Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 10: Smart Matchup Plays, Sleepers and More

Week 9 wasn't as deadly as the one before it in terms of injuries, but it still said much about Week 10 start 'em, sit 'em decisions. 

As a brief example, Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota announced his return with 32 points, tied for first place at his position before Monday. A sleeper like DeAngelo Williams stepped into the fold for the Pittsburgh Steelers and posted 36 points, 11 more than the next highest scorer before Monday.

New faces in new usage rates, injuries and simple matchup projections make for another round of interesting start 'em, sit 'em scenarios, so let's take a look at value comparisons, sleepers and more.

QB  

Matchup	Verdict
Tom Brady (at NYG) vs. Carson Palmer (at SEA)	Tom Brady
Eli Manning (vs. NE) vs. Andy Dalton (vs. HOU)	Andy Dalton
Drew Brees (at WAS) vs. Aaron Rodgers (vs. DET)	Aaron Rodgers
Cam Newton (at TEN) vs. Blake Bortles (at BAL)	Cam Newton
Russell Wilson (vs. ARI) vs. Derek Carr (vs. MIN)	Derek Carr

Matchup to Exploit: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers (vs. DET)

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

It's been an odd season at quarterback, with names such as Eli Manning and Andy Dalton keeping someone like Aaron Rodgers out of the top-five scorers at the position. 

That's going to change, though. Rodgers just went for a ridiculous 32 points against a stingy Carolina Panthers defense, throwing for 369 yards and four scores in the process.

In other words, he's going to roast the Detroit Lions over a bonfire in Week 10. The limping Lions allowed the fourth-most points to quarterbacks before their Week 9 bye, coughing up at least two touchdowns to signal-callers five times.

Look for Rodgers to stay hot in the week's top matchup.

Sleeper: Kirk Cousins, Washington (vs. NO)

Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins is the perfect example of a matchup-based play. 

It made sense to trot him out in Week 7 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he posted 29 points. Week 9 against the New England Patriots? Not so much as he bumbled his way to 10 points.

Look for Cousins to post another 20-plus outing in Week 10 thanks to a matchup with the New Orleans Saints. Those Saints entered Week 9 allowing the most points to quarterbacks, then let the aforementioned Mariota—a rookie—to explode for his 32 points.

Cousins' ceiling isn't that high, but he's going to score plenty against the leaky unit.

RB  

Matchup	Verdict
Mark Ingram (at WAS) vs. Doug Martin (vs. DAL)	Mark Ingram
Chris Ivory (vs. BUF) vs. Adrian Peterson (at OAK)	Adrian Peterson
Chris Johnson (at SEA) vs. Lamar Miller (at PHI)	Lamar Miller
Todd Gurley (vs. CHI) vs. Justin Forsett (vs. JAC)	Todd Gurley
Darren McFadden (at TB) vs. Marshawn Lynch (vs. ARI)	Marshawn Lynch

Matchup to Exploit: DeAngelo Williams, Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. CLE)

Williams goes from a tough matchup to the best of the week in the span of a few days.

The every-down back with Le'Veon Bell sidelined, Williams posted his 36 points against a strong Oakland Raiders front. It wasn't much of a surprise, either, as Williams went for 12 and 26 points over the season's first two games as Bell served a suspension.

Williams should have an easy time posting another strong outing against the Cleveland Browns, the team that entered the weekend allowing the second-most points to backs on average before allowing 13 total to the Cincinnati Bengals combo of Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill.

That number sounds like an absolute floor for Williams, who might just sit in first place at the spot after next week, too.

Sleeper: Antonio Andrews, Tennessee Titans (vs. CAR)

Butch Dill/Associated Press

The Titans remained adamant in their decision to roll with Antonio Andrews as the every-down back this past weekend, giving him a season-high 19 carries against the Saints.

Andrews turned the chances into 88 yards and 10 points. It's clear the coaching staff likes what it saw, too, as the team's Twitter account captured:

Opportunities equal production, but it sure helps that Andrews next gets the Panthers.

It sounds scary on paper, but Carolina entered Week 9 having allowed three opposing backfields to reach 26 or more points in a game. Andrews should see similar numbers to this past weekend's performance, if not better.

WR  

Matchup	Verdict
DeAndre Hopkins (at CIN) vs. Larry Fitzgerald (at SEA)	DeAndre Hopkins
Odell Beckham Jr. (vs. NE) vs. Julian Edelman (at NYG)	Julian Edelman
Allen Robinson (at BAL) vs. Antonio Brown (vs. CLE)	Allen Robinson
Brandon Marshall (vs. BUF) vs. A.J. Green (vs. HOU)	A.J. Green
Jarvis Landry (at PHI) vs. Demaryius Thomas (vs. KC)	Demaryius Thomas

Matchup to Exploit: Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos (vs. KC)

It hasn't been a poster season for Demaryius Thomas and quarterback Peyton Manning, but one factor remains a constant no matter what—big games against the Kansas City Chiefs. 

Thomas has just four double-digit outings this year, but one of those came against the Chiefs on the road back in Week 2, where he caught eight passes for 116 yards, good for 11 points.

The Chiefs haven't exactly changed since then. The defense entered its Week 9 bye ranked as the worst team against wideouts on average, having allowed 13 scores to the position and at least 20 points to each corps encountered.

While Thomas has found paydirt just once this year, a second time may be in order against a shaky, familiar unit. At the least, he's in for a fifth double-digit performance.

Sleeper: Tavon Austin, St. Louis Rams (vs. CHI)

Jim Mone/Associated Press

It seems fantasy owners still don't take the emergence of St. Louis Rams wideout Tavon Austin seriously because he still sits at just a 62.6 ownership percentage. 

Call it an odd situation considering Austin has three trips to double digits this year, two of them for a minimum of 21 points. He also has at least four catches in five games, including the last three in a row.

The coaching staff has made a point to get Austin involved this year. It's nothing but a good thing against the Chicago Bears, a team that had allowed 12 touchdowns to wideouts over its first seven games.

A threat to score from anywhere on the field, usage will absolutely lead to production for Austin against the struggling unit.

TE  

Matchup	Verdict
Rob Gronkowski (at NYG) vs. Gary Barnidge (at PIT)	Rob Gronkowski
Greg Olsen (at TEN) vs. Tyler Eifert (vs, HOU)	Tyler Eifert
Travis Kelce (at DEN) vs. Benjamin Watson (at WAS)	Benjamin Watson
Jimmy Graham (vs. ARI) vs. Jordan Reed (vs. NO)	Jordan Reed
Charles Clay (at NYJ) vs. Jason Witten (at TB)	Jason Witten

Matchup to Exploit: Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots (at NYG)

Charles Krupa/Associated Press

It goes without saying each week that New England's Rob Gronkowski is a must-start player regardless of matchup, but it doesn't mean he should be ignored when he sits in the top matchup of the week.

Besides, Gronkowski's coming off a four-point performance in Week 9, so maybe owners need a little reassurance.

Said reassurance goes by the name of the New York Giants, the team that entered Week 9 allowing the second-most points to tight ends by way of five touchdowns and three double-digit performances permitted.

Gronkowski's going to have a field day against the unit, especially after having his three-touchdown streak snapped.

Sleeper: Richard Rodgers, Green Bay Packers (vs. DET)

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

The ownership percentage situation with Green Bay's Richard Rodgers has always been an odd one.

After all, he's the starting tight end on an (Aaron) Rodgers-led offense and the Rodgers-Rodgers connection has helped the tight end produce a trio of double-digit outings this season.

That includes last week, where Rodgers caught five passes for 19 yards and two scores. Now he gets a leaky Lions defense that has allowed five scores to the spot in a game that could be a shootout.

Rodgers' 29.7 ownership percentage should see a boost.

All scoring info courtesy of ESPN standard leagues, as is points-against info and ownership stats as of November 9. Statistics courtesy of ESPN. Atlanta, Indianapolis, San Diego, San Francisco on bye.