Fantasy Football Week 10: Start ’em, Sit ’em
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the second half of the 2023-24 NFL regular season.
Week 9’s injury roundup, although small in number, provides major implications for the coming weeks. First off is Daniel Jones, who suffered a torn ACL and is done for the season. Following Jones is Cam Akers (torn achilles, done for the season), Christian Watson (chest, back, injuries from a circus catch), K.J. Osborn (concussion), and Dallas Goedert (fractured forearm, likely headed to IR).
Week 10 also provides bye weeks for a significant amount of impact fantasy players, which means even more tough losses and adjustments for fantasy managers. These players include Tyreek Hill, Cooper Kupp, Patrick Mahomes, A.J. Brown, just to name a few.
But as I always say, fear not! There are plenty of favorable matchups managers can use to their advantage in this heavily short-handed week coming up.
Ian’s Record: 43-30
Start ’em
Joe Burrow (QB, Bengals) vs. Texans
The Bengals are back.
After sputtering to a 1-3 start to the season, Cincinnati is now riding a four-game win streak after beating the Bills last week and the 49ers the week prior. Burrow has been nothing short of awesome in that span, throwing for 631 yards and five touchdowns.
Up next on the Bengals’ plate is a Houston defense that has been pretty stingy, but also just allowed Baker Mayfield to throw for 265 yards and two touchdowns. Houston’s offense is also zinging following a five-touchdown performance from C.J. Stroud. Shootout incoming?
Jonathan Taylor (RB, Colts) at Patriots (Germany)
Taylor ran the ball 18 times and caught the ball five times (one for a score) against the Panthers. Call him the Bengals, cause he is also back.
Although Zack Moss ran the show quite well while Taylor was out, his workload has taken a noticeable decline now that Taylor is moving back in. This should pay off well for JT against a Pats rush attack that has really lost its footing.
After starting the first four weeks respectively against the run, New England has allowed the sixth most fantasy points to opposing RBs in the last five. Pair that with their weaker pass coverage in the same span, and you’ve got yourself a cha-ching.
Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR, Lions) at Chargers
St. Brown has been feasting all season as Detroit continues their push to the top of the NFC North. He’s topped 100 yards receiving five times since week 2, including three in a row leading up to their bye last week.
Although they’ve cleaned up a bit in recent weeks, on the season the Chargers are surrendering the eighth most fantasy points to opposing WRs. They were able to contain Garrett Wilson for the most part, but Dan Campbell’s offensive scheme with St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Sam LaPorta will be too much for LA to handle at home.
Dalton Kincaid (TE, Bills) vs. Broncos
Keep starting him. Keep starting him. Keep. Starting. Him.
I did this last year with Cole Kmet. Until I see otherwise, Kincaid is on fire. Despite a costly fumble after he tried to do a frontflip, he blew the rest of Buffalo’s offense out of the water in targets with eleven (the next highest was seven).
His matchup this week is absolutely delicious, as the Broncos have given up the third most fantasy points to TEs since week 3. He is a must start in all leagues.
And for those of you worried about his right shin after that dirty tackle, I looked. He’s fine.
Sit ’em
Deshaun Watson (QB, Browns) at Ravens
This is the same exact game script I wrote for Geno Smith last week. Watson posted respectable fantasy numbers last week (against the Cardinals, mind you), but being in Baltimore this week is a brutal matchup for him.
Watson has been shaky all season anyway, but I’ll go ahead and say it. The Ravens are playing the most complete and comprehensive football right now, on both sides of the ball. Stay away from that defense as much as you can for the time being.
Texans RBs at Bengals
In an offensive onslaught with Dameon Pierce out, Devin Singletary rushed the ball 13 times but only amassed 26 yards. The week before that, a snoozefest, Pierce and Singletary rushed a combined 22 times and amassed 76 yards (3.5 YPC). Not good.
They’ll have their hands full this week as the Bengals’ run defense has turned it up a notch, allowing the seventh fewest fantasy points to opposing RBs in the past four weeks. Pass.
Jakobi Meyers (WR, Raiders) vs. Jets
Meyers’ fantasy production was saved last week by a rushing touchdown against a weak Giants defense. Don’t go chasing that into this week against a much stronger and frustrated Jets defense.
Rookie QB Aidan O’Connell had a promising showing, topping 200 yards and avoiding both an interception and a sack, but he faces a much harder test in week 10. I’m predicting a script similar to Will Levis’ debut vs. the following week against the Steelers.
To this point, the Jets have surrendered the least amount of fantasy points to opposing WRs. Maybe interim HC Antonio Pierce has some more razzle dazzle in his pocket that Meyers will be involved with, but I don’t see it necessarily working out.
Jake Ferguson (TE, Cowboys) vs. Giants
Here’s a crazy stat. The Giants have allowed the third fewest amount of fantasy points to TEs since week 4. Third.
While Ferguson erupted last week with ten targets and a score, he’s been pretty much touchdown-or-bust beyond that. And there are other tight ends with less favorable overall matchups (Mark Andrews vs. Cleveland, T.J. Hockenson vs. Saints, Evan Engram vs. 49ers), but let’s be real. You’re not going to sit them.
Obviously amid losing six of their last seven contests, the Giants have stunk. However, keep in mind they just kept Michael Mayer to two catches for 11 yards last week, no receptions for Tyler Conklin the week before that, and Logan Thomas to under 55 yards the week before that.
BYES: MIAMI DOLPHINS, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS, LOS ANGELES RAMS
