Fantasy Football Week 10: Biggest Sleepers at Every Position
Fantasy football managers will be without some of the NFL's top scorers in Week 10, including Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa, Patrick Mahomes, Raheem Mostert, Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill, A.J. Brown and Puka Nacua.
Whoa.
Some managers will have to find replacements for players who provide more than half of their fantasy production on a weekly basis.
Fortunately, we have our eyes on a couple of potential high-scoring matchups that can elevate under-the-radar players into headline fantasy contributors for at least this week.
Furthermore, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray's return should propel his pass-catchers' fantasy profiles, particularly a rookie who's looked impressive with a backup signal-caller.
We also put together a sleeper stack that features a rookie quarterback and second-year tight end with notable upside.
Lastly, managers could find a couple of unheralded fantasy gems in the early Sunday game at Frankfurt Stadium in Germany.
As always, all eight of our selections are available in more than 50 percent of point-per-reception leagues based on FantasyPros' consensus roster percentages.
QB Will Levis at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (40 Percent Rostered)
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Will Levis took the league by surprise with a strong performance in his first start in Week 8, throwing for 238 yards and four touchdowns. Last week, in a Thursday night game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he came back down to earth with modest passing numbers (262 yards, an interception with a 56.4 percent completion rate).
Levis could have another performance that makes the Titans believe they have a young franchise quarterback, which is a perfect time for him to land on our sleepers list.
In Week 10, Levis has a top-notch matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who, along with the Washington Commanders, give up the second-most fantasy points to quarterbacks and allow the second-most passing yards per game.
Last week, quarterback C.J. Stroud threw for 470 yards and five touchdowns against the Buccaneers defense, setting a record for most passing yards by a rookie in a single game.
Two weeks ago, Levis carved up the Atlanta Falcons' 10th-ranked pass defense, so he may be able to rack up QB1-level numbers in a more favorable matchup.
QB Taylor Heinicke at Arizona Cardinals (8 Percent Rostered)
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Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith has already named Taylor Heinicke the starting quarterback for Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals, who will start Kyler Murray.
Though Murray is coming off a significant knee injury, he's a massive upgrade for Arizona's offense after the team started rookie fifth-rounder Clayton Tune last week. The Falcons may have to implement a more aggressive offensive approach to match the Cardinals' scoring output. If so, look for Heinicke to complement Atlanta's run-heavy offense with strikes through the air.
The Cardinals allow the eighth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks, and they're tied for sixth in passing touchdowns allowed (14).
Last week against the Minnesota Vikings, Heinicke threw for 268 yards, a touchdown and an interception. If he's able to avoid turnovers, managers could get a high-floor performance out of him this week.
Also, keep in mind that wideout Drake London missed the Falcons' previous contest because of a groin injury. On Wednesday, he went through a limited practice. London would significantly boost Heinicke's fantasy outlook with a return in Week 10.
RB Ezekiel Elliott vs. Indianapolis Colts (41 Percent Rostered)
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We have slim pickings for sleeper running backs rostered in fewer than 50 percent of leagues, but Ezekiel Elliott could turn back his career clock with a strong outing in Germany.
Though Rhamondre Stevenson will handle the bulk of the touches out of the New England Patriots backfield, Elliott may have opportunities to vulture goal-line touches if the offense has multiple trips inside the Colts' 20-yard line.
For the season, Stevenson only has one more rushing touchdown (three) than Elliott (two). Between Weeks 6 and 7, the latter recorded both of his scores.
The Patriots will square off against the Indianapolis Colts, who have allowed the most rushing touchdowns (15) through Week 9 and give up the fifth-most fantasy points to running backs.
As a backup running back at this stage of his career, Elliott isn't going to rack up a ton of yards, but he can still finish drives for six points, which is something we could see him do multiple times against a defense that frequently gives up scores to ball-carriers.
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RB Ty Chandler vs. New Orleans Saints (1 Percent Rostered)
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Be wary of adding quarterback Joshua Dobbs as he faces the New Orleans Saints' seventh-ranked pass defense—take a longer look at Minnesota Vikings running backs instead. Assuming Alexander Mattison isn't available (91 percent rostered), Ty Chandler should be on your radar.
Last week, running back Cam Akers tore his Achilles, and his absence will leave a bit of a void in Minnesota's backfield. In each of the Vikings' past three games, he recorded at least eight carries as Mattison's backup.
Without quarterback Kirk Cousins (torn Achilles) and possibly K.J. Osborn (concussion), the Vikings may have to reinvent themselves on offense and run the ball a little more against the Saints.
This week, offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said, "You'll see more Ty Chandler."
Slated for a bigger role, Chandler can make the most out of a matchup with the Saints, who have struggled to stop the run in recent weeks, giving up an average of 138.3 rushing yards per game over their last four outings. Moreover, New Orleans allows 4.4 yards per carry (24th leaguewide).
WR JuJu Smith-Schuster vs. Indianapolis Colts (25 Percent Rostered)
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Two weeks ago, the New England Patriots lost lead wide receiver Kendrick Bourne (torn ACL) for the season. In his absence, wideouts JuJu Smith-Schuster and Demario Douglas tied for a team-leading seven targets in a Week 9 matchup with the Washington Commanders.
Last week, we highlighted Douglas as a sleeper option. For Week 10, managers can turn their attention to Smith-Schuster, who led the Patriots with a season-high six receptions last week. He also racked up a season-best 51 receiving yards, which included a 20-yard gain.
This week, the Patriots will match up against the Indianapolis Colts' 23rd-ranked pass defense. Without Bourne, managers should expect Smith-Schuster and Douglas to see plenty of targets in this matchup.
As a seven-year veteran, Smith-Schuster's experience could help him emerge as the clear-cut No. 1 wide receiver over Douglas, who's a rookie sixth-rounder. The former could reach new season highs in catches and receiving yards in a matchup against a team that's bottom-third in passing yards allowed.
WR Michael Wilson vs. Atlanta Falcons (10 Percent Rostered)
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If healthy, rookie third-round wideout Michael Wilson will benefit from quarterback Kyler Murray's return to action.
With Joshua Dobbs under center, Wilson caught 25 passes for 401 yards and two touchdowns in eight games. He missed last week's outing because of a shoulder injury, though the first-year receiver has flashed his big-play ability, leading the Cardinals with 16 yards per catch.
Now that Murray is set to make his season debut, Wilson's fantasy stock should skyrocket along with the outlook of Arizona's passing attack for the remainder of the season.
Because of a clear upgrade at quarterback, Wilson should be in fantasy lineups as a WR3 or flex starter. He's racked up at least 56 receiving yards in five out of eight contests and may see an increase in volume with Murray under center.
On Wednesday, Wilson went through a limited practice. If he's able to return from a shoulder injury, plug him into your lineups immediately. The Atlanta Falcons rank 10th in passing yards allowed, but entering Week 10, they've given up the fourth-most touchdowns (17) through the air leaguewide.
TE Gerald Everett vs. Detroit Lions (31 Percent Rostered)
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On a short week, the Los Angeles Chargers will host the Detroit Lions, who are coming off a bye. The pass-heavy Chargers will likely have to push the ball downfield to keep pace with the Lions' ninth-ranked scoring offense.
Last week, the Chargers placed wide receiver Joshua Palmer (knee) on injured reserve, which means someone has to complement wideout Keenan Allen as a viable secondary option in the aerial attack.
Rookie first-round wide receiver Quentin Johnston hasn't quite filled Mike Williams' void in the passing game since the veteran wideout tore his ACL in Week 3. Over the Chargers' past five games, Johnston has only caught nine passes for 102 yards.
Until Johnston shows more flashes in the passing game, fantasy managers should look for Gerald Everett to play a bigger role in Los Angeles' aerial attack.
Last year, Everett logged career highs in receptions (58) and receiving yards (555), so he has a solid rapport with quarterback Justin Herbert.
This week, Everett has a high-end matchup with the Lions, who are tied for sixth in fantasy points allowed to tight ends. In what could become a high-scoring contest, he may finish among the top tight ends in scoring.
TE Chigoziem Okonkwo at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (24 Percent Rostered)
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Chigoziem Okonkwo completes the sleeper stack for this week. As noted above, Will Levis has one of the best quarterback matchups for Week 10, so two or more of his pass-catchers can reap the benefits in production.
Behind wideout DeAndre Hopkins, Okonkwo and wide receiver Kyle Philips have seen a fair number of targets as secondary pass-catching options with Levis under center. Over the past two weeks, Okonkwo has hauled in seven out of nine targets for 51 yards, while Philips has reeled in seven out of eight targets for 92 yards.
Though Philips has more volume in receiving numbers, he hasn't played more than 49 percent of the offensive snaps in any game this season. In his past two outings, he only took the field for just 26 and 30 percent of the offensive snaps. For comparison, Okonkwo has been on the field for at least 58 percent of the snaps in every game and at least 72 percent of the snaps in each of the previous three outings.
Okonkwo's role in the Titans offense coupled with the fact that the Buccaneers rank 12th in fantasy points allowed to tight ends make him a viable sleeper candidate this week.
After a solid rookie campaign with 32 receptions for 450 yards and three touchdowns, Okonkwo may start to show more promise with a high-upside quarterback at the helm.
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Fantasy points scored against statistics are provided by FantasyPros.
Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.
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