Week 10 Rankings

Updated 11/13 at 12:05 PM ET. Removed Matt Jones. Removed Ryan Fitzpatrick. Moved Brandon Marshall down. Ticked James Starks up. Removed Will Fuller. Ticked DeAndre Hopkins up. 

Marcus Mariota scored four touchdowns through his first four games. He’s made up for it with 15 in his past five, producing as the QB1 and moving all the way up to QB8 status on the season. Completing 67.1 percent of his throws during his hot streak, Mariota is averaging 33 rushing yards. He’s committed just four turnovers.  

On tap for Sunday is a Packers defense in the middle of the pack in all passing categories. Mariota will be getting them at home, and sans linchpin pass rusher Clay Matthews. Two scores will be Mariota’s absolute floor, and four a well-attainable ceiling. Fantasy football’s hottest quarterback needs to be fired up for Week 10.

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Week 10 Quarterbacks

QB Notes: The Packers had trouble with their short-passing attack against the Colts, though Aaron Rodgers ripped off his third straight three-score game, bringing his season total to 20. Something remains off — Rodgers has a 6.41 YPA — but he’s buttressing his floor with 25 weekly rushing yards. Even if James Starks is back for Week 10, the Packers’ formula will remain the same against the Titans’ regressing pass defense. … Ben Roethlisberger was as shaky as possible in his return from knee surgery, but offered hope for Week 9 in the fourth quarter. With his team in comeback/hurry-up mode, Big Ben finally began scrambling around, and didn’t look as hobbled as the game plan suggested. At home against an undermanned Cowboys defense, Roethlisberger should get on track. … Matchups haven’t really mattered for Matt Ryan, something most vividly illustrated by his 335-yard, three-score day in Seattle. The Eagles are one of the league’s better pass defenses, but just coughed up four scores to Eli Manning. Ryan can’t be ranked any lower.
 

Editor's Note: On FanDuel, "stacking" is a way to raise your potential upside by rostering multiple players from the same game. After you read our analysis here, be sure to check out "Raybon's Rollout: Week 10". over on RotoGrinders to see which players might make the best DFS pairings this week.

The Seahawks have a shutdown pass defense, but fresh off getting ripped by Tyrod Taylor and missing Michael Bennett, they’re going to have major trouble stopping MVP Tom Brady on the road. … Carson Palmer has only 10 touchdowns, but entered the Cardinals’ Week 9 bye with 705 yards over his previous two starts. Although most vulnerable on the ground, the 49ers have surrendered the ninth most quarterback fantasy points. … Drew Brees has 12 touchdowns in four home starts. The Seahawks held him to one Superdome score, however, and though they’re loosening up on the ground, the Broncos remain impenetrable through the air. Working in Brees’ favor will be the second straight absence of Aqib Talib. Season-long owners need to keep the faith. … If this seems low for Cam Newton, remember that he has only 12 touchdowns in seven starts. He’s had two multi-score days through the air. The Chiefs’ pass defense has yet to reach its 2015 heights, but has steadily stiffened.       

Operating like a mini Marcus Mariota, Dak Prescott is the QB5 by average points over the past five weeks. He has nine touchdowns across his past three starts. This is a conservative ranking for Prescott’s Pittsburgh road trip. … Russell Wilson generated 282 yards on 26 attempts against the Bills, the kind of statline that was his norm down the stretch last season. Even with his mobility still obviously limited, Wilson also managed his first ground score of 2016. Playing their first game without Jamie Collins, the Pats aren’t a shy-away road matchup. … Eli Manning’s positive touchdown regression was the extent of the good news against the Eagles. He remained inefficient, and nearly gave the game away with one of the worst passes of 2016. He has a weak QB1 case against the Bengals. … Opposing Manning will be Andy Dalton, who has a rough nine scores, but fully-loaded supporting cast coming off the Bengals’ bye. Tyler Eifert gives Dalton’s QB1 candidacy a massive boost.

The QB12 by average points, Kirk Cousins was looking like his 2015 self heading into the Redskins’ bye. The Vikings’ elite defense has lost some of its luster as its offense keeps it on the field, and keeps opposing teams in games. … Jameis Winston has gotten fat off plum matchups and garbage time, but might not have either for Week 10. The Bears are quietly great against the pass, and lack the firepower to make it an early day, even against Tampa’s awful defense. … Streaming bad players … sometimes you get Colin Kaepernick against the Saints, others, Ryan Tannehill against the Jets. Facing a Bucs defense allowing the fourth most quarterback fantasy points, Jay Cutler is the stream du jour of Week 10, just know that anything can happen with Smokin’ Jay. … The Saints aren’t exactly elite against the pass, but are “just” 10th in quarterback fantasy points allowed. The matchup of Trevor Siemian’s life is also a breather for New Orleans’ beleaguered defense. Siemian’s floor is fine, it just comes without a mouthwatering ceiling.

It’s a great matchup for Alex Smith, but one he’ll be entering without Jeremy Maclin. Smith has nine touchdowns in seven games. Pass. … It’s an even better matchup for Joe Flacco … who has been even more useless than Smith in fantasy. Flacco has six passing touchdowns in eight games, compared to seven interceptions. Unless you’re in the tightest of binds, do better for yourself in season-long leagues. As for DFS, any plunge is worth taking, even Flacco. … There was no improvement for Blake Bortles in Week 9. His mechanics remain in ruins. Allowing the second fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks, the Texans are not a get-right spot. … Ryan Tannehill is playing better since the Dolphins went run heavy, but also passing far less. The formula will remain the same against the Chargers. … The Jets’ packed-in defense provides an oasis matchup for soon-to-be-benched Case Keenum. … Colin Kaepernick’s vacation is over. … Carson Wentz has four touchdowns in five games since he was declared an MVP candidate following Week 3.       

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Week 10 Running Backs

RB Notes: The 49ers are allowing 193 weekly rushing yards. David Johnson is coming to town. Hurricane warning. … Ezekiel Elliott is averaging 111 rushing yards. … The Cowboys’ keepaway offense can make it hard for opposing backs to get their attempts, but their 4.2 YPC against isn’t a major concern for Le'Veon Bell. … Coming off the two best starts of his career, Melvin Gordon gets a Dolphins defense that’s improving against the run, but still allowing a weekly 136 yards and 4.55 yards per carry. Gordon has played at least 65 snaps in three straight games. … Jay Ajayi came out of the Dolphins’ bye and rocked a difficult matchup. If you needed any more proof that he was the real deal, you got it. The Chargers are allowing a stingy 85 ground yards per game, but been roughed up for a league-worst 13 scores. … Derrick Henry’s (calf) absence insures continued bonkers usage for DeMarco Murray in a tough matchup with the Packers. … Stay away from the Vikings’ sudden three-man committee. … Paul Perkins and Rashad Jennings are both more risk than reward right now.   

Although he was playing his best football, Lamar Miller’s shoulder injury made the Texans’ Week 9 bye well timed. Solid against the pass, the Jags present Miller with a mediocre run defense for his return. As he’s done almost every week this season, coach Bill O’Brien will identify Miller as his best means of moving the ball. …With Tevin Coleman (hamstring) looking likely to miss his third straight game, Devonta Freeman will get try No. 3 at being the Falcons’ clear-cut bell-cow. The first two games were disappointments, but you keep betting on Freeman’s value against ordinary run defenses likes Philadelphia’s. … Cleared from his concussion, this is a conservative ranking for Spencer Ware, who is averaging 118 yards from scrimmage. In addition to Ware’s return from a brain injury, Carolina’s elite run defense provides reason for pause. Charcandrick West will probably see 6-8 touches off the bench. … Matt Forte’s usage has yo-yoed, but 15-20 touches is a realistic expectation against the Rams’ inconsistent defense. Bilal Powell remains mired in Emergency RB3ville.

Coach Jeff Fisher has admitted Todd Gurley isn’t getting the ball enough. He’s likely in for a squeaky wheel game, though he’s now battling a (minor) thigh injury. There’s also the matter of the Jets’ elite run defense. Gurley is the RB25 by average points. … “Predictability” doesn’t come to mind when discussing the Bears’ backfield. We’ll just go on what we saw two weeks ago, Jordan Howard chewing up 202 yards on 30 touches. ESPN’s Jeff Dickerson has since reported Howard has a “stranglehold” on No. 1 duties. That’s what we thought before, of course, but at least for this week, there will be considerable distance between Howard and his backups. … Barring setbacks, Doug Martin (hamstring) will return from his six-game absence. He might not be in for his usual 20-25 touches, but will get enough carries to be a solid RB2. … The Giants are allowing just 28 weekly receiving yards to runners. Coming off a 20-carry effort, that gives Jeremy Hill the advantage over Giovani Bernard in the Bengals’ increasingly-unpredictable backfield.  

With 33 touches over his past two games, Darren Sproles is settling in as an RB2. His Week 10 floor and upside are both helped by a Falcons run defense that’s allowed a stunning 69/543/3 to opposing backs through the air. … The Browns’ No. 31 run defense is too juicy to ignore for Terrance West, but Kenneth Dixon is shaping up as a legitimate threat. The Ravens were essentially employing an even Week 9 timeshare before Dixon injured his chest. Apparently just fine for Thursday’s short-week matchup, Dixon has some RB3 appeal if you’re in trouble at running back. … If Carlos Hyde (shoulder) returns, he’ll likely be dealing with an increased workload from DuJuan Harris. A touch monopoly was the main thing keeping Hyde’s RB2 value afloat. If he loses it, the case grows much more complicated. … Mark Ingram provided the Week 9 fireworks, but Tim Hightower still won the touch war 24-17. Sean Payton is in love with his veteran back, and clearly views him as the more reliable player. That gives Hightower the safest RB2 floor. Ingram is best approached as a boom/bust option on the RB2/3 borderline.

Devontae Booker has not been good. As such, coach Gary Kubiak has said backup Kapri Bibbs, who scored a weaving 69-yard touchdown in Week 9, deserves more work. Respected beat writer Mike Klis believes a dramatic realignment of the post C.J. Anderson order could be in the offing. Booker should maintain a touch edge against the Saints’ woeful defense, but there’s enough uncertainty to knock him to the RB2/3 borderline. … There’s no ambiguity in Washington. Coach Jay Gruden has said Rob Kelley will be the lead dog against Minnesota’s tough defense. Chris Thompson can’t be trusted as more than a bottom-barrel RB3, and Matt Jones is off the radar for the time being. … Christine Michael carried the ball five times for one yard on Monday. Coach Pete Carroll is once again promising a bigger C.J. Prosise workload. Here we go again. … Ty Montgomery (illness) was on a “rep count” last week, but should be good to go to lead the Packers’ chaotic backfield. If James Starks (knee scope) returns, he’ll be an inadvisable RB3. He’s had a long layoff, and performed very poorly in recent vintage.           

Week 10 Receivers

WR Notes: Antonio Brown went 7/85/1 in Ben Roethlisberger’s road return. More fireworks should await at home. … Julio Jones is averaging 108 weekly yards. … Cleared from his concussion and coming off his best game, WR1 by average points Mike Evans will continue to be funneled targets in the Bucs’ increasingly-narrow offense. … A.J. Green has been held below 77 yards just twice all year. Even after adding Janoris Jenkins, the Giants have a soft pass defense. … Although inconsistent, Odell Beckham is nevertheless the WR5 by average points. It makes sense to slot him there against the Bengals’ stiffening pass D. … Jordy Nelson and Larry Fitzgerald both have strong claims to the WR6 spot this week. I’ll give the edge to Nelson. The Packers don’t have a running game, making Nelson extremely important in the red zone. Fitz gobbles up looks inside the 20 and 10, but with the Cardinals facing the 49ers’ historically bad run D, Fitz’s TD odds take a slight hit.   

Trusting Alshon Jeffery is not for the faint of heart, but the Bucs have been making it rain for opposing receivers. No one is allowing more weekly fantasy points to rival wideouts. Coming off his first score of 2016, Jeffery is as healthy as he’ll ever be following the Bears’ bye. … This is where things get tricky, as usual. Having seemingly established a 70-yard floor, I’ll give Kelvin Benjamin the WR1 benefit of the doubt. He’s due for some positive touchdown regression. … I’ve given Brandon Marshall too much rope, but having seen at least eight targets in all but one game, he’s overdue to explode. If nothing else, he has an extremely safe floor. ... Dez Bryant was arguably the biggest bust of Week 9. He still deserves a second chance against a Steelers defense allowing an average of 276 passing yards. Bryant is not going to have another one-catch day. … The song remains the same for Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. Thomas has a narrow touch edge, Sanders, yardage. Considering the uncertainty of the position, they’re relatively stable WR2s that circumstance keeps turning into WR1s.

What do we have if not our faith? Allen Robinson and DeAndre Hopkins have both gone about slowly re-earning it. Robinson has 27 targets over his past two games, turning them into 13/146/1. Garbage time has been key, of course. Even as he re-establishes his floor, Blake Bortles’ awful mechanics put it at risk of dropping out. Hopkins, meanwhile, has seen his usage stabilize, if not his numbers. There have been just enough signs of life to keep betting on both as WR2s. …This might finally be the week Tyrell Williams explodes. Averaging 15.7 yards per catch with three touchdowns on 60 targets, Williams has a plus matchup in the Dolphins, and clear No. 1 status with Travis Benjamin (knee) sidelined. … Working behind Williams will be Dontrelle Inman, who is locked into volume in one of the league’s most heavily-targeted No. 2 receiver roles. … Averaging 58 yards over his past five games, Jarvis Landry is becoming more and more of a standard-scoring tease. Coach Adam Gase has hinted toward some squeaky wheel action, but the Dolphins’ new run-heavy offense is cutting into Landry’s target upside.   

With 27 targets over his past two games, Stefon Diggs is back on the WR2 radar. The Vikings are taking a Packers-like approach, trying to substitute short passes for some of their running game. … Steve Smith Sr.’s (ankle) return dents Mike Wallace’s upside a bit, but the WR4 by average points over the past five weeks has built up enough capital to be trusted as a WR2 in juicy matchups like Thursday’s against the Browns. … Randall Cobb avoided setbacks after barely being used in Sunday’s emergency appearance. With the Packers lacking alternatives to a pass-happy, short-area attack, Cobb should be in for 6-8 catches against the Titans. It’s just a matter of if he gains any yards. … Averaging 7/86 over his past four games, Michael Thomas can’t be dropped any lower at home, even against the Broncos’ league-best pass defense. Working in Thomas and Brandin Cooks’ favor is the absence of Aqib Talib. With volume and red zone looks, Thomas is establishing quite a nifty floor.

Julian Edelman has cleared 40 yards once in four games with Tom Brady. He’s averaging six receptions, but isn’t getting it done in the yardage or touchdown departments. … I just haven’t seen enough from Jordan Matthews to take him seriously as an every-week WR2. … What Davante Adams lacks in upside, he’s making up in floor. … On the road on a short week against a tough defense with Corey Coleman sapping looks, Terrelle Pryor isn’t a realistic WR2. … The WR8 over the past three weeks, Rishard Matthews has emerged as the Titans’ No. 1 receiver. The Packers are an attackable foe. … Coming off an 8/79/2 effort before the Cardinals’ bye and christened a starter by coach Bruce Arians, J.J. Nelson gets a WR3 tryout against the 49ers’ horrendous defense. … John Brown has been a little too volatile. I don’t mind giving new-car smell Nelson the Week 10 edge. … If Allen Hurns (concussion) sits, Marqise Lee will be a sneaky bet for 6/70. … Provided Jeremy Maclin (groin) sits, as expected, Tyreek Hill is the premier DFS dart throw of the week.    

Week 10 Tight Ends

TE Notes: Rob Gronkowski is averaging 118 yards since Tom Brady’s return. … The Vikings have yet to allow a tight end touchdown, but are coughing up 64 weekly yards. Stay on Jordan Reed this week. … As physically dominant as anyone in football this year, Jimmy Graham will put the Patriots’ Jamie Collins-less defense to an immediate test. Graham’s film has been unbelievable. … The Giants have surrendered just one tight end touchdown, but are permitting six weekly catches. Tyler Eifert went 9/102/1 before the Bengals’ bye. He’s ready to eat. … Greg Olsen has drawn fewer than seven targets just once all season, though the Chiefs are allowing the sixth fewest tight end fantasy points. Only the Eagles and Cardinals have permitted fewer grabs to seam stretchers than Kansas City’s 26. … Coming off back-to-back strong efforts, Travis Kelce gets a Panthers defense that’s been rocked by rival tight ends. Jeremy Maclin’s absence is a cherry on top of his fantasy prospects.

Delanie Walker (groin) is practicing in full. He’s a strong bet for 5/60 even though his floor and ceiling aren’t quite as high as they were last season. The Packers are a positive matchup. … Antonio Gates has drawn at least nine targets in three straight games. Hunter Henry’s (knee) likely return could cut into Gates’ upside, but his floor is as steady as anyone’s at the position. Exciting though he’s been, Henry will be a low-end TE2 if he manages to suit up. … Coming off his second best game of the year, Zach Miller offers a lot of upside as Jay Cutler’s No. 2 weapon against the Bucs’ sieve-like “pass defense.” … Kyle Rudolph has seen the bottom drop out in two of his past four games, but has been consistent enough to lean on as a back-end TE1. He’s the Vikings’ No. 2 passing game weapon. … C.J. Fiedorowicz has seen at least seven targets in four straight games. He’s the only player Brock Osweiler can find with any regularity.

The other shoe finally dropped for Dennis Pitta in Week 9 (2-of-3 for 14 yards), there’s just a good chance he puts it back on against the Browns’ tanking defense. … Essentially a younger Jason Witten, Cameron Brate is seeing just enough targets and red zone looks to keep him in the TE1 mix in weeks where more than two teams are on bye. … Jason Witten had a throwback game against the Browns. It should be a one-off. … Similar to C.J. Fiedorowicz, Lance Kendricks is benefitting from his quarterback being a check-down machine who is getting shell-shocked into attempting only the easiest of throws. … Well that’s at least one good game for Zach Ertz. The Falcons are the right matchup if he has designs on starting a hot streak. … The Seahawks have allowed one touchdown and 28 catches to tight ends in eight games. It’s the wrong week for Martellus Bennett.        

Week 10 Kickers

Week 10 Defense/Special Teams