Week 10 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Final Review of Most Difficult Fantasy Matchups

If it's any consolation to fantasy football managers saddled with the lingering regret of always making the wrong choices, you're not alone.

It's human nature for the failed decisions to stick out more than the successes. When something goes right, it merely followed the plan. When it goes wrong, you spent valuable time and brainpower for nothing. 

Just remember that essentially every team in the world can identify one missed opportunity every week. The key is not to fixate over the ones nobody could have rationally anticipated. (I can't believe I didn't start Allen Hurns over Dez Bryant in Week 9!)

As Sunday's slate gets ready for kickoff, let's take a look at a select few players causing owners across the land to pull out their hair. These decisions can make or break a week, but there's always another one on the horizon.

Start 'Em: Jay Cutler, QB, Chicago Bears

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The past is the past. Jay Cutler's prior performance against the Green Bay Packers means little to nothing this year.

Different teammates. Different players on the oppositions. Specific injuries, weather conditions and what not to deal with year after year. Cutler realized as much, per Chicago Bears Radio Network's Zach Zaidman.

That video supercut of Cutler's career 20 picks against the Packers is fun and all, but it's also irrelevant to this latest meeting. Besides, even though he tossed two picks during their Week 4 matchup, he added 256 passing yards, 29 rushing yards and two passing touchdowns. Not a bad fantasy outing in the slightest.

Cutler, of course, gets blamed for every Chicago loss, but he hoists a 67.2 completion percentage, 261.6 passing yards per game and 18 touchdowns. That makes him the No. 9 fantasy quarterback among ESPN.com scoring, one point behind Drew Brees.

Three of the top passers ahead of him (Andrew Luck, Tom Brady, Philip Rivers) are out of action this weekend, so Cutler remains a top-10 option despite the historically difficult matchup.

Sit 'Em: Mark Sanchez, QB, Philadelphia Eagles

In less than one full game, former laughingstock Mark Sanchez is all of a sudden fantasy football's most desired commodity. As a result of his new role as the Philadelphia Eagles starting quarterback, some fantasy managers are going to mistakenly play him over a better choice.

Replacing the injured Nick Foles last Sunday, Sanchez went 15-of-22 for 202 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Even though Sanchez has turned the ball over 97 times in 63 career games, everyone is ignoring those mistakes and licking their lips at Philly's new passer.

Hey ESPN Stats & Info, help a pal out and remind the public about Sanchez's troubled past with the New York Jets.

Part of this feels like Kirk Cousins all over again. After bursting out of the gate to dominate the Jacksonville Jaguars and Eagles, everyone salivated over Washington's new franchise quarterback. Then he reverted to his career norms and got benched for Colt McCoy.

Sure, Chip Kelly's fast-paced tempo is conducive to fantasy success, and Sanchez has much more supporting talent than he ever did with the Jets. It's one thing to use him in a salary-based daily league or play him over an idle Luck, Brady and Rivers.

Grabbing him as a spot-start instead of playing Cutler, Matt Ryan, Colin Kaepernick or Tony Romo is too much.

Start 'Em: Chris Ivory, RB, New York Jets

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His role and effectiveness have lessened over the past few weeks, but Chris Ivory remains a No. 2 fantasy back worth starting this weekend.

After claiming a season-high 21 carries and 107 yards rushing in Week 7, Ivory's workload dipped to 13 touches in Week 8 and eight during Week 9. Those touches transitioned to Chris Johnson, who scooped up 11 rushes for 69 yards last weekend.

So why keep playing him when the Jets play the Pittsburgh Steelers? For starters, Ivory is better than Johnson, averaging 4.8 yards per carry to CJNotEven1K's 4.3. One of the game's toughest runners, Ivory has already amassed five touchdowns to Johnson's two.

Also, who else are gamers going to play? There aren't enough viable backs for everyone, so few owners have anyone better to play over Ivory. Even with concerns of falling into a timeshare, he remains a top-20 fantasy rusher.

Sit 'Em: Bishop Sankey, RB, Tennessee Titans

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Bishop Sankey breaking out was a fun thought this summer, but it hasn't happened. The rookie has yet to rush for more than 61 yards in a single game, scoring once during an uneventful eight bouts.

In his past four games, he has generated 3.5 yards per run, regressing with more opportunities. Throw in a tough matchup, and the Tennessee Titans have little reason to feature Sankey prominently.

Date	Opp	Rushes	Rush Yds	YPC	TDs
Oct. 5	CLE	8	27	3.4	0
Oct. 12	JAX	18	61	3.4	0
Oct. 19	WAS	16	56	3.5	0
Oct. 26	HOU	9	35	3.9	0

The Baltimore Ravens have a shaky secondary that will get shakier without Jimmy Smith, but they're well adept at stopping the run. They have allowed 86.4 rushing yards per game on 3.5 yards per carry, both sixth-best in the NFL.

Last week, Le'Veon Bell mustered a mere 20 yards on 11 carries, and Sankey is no Le'Veon Bell. Zach Mettenberger is also no Ben Roethlisberger, but the Titans will try to exploit Baltimore's passing defense once again on the heels of a 43-23 loss.

He doesn't get red-zone touches or passes to catch, and he's not a big-play burner, with a season-long run of 22 yards. There's no upside to playing Sankey.

Start 'Em: Anquan Boldin, WR, San Francisco 49ers

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As a fantasy football wideout, Anquan Boldin is just there.

Nobody trembles in fear of Boldin not falling to them on draft day. No, they just stumble across him among a list of unproven alternatives and decide, "Eh, why not?" At this point of his career, the 34-year-old is rarely Plan A for a fantasy lineup.

Yet in terms of a No. 3 receiver or flex play, gamers can significantly minimize risk by starting Boldin, especially in another week clouded by byes. He's compiled at least four catches in seven of eight games and 50 or more yards six times. 

Even a star pass-catcher has off days, so a low-level option who averages five catches and 67 yards per contest is a valuable asset. His value inflates when going up against the New Orleans Saints, who rank No. 27 in passing offense and will host the San Francisco 49ers inside the Superdome.

Boldin quietly leads the 49ers in receptions (45) and targets (62), picking up the slack for an underwhelming Michael Crabtree. This could be the week the sturdy veteran produces his first 100-yard outing of the season.

Sit 'Em: Marques Colston, WR, New Orleans Saints

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Let's stay in the same game to discuss a less lucrative veteran wideout on the other side. Marques Colston has been anything but reliable for fantasy owners in a crowded Saints offense.

The 31-year-old has recorded four receptions with at least 50 receiving yards just four times, manufacturing a few duds along the way. He places third in catches (28) and targets (48) behind Jimmy Graham and Brandin Cooks.

Colston could fall even further on Drew Brees' progressions, as Kenny Stills has notched 14 receptions on 17 looks in the past three games. Also alarmingly, the nine-year pro has scored just one touchdown this season.

ESPN.com's Mike Triplett examined Colston's depreciating role inside the 20.

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Colston has been targeted on five of the Saints' 42 red zone throws, according to ESPN Stats & Information, a rate of 12.7 percent. Last year, he was targeted on 18.5 percent of red zone throws. In 2012, it was 23.5 percent. And in 2011, it was 12.7 percent. 

This year Jimmy Graham leads the Saints in red zone targets, not surprisingly, with 11, followed by Brandin Cooks at seven and Colston at five.

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Touchdowns are fluky, but Graham is one the game's biggest red-zone threats since entering the fold. Against the league's No. 3 passing defense, there are too many clogs to New Orleans' passing assault to gamble on a struggling Colston.

Given a tough matchup, only desperate players can trust him this weekend.