The Fantasy Fallout Going Into Week 10 of the NFL Season

 

We’re over halfway through the season, and all bets are off, as we’ve come to expect nothing except the unexpected  from week to week. Here’s the fallout going into Week 10…

Packers – 34 @ 49ers – 17

 

• Tyler Ervin actually had a decent showing in PPR formats with 4 catches and 72 total yards. There’s no point chasing that though, unless A.J. Dillon and Jamaal Williams are both sitting again this week. 

 

• Marquez Valdes-Scantling scored twice Thursday night, but he also only saw 2 targets. That’s the definition of TD dependency. Allen Lazard is on track to return in Week 10, so MVS’ floor is rock bottom, should you decide to take the plunge. 

 

• Nick Mullens did little to nothing until garbage time on Thursday, but he’s still the 49ers best bet under center. Hopefully he’ll have more weapons against a red-hot Saints squad this week. 

 

• Jerrick McKinnon out-touched JaMychal Hasty 15 to 6 on Thursday night, and with the returns of both Raheem Morris and Tevin Coleman to be as soon as this week, Hasty may not see the light of day in fantasy until we see another injury. 

 

• Richie James is going to be a hot pickup in many fantasy leagues this week after his 9 rec, 184 yard, 1 TD night, but with Brandon Aiyuk and Kendrick Bourne set to return this week, he can probably be left alone outside of the deepest formats. 

 

Giants – 23 @ Washington – 20

 

• Wayne Gallman led the Giants with 15 touches, 76 yards and a TD, though Alfred Morris got 10 touches for 71 yards. Things could get very confusing if Devonta Freeman returns in week 10, but Gallman has been running the best for the Giants and should continue to get the majority of touches. Gallman should be flex-worthy this week against the Eagles. 

 

• Austin Mack led the Giants in receiving yards(72), but he fell behind Evan Engram and Sterling Shepard in looks with just 5. The only reason he got as many snaps as he did was because Golden Tate was suspended. Tate should be back this week, and Darius Slayton should see more than 1 target, so Mack can be left on the wire for the time being. 

 

• J.D. McKissic led all RBs in targets(14) this week, coming away with 82 yards on the day. With Kyle Smith gone for the season, McKissic could get similar treatment on the weekly with dump-off specialist Alex Smith under center. McKissic should be added in most formats. 

 

• Cam Sims came out of nowhere to post 110 yards on 4 targets, a 3-year career high. It’s hard to imagine an Alex Smith led offene with more than a couple reliable pass-catchers, so it’s best to chalk this one up as an aberration until proven otherwise. 

 

Bears – 17 @ Titans – 24 

 

• David Montgomery suffered a concussion in Week 9 and could very well miss Week 10 altogether. Behind him are Ryan Nall and Cordarrelle Patterson, the latter of which was the only one to get carries. There’s a chance Lamar Miller gets elevated from the practice squad for Week 10, so I wouldn’t bank on either Nall or Patterson. This is a situation to avoid for fantasy. 

 

• Darnell Mooney led the Bears with 11 targets on the day, with Allen Robinson(9) and Anthony Miller(8) not far behind. With Montgomery likely out for Week 10, all Bears pass-catchers, including Jimmy Graham, seem like safe floor plays against Minnesota this week. 

 

• Corey Davis failed to come down with any of his 3 targets on the day against the Bears. Davis was coming off of 2 back-to-back 10 target games, so this was a surprise. With Indy twice, and Baltimore once, over the next 3 games, Davis is going to be a boom or bust player for at least that stretch. 

 

Lions – 20 @ Vikings – 34

 

• With Kenny Golladay sidelined, Danny Amendola led Lions receivers in targets(10) and yards(77) against the Vikings. He’s probably not going to score much if at all, but Amendola makes for a solid PPR play as long as Golladay is out. 

 

• Dalvin Cook‘s recent exploits have been heaven to his owners and hell to anyone relying on Adam Thielen or Justin Jefferson. I’d say this week’s matchup would make the Vikings try a different game plan, but the Bears defend the pass better than any team in the NFL. 

 

• Irv Smith had 2 TDs on the day, but just 10 yards otherwise. He’s been good in fantasy 3 of the last 4 weeks, but his floor is low in this running offense. 

 

Panthers – 31 @ Chiefs – 33

 

• Sigh, well that was short-lived. Christian McCaffrey injured his shoulder on Sunday and is day-to-day. Don’t drop Mike Davis if you already haven’t. He could be the starter once again this week. 

 

• D.J. Moore suffered from the Panthers throwing short routes against a tough KC secondary on Sunday. Curtis Samuel ended up leading Carolina in receiving(105 yards, 1 TD), as they manufactured creative ways to get him the ball. It could be more of the same against Tampa this week, another good defense. Samuel is worth a shot anyway if CMC is out. 

 

• Clyde Edwards-Helaire‘s carries have gone down considerable since Le’Veon Bell joined the backfield – He only had 5 carries on Sunday. His usage in the passing game has kept CEH relevant, but he’s more of a RB3 these days than high-upside RB2. 

 

Texans – 27 @ Jaguars – 25

 

• David Johnson went down with a concussion on Sunday, leaving Duke Johnson and Deshaun Watson to head up the backfield in his absence. Duke is only 16% owned and should be a high priority on waivers this week. 

 

• Jake Luton wasn’t abysmal on Sunday, and it looks like he’ll be getting another start this week against the Packers. Chris Conley got 8 targets behind D.J. Chark‘s 12, and he could be in line for a similar share this week if Lavishka Shenault can’t come back from a hamstring injury in time. 

 

Ravens – 24 @ Colts – 10

 

• Both J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards saw double-digit carries on Sundays, but neither one could get going against a formidable Colts front. Edwards did score though, and he remains the top option in Baltimore as long as Mark Ingram is out, as he gets the majority of goal line work. 

 

• Jordan Wilkins out-touched Jonathan Taylor 13 to 8, and looks like the preferred back in Indy right now, after Taylor lost a costly fumble against the Ravens. They’re both flexes this week against the Titans, but Wilkins arrow is pointing up, while Taylor’s is pointed down. 

 

• Michael Pittman and Marcus Johnson tied for the lead in targets(7) for the Colts on Sunday, with Pittman out-gaining Johnson 56 to 14 yards. Zach Pascal wasn’t far behind with 6 targets for 55 yards. Should Hilton sit again this week, Pittman is the player to take a gamble on, and he should be owned regardless if Hilton can go or not. 

 

Seahawks – 34 @ Bills – 44

 

• DeeJay Dallas “led” the Seahawks backfield with 7 carries and managed to score on Sunday, but Travis Homer had 6 and Alex Collins had 2. Dallas remains the best play if Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde remain out this week, but none of them make for strong plays against the Rams this week. 

 

• Jacob Hollister had 7 targets for 2nd most with Tyler Lockett, and he’s out-gained Greg Olsen 88 to 31 over the past 3 weeks. He’s one to watch for streaming purposes. 

 

• Zach Moss out-carried Devin Singletary 9 to 2 on Sunday, leaving Singletary with only 5 touches on the day. Moss is the better fantasy play at this point, and Singletary’s usage will be largely game-specific. He’s only scored once this season.

 

• John Brown seems to be over his knee injury as he put up 99 yards on Sunday. He’s safe to start again this week against the Cardinals. 

 

Broncos – 27 @ Falcons – 34

 

• The Broncos were playing from behind for the entire game, so there was little running throughout for them. Jerry Jeudy took his rightful place as the Broncos’ no.1 WR, but K.J. Hamler and Tim Patrick weren’t far behind with 10 and 9 targets to Jeudy’s 14. All 3 players make for viable flex start against the Raiders this week, as Lock has been unleashed as a pass-thrower, and Noah Fant is dealing with an ankle injury.

 

• Olamide Zaccheaus led all Falcon’s receivers with 103 yards and a TD on 4 receptions. He was still only 4th in targets, and he got over half of his yardage on one play. With a bye this week and Ridley likely to return the following week, Zaccheausn can remain on waivers in all but the deepest of leagues. 

 

Raiders – 31 @ Chargers – 26

 

• Josh Jacobs is playing with a knee injury and illness, so we saw a lot of Devontae Booker on Sunday. Booker had 8 carries and a TD and out-gained Jacobs on the ground, and he might be worth a deep league flex this week against the Broncos for one more week. 

 

• Nelson Agholor scored on a bomb on Sunday, but after the pitiful showing the prior week, I refuse to see him as anything more than a deep league flex. He only had 3 targets on the day.

 

• Justin Jackson left the game on the first drive against the Raiders, leaving Joshua Kelley and Kalen Ballage to man the backfield. Ballage out-touched Kelley 17 to 14 and out-gained him on the day 84 to 59 yards in addition to scoring. I hate to say it, but Ballage is the back to own should Jackson not be able to go this week against Miami. Fortunately, he should be available in most leagues right now. 

Steelers – 24 @ Cowboys – 19

 

• Chase Claypool saw an absurd 13 targets on Sunday, pacing the Steelers in looks. He’s got a low floor, but it’s impossible not to start a player who’s getting this many looks.

 

• Anthony McFarland seems to have surpassed Benny Snell in the Steelers backfield, for what it’s worth. 

 

• Garrett Gilbert looks like the best option for the Cowboys under center to be honest, and that’s not saying much. The Boys get a bye in Week 10, so fortunately you don’t have to worry about starting any Cowboys this week. 

 

Dolphins – 34 @ Cardinals – 31

 

• Tua Tagovailoa looked better this week, though he still only threw the ball 28 times. He still ended up with almost 250 yards, 2 TDs, and 35 yards on the ground. He’s well worth an addition in most formats.

 

• UDFA Salvon Ahmed led the Miami backfield out of nowhere, picking up 38 yards on 7 carries, It was much, be he looked better than Jordan Howard. Ahmed is a deep-league waiver add where RB help is needed, as long as Breida and Gaskin are out. 

 

• Preston Williams was carted off the field against the Cardinals, but there’s no word yet on how long he’ll be sidelined, if at all. It’s never a good sign when the cart comes out though. Jakeem Grant ended up second in targets(5) behind DeVante Parker, and he would seem to be the most immediate beneficiary of Williams’ absence should there be an extended one. 

 

• Christian Kirk continued his recent tear(8 rec, 123 yards, 1 TD), as teams are focusing on stopping DeAndre Hopkins and letting Kirk run rampant. Kirk is still unowned in over 30% of leagues, and he’s scored 7 times in his last 6 games.

 

Saints – 38 @ Buccaneers – 3

 

• The Saints played with a comfortable lead all game, so no player saw more than 6 targets. Michael Thomas looks no worse for the wear though, and he’s a safe play moving forward, which I can’t say for any other Saints pass-catcher.

 

• Antonio Brown saw 5 targets and ended up with a 3 catch, 31 yard night. It was a night to be forgotten for all Tampa players. It is worth noting that 4 players saw more targets than Brown on the night. He’s still a hold in fantasy though.