Hello again! Here are my Week 10 fantasy football notes.
Cincinnati at Baltimore
This matchup has multiple indicators of being a scoreboard shootout. That should help all of the big names, but don’t forget about Mark Andrews. He had a terrible fantasy score in Week 9, but the Bengals are one of the worst teams covering tight ends. Combine that with Isaiah Likely being out and Andrews belongs in all fantasy lineups.
New York Giants at Carolina
Tyrone Tracy Jr. has scored 20+ PPR points in two of the past four weeks. That shows he can tally big fantasy point totals when the matchup is right. This Carolina defense is arguably the most favorable rush defense matchup on the board, so rate Tracy as having 20+ point potential this week. Get him into lineups, even if only as a flex.
New England at Chicago
The Bears passing game has been stuck in neutral of late. That could change in this matchup, but with New England’s rush defense posting abysmal metrics of late, Chicago can lean on D’Andre Swift very heavily. That will limit the bounce back potential of anyone in the Bears passing game, so use that as a tiebreaker when deciding whether to start Caleb Williams or any Chicago WR/TE.
Buffalo at Indianapolis
High floor players are really valuable at this time of year. Khalil Shakir is in that category, having scored 10+ PPR points in all but one game this season. He doesn’t have a high enough ceiling to rate as a WR1 or WR2, but he is a percentage play as a WR3 or flex. He’s also available in 27.9 percent of ESPN leagues, so you may be able to roster him as a low-cost waiver pick or free agent.
The rest of KC Joyner’s Week 10 fantasy football notes are available exclusively for Pickwatch Pro subscribers.
Minnesota at Jacksonville
Fantasy managers might be tempted to start Trevor Lawrence after he scored 42 points over the past two games. That is not a good percentage move. A large chunk of Lawrence’s points was the result of three rushing touchdowns, something that isn’t likely to recur. Combine that with the Vikings starting to get back to their early season form when Brian Flores was frustrating QBs left and right and it’s best to look elsewhere for starting QB value.
Denver at Kansas City
Bo Nix isn’t in the class of Lamar Jackson or Jalen Hurts, but he is a very good dual threat quarterback. That’s why he posted 17.72 points last week despite what was an overall subpar performance against Baltimore. Look for Nix to post similar fantasy numbers this week even though this is a tough road matchup. That makes him a mid- to low-tier QB1 in Week 10.
Atlanta at New Orleans
Alvin Kamara had 35 scrimmage plays last week (29 rushes plus six receptions). No back in the NFL can deal with that workload volume over the long haul and Kamara doesn’t have the biggest frame to begin with. This is an indicator that New Orleans could wear Kamara out, so if he is on your roster, consider trading high on him to get value before the Saints push him so hard that he gets injured.
San Francisco at Tampa Bay
This is a game to get every fantasy prospect you can into lineups, as these teams could combine for 50+ scoreboard points. That includes Baker Mayfield and Brock Purdy, who both have 20+ point potential this week.
Pittsburgh at Washington
The Commanders had one of the worst defenses in the NFL earlier this year. That hasn’t been the case of late. It also won’t be the case following the addition of Marshon Lattimore. He has great coverage metrics and allows Washington to move Mike Sainristil to the nickel cornerback position he was born to play. Add that up and the upside potential for Russell Wilson and George Pickens may be limited.
Tennessee at Los Angeles Chargers
The Titans have some very strong pass coverage metrics of late. That makes Quentin Johnston a so-so start in Week 10, but after his big play performance last week Johnston is a very good roster stash given that Justin Herbert is hitting his passing stride of late.
New York Jets at Arizona
This might be a good week to sit Kyler Murray and have low expectations for Marvin Harrison. This is due both to the tough pass coverage matchup and to Murray’s terrible vertical pass numbers. It is a good week to start James Conner, though, as the Jets rush defense is a much more favorable matchup and thus the Cardinals will lean on the ground game this week.
Philadelphia at Dallas
A strong case can be made that the Eagles defense is the best in the league right now. That’s part of why Philadelphia was one of the most popular D/ST waiver pickups this week and why the Eagles are one of the best D/ST starts in Week 10. This D/ST is still available in just over 30 percent of ESPN leagues. If that’s the case in your league, be sure to put in a claim as this is a 10+ point D/ST versus a Dallas offense missing Dak Prescott.
Detroit at Houston
Jared Goff was a solid QB1 candidate for a while. That’s changed of late, as Goff has seen his fantasy point total drop for each of the past four weeks. Houston is a difficult road matchup that doesn’t portend for a turnaround, so slot Goff as a starter only in 2QB or superflex leagues.
Miami at Los Angeles Rams
It’s entirely possible that Matthew Stafford should be rostered in a lot more than 30.1 percent of ESPN leagues. Stafford has scored 42.68 points over the past two weeks largely due to having a healthy WR corps. As long as Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua stay healthy, Stafford will have low-end QB1 potential, albeit not this week versus a stout Miami defense.