Fantasy Football Week 10: Everything You Need to Know for Sunday's Action

The playoffs are coming.

Did you realize we are only a few short weeks away from the first round of the fantasy postseason? If you play in a 12-team league, you have three weeks to get your house in order. You get an extra week in smaller leagues.

Unless you are dominating your league, anything can happen. Stay sharp here as we head into Turn 4 of the "regular season."

Week 10 Rankings

Dustin Bradford/Getty Images

Check out this week's rankings.

The 100

Rank	Player	Opponent
1	Todd Gurley, RB, STL	vs. Chi
2	Mark Ingram, RB, NO	at Was
3	DeAngelo Williams, RB, PIT	vs. Cle
4	Odell Beckham Jr., WR, NYG	vs. NE
5	Tom Brady, QB, NE	at NYG
6	Adrian Peterson, RB, MIN	at Oak
7	DeMarco Murray, RB, PHI	vs. Mia
8	Marshawn Lynch, RB, SEA	vs. Ari
9	Lamar Miller, RB, MIA	at Phi
10	DeAndre Hopkins, WR, HOU	at Cin
11	Rob Gronkowski, TE, NE	at NYG
12	Drew Brees, QB, NO	at Was
13	A.J. Green, WR, CIN	vs. Hou
14	Julian Edelman, WR, NE	at NYG
15	LeGarrette Blount, RB, NE	at NYG
16	Darren McFadden, RB, DAL	at TB
17	Aaron Rodgers, QB, GB	vs. Det
18	Doug Martin, RB, TB	vs. Dal
19	Cam Newton, QB, CAR	at Ten
20	Allen Robinson, WR, JAC	at Bal
21	Demaryius Thomas, WR, DEN	vs. KC
22	Andy Dalton, QB, CIN	vs. Hou
23	Randall Cobb, WR, GB	vs. Det
24	Jonathan Stewart, RB, CAR	at Ten
25	Tyler Eifert, TE, CIN	vs. Hou
26	Dez Bryant, WR, DAL	at TB
27	Gary Barnidge, TE, CLE	at Pit
28	Justin Forsett, RB, BAL	vs. Jac
29	Blake Bortles, QB, JAC	at Bal
30	Stefon Diggs, WR, MIN	at Oak
31	Amari Cooper, WR, OAK	vs. Min
32	Latavius Murray, RB, OAK	vs. Min
33	Derek Carr, QB, OAK	vs. Min
34	Eli Manning, QB, NYG	vs. NE
35	Jarvis Landry, WR, MIA	at Phi
36	Jeremy Langford, RB, CHI	at StL
37	Giovani Bernard, RB, CIN	vs. Hou
38	Greg Olsen, TE, CAR	at Ten
39	Alshon Jeffery, WR, CHI	at StL
40	Peyton Manning, QB, DEN	vs. KC
41	Kirk Cousins, QB, WAS	vs. NO
42	James Starks, RB, GB	vs. Det
43	Antonio Brown, WR, PIT	vs. Cle
44	T.J. Yeldon, RB, JAC	at Bal
45	Mike Evans, WR, TB	vs. Dal
46	Jordan Reed, TE, WAS	vs. NO
47	Matthew Stafford, QB, DET	at GB
48	Emmanuel Sanders, WR, DEN	vs. KC
49	Charcandrick West, RB, KC	at Den
50	Carson Palmer, QB, ARI	at Sea
51	Jeremy Hill, RB, CIN	vs. Hou
52	Allen Hurns, WR, JAC	at Bal
53	Calvin Johnson, WR, DET	at GB
54	Brandin Cooks, WR, NO	at Was
55	Michael Crabtree, WR, OAK	vs. Min
56	Delanie Walker, TE, TEN	vs. Car
57	Antonio Andrews, RB, TEN	vs. Car
58	Larry Fitzgerald, WR, ARI	at Sea
59	Brandon LaFell, WR, NE	at NYG
60	Alfred Blue, RB, HOU	at Cin
61	Martavis Bryant, WR, PIT	vs. Cle
62	Ryan Tannehill, QB, MIA	at Phi
63	Jordan Matthews, WR, PHI	vs. Mia
64	Jimmy Graham, TE, SEA	vs. Ari
65	Tavon Austin, WR, STL	vs. Chi
66	Travis Benjamin, WR, CLE	at Pit
67	Ronnie Hillman, RB, DEN	vs. KC
68	Russell Wilson, QB, SEA	vs. Ari
69	Travis Kelce, TE, KC	at Den
70	Kamar Aiken, WR, BAL	vs. Jac
71	Duke Johnson, RB, CLE	at Pit
72	Willie Snead, WR, NO	at Was
73	Joe Flacco, QB, BAL	vs. Jac
74	Sam Bradford, QB, PHI	vs. Mia
75	Chris Johnson, RB, ARI	at Sea
76	Martellus Bennett, TE, CHI	at StL
77	Pierre Garcon, WR, WAS	vs. NO
78	DeSean Jackson, WR, WAS	vs. NO
79	C.J. Anderson, RB, DEN	vs. KC
80	Ben Watson, TE, NO	at Was
81	Jeremy Maclin, WR, KC	at Den
82	Rishard Matthews, WR, MIA	at Phi
83	Eric Ebron, TE, DET	at GB
84	Davante Adams, WR, GB	vs. Det
85	Golden Tate, WR, DET	at GB
86	Ryan Mathews, RB, PHI	vs. Mia
87	James Jones, WR, GB	vs. Det
88	Eddie Lacy, RB, GB	vs. Det
89	Ted Ginn, WR, CAR	at Ten
90	Matt Cassel, QB, DAL	at TB
91	Matt Jones, RB, WAS	vs. NO
92	John Brown, WR, ARI	at Sea
93	Shane Vereen, RB, NYG	vs. NE
94	Julius Thomas, TE, JAC	at Bal
95	Marvin Jones, WR, CIN	vs. Hou
96	Jay Cutler, QB, CHI	at StL
97	Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, TEN	vs. Car
98	Nate Washington, WR, HOU	at Cin
99	Charles Sims, RB, TB	vs. Dal
100	Isaiah Crowell, RB, CLE	at Pit

Injury Update

Probables

Quarterbacks

• Johnny Manziel, Cleveland Browns (elbow): With Josh McCown likely sidelined, Johnny Manziel is good to go against the Steelers.

Running Backs

• Jonathan Stewart, Carolina Panthers (ankle): All is well with Jonathan Stewart, who faces a Titans defense that has surprisingly allowed the third-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing running backs.
• Latavius Murray, Oakland Raiders (concussion): After suffering a concussion less than a week ago, Latavius Murray was symptom-free as of Thursday and good to go on Sunday.
• DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews, Philadelphia Eagles (groins): Both the Eagles running backs will be ready to roll against a reeling Dolphins defense.
• DeAngelo Williams, Pittsburgh Steelers (foot): Minor injury. Great matchup.
  

Wide Receivers

• Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys (knee): Dez Bryant's foot is fine, but an awkward landing on an amazing catch last week landed him on the injury report for Week 10.
• James Jones, Green Bay Packers (quad): Jones finally has a decent matchup after weeks of tough draws.
• Nate Washington, Houston Texans (hip): Nate Washington's best shot of scoring fantasy points will be in garbage time on Monday.
• Julian Edelman, New England Patriots (knee): The Patriots might put up a 50 burger against the New York Giants this week. It's an excellent matchup for Julian Edelman, who is good to go.

Tight Ends

• Crockett Gillmore, Baltimore Ravens (shoulder): The sad end to Dennis Pitta's season means Gillmore will continue being the starter. But the Jaguars haven't given up many fantasy points to tight ends this season—just 5.9 points per game over the past five weeks—so don't get your hopes up.
• Owen Daniels, Denver Broncos (shoulder): The Chiefs aren't a good matchup for Owen Daniels, who is dealing with a sore shoulder.
  
• Jordan Cameron, Miami Dolphins (hamstring): Jordan Cameron recently said he wants a bigger role in the offense, per the Miami Herald's Adam H. Beasley. Time to prove it.
  

Risks

John Brown, WR, Arizona Cardinals (hamstring)

A hamstring injury has shelved John Brown for a couple of weeks, but hopefully the bye was enough to get him healthy. He is still being listed as questionable for this week, though, and it's not a particularly good matchup despite the likelihood Richard Sherman won't be covering him. 

Josh McCown, QB, Cleveland Browns (ribs)

He is a game-time decision, but Josh McCown isn't likely to get the starting nod this week. Too bad for the rest of the offense.

Manziel has his moments, but McCown gives his pass-catchers a better chance to score points. 

Emmanuel Sanders, WR, Denver Broncos (ankle)

Things aren't looking good for Emmanuel Sanders to play this week, according to Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak, per Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post.

"I would say that I thought there would be a little bit more today, but he came out, he did some of the early work with us and was really sore," Kubiak said.

It's probably best to avoid starting him this week, though his wingman—Demaryius Thomas—has a fantastic matchup.

Calvin Johnson, WR, Detroit Lions (ankle)

It would be a darn shame if Calvin Johnson couldn't go this week against a banged-up Green Bay Packers secondary. He has averaged one touchdown per game against his NFC North nemesis throughout his career.

Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers (foot)

Should it surprise you that Ben Roethlisberger was practicing late in the week after initially being declared out for a few with a foot injury? 

Injury updates courtesy of Rotoworld unless otherwise noted. 

Sleepers and Busts

Gail Burton/Associated Press

Sleepers

Kamar Aiken, WR, Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore offense leaves plenty to be desired this season. Just about everyone is a risk in the fantasy realm, including the de facto No. 1 receiver.

Kamar Aiken has a good matchup this week, though, and the Ravens are favored in what Vegas oddsmakers are predicting will be a relatively high-scoring affair. The Jaguars aren't particularly good on defense, either.

James White, RB, New England Patriots

There is a certain amount of buzz around James White that practically disqualifies him as a sleeper here.

Dion Lewis' season-ending injury opens the door for someone to step in and fill his role, albeit in relief as opposed to starting. LeGarrette Blount will be the starter and probably the workhorse, but he will need to be spelled. 

The Patriots will need a pass-catcher too, and that's where White will get his chance.

Charles Johnson, WR, Minnesota Vikings

Stefon Diggs will be the belle of the Vikings ball this week against a porous Oakland Raiders defense. But what about Charles Johnson?

The man whose job Diggs took is healthy now and could sneak his way into fantasy relevancy this week. He'll have to get more than a couple of targets like he has in recent weeks, though.

Busts

Chris Johnson, RB, Arizona Cardinals

Chris Johnson is on his way to winning Comeback Player of the Year. His resurgence has been one of the biggest surprises of the season. Against the Seahawks on the road, though? 

Nah.

Start 'Em

Winslow Townson/Associated Press

Kirk Cousins, QB, Washington

Lost Andrew Luck? Need an emergency starter who could actually have a top-12 week? Have I got a deal for you.

Kirk Cousins gets a porous New Orleans defense this week, unlike the surprisingly good New England defense he saw a week ago. With his offense getting healthier around him, Cousins could be in for a real nice output this week.

Giovani Bernard, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals are favored by double digits, which usually means plenty of second-half touches for running backs. Giovani Bernard hasn't scored a ton of fantasy points this season, but he has been better than Jeremy Hill. As first in line to get all those blowout touches, Bernard has a solid chance to post a top-20 day.

Travis Benjamin, WR, Cleveland Browns

It's been a while since Travis Benjamin done anything of significance in the fantasy realm after he burst onto the scene with his torrid start to the season. Now might be the time to bring him back into your starting lineup, though.

The Pittsburgh defense has given up a ton of fantasy points to opposing receivers this season.

Eric Ebron, TE, Detroit Lions

The Packers have been one of the most generous teams to opposing tight ends this season. While the Lions might just roll over offensively with Calvin Johnson ailing, they could also throw the ball a ton to try to keep up.

In other words, Eric Ebron is in for a nice week.

Dallas Cowboys D/ST

This week the Cowboys go up against Jameis Winston and a Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense that has thrown a few pick-sixes. The Dallas defense hasn't been particularly stout, but the matchup should make the unit a suitable streaming option.

Sit 'Em

Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks 

Seattle's passing offense isn't exactly prolific. Arizona's pass defense isn't exactly a sieve. While Russell Wilson can score fantasy points with his legs, the Cardinals have given up the eighth-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks this season.

Eddie Lacy, RB, Green Bay Packers

If you believed Packers offensive coordinator Edgar Bennett, you would think Eddie Lacy's turnaround is around the corner. Here's what Bennett recently said about his running back, according to Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel:

"

We want our players to continue to grow, to continue to grow on a daily basis and he plays a big part in that, no different than each and every one of our players," Bennett said. "And obviously health plays a role in that, but moving forward we feel good about Eddie Lacy and the production that he's going to give us.

"

If you thought Lacy might buck his injury and have a good game against the lowly Lions, though, think again. James Starks is starting, and Lacy has been ineffective for much of the year regardless of injury status.

Michael Floyd, WR, Arizona Cardinals

It had been a great run for Michael Floyd in the weeks leading up to Arizona's bye. But if you picked him up in anticipation of sustained success, you might want to reconsider.

The Cardinals head to Seattle to face a Seahawks team that is rounding into form. While Richard Sherman may not cover Floyd much, the Arizona offense as a whole is going to have a tougher time scoring fantasy points than usual. 

Don't be swayed into starting Floyd based on recent output.

Owen Daniels, TE, Denver Broncos

The Chiefs might be the most generous team to opposing wide receivers, but they are the stingiest when it comes to giving up fantasy points to tight ends. There wasn't much reason to start Owen Daniels to begin with, but his Week 9 explosion could be cause for some to give it a shot.

Seattle Seahawks D/ST

The Seahawks might have a great defense buoyed by a strong home crowd, but that doesn't necessarily mean a ton of fantasy points will be had against a good Arizona Cardinals offense.

The DraftKings Scoop

Here is the Week 10 rundown for DraftKings, if you are of that persuasion. 

The Chalk

chalk (n.)—a player considered to be a consensus pick or a “must-start” option for a given DFS contest, especially in cash games.

DeAngelo Williams, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers ($6,500)

He's a full $1,000 more expensive this week, yet DeAngelo Williams is still a chalk play. 

Williams had a huge week walking in Le'Veon Bell's shoes last week, and he gets an even better matchup against the Browns in Week 10. Granted, he probably won't score two touchdowns, and Ben Roethlisberger's likely absence will hurt the entire offense.

Still, he is likely to have one of the highest ownership percentages of the week.

James Starks, RB, Green Bay Packers ($4,600)

With Eddie Lacy hurting, James Starks should get another crack to shine for the Green Bay Packers. His pass-catching ability is a huge bonus in points-per-reception formats like this. 

Best of all, Starks will get a starter's workload at a No. 2's price. At $4,600, he will be heavily owned this week, making him one of the biggest chalk plays.

Stefon Diggs, WR, Minnesota Vikings ($5,100)

A week after putting up a meager 42 yards on three receptions, Stefon Diggs is primed to pick things back up against the Oakland Raiders this week.

That is the same Raiders team that gave up 284 receiving yards to Antonio Brown last week, with many of those coming even after Ben Roethlisberger was knocked out of the game with an injury.

Darren McFadden, RB, Dallas Cowboys ($4,900)

He may not have had a big game last week, but Darren McFadden managed to hit value against the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite his ascension to workhorse behind one of the best offensive lines in the league, McFadden's price tag hasn't really ballooned.

The Cash Plays

cash game (n.)—a contest in which at least 40 percent of the entrants earn a prize. High-floor players are desirable in cash games.

Mark Ingram, RB, New Orleans Saints ($6,400)

Like McFadden, Mark Ingram didn't have a big game last week. Unlike his Dallas counterpart, though, Ingram didn't get close to value because of his price tag.

Because of that, however, Ingram's price decreased, while his potential increased for Week 10. After a strong start for the run defense, Washington has given up the most fantasy points per game to opposing running backs over the past five weeks.

Giovani Bernard, RB, Cincinnati Bengals ($4,700)

It might be a bit of a stretch to call Giovani Bernard a cash game play with Jeremy Hill still commanding a big workload. Bernard has only scored a couple of touchdowns this season, and he hasn't even been catching too many passes.

He is still playing better than Hill, though, and the Bengals are favored enough that the running game is likely to see a ton of action in the second half. Bernard's pass-catching ability should come into play, too.

Allen Robinson, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars ($6,700)

The Baltimore Ravens have given up the second-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers this season, and they are gaining on the Chiefs for top honors in that category. Allen Robinson has already proved to be a great fantasy asset, and he could be in for even more targets this week with Allen Hurns hurting.

The Stacks

stack (v.)—rostering two to three players from the same NFL team with the hope that if one player performs extremely well, then the other one to two players will also benefit.

Tom Brady, QB ($8,500) and Rob Gronkowski, TE ($8,000) or Brandon LaFell, WR, New England Patriots ($4,100)

If you followed the advice of this column last week, Brandon LaFell might have been a nice pairing with his quarterback in your lineups. Everyone else? Not so much.

Look for the Patriots to bounce back big.

Blake Bortles, QB ($5,600) and Allen Robinson, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars ($6,700)

Robinson is already a great cash-game option. So is his quarterback.

Blake Bortles is one of the best fantasy quarterbacks of 2015, yet his price remains depressed because...well, there are reasons. Not only has he scored the ninth-most fantasy points per game on the year, but he takes on a Baltimore defense that has given up the second-most points to opposing quarterbacks.

This could be a rather profitable stack.

Kirk Cousins, QB ($5,200) and Jordan Reed, TE ($4,600) or Pierre Garcon, WR, Washington ($4,600)

Let's try this again.

Last week, Cousins was all about garbage-time upside. Only garbage time didn't really come until late thanks to a relatively tepid offensive performance from the New England Patriots.

This week, Cousins and Co. take on a much softer Saints defense in what figures to be a shootout of sorts. That or Washington could actually find itself in garbage time early again given how well the Saints offense has been playing lately.

The GPP Plays

GPP (n.)—stands for “Guaranteed Prize Pool.” It is a type of tournament for which the daily fantasy sports site promises a specific prize pool amount to be divided among the winners regardless of entry count.

Kyle Rudolph, TE, Minnesota Vikings ($4,700)

The Raiders have given up a ton of fantasy points to opposing tight ends this season, but that doesn't necessarily guarantee a huge score for Kyle Rudolph. After all, you have to get targeted to score fantasy points, right?

Still, Rudolph makes for an interesting GPP play against the generous Raiders this week. His price tag could stand to be lower, but he still comes in far lower than many options. 

Kamar Aiken, WR, Baltimore Ravens ($4,500)

We've discussed Aiken as a sleeper for this week. That makes him a nice GPP option, especially at that price. 

Shane Vereen, RB, New York Giants ($4,300)

Revenge game?

Shane Vereen takes on his old squad when the Patriots come to town, and he could be in for a big role. That's because the Giants will likely be down for much of the game—his services as a pass-catcher would be rather useful at that point. 

Daily fantasy definitions courtesy of Cracking DraftKings over at FootballGuys.com.

Last-Minute Waiver-Wire Additions

Jeffrey Phelps/Associated Press

Dontrelle Inman, WR, San Diego Chargers

It's crazy to think Malcom Floyd is listed as questionable after tearing his labrum Monday night. It looked like his year, and perhaps his career, was over.

Who knows whether Floyd can actually play through his torn labrum. If he can't, Dontrelle Inman will likely step in as the starter.

Dallas Cowboys D/ST

As we mentioned before, the Cowboys are a good streaming option that could still be available in your league. Don't go starting them over the Rams or anything, but the Cowboys should be good for at least a handful of points against the Buccaneers.

Kirk Cousins, QB, Washington

Have we talked about Cousins enough? Go get him!

What Other Experts Are Saying

Michael Hickey/Getty Images

Matthew Berry loves Blake Bortles more than I do as he wrote in his weekly Love/Hate column for ESPN.com:

"

I remember at the start of the year, when I did my annual team name column, that a lot of people suggested Teenage Mutant Ninja Bortles as a name and I was all like ..."Yeah, that's sorta funny, but no one is owning Blake Bortles this year." Well, I was half right. The name is sorta funny. Meanwhile, lots of people are owning Bortles and rightfully so. Multiple touchdowns in four straight games and over 300 yards in three of those four games, he well might be a ninja. Or have some good wideouts and a defense that forces him to throw all the time. Tomato, tomahto. Can't ask for a better matchup: Only the Saints give up more fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. By the way, fun stat. Starting in Week 2, if you had just started Bortles, Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns every week, you would have averaged 46.9 points in ESPN standard scoring. Starting in Week 2, if you had started Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman every week, you would have gotten an average of 49.6 points per week.

"

Meanwhile, CBS Sports' Dave Richard agrees with me that Cousins could be in for a big week too:

"

The matchup is perfect for Cousins; the Saints have allowed ridiculous numbers to quarterbacks all season. Even Jameis Winston and Sam Bradford found ways to gather 20 or more Fantasy points against New Orleans. In three games this year on natural grass the Saints have allowed 8.8 yards per attempt and at least two touchdowns per game. Armed with a good receiving corps, Cousins, who has attempted 40 or more passes in five of his last six games, would have to really stink out loud to hurt your Fantasy team. There's some risk, but there's a lot of reward too.

 

"

All fantasy rankings and statistics courtesy of FFToday.com. Snap count data is courtesy of FootballOutsiders.com. Las Vegas odds courtesy of OddsShark.com.