Welcome to the fantasy football pressure cooker!
Week 10 is here, and with four teams — including the Chiefs and Cowboys — on bye, your bench is getting thin and your lineup decisions are more crucial than ever.
After digging into the matchups and target trends, here are some players you must slide into your starting lineup and the high-risk options you need to leave on the bench.
Start ‘em
Quarterbacks
Jaxson Dart (New York Giants): Dart provides a high floor due to his rushing ability and faces a vulnerable Chicago Bears defense that allows plenty of fantasy production to opposing quarterbacks.
Jared Goff (Detroit Lions): A get-right game against a Washington Commanders defense that ranks among the league’s worst in fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks is on the docket for Goff.
Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles Rams): Stafford is in a high-volume, pass-heavy attack and is positioned for a strong outing against a struggling San Francisco 49ers secondary.
Running Backs
Rico Dowdle (Carolina Panthers): Dowdle has re-established himself as the Panthers’ lead back and faces a New Orleans Saints defense that is susceptible to the running game.
Quinshon Judkins (Cleveland Browns): Judkins is in line for a massive workload against a New York Jets defense that recently traded away key personnel and is among the league’s worst against the run.
TreVeyon Henderson (New England Patriots): Henderson is expected to see increased snaps, especially in the passing game, with a high chance for a breakout performance against the Buccaneers.
Wide Receivers
Quentin Johnston (Los Angeles Chargers): Johnston is a primary outside weapon with a high aDOT and is set up for a big game against a Pittsburgh Steelers defense that has struggled immensely against opposing wide receivers.
Rome Odunze (Chicago Bears): Despite a recent dip in production, Odunze faces a New York Giants defense that has given up top-10 fantasy points to wideouts this season, making him a prime bounce-back candidate.
Jordan Addison (Minnesota Vikings): Addison’s consistent target volume makes him a strong play despite a tough Baltimore Ravens matchup, as he is poised to benefit from a likely pass-heavy script.
Tight Ends
Oronde Gadsden (Los Angeles Chargers): The rookie tight end has been on a hot streak, is heavily involved in the red zone, and faces a Steelers defense that is one of the friendliest to opposing tight ends.
Cade Otton (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): Otton has been a target hog, especially with other key pass-catchers injured, and draws a favorable streaming matchup against the New England Patriots.
Juwan Johnson (New Orleans Saints): Johnson has quietly logged three straight solid performances on increasing target volume, making him a safe streaming option against the Carolina Panthers.
Sit ‘em
Quarterbacks
Justin Fields (New York Jets): Fields faces a tough matchup against a stout Cleveland Browns defense, which consistently limits opposing quarterback production and pressures the pocket relentlessly.
Jordan Love (Green Bay Packers): Love’s recent dip in performance and turnover struggles make him a low-floor option against a Philadelphia Eagles defense that excels at creating pressure and limiting explosive plays.
Aaron Rodgers (Pittsburgh Steelers): Rodgers faces one of the NFL’s strongest passing defenses in the Los Angeles Chargers, who have consistently held opposing quarterbacks to low fantasy totals this season.
Running Backs
Kimani Vidal (Los Angeles Chargers): Vidal’s recent dismal performance and the Chargers’ beat-up offensive line make it difficult to trust him against a Pittsburgh Steelers run defense that is deceptively stout.
Alvin Kamara (New Orleans Saints): Kamara’s overall workload and efficiency have been trending down, giving him a low ceiling against a Carolina Panthers defense that has been solid against running backs this season.
Emari Demercado (Arizona Cardinals): Demercado is in a potential timeshare situation and faces a Seattle Seahawks defense that is stingy against the run, limiting his path to a meaningful fantasy performance.
Wide Receivers
DK Metcalf (Pittsburgh Steelers): Metcalf is a boom-or-bust player whose production is highly dependent on downfield targets, which will be hard to come by against the Los Angeles Chargers’ tight pass coverage.
Darius Slayton (New York Giants): Slayton is too dependent on low-volume deep shots to be reliable, especially against the Chicago Bears secondary, which has performed well in limiting outside receivers.
Keenan Allen (Los Angeles Chargers): Allen’s usage has plummeted recently, logging a concerning low route participation rate over the last few weeks, despite a good matchup on paper.
Tight Ends
Hunter Henry (New England Patriots): Henry hasn’t had a solid outing since Week 4 and will be on the road against a tough Buccaneers team.
Mason Taylor (New York Jets): Taylor is a boom-or-bust tight end on a low-total Jets offense, which severely limits his chances of finding the end zone, making him an unreliable streamer.
Luke Musgrave (Green Bay Packers): He might be taking over for the injured Tucker Kraft, but he faces a difficult matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, who have historically been tough on opposing tight ends.
