NFL Picks Week 10: Predicting Game Results and Fantasy Stars

Every team in the NFL has played at least eight games this season. As the second half of the campaign swings into gear, the games are getting more meaningful as playoff position is about to start to take shape.

Week 10 could be crucial.

It all begins with the Battle of Ohio on Thursday night. The 5-3 Cleveland Browns will go on the road to take on the 5-2-1 Cincinnati Bengals.

Usually when these two teams play, neither is anywhere near the division lead. This year, the Browns and Bengals are embroiled in a tight four-team battle for supremacy in the AFC North. In this, the first head-to-head battle between the Ohio teams, a key tiebreaker could be had with a win.

Both squads are on a two-game winning streak. The Browns have feasted on bad teams in the last two weeks. Wins over the Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers count in the standings, but it doesn't prove much to prognosticators.

The Bengals took advantage of a lowly Jacksonville Jaguars squad last week, but in Week 8, Cincy pulled off a big division win over the Baltimore Ravens.

The Bengals are the better team, and laying at home, they have to be the pick here.

They are 4-0-1 at home this year, A.J. Green is back and apparently as healthy as he's been all season. Green isn't listed on ESPN.com's injury report in any capacity.

That's bad news for the Browns. The Bengals will win a very important divisional game on Thursday night.

Here's a look at the rest of the schedule and picks for each game. A.J. Green could have a strong game on Thursday night, but who else will be a fantasy star in Week 10?

Take a look at three guys to keep an eye on this week.

Thursday, Nov. 6	Prediction
Sunday, Nov. 9	Prediction
Monday, Nov. 10	Prediction
Cleveland at Cincinnati	Cincinnati
Kansas City at Buffalo	Buffalo
Miami at Detroit	Miami
Dallas at Jacksonville	Dallas
San Francisco at New Orleans	New Orleans
Tennessee at Baltimore	Baltimore
Pittsburgh at NY Jets	Pittsburgh
Atlanta at Tampa Bay	Atlanta
Denver at Oakland	Denver
St. Louis at Arizona	Arizona
NY Giants at Seattle	Seattle
Chicago at Green Bay	Green Bay
Carolina at Philadelphia	Philadelphia

Matt Forte, Chicago Bears

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Few players have delivered as consistently as Forte has this season.

He's second in the NFL in receptions with 58 and seventh in rushing yards at 562. He also has a total of six touchdowns on the year. The Bears and Green Bay Packers are obviously a major rivalry, and you have to expect both teams will play hard.

However, the Packers' run defense has been horrible this season. Green Bay is allowing 153.5 yards per game on the ground.

Couple that with the facts that Forte is the centerpiece of the Bears offense and the Packers don't have a Luke Kuechly-like linebacker to shadow him, and that equates to a monster day for Forte.

Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

It cuts both ways.

Aaron Rodgers has had some great games against the Bears in his career. Most recently, he threw for 302 yards and four touchdown passes against Chicago in Week 4. That performance was on the road.

On Sunday, the game will be played at Lambeau Field, where Rodgers has been phenomenal this season.

He's completed 73 percent of his passes, averaged 252 yards, three touchdowns and hasn't been picked off in three games at home.

For his career, he averages 241 yards, 1.9 touchdown passes and just 0.6 interceptions against the Packers' hated rivals. The Bears' defensive line has had to deal with injuries, and the team's secondary has been hit-or-miss all season.

Rodgers figures to be big again against the Bears. We just might see a few points on the board on Sunday.

Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons

Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

Tampa Bay's defense is all types of bad this season. It comes into Week 10 ranked 31st against the pass. Throwing the ball is one of the few things the Atlanta Falcons have done well this season.

The Falcons average 280 yards per game through the air.

Jones is the Falcons' primary target and should have no issues finding soft spots in the Bucs' Tampa-2 scheme. In the teams' first meeting, Jones had nine catches for 161 yards and two touchdowns. The Bucs have done nothing since that meeting that would make me think Jones won't have another strong game.