Fantasy Football Week 10 Rankings: Last-Minute Outlook for Flex Players

The hardest spot to fill, the flex position often becomes the most important for many fantasy football players.

Show of hands: Who started Matt Asiata last week out of desperation, only to get luckily awarded by three touchdowns? Who wrapped up their matchup on Sunday night with Martavis Bryant's two scores?

To be considered as a flex play, the running back or wide receiver must be a blemished commodity doused in risk and uncertainty. Otherwise, he's occupying a starting RB or WR role, especially during a week with six teams on a bye.

Nobody likes addressing the dreaded flex slot, so here's a comprehensive look at the top 75 options—tight ends not included—for Week 10.

Rank	Player	Pos	Team	Opp
1	Matt Forte	RB	CHI	GB
2	DeMarco Murray	RB	DAL	JAC
3	Antonio Brown	WR	PIT	NYJ
4	Demaryius Thomas	WR	DEN	OAK
5	Jordy Nelson	WR	GB	CHI
6	LeSean McCoy	RB	PHI	CAR
7	Jamaal Charles	RB	KC	BUF
8	Marshawn Lynch	RB	SEA	NYG
9	Julio Jones	WR	ATL	TB
10	Andre Ellington	RB	ARI	STL
11	Jeremy Maclin	WR	PHI	CAR
12	Le'Veon Bell	RB	PIT	NYJ
13	Ronnie Hillman	RB	DEN	OAK
14	Calvin Johnson	WR	DET	MIA
15	Randall Cobb	WR	GB	CHI
16	Justin Forsett	RB	BAL	TEN
17	Dez Bryant	WR	DAL	JAC
18	Emmanuel Sanders	WR	DEN	OAK
19	Mark Ingram	RB	NO	SF
20	Kelvin Benjamin	WR	CAR	PHI
21	Eddie Lacy	RB	GB	CHI
22	Alshon Jeffery	WR	CHI	GB
23	Brandon Marshall	WR	CHI	GB
24	Golden Tate	WR	DET	MIA
25	Bobby Rainey	RB	TB	ATL
26	Lamar Miller	RB	MIA	DET
27	Denard Robinson	RB	JAC	DAL
28	Sammy Watkins	WR	BUF	KC
29	Steve Smith Sr.	WR	BAL	TEN
30	Mike Evans	WR	TB	ATL
31	Chris Ivory	RB	NYJ	PIT
32	Mike Wallace	WR	MIA	DET
33	Vincent Jackson	WR	TB	ATL
34	Roddy White	WR	ATL	TB
35	Frank Gore	RB	SF	NO
36	Larry Fitzgerald	WR	ARI	STL
37	Joique Bell	RB	DET	MIA
38	Reggie Bush	RB	DET	MIA
39	Martavis Bryant	WR	PIT	NYJ
40	Odell Beckham Jr.	WR	NYG	SEA
41	Steven Jackson	RB	ATL	TB
42	Percy Harvin	WR	NYJ	PIT
43	Darren Sproles	RB	PHI	CAR
44	Doug Baldwin	WR	SEA	NYG
45	Anquan Boldin	WR	SF	NO
46	Brandin Cooks	WR	NO	SF
47	Andre Williams	RB	NYG	SEA
48	Eric Decker	WR	NYJ	PIT
49	Torrey Smith	WR	BAL	TEN
50	Tre Mason	RB	STL	ARI
51	Michael Crabtree	WR	SF	NO
52	Terrance Williams	WR	DAL	JAC
53	Rueben Randle	WR	NYG	SEA
54	Allen Robinson	WR	JAC	DAL
55	Anthony Dixon	RB	BUF	KC
56	Lorenzo Taliferro	RB	BAL	TEN
57	Justin Hunter	WR	TEN	BAL
58	Michael Floyd	WR	ARI	STL
59	Kendall Wright	WR	TEN	BAL
60	Darren McFadden	RB	OAK	DEN
61	Andre Holmes	WR	OAK	DEN
62	Bishop Sankey	RB	BAL	TEN
63	Dwayne Bowe	WR	KC	BUF
64	Kenny Stills	WR	NO	SF
65	Davante Adams	WR	GB	CHI
66	Chris Johnson	RB	NYJ	PIT
67	Charles Sims	RB	TB	ATL
68	Markus Wheaton	WR	PIT	NYJ
69	Jonathan Stewart	RB	CAR	PHI
70	DeAngelo Williams	RB	CAR	PHI
71	Marques Colston	WR	NO	SF
72	Kenny Britt	WR	STL	ARI
73	Jordan Matthews	WR	PHI	CAR
74	John Brown	WR	ARI	STL
75	Bryce Brown	RB	BUF	KC

Darren Sproles, RB, Philadelphia Eagles

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Everyone got carried away. It happens all the time in sports, and the fantasy landscape is no exception to overreacting to a rapid start.

Sproles is not the No. 1 fantasy back who gave the Indianapolis Colts fits and stole fans' hearts with 178 total yards in Week 2. He's a flex play whose skills are more befitting a point-per-reception (PPR) format. 

Last week's performance is more on par with what gamers expected all along from the Philadelphia Eagles' new scatback. He produced 63 yards (17 rushing, 46 receiving) on three rushes and four catches. 

That's not amazing but good enough for many managers who are scouring for a decent flex play during a week riddled with byes. Monday night's matchup against the Carolina Panthers also offers up promise for another big performance on ESPN.

Per ESPN.com, opposing running backs have amassed 52 receptions on 71 targets against the Carolina Panthers—marks that rank fifth and second, respectively. Should he get some handoffs his way, the Panthers also relinquish 4.8 yards per attempt.

Try locating 20 running backs you would feel fully comfortable playing this week. Even in a limited role, Sproles will make enough of an impact to flourish from the flex spot.

Michael Floyd, WR, Arizona Cardinals

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Does anybody know where Michael Floyd went?

He's a 24-year-old man. About 6'3" and 225 pounds. After registering 252 receiving yards in the first three games, he has gone missing. Has anybody seen someone who fits that bill?

Since that start, which augmented a scorching conclusion to the 2013 campaign, Floyd has caught 12 passes for 137 yards in his past five games. Pro Football Focus' Mike Clay wonders why the breakout candidate has fallen way out of favor for the Arizona Cardinals:

Bruce Arians gave a response to AZCentral.com's Bob McManaman that contradicts what Floyd's fantasy owners want to hear:

"

About right where he's at. I mean, he's doing a great job. People want to put numbers on guys and all those numbers are for Pro Bowls. We don't give a (expletive) about Pro Bowls. It's just about winning games and going to Super Bowls. He's having a great year and he's playing really well. I don't really care about numbers.

"

Meanwhile, a once-endangered Larry Fitzgerald has revived with 230 receiving yards in Arizona's last two contests. While Floyd owners can take that as solace for him following his teammate's blueprint back to relevancy, more looks for Fitzgerald mean less chances for Floyd.

Floyd has yet to collect more than five catches in a single game this season, and he has exceeded 50 yards twice, both back in September. Even in a lucrative matchup against the St. Louis Rams' No. 25 passing defense, his floor is far too low to give him a whirl.

Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee Titans

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

From one high-risk, high-reward wideout to another, Justin Hunter remains the ultimate fantasy tease.

He excited gamers with an exceptional preseason, but the 23-year-old has only delivered on that potential in brief glimpses. While the Tennessee Titans continue to feed him opportunities with 49 targets, he has only converted 20 into receptions. 

Hunter can't blame Tennessee's revolving door of quarterbacks on those missed connections. Sports Illustrated's Michael Beller delivered some telling tidbits to ground the talented receiver's fantasy hype:

But fantasy players are all suckers for upside, and Hunter has kept everyone wanting more after scoring two touchdowns in his past four games. If there was ever a time for him to explode, it's this weekend against the Baltimore Ravens.

Not only do they possess the No. 24 passing defense, but they just lost their best cornerback, Jimmy Smith, for the season with a foot injury. Baltimore's cornerbacks are now dearly lacking in depth and size, giving Hunter a chance to pounce in the deep game.

He's not the most reliable option available, but Hunter could propel some bold owners to a victory if all goes well. He could also, of course, squander that chance, drop a touchdown and finish with three catches for 30 yards. Players will have to look at their alternatives and weigh the cost-benefit analysis for riding with Hunter.