I would start Robinson as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in deeper leagues.
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Sleeper TEs
Hill could be the best Saints receiver and second-best rusher in Week 10 against the Falcons, with Chris Olave (concussion), Cedrick Wilson Jr. (shoulder), Kendre Miller (hamstring), and Jamaal Williams (groin) all dealing with injuries. In Week 9 at Carolina, Hill had four catches for 41 yards on five targets, and he also added five carries for 19 yards and a touchdown. He scored 16 PPR points, and the only other time he's scored double digits in PPR points this season was Week 4 at Atlanta when he had six carries for 24 yards and two touchdowns. Given the situation in New Orleans, Hill is worth starting in all leagues.
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We'll see what happens at receiver for the Bills with Amari Cooper (wrist) questionable and Keon Coleman (wrist) out. If both are out in Week 10 at the Colts, then Kincaid could have a big game, and Indianapolis is No. 3 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing tight ends. Kincaid has scored at least 11.1 PPR points in two of his past four games, and he just had 10 targets in Week 9 against Miami, although he only had four catches for 32 yards against the Dolphins. He should see a lot of volume again if Cooper and Coleman are out, and that makes Kincaid a trustworthy Fantasy option heading into Week 10.
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Hockenson had a quiet game in his 2024 debut in Week 9 against the Colts, with three catches for 27 yards on four targets. He only played 45 percent of the snaps, but that should improve in Week 10 at Jacksonville. And the matchup is great since the Jaguars are No. 10 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing tight ends. A tight end has scored at least 11.7 PPR points against Jacksonville in four of the past five games, with four touchdowns over that span. Hockenson should be considered a borderline No. 1 Fantasy tight end in all leagues.
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Kmet is tough to trust, given his lack of production in the past two games. He has one catch for 14 yards on one target in his past two outings against Washington and Arizona, but this is a good matchup against the Patriots. New England has allowed a tight end to score a touchdown in each of the past two games against the Jets and Titans with Tyler Conklin and Nick Vannett, and both scored at least 11.3 PPR points. I would only consider using Kmet in deeper leagues, but he could have a bounce-back performance, given the matchup with the Patriots.
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Defense/Special Teams
Bears (vs. NE)
Lions (at HOU)
Giants (at CAR
Kickers
Cameron Dicker (vs. TEN)
Chad Ryland (at NYJ)
Blake Grupe (vs. ATL)
