Fantasy Football Week 10: Biggest Takeaways from Sunday
The ink is still drying on Week 10 of the fantasy football season, and it’s time to go over some of the key takeaways from Sunday’s action. We’re just weeks away from the fantasy playoffs, and roster moves are now more important than ever.
For the second week in a row, the New England Patriots have not only lost a valuable player on their team (from a real football perspective), but they’ve also lost a valuable skill position player—i.e., a fantasy weapon. The team’s leading wideout, Julian Edelman, suffered a foot injury in Week 10 and will likely be sidelined for at least the rest of the regular season, per Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports. Find out what this means from a fantasy perspective inside.
Additionally, it’s time to finally cut ties with Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning. But this time you shouldn’t just say you’re going to do it.
Inside we also have more on three rising running backs—one of whom is currently playing for an undefeated team, while another is playing for a team that’s 2-7.
We’ll go over all of these takeaways and more, starting with Edelman’s injury and what fantasy owners should expect from his backup, Danny Amendola.
Julian Edelman’s Injury Makes Danny Amendola a Must-Add
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New England Patriots wideout Julian Edelman reportedly broke a bone in his foot Sunday. Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports first broke the news, tweeting that Edelman’s season is “in jeopardy.”
Garafolo later added: “Julian Edelman’s injury is to his fifth metatarsal, believed to be a true Jones fracture. Possible return for playoff[s].”
Obviously, Edelman returning for the playoffs would be a huge boost for the Patriots in terms of real football, but as far as fantasy football goes, it appears Edelman’s regular season is done. No official timetable is set as of this writing, however, and Bleacher Report has ongoing updates on the situation
This is a huge loss, as Edelman had proved to be one of the best wideouts in the league this season and was tied for the league lead in receiving touchdowns among wideouts heading into Week 10. He was a WR1 in both standard and points-per-reception formats.
It’s time for Danny Amendola to step up for the Patriots to fill the void. Amendola caught 10 passes—including some crucial ones on the final drive of the game to set up a game-winning field goal—and has proved himself to be reliable in the past.
Amendola does not possess the same after-the-catch magic Edelman often flashes, but he should be a lock for at least five receptions and 50 receiving yards in every game for the rest of the season. Amendola is a must-add in all formats and is a must-start in PPR leagues.
Charcandrick West Is an RB1 Rest of Season
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There is no more fighting it: Kansas City Chiefs running back Charcandrick West is a tail-end RB1 for the rest of the season.
Over the past three games, West has carried the ball at least 20 times and has scored at least one touchdown. While his rushing yards have been trending in the wrong direction: 110, 97 and 69, respectively, his fantasy points have been going up (18, 17 and 27) thanks to production via the passing game.
His schedule makes West even more appealing for the rest of the season. In the fantasy playoffs (Weeks 14-16), West will play the San Diego Chargers, Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns.
The Chargers are the worst team in the league at stopping running backs from scoring fantasy points so far this season, per ESPN.com, and the Browns are the fifth-worst. The Ravens are actually above average in fantasy points allowed to the position, but they are currently a 2-7 football team.
West’s schedule is promising, and he will undoubtedly help some people win fantasy championships.
Jonathan Stewart a Solid Top-15 Fantasy Running Back
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Like Charcandrick West, Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart could also be considered a borderline RB1 for the rest of the season.
One of the main reasons to like Stewart is because of how often the Panthers have been looking his way.
Stewart has at least 20 carries in five straight games, and there’s no reason to think the Panthers won’t continue to feed him the ball for the rest of the season. He also has four rushing touchdowns in that span and has scored double-digit fantasy points in four of those five games.
At the very least, Stewart is a solid RB2 moving forward. There are two things holding him back from the elite ranks. One is the fact that he isn’t racking up yards (he has only one game with at least 100 rushing yards this season), and the other is that his quarterback—Cam Newton—is a better goal-line threat than he is.
For example, the Panthers dialed up three run plays during a goal-line series on Sunday; Stewart only saw one of those attempts.
Even still, his high volume gives him a safe fantasy floor. Stewart is a top-15 fantasy running back from here on out.
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Peyton Manning Should Not Be on Any Fantasy Rosters
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This was actually shared in the Week 6 fantasy takeaways piece, but it clearly needs to be said again: Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning does not belong on any fantasy rosters. He should not only be benched, but he should be dropped altogether.
And yet, he’s still owned in 93.5 percent of leagues, per ESPN.com. That’s lower than Eli Manning, who is currently owned in 90 percent of ESPN.com leagues.
This is insane. Stop holding onto the past.
“Manning was 1-of-14 (7.1 percent) for 17 yards and four interceptions on throws more than five yards, worst for any QB [in] last 10 years,” Ed Werder of ESPN tweeted, citing ESPN Stats and Info.
And according to ESPN Stats and Info, Manning was the first quarterback to have five or fewer completions and four or more interceptions in a game since Warren Moon did so in 1986.
Manning scored negative-seven fantasy points in Week 10. If you started him, hopefully you learned a lesson.
Don't try to ride Manning into the fantasy playoffs. Don't pick him up off the waiver wire if you make the fantasy playoffs. Just stay away.
Darren McFadden Still a Strong Option Despite Shaky Week 10
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It seems weird to be writing positive things about Dallas Cowboys running back Darren McFadden, but here we are.
McFadden was a huge disappointment in Week 10, gaining just 32 yards on 17 carries against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But thanks to three receptions, McFadden still had over 20 total touches.
He has now touched the ball 20-plus times in four straight games. That gives him a solid floor to work from.
Additionally, Tony Romo should be coming back for the Cowboys soon, which means their offense will actually be in scoring range more often. This could have a negative affect on McFadden’s usage (he won’t be asked to do as much), but it should result in a net positive because it figures to increase McFadden’s scoring chances (he only has two rushing scores all season).
McFadden is a solid buy-low candidate for fantasy players looking to go on a run through the playoffs. He’s coming off a terrible game and his name still comes with a stigma. See if you can pry him away while his value is low.
A Massive Mike Evans Game Is Still Brewing
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A Week 10 preview article of ours noted that a monster game for Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans was on the horizon. Although it was quite good, his eight-catch, 126-yard effort in Week 10 was not that monster performance.
That means a huge game is still brewing.
Evans was targeted 13 times in Week 10, and he now has at least eight receptions and 125 yards in three of his past four games. Unfortunately, he still only has one touchdown on the season.
For a player who scored 12 touchdowns in his rookie season, one has to think Evans should find the end zone a handful of times over the final seven games of the 2015 season.
As the other weapons in Tampa Bay’s offense get healthy—namely Vincent Jackson and Austin Seferian-Jenkins—Evans may lose some targets, but he likely won’t lose too many. He has clearly established a connection with rookie quarterback Jameis Winston, and that type of connection can go a long way.
Continue to start Evans with confidence, and don’t be surprised when he single-handedly wins you a game in the coming weeks.
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