Fantasy Football Week 10: Updated Rankings for Sunday's Action

With the fantasy football postseason rapidly approaching, many managers need a Week 10 victory to stay afloat in the playoff picture.

This is the week where every NFL team has reached or is about to hit the season's halfway mark. Fantasy players, however, are working on a more accelerated timetable. Most have four or five weeks left on the schedule before playoff time. 

Given the grand stakes, many fantasy owners across the globe are lamenting the absences of several prominent players from the six NFL squads on a bye this weekend. No Andrew Luck, Philip Rivers, Arian Foster, Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski could mean no victory for many who have enjoyed their services so far. (Well, maybe not Rivers' three-interception blunder last weekend.)

But that's quitter talk. With some research, anybody can assemble a lineup with a fighting chance to outscore his or her Week 10 opponent. Besides, that person is probably dealing with a bye or two as well. 

Here are rankings across the board to make roster decisions easier this weekend.

Quarterback

Rank	Player	Opponent
1	Peyton Manning	Oakland
2	Aaron Rodgers	Chicago
3	Ben Roethlisberger	NY Jets
4	Drew Brees	San Francisco
5	Matt Ryan	Tampa Bay
6	Carson Palmer	St. Louis
7	Cam Newton	Philadelphia
8	Jay Cutler	Green Bay
9	Russell Wilson	NY Giants
10	Colin Kaepernick	New Orleans
11	Matthew Stafford	Miami
12	Tony Romo	Jacksonville
13	Joe Flacco	Tennessee
14	Mark Sanchez	Carolina
15	Ryan Tannehill	Detroit

Fantasy football is all about playing the matchups. Even though Matt Ryan has let down his owners following a torrid start, now is not the time to jettison him to the bench.

Most of the disappointment stems from heightened expectations, as Ryan opened the season with 10 touchdowns through his first four games. In the ensuing four games, that tally was slashed in half.

His ugly fourth quarter became the top takeaway from Week 8's loss in London, but Ryan also went 20-of-27 against the Detroit Lions, a top-five passing defense. This week, he faces the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who rank worse than every team other than Ryan's own Atlanta Falcons and the Arizona Cardinals.

Rob Carr/Getty Images

When the two NFC South foes met in Week 3, Ryan went off for 286 passing yards and three touchdowns during a 56-14 onslaught. For all the talk of his 2014 demise, he has completed 64.9 percent of his passes while averaging 288.3 passing yards per game.

Ryan is fine, and he'll prove it this weekend.

Running Back

Rank	Player	Opponent
1	Matt Forte	Green Bay
2	DeMarco Murray	Jacksonville
3	LeSean McCoy	Carolina
4	Jamaal Charles	Buffalo
5	Marshawn Lynch	NY Giants
6	Andre Ellington	St. Louis
7	Le'Veon Bell	NY Jets
8	Ronnie Hillman	Oakland
9	Justin Forsett	Tennessee
10	Mark Ingram	San Francisco
11	Eddie Lacy	Chicago
12	Bobby Rainey	Atlanta
13	Lamar Miller	Detroit
14	Denard Robinson	Jacksonville
15	Chris Ivory	Pittsburgh
16	Frank Gore	New Orleans
17	Joique Bell	Miami
18	Reggie Bush	Miami
19	Steven Jackson	Tampa Bay
20	Darren Sproles	Carolina
21	Andre Williams	Seattle
22	Tre Mason	Arizona
23	Anthony Dixon	Kansas City
24	Jonathan Stewart	Philadelphia
25	Lorenzo Taliaferro	Tennessee

Hardly the flashiest choice, Justin Forsett has quietly emerged as one the game's steadiest running backs.

Handed the most prominent role of his six-year career, the 29-year-old leads all running backs with a 5.4 yards-per-carry average. Per NFL on ESPN, that places him fifth in rushing yards among a prominent group of ball-carriers:

He's also sixth in receptions at the position, a noteworthy bonus for point-per-reception (PPR) league managers. All in all, only five marquee talents have amassed more total yards than Forsett.

Luckily for his fantasy owners, the Tennessee Titans have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing backs under ESPN's standard scoring. This could just present more goal-line looks for Lorenzo Taliaferro, but owners should trust consistent yardage over the occasional short touchdown.

Forsett doesn't harness the stature of a star running back gamers confidently ride to victory, but he's a low-end No. 1 option everyone should start with confidence against the Titans. 

Wide Receiver

Rank	Player	Opponent
1	Antonio Brown	NY Jets
2	Demaryius Thomas	Oakland
3	Jordy Nelson	Chicago
4	Julio Jones	Tampa Bay
5	Jeremy Maclin	Carolina
6	Calvin Johnson	Miami
7	Randall Cobb	Chicago
8	Dez Bryant	Jacksonville
9	Emmanuel Sanders	Oakland
10	Kelvin Benjamin	Philadelphia
11	Alshon Jeffery	Green Bay
12	Brandon Marshall	Green Bay
13	Sammy Watkins	Buffalo
14	Golden Tate	Miami
15	Steve Smith	Tennessee
16	Mike Evans	Atlanta
17	Mike Wallace	Detroit
18	Vincent Jackson	Atlanta
19	Roddy White	Tampa Bay
20	Larry Fitzgerald	St. Louis
21	Martavis Bryant	NY Jets
22	Odell Beckham Jr.	Seattle
23	Percy Harvin	Pittsburgh
24	Doug Baldwin	NY Giants
25	Anquan Boldin	New Orleans

Just as Mike Evans hit his stride with Mike Glennon under center, the Buccaneers are returning to Josh McCown.

NFL.com's Ian Rapoport relayed the news which, from all people, was reported by Glennon. Bleacher Report's Matt Miller didn't speak kindly of the switch:

Why is pulling the sophomore for a 35-year-old such a befuddling move? Well, besides the 11-year age difference, McCown actually performed worse before Lovie Smith yanked him for Glennon. John Paulsen of 4for4.com documented the stats:

Also unnerving from a fantasy perspective, Evans broke out with Glennon under center, compiling 322 receiving yards and four touchdowns over his past four games. The rookie's career-best outing came last Sunday, where he recorded seven receptions for 124 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Will that rapport carry over with McCown, who targeted the newcomer 14 times during the opening two weeks? Evans insisted to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Michael Cunningham that he can thrive with either quarterback at the helm.

“I have a good relationship with both of those guys,” Evans said. “I’ve played with both of them. I have chemistry with both of them. It’s a coach’s decision on whoever the quarterback is. My job is to just catch the ball.”

Jason Miller/Getty Images

Let's take the burgeoning star's word for it, only because Atlanta possesses the NFL's 30th-ranked passing defense. At the least, Evans has ascended to match Vincent Jackson's impact level in Tampa Bay's offense, so look for him to maintain his hot streak for one week longer.

Tight End

Rank	Player	Opponent
1	Jimmy Graham	San Francisco
2	Julius Thomas	Oakland
3	Greg Olsen	Philadelphia
4	Martellus Bennett	Green Bay
5	Travis Kelce	Buffalo
6	Jason Witten	Jacksonville
7	Larry Donnell	Seattle
8	Delanie Walker	Baltimore
9	Owen Daniels	Tennessee
10	Heath Miller	NY Jets
11	Zach Ertz	Carolina
12	Charles Clay	Detroit
13	Mychal Rivera	Denver
14	Scott Chandler	Kansas City
15	Vernon Davis	New Orleans

What a brutal week at tight end. With Rob Gronkowski, Antonio Gates, Jordan Reed and Dwayne Allen all sidelined, the top chart takes a demonstrative hit. Devoid of many choices, the erratic Larry Donnell becomes a top-10 play three weeks after coughing up two fumbles against the Dallas Cowboy.

While Tom Coughlin shows no patience for running backs with ball-control issues, his hypocrisy illuminated to the surface when he still played Donnell, the right move because coaches' eagerness to bench rushers after one mistake is entirely irrational. 

Donnell only caught four passes for 25 yards, but one of those occurred in the end zone. He also had eight looks his way, making him Eli Manning's second-most targeted pass-catcher behind Rueben Randle this season.

Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

The Seattle Seahawks are brutal against the pass, but not impenetrable for opposing tight ends, who have scored 10 of Seattle's 14 passing touchdowns allowed this season. If Richard Sherman lines up against blossoming rookie Odell Beckham Jr., Manning will seek out his 6'6" safety blanket up the middle instead.

There's a low ceiling for Donnell, who went MIA for two games after plotting himself on the fantasy radar with a three-touchdown game on Sept. 25, but the upside and dearth of choices make him a solid start anyway.

Kicker

Rank	Player	Opponent
1	Dan Bailey	Jacksonville
2	Justin Tucker	Tennessee
3	Steven Hauschka	NY Giants
4	Cody Parkey	Carolina
5	Mason Crosby	Chicago
6	Shaun Suisham	NY Jets
7	Matt Bryant	Tampa Bay
8	Shayne Graham	San Francisco
9	Phil Dawson	New Orleans
10	Chandler Catanzaro	St. Louis

Some may notice the absence of Brandon McManus, a questionable omission considering he plays for the Denver Broncos. Those guys are pretty good on offense, and the Oakland Raiders aren't exactly a worthy adversary.

One problem: He hasn't converted a field goal in his last three games. Replacing the suspended and then cut Matt Prater, the undrafted rookie has averaged just 6.1 points per game, assuming your league doesn't allow bonus points for his two field goals between 40-49 yards.

Justin Edmonds/Getty Images

Against the New England Patriots last weekend, McManus clunked the post on a 41-yard attempt. His inaccuracy makes onlookers wonder why John Fox would ever settle for a chance at three points rather than giving Peyton Manning the ball on fourth down.

Playing for Denver made McManus a popular add and start, but there are better options who will accumulate more than extra points. 

Defense

Rank	Team	Opponent
1	Dallas Cowboys	Jacksonville
2	Denver Broncos	Oakland
3	Pittsburgh Steelers	NY Jets
4	Seattle Seahawks	NY Giants
5	Baltimore Ravens	Tennessee
6	Arizona Cardinals	St. Louis
7	Kansas City Chiefs	Buffalo
8	Philadelphia Eagles	Carolina
9	Buffalo Bils	Kansas City
10	Detroit Lions	Miami

Sticking with the same game, let's shift to a fantasy commodity that gets less credit than deserved. The Broncos, of course, make their living on offense, but the defense isn't too shabby either.

The unit ranks No. 7 in total defense, No. 21 in passing and No. 1 against the run. Carrying the league's worst rushing offense, the Raiders have no chance running the ball on Sunday. That puts all the onus on rookie Derek Carr, who faces the pressure of matching points with Manning.

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

Carr has brandished glimpses of potential, but he's still averaging a paltry 5.90 yards per attempt with seven interceptions in as many games. Much like last week against the Seattle Seahawks, he'll have to air it out often, probably from way behind on the scoreboard.

Maybe he leads Oakland to some success against a prevent defense, but all that throwing creates more chances to pick off the neophyte. Denver has also notched three sacks per game, so the defense won't need a shutout to orchestrate fantasy production.