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Week 10 Rankings | Top
150 Flex Rankings | Week
10 Projections
It's hard to believe Week 10 is already here, and we hope many Fantasy owners are starting to make plans for the playoffs. There also are plenty of owners fighting for playoff spots, and one loss could ruin a season.
We have another week with six teams on a bye, and many prominent players will be missing from Indianapolis, Minnesota, San Diego, Washington, New England and Houston. We hope you prepared in advance, but if not we're here to help.
The main storylines for this week include Calvin Johnson's return from an ankle injury, Mark Sanchez now the new starter for the Eagles in place of Nick Foles (collarbone) and will Tony Romo (back) play against the Jaguars in London. We know Giovani Bernard (hip) won't play Thursday at Cincinnati, and hopefully Jeremy Hill will have a dominant encore performance this week after he tore up the Jaguars in Week 9.
We also want to know how many touchdowns Ben Roethlisberger will throw this week after getting six in each of the past two games. It could be a bad week for the Jets, but then again, every week feels like a bad week for the Jets.
Hey, at least Percy Harvin played well last week at Kansas City, and we'd like to see him do it again this week. There you go, Jets fans. Now you have something to root for.
If there was ever a time to start trusting Matt Ryan again then this is the week. We hope he doesn't let us down.
Ryan, mostly due to poor offensive line play, has scored 19 Fantasy points or less in four consecutive games. He has one game with multiple touchdowns over that span, and he's been sacked 12 times.
We hope the Falcons have corrected some of their protection issues caused by injuries to the offensive line, and Ryan has been great coming off a bye in his career. In his past three games after a bye, Ryan has at least 27 Fantasy points in all three outings.
He really should be able to exploit this matchup at Tampa Bay. Remember, Ryan was flying high the last time he faced the Buccaneers on Thursday night in Week 3 with 286 passing yards and three touchdowns in a blowout victory at home.
We don't love Ryan playing outdoors, but this is a miserable defense for Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers have allowed six quarterbacks to throw multiple touchdowns and four to have at least 300 passing yards. They also have just four sacks in their past four games.
If Ryan fails this week then it's time to cut him in the majority of leagues. But we're expecting him to have enough time to make plays, and he should have success connecting with Julio Jones and Roddy White down the field. He should return after his bye with a Top 10 finish for Fantasy owners.
I'm starting Ryan over: Russell Wilson (vs. NYG), Tony Romo (at JAC), Colin Kaepernick (at NO), Ryan Tannehill (at DET), Cam Newton (at PHI)
QUARTERBACK
Start 'Em
Palmer should continue to roll this week at home against the Rams and keep his streak of 20-point Fantasy outings alive. He has at least 20 Fantasy points in six games in a row going back to last year, including 25 points in his past two games against Philadelphia and Dallas. The Rams have done well in the past two games of keeping Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick to one touchdown combined, and their pass rush has improved with 10 sacks over that span. But all six quarterbacks prior to Week 8 scored multiple touchdowns against this defense, and Palmer should continue to thrive. He also has nine touchdowns and one interception in his past five home games, including three outings with at least 300 passing yards.
Roethlisberger has been amazing the past two games, and now we'll find out if this newfound passing prowess travels. He has 12 touchdowns in his past two home games but only four touchdowns in four road games this season. We're not worried, but it is worth noting. What will definitely help Roethlisberger this week is facing the Jets. Every quarterback has thrown multiple touchdowns against the Jets this season, including standouts such as Derek Carr, Kyle Orton and Smith. The Jets only have one interception on the season, and Roethlisberger should have another dominant game. Now, don't expect another six-touchdown performance, but we'll be happy with three touchdowns as Roethlisberger should have his best game on the road this year.
We're taking some chances this week standing behind Ryan and Newton given their recent struggles, but the matchup suggests you can count on them this week. Newton only has two games this season with more than 20 Fantasy points, and he's gone consecutive games without a touchdown pass against the Seahawks and Saints. But the Eagles have been a cure-all for opposing quarterbacks, as only Eli Manning in Week 6 failed to score at least 20 Fantasy points against this defense. The Eagles are beat up with linebacker DeMeco Ryans (Achilles) out for the season, and Newton had 306 passing yards and two touchdowns and 52 rushing yards and two touchdowns at Philadelphia in 2012. We'd love to see that Newton return again this week.
Stafford has been another maligned quarterback this season, but his struggles are tied to Calvin Johnson dealing with an ankle injury, including missing the past two games. Johnson is expected to return this week against the Dolphins, and Stafford should get back on track even in a tough matchup. The Dolphins have only allowed two quarterbacks to reach 20 Fantasy points this season in Smith and Aaron Rodgers, and they just shut down Philip Rivers at home in Week 9. But Stafford should be ready coming off his bye week at home, and he's scored at least 22 Fantasy points in his last two games following a bye going back to 2012. We're anxious to see what this offense will look like when everyone is healthy, and we hope this week is a glimpse of what to expect for the rest of the year, with Stafford having a big game.
Cutler and the Packers typically don't mix. In his past five meetings with Green Bay, Cutler has eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He had 20 Fantasy points against the Packers at home in Week 4, but he typically struggles at Green Bay with only 294 passing yards, one touchdown and six interceptions in two meetings there as a member of the Bears. Then why start him this week? We expect Cutler to come off the bye playing well, and Green Bay has allowed multiple touchdowns to opposing quarterbacks in each of the past three games against Miami, Carolina and New Orleans. Cutler only has one game this season with fewer than 20 Fantasy points, which was Week 7 against Miami, and he should have another outstanding performance this week in what should be a fun game.
Sleepers
Tony Romo (at JAC): If his back is OK he should do well in London.Mark Sanchez (vs. CAR): He could actually be better than Foles.
Michael Vick (at PIT): Pittsburgh is banged up on defense and not stopping anyone.
Sit 'Em
Tannehill has been among the best Fantasy quarterbacks in the league over the past six weeks. He has four games with at least 21 Fantasy points over that span, and he's coming off his best game of the season in Week 9 against San Diego with 33 Fantasy points in a standard league. But it's one thing to dominate the Raiders, Packers, Bears and Chargers. Now, he faces arguably his toughest test to date with the Lions. Detroit has allowed just two quarterbacks to score at least 20 Fantasy points, which was Newton in Week 2 and Drew Brees in Week 7. Otherwise, the Lions have held Eli Manning, Rodgers, and Ryan to 39 Fantasy points combined. If Tannehill comes out of this game with a quality stat line, he could emerge as a weekly starter the rest of the season, but we're expecting a letdown from him this week compared to his previous few games.
Kaepernick started the season playing like a quality Fantasy quarterback with at least 20 Fantasy points in three of his first four games. Since then, Kaepernick has been at 15 points or less in three of his past four, including two in a row at Denver and against St. Louis. His rushing numbers have dwindled with only one game above 18 yards since Week 4, and playing in New Orleans has proven to be tough for most quarterbacks, including Kaepernick. He's played there twice in the past two seasons and combined for 38 Fantasy points. This year, the Saints have held Matt Cassel, Mike Glennon and Rodgers to two passing touchdowns and three interceptions combined, and only Ryan, Romo and Rodgers have scored at least 20 Fantasy points against New Orleans this year. We hope Kaepernick can turn things around soon, but we wouldn't start him in most standard formats this week.
Orton was a solid Fantasy option prior to the bye in Week 9. He had at least 19 Fantasy points in three games in a row, including a dominant 33-point outing in Week 8 at the Jets. But we're pessimistic about him this week against the Chiefs at home. Kansas City has held the past six opposing quarterbacks to 18 Fantasy points or less, including Tom Brady, Kaepernick and Rivers. It will hurt Orton tremendously if Sammy Watkins (groin) is out or less than 100 percent, and the Chiefs should be able to limit his weapons based on the way their defense has played coming into this matchup. Orton is only worth starting in two-quarterback leagues this week.
Smith was 1-yard short of his third 20-point Fantasy outing of the season in Week 9 against the Jets when he finished with 199 passing yards and two touchdowns. He now has four games in a row with 19 Fantasy points or less, and the Bills will likely limit his production again this week. Only three quarterbacks have scored at least 20 Fantasy points against Buffalo this season with Cutler, Rivers and Brady. Otherwise, the Bills have limited Tannehill and Stafford to 14 Fantasy points or less among notable opponents. They have 12 touchdowns allowed and 12 interceptions on the season, and Smith should only be used in two-quarterback leagues this week.
Dalton has been a mediocre Fantasy quarterback this season. He has three games with at least 20 Fantasy points, but he has not done better than 22 in any outing this year. Granted, A.J. Green (toe) has been banged up, but even last week when he was back against Jacksonville at home, Dalton had just 19 Fantasy points. The Browns have not allowed any quarterback to reach 20 Fantasy points this year, with only the Titans' duo of Jake Locker and Charlie Whitehurst combining for 37 points in Week 5. This includes matchups against Brees and Roethlisberger twice. Last year, Dalton combined for 22 Fantasy points against the Browns in two games, and he should only be used in two-quarterback formats this week.
Bust alert
Manning got two touchdowns late in Week 9 against the Colts to save his Fantasy production. He finished with 25 Fantasy points, and he now has at least 19 Fantasy points in six of his past seven games. He's also thrown just one interception since Week 2, which came off a deflection in Week 4 at the Redskins, and it's hard to bench him in the majority of leagues. That said, it will be hard to trust Manning in Seattle even though the Seahawks defense has struggled this year. Seattle has allowed four quarterbacks to score at least 20 Fantasy points, but the Seahawks might have turned the corner the past two games with just 19 Fantasy points combined against Newton and Derek Carr. Manning faced Seattle last year at home and had minus-4 Fantasy points. We're expecting a much better performance this time around, but it shouldn't be much higher. He's a low-end starting option at best and better suited for two-quarterback formats this week.
RUNNING BACK
Start 'Em
Hill started for the injured Bernard in Week 9 against Jacksonville and was a star with 24 carries for 154 yards and two touchdowns and one catch for 9 yards. A similar performance is possible this week against the Browns since Bernard is out again. Cleveland has allowed seven touchdowns to opposing running backs and seven to reach double digits in Fantasy points. Hill now has three games this season with double digits in carries, and he's responded well with the increased workload with at least 15 Fantasy points in two of those outings. The Bengals have the chance to rely on Hill this week to carry their offense, and we're expecting him to come through with a solid encore in Week 10.
The Cowboys defense is starting to fall apart, and middle linebacker Rolando McClain (groin/knee) and defensive tackle Tyrone Crawford (knee) are hurting for this matchup. That should only help Robinson, who has been outstanding the past three weeks against Cleveland, Miami and Cincinnati with at least 11 Fantasy points in all three games. He has two games with 100 rushing yards and two games with a touchdown over that span, and he should continue to run well this week, especially if he continues to get 18-plus touches. Dallas has allowed six touchdowns to opposing running backs, including three in the past two games against Alfred Morris, Andre Ellington and Marion Grice.
The 49ers run defense will get a boost this week if Patrick Willis (toe) is able to play, but even then it will be tough to slow down Ingram. He's been on a tear the past two games against Green Bay and Carolina with 23 Fantasy points in each game. The Saints are feeding him with 54 carries over that span, and we just hope he can hold up for the long haul because he's turned into a stud Fantasy option in all leagues. Five times this season the Saints have given Ingram at least 10 carries, and he's scored a touchdown and finished with double digits in Fantasy points in four of them. Only two running backs have finished with double digits in Fantasy points against the 49ers this year, which were DeMarco Murray in Week 1 and Ronnie Hillman in Week 7, and we expect Ingram to add his name to that list in this matchup.
The Ravens should be able to run on the Titans this week, which should allow Forsett and Lorenzo Taliaferro -- sleeper alert -- to both play well. Forsett is the better option since he gets the most touches, and he's scored at least nine Fantasy points in each of his past six games. He only has two touchdowns over that span and hasn't scored since Week 5, but he finally got back to being involved in the passing game the past two weeks with eight catches for 84 yards. The Titans have allowed 10 touchdowns to opposing running backs this year, which is where Taliaferro comes in, and six have reached double digits in Fantasy points in a standard league. Forsett and Taliaferro both have the chance to be Top 20 running backs this week, but if you had to pick one then go with Forsett based on his role as the starter.
The last time Rainey faced the Falcons was as the starter in Week 3, and he played well with 11 carries for 41 yards and seven catches for 64 yards. However, he lost two fumbles in the game, which marred his performance, and we've been waiting for him to get another chance at the featured role. That happened in Week 9 at Cleveland with Doug Martin (ankle) out. Rainey had 19 carries for 87 yards and one catch for 34 yards. He should have the chance for another game with double digits in Fantasy points in the rematch with Atlanta. The Falcons allow the most Fantasy points to opposing running backs with 13 touchdowns and eight scoring double digits in Fantasy points. Charles Sims (sleeper alert) is expected to play this week, which could cut into Rainey's upside, but if he gets the majority of the work he should be great. Three times this season Rainey has double digits in carries, and he has 100 total yards in all three outings.
Sleepers
Steven Jackson (at TB): He could score for the second game in a row.Reggie Bush (vs. MIA): He should be motivated to face his former team.
Terrance West (at CIN): He should be great if the O-line gives him room.
Chris Ivory (vs. PIT): We'd rather see more Ivory and less Chris Johnson.
Jonathan Stewart (at PHI): We'd rather see more Stewart and less DeAngelo Williams.
Sit 'Em
Returning home could help McFadden play better than he has the past two games on the road at Cleveland and Seattle, where he combined for 11 Fantasy points. He has at least seven Fantasy points in all four home games this season, but he still remains too risky to trust against the Broncos. Denver has only allowed two running backs to gain more than 36 yards on the ground, which were Marshawn Lynch and Knile Davis. They have been hurt by running backs through the air as Ahmad Bradshaw, Ellington and Shane Vereen have scored at least seven Fantasy points with their receiving skills, which could help McFadden, who has four catches in each of the past three games. But he continues to lose work to Maurice Jones-Drew, which is maddening, and I would only consider McFadden a flex option at best this week.
It's hard to figure out who Jeff Fisher thinks he's fooling by saying the Rams are still using a running back by committee. Sure, Benny Cunningham remains in the mix, and Zac Stacy could pop up again with a few carries. But Mason has at least 18 carries in two of the past three games, and he's clearly the most talented running back in St. Louis. But for this week, keep him reserved in all formats. He's looking like a terrible receiver with three catches for 5 yards in his past four games, and he only has one touchdown. The Cardinals are No. 1 in fewest Fantasy points to opposing running backs and just became the first team to keep Murray under 100 rushing yards this season in Week 9. Mason has the chance for some big games down the road and should be stashed in all leagues, but we wouldn't start him this week unless you're in a dire situation.
The Browns are moving away from Tate to go with West this week, and we'll find out how permanent this move is with how West does. It's a great matchup for the Browns, so maybe Tate can do something if he's not glued to the bench. Tate is not fully to blame for the lack of a running game in Cleveland the past three weeks because the woes coincide with center Alex Mack (leg) going down. Still, it's hard to overlook Tate's lack of production (41 carries for 65 yards and a touchdown against the Jaguars, Raiders and Buccaneers) and not expect a change. Fantasy owners can stash Tate to see what develops, but he's not worth starting in this matchup with the Bengals.
You can make an argument that Peyton Hillis should be the best Giants running back this week because of his catching ability. Even though Williams found the end zone against the Colts in Week 9, he managed just 12 carries for 24 yards and the touchdown and one catch for 24 yards. Meanwhile, Hillis had four carries for 20 yards and five catches for 50 yards. With the Giants expected to be chasing points this week, Hillis could end up playing more snaps. Williams will need a touchdown to help his Fantasy output, and we doubt that happens against Seattle on the road. He is a low-end flex option at best in deeper leagues.
I hope to see more from Brown coming off the bye in Week 9 since he had just seven carries for 15 yards in Week 8 as the second option behind Anthony Dixon. That could be the case again with Dixon getting more work, and Fred Jackson (groin) could also return this week against the Chiefs since he was able to practice Wednesday. But even if Brown gets a full workload he will have to crack a run defense that has been stout all season. The Chiefs have yet to allow a running back to score this year, and only Lamar Miller and Frank Gore have reached double digits in Fantasy points with 100 rushing yards. Brown still has potential to be a viable Fantasy option down the road, but let him prove himself first, especially with a tough matchup on the docket.
Bust alert
Here's what Gore has done so far on the road this season: six Fantasy points at Dallas, one point at Arizona, three points at St. Louis and two points at Denver. That comes out to an average of three Fantasy points, and that's not going to help Fantasy owners much in the majority of leagues. He offers little as a receiver with five catches for 77 yards, and he's only scored one rushing touchdown this year. The Saints have allowed seven touchdowns to opposing running backs and six to reach double digits in Fantasy points, but only Eddie Lacy has done well in New Orleans in three home games, including matchups with Minnesota and Tampa Bay. If this game gets out of control in the Saints' favor and San Francisco is chasing points, Gore could definitely be a non-factor. I'd only start him as a flex option this week.
WIDE RECEIVER
Start 'Em
Green is worth starting this week because he always has the chance for a big game. But I like Sanu better in this matchup with the Browns. He has double digits in Fantasy points in every home game this season and is coming off consecutive outings against Baltimore and Jacksonville with nine catches for 220 yards and a touchdown. The Browns have struggled with No. 2 receivers all season as teams tend to shy away from Joe Haden, and Buster Skrine typically has a target on his back. No better game exemplified that then last week against Tampa Bay when Mike Evans had seven catches for 124 yards and two touchdowns. Sanu should have the chance for a big game Thursday night, and I consider him a Top 10 receiver this week.
Fitzgerald is looking to perform this week like his former teammate Anquan Boldin did against the Rams last week. Boldin had six catches for 93 yards and a touchdown against St. Louis, and No. 1 receivers continue to beat up this Rams' secondary. Fitzgerald torched St. Louis last year with 20 catches for 176 yards and three touchdowns in two games, and he's also scored in each of his past two home games against Washington and Philadelphia. I also like Michael Floyd (sleeper alert) to play well this week in a rebound game, and he should be considered a No. 3 receiver with upside.
I like Steve Smith and Torrey Smith (sleeper alert) this week with the matchup against the Titans. I also lean toward the Ravens and their passing game when they are at home. The Titans have allowed five touchdowns to opposing receivers and seven to reach double digits in Fantasy points. Steve Smith is due for a big game since he hasn't reached double digits in Fantasy points since Week 6, and Torrey Smith has scored double digits in Fantasy points in three of his past four games, with four touchdowns over that span. Joe Flacco should be able to exploit this secondary, and we like the Smith duo to each play well this week.
Bryant has been active for three games, and he's already scored five touchdowns. To put that in context, he's scored more touchdowns than Alshon Jeffery (three), Julio Jones (three), T.Y. Hilton (three), Vincent Jackson (two), Calvin Johnson (two) and Fitzgerald (two). While it will be hard for him to maintain that rate, he's been a big reason for Roethlisberger's recent resurgence. If Bryant doesn't score his stat line will be minimal since he has two games with 45 yards or less. But there's a good chance he scores since the Jets have allowed 10 touchdowns to opposing receivers this year.
When the Jets traded for Harvin in Week 7, you knew he would be used more than during his tenure with the Seahawks, and we found out just how much work he could handle in Week 9 at Kansas City. Harvin got a season-high 13 targets, and he finished with 11 catches for 129 yards, which also coincides with Vick's first start. We'd all sign up for Harvin to remain that involved moving forward, and those targets will only continue to upgrade his Fantasy value. For this week, the Jets should have the chance to make plays against the Steelers, so consider Eric Decker (sleeper alert) a starting Fantasy option as well. Pittsburgh has allowed seven touchdowns to opposing receivers and nine to reach at least nine Fantasy points. With the Jets likely chasing points in this matchup, Harvin could again be counted on for a heavy amount of targets. Hopefully he'll come through, and Decker also has the chance for a big game.
Sleepers
Mike Evans (vs. ATL): I'd still trust him even with Josh McCown starting.Brandin Cooks (vs. SF): He has at least six catches in each home game.
Davante Adams (vs. CHI): He's scored in his past two home games.
Justin Hunter (at BAL): His breakout season is about to happen now.
Odell Beckham (at SEA): I'd still use him even with the tough matchup at Seattle.
Sit 'Em
I'm still starting Boldin in PPR leagues because he has at least six catches in five games this year, including three in a row. But he only has a touchdown in two games this season, and both have come against the Rams. We hope he can find the end zone on a more regular basis, and this isn't a horrendous matchup since the Saints have allowed 10 touchdowns to opposing receivers this season. But the Saints have done well in limiting the opposing No. 1 receiver the past two weeks with Jordy Nelson and Kelvin Benjamin combining for five catches for 43 yards and no touchdowns. Boldin scored in New Orleans last year with six catches for 56 yards, but I like Michael Crabtree better in this matchup. I'd use Crabtree as a No. 2 receiver this week, and Boldin would just be a No. 3 option in standard leagues.
It will be interesting to see what the Giants do against Richard Sherman and who lines up on that side of the field more often between Randle and Beckham. But either way, Randle has become a frustrating Fantasy option in all leagues. He continues to rack up targets with little production after he had 11 targets in Week 9 against the Colts but finished with just four catches for 49 yards. This is now six games in a row with at least nine targets, but he has only one touchdown and no games with double digits in Fantasy points to show for it. I hope Randle can start playing well, but he's getting outplayed by Beckham and could struggle in this matchup at Seattle.
It's become a guessing game with Colston on when he will play well, and I don't like that feeling with players when it comes to my lineup. He has now gone five games in a row without a touchdown, and he's eclipsed six Fantasy points just once over that span when he had six catches for 111 yards at Detroit in Week 7. He's faced the 49ers twice in the past two years at home and scored eight Fantasy points in a standard league in 2013 and nine points in 2012. Eight Fantasy points is his best total at home this year, and he also has two games with more than six targets in his past six outings. I'd still use Colston as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver, but he's more likely to disappoint you this week then provide a boost based on his recent lack of production.
The Cowboys are hoping to start Romo this week, which will definitely help Williams, but he's still a risky Fantasy option for this game in London. He has seven Fantasy points or less in a standard league in each of his past four games with just one touchdown over that span. He has yet to top 77 receiving yards in any game, and he only has one touchdown on the road at St. Louis in Week 3. The Jaguars are beat up in their secondary, but Romo might not have the strength to attack this defense down the field with his ailing back. We'd use caution and bench Williams until after the Dallas bye in Week 11 to make sure Romo is OK. Dez Bryant is worth the risk because of his upside, but Williams has tailed off of late.
It was great to see Hurns catch two touchdowns in Week 9 at Cincinnati, and this was the second time this season he's scored twice in the same game going back to Week 1 against the Eagles. But in between those games, he's scored just once and had fewer than 70 receiving yards in all seven outings. There's always the chance he could connect with Blake Bortles again on a scoring play, but Dallas has only allowed five touchdowns to opposing receivers this year. Even Allen Robinson is a risky starting option this week in the majority of leagues. It's not a bad idea to add Hurns and see how he does to close the season, but I wouldn't start him in most standard formats.
Bust alert
Wallace started the season with at least eight Fantasy points in each of his first six games, with five touchdowns over that span and four games with double digits in Fantasy points. But in his past two outings he has combined for 10 Fantasy points on five catches for 109 yards. He should struggle again this week against the Lions, who allow the fewest Fantasy points to opposing receivers. Detroit has allowed just three touchdowns to opposing receivers and only four to reach double digits in Fantasy points, including Victor Cruz, Benjamin, Nelson, Randall Cobb and Julio Jones all scoring five Fantasy points or less. Wallace could get back on track in this matchup with how good Tannehill has been of late, but we'd bet against it. He should only be considered a No. 3 Fantasy receiver this week.
TIGHT END
Start 'Em
When the Chiefs decide to feed Kelce the ball he has shown an ability to come through, and Kelce had four catches for 67 yards and a touchdown in Week 9 against the Jets. There have been five times this season where Kelce has at least five targets, and he's scored at least eight Fantasy points in three of those outings with two touchdowns. Buffalo has done a nice job in defending tight ends this season with only two touchdowns allowed, but we're betting on Kelce's talent shining through -- if the Chiefs give him the ball. He's had at least five targets in consecutive weeks, so hopefully that's a sign of things to come.
The Seahawks have shown an inability to defend tight ends this year, and they come into this game with 10 touchdowns allowed to the position, which is second behind the Jets (11). Last week, Seattle made Oakland's Mychal Rivera look like a Hall of Famer with eight catches for 38 yards and two touchdowns, and the Seahawks have allowed at least two touchdowns to tight ends in each of their past three home games. Donnell has proven to be a reliable target for Eli Manning. In the six games where the Giants have been missing either Cruz or Beckham, Donnell has either a touchdown or 80-plus receiving yards in five of them, including last week against the Colts.
This is a great matchup to trust Miller since the Jets have allowed the most touchdowns to opposing tight ends with 11 and six have scored at least eight Fantasy points. Miller, as expected, struggled in Week 9 against Baltimore with just one catch for 14 yards on two targets, but this should be a rebound game. I wouldn't expect his performance against the Colts when he had seven catches for 112 yards and a touchdown on eight targets, but I expect him to be a Top 5 tight end this week. All he needs is the work. The two times the Steelers gave him more than six targets he's been a star with 14 Fantasy points against Tampa Bay in Week 4 and 17 points against the Colts. We're confident that if the targets are there this week the production will follow.
Sleepers
Mychal Rivera (vs. DEN): He should have his third quality game in a row.Owen Daniels (vs. TEN): He has six catches in each of his past two games.
Scott Chandler (vs. KC): KC has allowed seven touchdowns to tight ends this year.
Sit 'Em
We hope the addition of Sanchez as the starter in place of the injured Foles can help Ertz start to play better. At this point, he can't play much worse in terms of his Fantasy production. He had season lows in targets (two), catches (one) and yards (4) in Week 9 at Houston, and he now has just one touchdown and one game with double digits in Fantasy points since Week 1. Along with his lack of production this is a tough matchup, since the Panthers have allowed just two touchdowns to opposing tight ends, and only Jimmy Graham last week has scored double digits in Fantasy points. It's time to cut Ertz in the majority of leagues barring a Sanchez miracle.
Walker played well in his first start with Zach Mettenberger in Week 8 against Houston with four catches for 37 yards and a touchdown on nine targets. The targets were his second most of the season, which is a good sign, and he scored for the first time since Week 4. But this is a tough matchup, and Walker might end up with his fifth game in a row with single digits in Fantasy points. The Ravens have allowed just two touchdowns to opposing tight ends, and only Dwayne Allen has reached double digits in Fantasy points in a standard league, including matchups with Miller twice, Jordan Cameron and Greg Olsen. We hope Walker and Mettenberger continue to build on their first outing together from two weeks ago, but this could be a tough week for Walker to post a quality stat line.
I've had Clay in this column as either a start or sit for each of the past two weeks, and I've been wrong each time, so take that into consideration. He has a touchdown in two of his past three games, with zero Fantasy points in the middle of that production. We hope Clay can start posting consistent stat lines soon because he has plenty of upside, but this could be a tough week for him. The Lions have allowed four touchdowns to opposing tight ends, but only two have scored more than seven Fantasy points, which were Donnell and Andrew Quarless, including a matchup with Olsen. Clay has one game with double digits in Fantasy points in four road games this season and only one touchdown over that span.
Bust alert
Davis has been miserable this season, and Fantasy owners are getting close to dropping him. He has six Fantasy points combined in his past three games, and he hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 1. Granted, he missed time with a back injury this year, but he hasn't topped 45 receiving yards in any game. It won't be easy for him this week against the Saints, who have allowed one touchdown to an opposing tight end and none to reach double digits in Fantasy points, including matchups with Kyle Rudolph, Jason Witten and Olsen. We hope Davis can turn things around, but he's looking like a bust for the season and someone who will end up on waivers in most leagues soon.
KICKER
Start 'Em
Crosby has already faced the Bears once this season in Week 4 in Chicago, and he was 1-of-2 on field goals with five extra points. Since the made field goal was 53 yards, he finished with 10 Fantasy points in a standard league, and it was the third time this season he's scored at least 10 points. He has at least eight points in each of his past three games, and the Bears actually allow the most Fantasy points to opposing kickers this season. Six kickers have made multiple field goals against Chicago, including three in a row. Crosby also has made multiple field goals against the Bears in three of his past five games against Chicago overall.
Sleepers
Chandler Catanzaro (vs. STL): He has yet to miss a field goal this season.Brandon McManus (at OAK): Denver should score at will in this matchup.
Cairo Santos (at BUF): Three kickers have multiple field goals in Buffalo this year.
Sit 'Em
Sturgis has been great the past three games with at least nine Fantasy points in every outing in a standard league, including 13 points against the Chargers in Week 9. He has seven field goals over that span with 10 extra points, and he's scored at least eight Fantasy points in each of his past three road games. The Lions have allowed three kickers to make multiple field goals against them this season, but only two kickers have reached double digits in Fantasy points. We would only consider Sturgis a low-end starting option this week.
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
Start 'Em
The Ravens defense has struggled the past two games with 70 points allowed to Cincinnati and Pittsburgh on the road. But a rebound performance should happen this week against Mettenberger and the Titans at home. In Mettenberger's first NFL start in Week 8 against Houston he was sacked twice and had an interception and a lost fumble. Baltimore has scored at least 10 Fantasy points in three of four home games this season, and the Ravens have allowed 10 points or less in their past three in a row at home against Pittsburgh in Week 2, Carolina in Week 4 and Atlanta in Week 7. They also have 10 sacks in their past three games overall, and they should be able to harass Mettenberger into some mistakes this week.
Sleepers
Chiefs (at BUF): Justin Houston should be in Orton's face all game.Cowboys (at JAC): Facing Jacksonville has been great for DST units this year.
Saints (vs. SF): Even the injury-riddled 49ers should struggle in New Orleans.
Sit 'Em
The 49ers DST was solid in Week 9 despite the loss against the Rams with 17 Fantasy points in a standard league, but they have been hit or miss all season. They have just four games with at least 15 Fantasy points and four games with eight points or less. The pass rush has been non-existent for the 49ers with only three games with multiple sacks, and the Saints offense should continue to roll at home. We'll find out if Willis can return this week, which will help San Francisco's cause, but you should find another starting option based on this matchup.
Full Disclosure from Week 9
Week 9 was about as close to perfect as I might ever get, and I finished in the Top 5 for accuracy on Fantasy Pros for the week. We hit on many players in Start 'Em and Sit 'Em in the last scoring period.
Our Start of the Week was Carson Palmer, and he was a Top 5 quarterback with 25 Fantasy points. We also had the No. 1 quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger and three other Top 10 quarterbacks, including sleepers, in Ryan Tannehill and Brian Hoyer.
We suggested to start three Top 5 running backs in Jeremy Hill, Mark Ingram and Alfred Morris, and we had five Top 10 receivers in Mike Evans, DeAndre Hopkins, Martavis Bryant, Mohamed Sanu and Anquan Boldin. And Travis Kelce and Larry Donnell were Top 12 tight ends.
Our bad calls included starting Russell Wilson, Colin Kaepernick, Chris Ivory, Rueben Randle and Timothy Wright. And we said to sit Torrey Smith, Eric Decker, Coby Fleener and Charles Clay.
My two favorite calls from Week 9 might have been to sit Cam Newton and Philip Rivers. I expected Rivers to struggle at Miami, but I never expected him to score negative Fantasy points.
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| Player | Fantasy Pts. (proj.) | Fantasy Pts. (actual) | Pos. rank | |
| Carson Palmer, QB, Cardinals | 26 | 25 | 5 | |
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| Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Steelers | 26 | 47 | 1 | |
| Mark Ingram, RB, Saints | 15 | 23 | 4 | |
| DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Texans | 14 | 17 | 6 | |
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| Cam Newton, QB, Panthers | 19 | 12 | 22 | |
| Marques Colston, WR, Saints | 19 | 4 | 22 | |
| Philip Rivers, QB, Chargers | 21 | minus-3 | 28 | |
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| Russell Wilson, QB, Seahawks | 30 | 10 | 23 | |
| Rueben Randle, WR, Giants | 12 | 4 | 41 | |
| Chris Ivory, RB, Jets | 13 | 2 | 42 | |
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| Coby Fleener, TE, Colts | 6 | 13 | 5 | |
| Eric Decker, WR, Jets | 7 | 12 | 18 | |
| Torrey Smith, WR, Ravens | 5 | 12 | 19 | |