Week 10 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Highlighting Matchups to Exploit and Avoid

It's always interesting how much the Thursday night game can impact a fantasy football matchup. Those who started Jeremy Hill with Giovani Bernard still sidelined were expecting another big performance and instead received just three points in standard formats.

Pretty much anybody with a member of the Cincinnati Bengals in their lineup is now playing from behind. It makes the rest of the lineup process more tricky because many fantasy owners will lean toward boom-or-bust options looking to make up the lost ground.

While that's understandable, it's not necessarily the best choice. Usually going with the more straightforward approach is still the best bet. So let's check out some players on the fringe for Week 10 and predict whether they belong in the lineup or on the bench.

Start 'Em

Position	Player	Team
QB	Matt Ryan	ATL
RB	Darren Sproles	PHI
WR	Martavis Bryant	PIT
TE	Mychal Rivera	OAK
D/ST	Cowboys	DAL
K	Mason Crosby	GB

After a terrific start to the campaign, Matt Ryan hasn't scored more than 15 points in any of his past four games. That streak of mediocrity should end on Sunday. He faces a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense that ranks 31st against the pass and allowed him to score 23 in their Week 3 meeting.

Darren Sproles' move to the high-flying Philadelphia Eagles hasn't been the boon many fantasy owners were hoping for. Yet, he should put together a strong all-around performance in a clash with the Carolina Panthers that has shootout potential thanks to two bottom-10 defenses.

It's no mistake that the rise of the Pittsburgh Steelers' aerial attack has coincided with the involvement of Martavis Bryant. He forces teams to remain honest rather than focusing solely on Antonio Brown, and it's opened up plenty of options for Ben Roethlisberger.

Bryant and Co. should be in line for another strong showing against the struggling New York Jets. The rookie wideout told Scott Brown of ESPN that it all comes down to preparation.

"Coach Swinney always said if you work hard in practice it's going to come out in a game," he said. "We just took that and ran with it. You put your work in through the week and after that you go cut loose and have fun. Like (Steelers) coach (Mike Tomlin) says, 'Have fun.' "

Mychal Rivera was an afterthought in the Oakland Raiders offense for the first seven weeks. But over the past two games he's caught 15 passes and two touchdowns. The increased usage makes him a solid start at the tight end position in Week 10.

The Dallas Cowboys defense hasn't reached double-digit points in any game and ranks in the middle of the pack overall. So the Cowboys aren't a reliable weekly option. That said, they are a good streaming choice against the 1-8 Jacksonville Jaguars.

Mason Crosby should be available on some waiver wires after having his bye last week. Although his performance to this point won't jump off the page, he's part of a potent Green Bay Packers offense that should improve down the stretch—a good time to buy low and plug him in lineups.

Sit 'Em

Position	Player	Team
QB	Matthew Stafford	DET
RB	Bishop Sankey	TEN
WR	Mike Wallace	MIA
TE	Vernon Davis	SF
D/ST	49ers	SF
K	Chandler Catanzaro	ARZ

Calvin Johnson is back, which improves the outlook for Matthew Stafford during the second half of the season. Just not this week. He will struggle to find open receivers against a Miami Dolphins defense that's coming off a shutout of the San Diego Chargers.

Many fantasy owners were clamoring for Bishop Sankey to get his chance in the early weeks. He's finally received it over the past three games and hasn't delivered. There simply aren't enough positive signs to warrant starting him as he battles the sixth-ranked Baltimore Ravens rush defense.

There were warning signs around Mike Wallace throughout his strong start. The numbers were too dependent on touchdowns. His pace in that category has unsurprisingly slowed over the past few weeks, and that makes him a major risk against a vastly improved Detroit Lions secondary.

Vernon Davis was one of the most frustrating players in the season's first half. He scored two touchdowns in the opener and has scored none since. So while his track record suggests a big bounce-back game should come at some point, it's too tough to keep accepting the poor scores while waiting for it.

Mike Clay of Pro Football Focus notes the biggest key to getting back on track is getting him more involved in the red zone:

"

Since we started tracking the stat back in 2008, Vernon Davis has caught 33 (or 61 percent) of his 54 end zone targets. That's the best rate in the league among players who have seen at least 50 end zone looks during the span; the league average in the category is 37 percent. During the 2013 regular season, Davis caught nine end zone targets for touchdowns, which was third-most in the NFL. I mention all of this because Davis has seen one end zone target this season (he caught it, of course).

"

Most weeks the San Francisco 49ers are a reliable defensive option. Going out on the road against Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints is an incredibly difficult task, though. Last time they had a similar game they scored in the negatives vs. the Denver Broncos. Not enough upside to start.

Chandler Catanzaro's skid continued last week with just four points. He's been handed just two field-goal attempts in three weeks after averaging nearly three per game in the first five contests. Look elsewhere until he reverses the downward trend.