Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 10: Making the Call on Fantasy Football Fringe Starters

Fantasy football championships are won and lost by lineup decisions each week. For example, I benched then-Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson in my league's semifinals nine years ago, only to see him go off for 11 receptions, 207 yards and one touchdown.

I can't remember why I made one of the worst fantasy calls you will ever see, but I can tell you from firsthand experience that deciding between two players for that last spot can make or break your entire year.

Here's a look at seven players much closer to the fringe than Andre Johnson was in 2008, in addition to some quick picks as to whether they should start or sit.

Fantasy Football Fringe Starters: Start or Sit

Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger (at Indianapolis Colts): Start

New York Jets RB Matt Forte (at Tampa Bay Buccaneers): Start

Detroit Lions RB Amber Abdullah (vs. Cleveland Browns): Sit

Buffalo Bills WR Kelvin Benjamin (vs. New Orleans Saints): Sit

Dallas Cowboys WR Terrance Williams (at Atlanta Falcons): Start

Los Angeles Rams WR Cooper Kupp (vs. Houston Texans): Start

Los Angeles Chargers TE Hunter Henry (at Jacksonville Jaguars): Sit

Reasoning

Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger (at Indianapolis Colts): Start

The knocks against Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger are that he typically does worse on the road than at home, in addition to the fact that workhorse running back Le'Veon Bell could end up scoring two or three touchdowns on the ground, meaning fewer opportunities for Big Ben to accumulate points himself.

That being said, the Indianapolis Colts defense is no match for the Steelers' aerial attack, which seems to be rejuvenated with the emergence of JuJu Smith-Schuster as the clear No. 2 wideout behind star Antonio Brown. Look for Roethlisberger to have a big day.

New York Jets RB Matt Forte (at Tampa Bay Buccaneers): Start

The worry if you're starting New York Jets running back Matt Forte is that teammate Bilal Powell is going to steal some touches and perhaps even touchdowns.

That being said, Forte has been seeing his fair share of passing targets recently, making him valuable in points-per-reception leagues. Over the last four games, Forte has caught 23-of-24 passes for 164 yards. If he keeps that production up, he should be a reliable point producer for the rest of the year.

Detroit Lions RB Amber Abdullah (vs. Cleveland Browns): Sit

Yes, the Cleveland Browns are 0-8 and playing out the string, but their run defense is surprisingly stingy. Per Football Outsiders, it ranks first in the entire NFL.

The way to attack Cleveland is to go right after its 28th-ranked pass defense, which plays into the Detroit Lions' offensive strong suit. Quarterback Matt Stafford should find wideouts Golden Tate and Marvin Jones Jr. early and often in this one, which will leave fewer chances for running back Ameer Abdullah.

Buffalo Bills WR Kelvin Benjamin (vs. New Orleans Saints): Sit

If you haven't heard of the New Orleans Saints' Marshon Lattimore yet, you're about to as he's quickly becoming the best cornerback in football. He's a shutdown defensive back who is capable of sticking with any receiver at any time.

After being traded from the Carolina Panthers, new Buffalo Bills wideout Kelvin Benjamin likely needs some time to acclimate to his new offense. This is a trial by fire, though, and it won't be an easy day for the former Florida State star.

Dallas Cowboys WR Terrance Williams (at Atlanta Falcons): Start

This could be a dangerous suggestion considering Dallas Cowboys wideout Terrance Williams hauled in just 21 passes for 216 yards prior to his monster 141-yard performance on Sunday, but he has a great matchup on Sunday against an Atlanta Falcons defense that has struggled all season (24th per Football Outsiders).

The Cowboys vs. Falcons matchup also has the highest over/under total (50.5) on the Vegas board, per OddsShark, meaning this game could provide a lot of fantasy production. Williams could be a beneficiary there.

Los Angeles Rams WR Cooper Kupp (vs. Houston Texans): Start

While it's unlikely that any Los Angeles Ram goes off for 175 yards and two touchdowns like Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton did against Houston on Sunday, chances are that one of the Los Angeles Ram wideouts will benefit from a Texans pass defense that has dealt with a rash of injuries and is now struggling on the back end.

The guess here is that Cooper Kupp is the one who posts a solid fantasy outing. The rookie out of Eastern Washington has looked good so far, catching 26 passes for 270 yards and three touchdowns.

Per Pro Football Reference, he also has 13 red-zone targets, which is eight more than anyone else on the team. Eventually, he's going to start cashing in more often.

Los Angeles Chargers TE Hunter Henry (at Jacksonville Jaguars): Sit

The sit call here is less an indictment on Los Angeles Chargers tight end Hunter Henry (who is fantastic) or the matchup (which is admittedly tough) but more so because the Bolts don't feature Henry enough.

It's a bit perplexing, considering that Henry hauled in eight touchdown passes while serving as Antonio Gates' backup last year. However, Henry has somehow gone targetless in two games in 2017 and only had two against the New England Patriots before the Chargers went on their bye.

Henry is probably the team's most efficient pass-catching weapon, but until the Chargers starting featuring him more prominently he's a tough start week to week.