Week 10 Fantasy Football Rankings: Position-by-Position Breakdown

Nine weeks of the 2014 NFL regular season are in the books and fantasy owners have already turned their attention to Week 10 and the rush toward the fantasy playoffs.

Not only are injuries causing havoc on rosters across the league, but six teams (Indianapolis, Minnesota, New England, San Diego, Washington and Houston) are also on bye this week, resulting in limited choices for fantasy owners.

Here is a position-by-position fantasy breakdown heading into Week 10. When in doubt, start the higher-ranked player on each list.

Quarterbacks

Rank	Player	Projections
1	Peyton Manning, DEN	25 Points
2	Drew Brees, NO	24 Points
3	Aaron Rodgers, GB	23 Points
4	Colin Kaepernick, SF	22 Points
5	Ben Roethlisberger, PIT	21 Points
6	Matt Ryan, ATL	19 Points
7	Cam Newton, CAR	18 Points
8	Ryan Tannehill, MIA	17 Points
9	Matthew Stafford, DET	16 Points
10	Michael Vick, NYJ	15 Points
11	Jay Cutler, CHI	14 Points
12	Carson Palmer, ARI	14 Points
13	Mark Sanchez, PHI	13 Points
14	Russell Wilson, SEA	12 Points
15	Eli Manning, NYG	12 Points

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw for 340 yards and six touchdowns on Sunday against Baltimore, his second straight game throwing six touchdowns. The 12 TDs in two games is a new NFL record.

When asked about the performance of the entire offense, coordinator Todd Haley told NFL.com’s Albert Breer about the challenges and changes he made:

"

It was definitely a unique challenge. It wasn't a situation where I was coming in to fix the quarterback. He was a great player before I got here. But the landscape is always changing, and there's a reason I was brought in, and a reason the spot was available, and I got the opportunity.

"

For fantasy owners who started him, the victory likely tasted sweet. For the owners who sat him on the bench in Week 9 and watched him rack up huge points, do not make the same mistake again and ensure he is in the starting lineup against the New York Jets.

New York has lost eight games in a row and the defense is allowing 231 passing yards per game. With wide receivers Antonio Brown, Markus Wheaton and Martavis Bryant all playing well and Roethlisberger hitting his marks, fantasy owners should expect another monster statistical day in Week 10 from the quarterback.

Running Backs

Rank	Player	Projection
1	DeMarco Murray, DAL	22 Points
2	LeSean McCoy, PHI	22 Points
3	Jamaal Charles, KC	20 Points
4	Marshawn Lynch, SEA	18 Points
5	Le'Veon Bell, PIT	18 Points
6	Andre Ellington, ARI	17 Points
7	Matt Forte, CHI	16 Points
8	Ronnie Hillman, DEN	16 Points
9	Eddie Lacy, GB	15 Points
10	Reggie Bush, DET	15 Points
11	Jeremy Hill, CIN	15 Points
12	Denard Robinson, JAC	14 Points
13	Justin Forsett, BAL	13 Points
14	Frank Gore, SF	13 Points
15	Ben Tate, CLE	12 Points
16	Chris Ivory, NYJ	11 Points
17	Joique Bell, DET	11 Points
18	Mark Ingram, NO	11 Points
19	Bishop Sankey, TEN	10 Points
20	DeAngelo Williams, CAR	10 Points
21	Steven Jackson, ATL	9 Points
22	Darren McFadden, OAK	9 Points
23	Lamar Miller, MIA	8 Points
24	Charles Sims, TB	8 Points
25	Boobie Dixon, BUF	7 Points

The focus on running backs will be intense with so many teams off in Week 10, and there are few better options than Philadelphia Eagles top running back LeSean McCoy.

With starting quarterback Nick Foles possibly out for an extended period of time with a broken collarbone, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, the offensive unit will be forced to get back to the basics. That includes feeding the rock to McCoy early and often

Backup quarterback Mark Sanchez did a solid job taking over the starting duties, but head coach Chip Kelly will incorporate more designed run plays to alleviate the pressure on the QB. Add in Sanchez dumping the ball off to McCoy when plays break down, and the Eagles running back should see a spike in his offensive production.

Another RB who saw a spike in his numbers was Jeremy Hill of the Cincinnati Bengals.

While Cincinnati was playing Jacksonville, Hill managed to run the ball for 154 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries. Starter Giovani Bernard was forced to miss the game with a multitude of injuries, and Hill is a must-start fantasy option if Bernard is out in Week 10.

For fantasy owners desperate for a spot-start with injuries and bye weeks creating depth issues, Hill could help carry your team to a victory. The Bengals play Cleveland on Thursday Night Football.

Wide Receivers

Rank	Player	Projection
1	Demaryius Thomas, DEN	22 Points
2	Calvin Johnson, DET	22 Points
3	Jordy Nelson, GB	20 Points
4	Antonio Brown, PIT	20 Points
5	Dez Bryant, DAL	19 Points
6	Jeremy Maclin, PHI	18 Points
7	Julio Jones, ATL	18 Points
8	Brandon Marshall, CHI	17 Points
9	Kelvin Benjamin, CAR	17 Points
10	A.J. Green, CIN	16 Points
11	Percy Harvin, NYJ	16 Points
12	Randall Cobb, GB	15 Points
13	Mike Wallace, MIA	15 Points
14	Sammy Watkins, BUF	14 Points
15	Alshon Jeffery, CHI	14 Points
16	Emmanuel Sanders, DEN	14 Points
17	Golden Tate, DET	13 Points
18	Vincent Jackson, TB	12 Points
19	Steve Smith, BAL	12 Points
20	Brandin Cooks, NO	11 Points
21	Odell Beckham, NYG	10 Points
22	Martavis Bryant, PIT	10 Points
23	Larry Fitzgerald, ARI	9 Points
24	Mike Evans, TB	8 Points
25	Michael Floyd, ARI	8 Points
26	Mohamed Sanu, CIN	8 Points
27	Doug Baldwin, SEA	7 Points
28	Eric Decker, NYJ	6 Points
29	Dwayne Bowe, KC	6 Points
30	Michael Crabtree, SF	5 Points
31	James Jones, OAK	5 Points
32	Torrey Smith, BAL	5 Points
33	Wes Welker, DEN	5 Points
34	Kendall Wright, TEN	5 Points
35	Kenny Britt, StL	5 Points

The lack of depth this week due to injuries and bye weeks will be tough to handle for fantasy owners, but there are several intriguing options that are worth a start. The most notable is newly acquired New York Jets weapon Percy Harvin.

The transition to a new team was slow, but with Michael Vick under center, Harvin exploded with 11 receptions for 129 yards. While he was unable to find the end zone, the rapport he developed with Vick will only lead to more success in Week 10.

New York plays Pittsburgh this Sunday. With the Steelers allowing 252.2 passing yards per game, Harvin and his owners should expect a stellar offensive output.

Another receiver with the potential to rack up big numbers in Week 10 is rookie Mike Evans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Evans racked up 11 receptions for 124 yards and two touchdowns against Cleveland Sunday.

Fantasy owners should not expect those numbers each week, but Evans has developed a rapport with Mike Glennon and is taking advantage of the man coverage he is seeing due to the defensive focus on No. 1 receiver Vincent Jackson.

The Week 10 matchup against Atlanta and the 30th-ranked pass defense (allowing 280.8 yards per game) is ideal for Evans, and his current hot streak will continue with a huge statistical day against the Falcons.

Tight Ends

Rank	Player	Projection
1	Jimmy Graham, NO	18 Points
2	Julius Thomas, DEN	18 Points
3	Martellus Bennett, CHI	14 Points
4	Greg Olsen, CAR	14 Points
5	Larry Donnell, NYG	13 Points
6	Travis Kelce, KC	12 Points
7	Jason Witten, DAL	12 Points
8	Vernon Davis, SF	11 Points
9	Delanie Walker, TEN	10 Points
10	Owen Daniels, BAL	10 Points
11	Jared Cook, StL	9 Points
12	Zach Ertz, PHI	8 Points

With New England’s Rob Gronkowski off this week, the unquestioned No. 1 tight end in the NFL is Jimmy Graham of the New Orleans Saints. After racking up seven receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown, the former basketball player has returned to his elite form.

Graham had been dealing with injuries, but quarterback Drew Brees once again leaned on him in key moments and the result was a stat line worthy of a fantasy start each week. A matchup against San Francisco is not ideal, but the lingering toe injury for linebacker Patrick Willis should be enough to open up passing lanes for Graham.

Ride with Graham and expect big fantasy numbers.

Team Defenses

Rank	Team	Opponent	Projection
1	Seattle Seahawks	New York Giants	16 Points
2	Baltimore Ravens	Tennessee	16 Points
3	Arizona Cardinals	St. Louis	14 Points
4	St. Louis Rams	Arizona	14 Points
5	Dallas Cowboys	Jacksonville	14 Points
6	Kansas City Chiefs	Buffalo	12 Points
7	Denver Broncos	Oakland	12 Points
8	Pittsburgh Steelers	New York Jets	12 Points
9	San Francisco 49ers	New Orleans	10 Points
10	Cincinnati Bengals	Cleveland	10 Points
11	Philadelphia Eagles	Carolina	10 Points
12	Detroit Lions	Miami	8 Points

The chatter coming into this season was about how bad the Dallas Cowboys' defensive unit would be, but that hasn’t been the case at all. Despite back-to-back losses, Dallas travels to Wembley Stadium to play the Jacksonville Jaguars in a favorable matchup.

With both teams likely dealing with the mental and physical fatigue of playing in England, the Cowboys defense should be able to get after rookie quarterback Blake Bortles and force turnovers.

If Dallas gets pressure on Bortles early, the defensive unit will have a monster statistical day.

Kickers

Rank	Player	Projection
1	Dan Bailey, DAL	14 Points
2	Justin Tucker, BAL	14 Points
3	Cody Parkey, PHI	13 Points
4	Dan Carpenter, BUF	12 Points
5	Chandler Catanzaro, ARI	12 Points
6	Shayne Graham, NO	11 Points
7	Cairo Santos, KC	10 Points
8	Phil Dawson, SF	9 Points
9	Mason Crosby, GB	8 Points
10	Shaun Suisham, PIT	7 Points
11	Nick Folk, NYJ	6 Points
12	Brandon McManus, DEN	6 Points

The Philadelphia Eagles play on Monday Night Football in Week 10. With Mark Sanchez taking over the starting quarterback role, there is a higher chance that the productive Eagles offense stalls within field-goal range. That’s good news for placekicker Cody Parkey.

Carolina’s defense has proved susceptible to high-powered offenses this season, and fantasy owners who start Parkey this week should expect a healthy return from the rookie kicker.

*Stats via NFL.com.