Fantasy Football Week 10: Rankings and Advice for Thursday Night Football

For the first game of the Week 10 slate, the Buffalo Bills will travel to New Jersey to take on the New York Jets.

This game comes with some playoff implications. If the season were to end today, the Jets would be the fifth seed, while the Bills would be on the outside looking in.

The Jets are 5-3, while the Bills are 4-4.

In addition to the playoff aspect of this game, we will also see each team's "Color Rush" uniforms, and hey, they are darn good-looking.

Oh, I almost forgot—this will be Bills head coach Rex Ryan's triumphant return to MetLife Stadium.

Entering this game, the Jets have some injuries in the secondary. Cornerback Antonio Cromartie is officially listed as doubtful, and safeties Calvin Pryor and Dion Bailey have been ruled out.

Can Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor take advantage of that? Passing the ball, maybe. Winning? Don't count on it.

I'm taking the Jets 24-17.

Big Board

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

Thursday Night Big Board

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team
1	Sammy Watkins	WR	Buffalo Bills
2	Brandon Marshall	WR	New York Jets
3	Eric Decker	WR	New York Jets
4	Ryan Fitzpatrick	QB	New York Jets
5	Chris Ivory	RB	New York Jets
6	Tyrod Taylor	QB	Buffalo Bills
7	Charles Clay	TE	Buffalo Bills
8	LeSean McCoy	RB	Buffalo Bills
9	Robert Woods	WR	Buffalo Bills
10	Jeff Cumberland	TE	New York Jets

Injury Report

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

Buffalo Bills  

• Mario Williams, DE, Probable
• Sammy Watkins, WR, Probable
• LeSean McCoy, RB, Probable

New York Jets 

• Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Probable
• Jeremy Kerley, WR, Probable
• Eric Decker, WR, Probable
• Brandon Marshall, WR, Probable
• Calvin Pryor, S, Out
• Dion Bailey, S, Out
• Antonio Cromartie, CB, Doubtful
• Bilal Powell, RB, Doubtful
• Willie Colon, G, Injured Reserve

There's a noticeable difference in the number of players listed on each team's injury report. However, the only real concern as far as the Jets go is the potential absence of Cromartie.

Injury reports courtesy of ESPN.com.

Quarterbacks

Bill Wippert/Associated Press

Buffalo Bills: Tyrod Taylor

In just his second start since returning from injury, Buffalo Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor will face a talented New York Jets defense.

As mentioned previously, the Jets will be without safeties Dion Bailey and Calvin Pryor and possibly cornerback Antonio Cromartie.

However, the Jets do still have Darrelle Revis.

Also, the Jets rank 22nd in terms of fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, allowing just 15.1 fantasy points per game and surrendering right around 257 yards through the air. What really sticks out, however, is the number of interceptions the Jets have on the season—10. That's tied for third-highest in the NFL.

Since Week 3, Taylor has just three total passing touchdowns. Now, of course, he did miss two games due to injury.

While the absence of Cromartie could help, don't expect a ton of passing yards from Taylor in his second game back.

Projections: 210 passing yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT; 30 rushing yards

New York Jets: Ryan Fitzpatrick

Despite what Bills head coach Rex Ryan says, Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick's beard is every positive adjective you can think of.

Looking at the Bills, they rank 18th in terms of fantasy points allowed to the quarterback while allowing right around 10 more passing yards per game than the Jets.

If you really look into what Fitzpatrick has done this season, it's actually quite impressive. This season, he has thrown at least two touchdown passes in every game except Week 4 and Week 8 (where he left the game due to injury).

Also, if you leave Week 8 out of the equation, Fitzpatrick is the QB9. I'm sure not throwing an interception since Week 6 has helped with that.

Fitzpatrick averages right around 250 passing yards per game, and you can expect him to float right around there in Week 10.

Projections: 250 passing yards, 2 TDs

Running Backs

Bill Wippert/Associated Press

Buffalo Bills Starter: LeSean McCoy

This is a situation you should want no part of.

Coming into Week 10, McCoy has been dealing what is being called a shoulder strain. On top of that, the New York Jets are the second-stingiest unit when it comes to opposing running backs, surrendering a mere 3.4 yards per carry.

In Week 9, McCoy had his first game of at least 100 rushing yards of the season before he left with his injury.

This spells a trap from all angles.

Projections: 35 rushing yards; 3 receptions, 20 receiving yards

New York Jets Starter: Chris Ivory

The Bills are a considerably more generous unit than the Jets when it comes to opposing running backs.

Ranking 14th in terms of fantasy points allowed, the Bills surrender close to 4.3 yards per carry and four receptions per game to the running back position.

Jets running back Chris Ivory averages close to 20 carries per game, and that isn't stopping any time soon. On the season, he's the RB6 in points-per-reception formats and is the RB5 in the same format if you don't count the game he missed this season (Week 3).

If you own Ivory, you're playing him.

Projections: 75 rushing yards, 1 TD; 2 receptions, 10 receiving yards

Wide Receivers

Seth Wenig/Associated Press

Buffalo Bills: Sammy Watkins

In Week 9, Buffalo Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins was the focal point of the offense, catching eight passes for 168 yards and a score.

He's clearly the No. 1 receiving option in Buffalo, and that won't stop this week against a weakened New York Jets secondary.

You have to love his upside this week. I'll go bold here.

Projections: 7 receptions, 115 receiving yards, 2 TDs

Buffalo Bills: Robert Woods

Any receiver outside of Watkins is a dice roll in Buffalo.

Bills wide receiver Robert Woods has been relatively ineffective when Watkins is on the field, averaging close to three catches per game for just 34 yards. He has just one receiving touchdown in those games.

Stay away.

Projections: 3 receptions, 35 receiving yards

New York Jets: Brandon Marshall

Through the first nine weeks of the season, Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall is the WR8 in PPR formats. On the season, he has yet to see less than seven targets per game.

Marshall is a must-start every week.

Projections: 8 receptions, 120 receiving yards, 1 TD

New York Jets: Eric Decker

While Marshall is the WR8, fellow Jets wide receiver Eric Decker is the WR24.

Not bad for a couple of Jets receivers, right?

Decker has yet to have a 100-yard receiving game, but he has a touchdown in every game except Week 7.

The 100-yard receiving statistic comes to an end this week. Like Marshall, you're starting Decker. He's a WR2 this week.

Projections: 6 receptions, 100 receiving yards, 1 TD

Tight Ends

Bill Wippert/Associated Press

Buffalo Bills Starter: Charles Clay

At the start of the season, Buffalo Bills tight end Charles Clay was all the rave.

In PPR formats, he was the TE4 from Weeks 1 to 4.

However, since then and in the games he's played (Weeks 5, 6, 7, 9), he's the TE21, which ties him with New Orleans Saints tight end Michael Hoomanawanui.

On top of all of this, the New York Jets have allowed just two receiving touchdowns to the tight end position. Who were they? Miami Dolphins tight end Jake Stoneburner and New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski.

Don't expect a ton from Clay in this one.

Projections: 4 receptions, 45 receiving yards

New York Jets Starter: Jeff Cumberland

New York Jets tight end Jeff Cumberland has yet to play in more than 46 percent of his team's snaps this season. In the games he's been targeted, he's seen exactly three in all of them.

Cumberland is off the fantasy radars.

Projections: 2 receptions, 20 receiving yards

Defense/Special Teams

Seth Wenig/Associated Press

Buffalo Bills Defense/Special Teams

The Buffalo Bills are surrendering close to 24 points per game. They're not quite the defense we all expected them to be coming into the season.

They are also tied for the third-least sacks (13) this season.

Projections: 24 points allowed, 2 sacks

New York Jets Defense/Special Teams

The New York Jets have 10 interceptions on the season. However, they are allowing more than 20 points per game. They too are not performing to the level we thought they would this season.

Projections: 17 points allowed, 4 sacks, 1 INT

Best Sleeper Add

Seth Wenig/Associated Press

Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, New York Jets (Owned in 25.1 Percent of ESPN Leagues)

Owned in a mere one-fourth of ESPN leagues, Fitzpatrick could be a top-12 option this week if you compare his projected numbers to where they would have stacked up in Week 9. 

If you're facing a bye-week predicament, Fitzpatrick is a great fill-in option.

Start or Sit?

Bill Wippert/Associated Press

LeSean McCoy, RB, Buffalo Bills

As mentioned earlier, this feels like a trap game.

Not only is McCoy dealing with an injury, but the matchup is terrible. It's tough to sit him as he is likely the first running back you drafted, but you should look elsewhere this week.

Verdict: Sit

All advanced stats courtesy of Pro Football Focus. All fantasy numbers courtesy of ESPN.

Follow me on Twitter @RichardJanvrin.