Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 10: Making the Call on Fantasy Football Fringe Starters

Fantasy football managers have a tall task ahead of them for Week 10 of the 2023 NFL season.

As if the perpetually climbing injury counts weren't bad enough, managers also have to navigate around a four-team bye loaded with fantasy elites from the Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Rams.

That's a long-winded way of saying your margin for error this week might be as thin as it's been all season, so you really need to nail those tricky start-or-sit decisions. To help with that process, we'll highlight a pair of each recommendations.

Start: Jared Goff, QB, Detroit Lions

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DETROIT, MI - OCTOBER 30: Jared Goff #16 of the Detroit Lions warms up prior to an NFL game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Ford Field on October 30, 2023 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

For being one of the steadier real-life options at his position, Goff's fantasy profile is plenty volatile.

He quietly ranks as one of the bigger boom-or-bust quarterbacks in fantasy. He can light up a defense, but he can just as often fail to ignite. To that end, he's had a pair of monster, three-touchdown-pass performances—one featuring 323 passing yards, the other including a rushing score—and four other outings with one or fewer touchdown passes and an interception.

So, why are we suggesting you buy-in this week? Because he's set to tussle with a Los Angeles Chargers defense allowing the third-most fantasy points to quarterbacks, per Yahoo. Goff has enough individual talent and playmaking support to pick apart this secondary and deliver one of those "boom" showings.

Sit: Russell Wilson, QB, Denver Broncos

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DENVER, COLORADO - OCTOBER 29: Russell Wilson #3 of the Denver Broncos runs with the ball against the Kansas City Chiefs at Empower Field At Mile High on October 29, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Tafoya/Getty Images)

There were reasons to wonder whether Denver's offseason hiring of head coach Sean Payton might help Wilson return to fantasy relevance, but that just hasn't been the case. His accuracy has been hit or miss—three games with a sub-61 completion percentage—and the lack of volume in this passing game limit his chances to recover from a missed opportunity.

He is coming off a bye and did throw for three touchdowns before that, so it might be tempting to talk yourself into starting him. Don't make that mistake. He managed to have those three touchdown throws despite passing for just 114 yards, and that was only the second-lowest yardage total from his last three outings. In fact, he hasn't topped 200 passing yards since Oct. 1.

So, the potential reward isn't great, and the risk is higher than you'd like, as he'll draw a Buffalo Bills defense allowing the fifth-fewest fantasy points to the position.

Start: Tony Pollard, RB, Dallas Cowboys

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INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 16: Tony Pollard #20 of the Dallas Cowboys runs after the catch in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on October 16, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Remember when the Cowboys cooked the New York Giants by a 40-0 count in Week 1? Well, that was the last time Pollard found the end zone. He managed to find it twice that day, though, and could be in line for a similar showing when these teams square off again Sunday.

This game could (should?) be similarly lopsided, as the Giants are missing their top two quarterbacks with Daniel Jones having suffered a season-ending knee injury and Tyrod Taylor on injured reserve with a ribs injury. While that could lead to an early exit for Pollard, it could also grant him a favorable enough game script to rack up the production before getting the hook.

Only five defenses have allowed more fantasy points to running backs than the Giants.

Sit: Gus Edwards, RB, Baltimore Ravens

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BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - NOVEMBER 05: Gus Edwards #35 of the Baltimore Ravens lines up during an NFL football game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Seattle Seahawks at M&T Bank Stadium on November 05, 2023 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)

Yes, Edwards has been on a touchdown binge of late (six scores in three games), but it's fair to wonder whether his role in this rushing game might change given the Week 9 eruption of rookie Keaton Mitchell. Edwards had just five carries in that game, putting him fourth on the Ravens' rushing pecking order behind Justice Hill (13 carries), Lamar Jackson (10) and Mitchell (nine).

It's possible Edwards could see more carries in closer games going forward, but his rushing volume feels less certain than it did a week ago. And when his pass-catching volume is almost silent (six receptions on seven targets in nine games), it's possible the bottom drops out on his fantasy appeal if he fails to find the end zone.

He is, at best, a committee member of a backfield set to face a stingy Cleveland Browns defense allowing the fourth-fewest fantasy points to running backs. If you have other viable options on your roster, this is the week to use them.