Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 10: Final Review Before 'Thursday Night Football'
It's another trying week for fantasy football owners ahead of Week 10.
Thursday Night Football gets some of the game's biggest names out of the way early when the Buffalo Bills clash with the New York Jets, as Chris Ivory, Brandon Marshall, Sammy Watkins and more suit up for the contest.
Still, this week's a loaded slate with only four teams on bye, making for a tough batch of start 'em, sit 'em decisions.
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Below, let's look at some value comparisons and highlight notable start and sit options.
QBย
| Tom Brady (at NYG) vs. Carson Palmer (at SEA) | Tom Brady |
| Eli Manning (vs. NE) vs. Andy Dalton (vs. HOU) | Andy Dalton |
| Drew Brees (at WAS) vs. Aaron Rodgers (vs. DET) | Aaron Rodgers |
| Cam Newton (at TEN) vs. Blake Bortles (at BAL) | Cam Newton |
| Russell Wilson (vs. ARI) vs. Derek Carr (vs. MIN) | Derek Carr |
Start: Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals (vs. HOU)
It shouldn't be a question as to whether fantasy owners should start Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton anymore, but he's not owned in 100 percent of leagues, so maybe it is.
Dalton posted a nine-point egg in Week 9, but otherwise he's scored in double digits in every game this season with five outings over the 20-point mark.
In other words, he's an ideal start at home against the Houston Texans this upcoming Monday. The visitors allow the 10th-most points to quarterbacks this year and have permitted four gunslingers to post at least 22 points.
Dalton will simply be the latest as his wealth of weapons expose the Texans.
Sit: Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks (vs. ARI)
It's clear name recognition and team popularity goes a long way because Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson touts a higher ownership percentage than Dalton.
Interesting, right? Wilson has just one trip above 20 points this year, and he's scored 15 points or less six times. He's not running as often as he used to, and he has more than one touchdown pass in a game just a single time this year.
Call it a disappointing campaign for Wilson so far, who next has to deal with the stingy Arizona Cardinals. Seattle's rivals surrender the fifth-fewest points to quarterbacks this year, with no quarterbacks reaching the 20-point mark against the unit.
Wilson won't be the first.
RBย
| Mark Ingram (at WAS) vs. Doug Martin (vs. DAL) | Mark Ingram |
| Chris Ivory (vs. BUF) vs. Adrian Peterson (at OAK) | Adrian Peterson |
| Chris Johnson (at SEA) vs. Lamar Miller (at PHI) | Lamar Miller |
| Todd Gurley (vs. CHI) vs. Justin Forsett (vs. JAC) | Todd Gurley |
| Darren McFadden (at TB) vs. Marshawn Lynch (vs. ARI) | Marshawn Lynch |
Start: Mark Ingram, New Orleans Saints (at WAS)
In a rather quiet fashion, Mark Ingram ranks second only to Devonta Freeman in scoring at his position this year.
The New Orleans Saints back has developed as a pass-catcher and remained healthy, helping him to six double-digit outbursts this year and keeping new addition C.J. Spiller on the bench.ย
Expect nothing short of the same for Ingram in Week 10 when his team pays a visit to Washington. It looks like a tough matchup on paper, which is why it is worth bringing upโafter all, Washington only allows an average of 17 points per game to running backs.
Except it's a ranking that continues to roll downhill as the unit has allowed four backfields in a row to reach 19 or more points. It's the floor for Ingram in what should be a high-scoring affair.
Sit: T.J. Yeldon, Jacksonville Jaguars (at BAL)
Jacksonville Jaguars running back T.J. Yeldon sees some of the best usage around each week, but it just hasn't turned into reliable production for fantasy purposes.ย
In fact, Yeldon only has three double-digit outings this year despite receiving 14 or more carries four times and taking snaps as a pass-catcher.
For this reason, owners need to look elsewhere for a better floor at the spot. Yeldon now has to deal with the Baltimore Ravens. They're a struggling team, but the defense still surrenders the 10th-fewest points to the position on average with three touchdowns permitted.
Yeldon remains a matchup-based play for owners right now, meaning he sits in Week 10.
WRย
| DeAndre Hopkins (at CIN) vs. Larry Fitzgerald (at SEA) | DeAndre Hopkins |
| Odell Beckham Jr. (vs. NE) vs. Julian Edelman (at NYG) | Julian Edelman |
| Allen Robinson (at BAL) vs. Antonio Brown (vs. CLE) | Allen Robinson |
| Brandon Marshall (vs. BUF) vs. A.J. Green (vs. HOU) | A.J. Green |
| Jarvis Landry (at PHI) vs. Demaryius Thomas (vs. KC) | Demaryius Thomas |
Start: Allen Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars (at BAL)
Part of the reason owners need to avoid Yeldon? The Jaguars will do a ton of damage through the air against the Ravens, most of it caused by Allen Robinson.ย
It's easy to overlook the fact Robinson sits as fantasy's sixth-highest scorer at the position this year with 12 or more points in five games and at least four catches in every contest except one.
Those Ravens do so well against the rush in large part because the pass defense is such a liability. They allow the second-most points to wideouts this year, and in the past three weeks alone have surrendered seven touchdowns to the position.
Given the situation, Robinson has a double-digit floor with perhaps the highest ceiling of the week.
Sit: Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. DAL)
Mike Evans might be the No. 1 wideout for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but it doesn't make him a matchup-proof play.ย
Inconsistency is the issue. In the games he's been healthy, Evans has three trips to double digits, but he also has just as many single-point outings. This past weekend, even with Vincent Jackson and Austin Seferian-Jenkins inactive, he only scored 13 points.
So it goes with a rookie under center. Evans next has to deal with the Dallas Cowboys, a defense that has held three entire wideout corps to 14ย points or fewer, allowed just five touchdowns to the spot and the eighth-fewest points on average.
Had Evans been more consistent, maybe one could overlook the matchup.
TEย
| Rob Gronkowski (at NYG) vs. Gary Barnidge (at PIT) | Rob Gronkowski |
| Greg Olsen (at TEN) vs. Tyler Eifert (vs, HOU) | Tyler Eifert |
| Travis Kelce (at DEN) vs. Benjamin Watson (at WAS) | Benjamin Watson |
| Jimmy Graham (vs. ARI) vs. Jordan Reed (vs. NO) | Jordan Reed |
| Charles Clay (at NYJ) vs. Jason Witten (at TB) | Jason Witten |
Start: Jordan Reed, Washington (vs. NO)
It's easy to approach Washington tight end Jordan Reed with skepticism.ย
He's an elite talent, but the situation has held him to a pair of double-digit outings this year. Last week he scored a touchdown, but only totaled seven points as the offense attempted to spread the ball around and was otherwise shut down.
There's no reason to fret over Reed in Week 10, though, not in what should be a shootout against the Saints. As the Washington offense surely knows, the Saints struggle with the position and in fantasy terms let up the second-most points to the spot.
Look for Reed to break through with a trip to double digits.
Sit: Martellus Bennett, Chicago Bears (at STL)
Owned in 92.8 percent of leagues, it won't be easy for owners to bench Chicago Bears tight end Martellus Bennett.
Still, it has the look of a necessary move as Bennett next has to deal with the St. Louis Rams, a team surrendering the ninth-fewest points to the position and just a single score on the year.
Bennett's had a rough season as is. He posted 11 points last week, but it was only his third trip to double digits. Consistency is the name of the game at tight end, and the situation in Chicago is too fluid on a week-to-week basis to describe Bennett as anything close to it this year.
All scoring info courtesy of ESPN standard leagues, as is points-against info and ownership stats as of November 11. Statistics courtesy of ESPN. Atlanta, Indianapolis, San Diego, San Francisco on bye.
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