Fantasy Football Week 10 Sleepers at Every Position

There's good news and bad news for fantasy owners as we head into Week 10.

The good news is we're past the six-team byes. In fact, we have just two more weeks until the byes are in the rearview mirror altogether.

Here's where the bad news comes in, though.

When the Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens' byes are combined with the injuries that continue to mount across the league, many fantasy owners are still looking at holes in their lineups this week.

And if your squad is sitting at 4-5 or 5-4 and hanging on to postseason aspirations by a thread, that hole can be the difference in whether the dream of making the fantasy playoffs lives or dies.

That's where this article comes in—by offering up an under-the-radar option or two at each position for Week 10 that will, with a bit of good fortune, keep the train on the tracks.

And keep hope alive.

Accountability Time

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

Before we get into the Week 10 picks, let's look back at the Week 9 recommendations to see who shined and who didn't.

If a player I recommended finished inside weekly starter territory (the top 12 quarterbacks, tight ends and defenses, top 24 running backs and top 36 wide receivers), I'm calling that a win.

Alex Collins, RB, Baltimore Ravens (13 carries, 43 yards, 1 catch, 3 yards, RB38): It never fails—on the weeks I pick Collins, Buck Allen has a big game. If I pick Allen, it's Collins' turn. White flag time. I surrender. LOSS

Jacoby Brissett, QB, Indianapolis Colts (308 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, 12 rushing yards, QB8): Let us bow our heads and give thanks for a Houston Texans defense that's so bad it made Jacoby Brissett look good. WIN

Jared Goff, QB, Los Angeles Rams (311 passing yards, 4 touchdowns, QB2): The good news is Goff went off against the hapless Giants in New York. The bad news is that in doing so his "sleeper" status has been revoked. WIN

Orleans Darkwa, RB, New York Giants (16 carries, 71 yards, 2 catches, 8 yards, RB25): Darkwa ran well against the Rams, but the Giants fell behind and had to abandon the ground game. Those jerks. LOSS

Marlon Mack, RB, Indianapolis Colts (9 carries, 29 yards, RB52): Remember what I wrote about a changing of the guard at running back in Indy? Forget what I wrote about a changing of the guard at running back in Indy. LOSS

Jonathan Stewart, RB, Carolina Panthers (11 carries, 21 yards, 2 FL, RB56): This has to be one of my uglier misses of the season. Stewart flat-out looked awful against a so-so Atlanta Falcons defense and put the ball on the ground twice. LOSS

Corey Davis, WR, Tennessee Titans (2 catches, 28 yards, WR63): Davis is a good waiver target this week if you need help at wide receiver, but his first game back after a long layoff was a quiet one. LOSS

Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks (2 receptions, 10 yards, WR74): At this point, the only players in Seattle's offense I trust for fantasy purposes are Russell Wilson and Doug Baldwin. The Seahawks are just too inconsistent. LOSS

Sterling Shepard, WR, New York Giants (5 catches, 70 yards, WR29): The flip side of New York's decision to abandon the run was more yardage for the pass-catchers. This isn't an especially impressive "win," but I'll take it. WIN

Vernon Davis, TE, Washington Redskins (6 receptions, 72 yards, TE6): Davis injured his hand in the win over the Seahawks, but not before he posted a nice stat line in relief of the injured Jordan Reed (hamstring). WIN

Tyler Higbee, TE, Los Angeles Rams (1 catch, 8 yards, TD, TE18): The Giants gave up yet another touchdown catch to a tight end Sunday. But where Higbee's concerned at least, that's all they gave up. LOSS

Arizona Cardinals Defense/Special Teams (329 yards allowed, 10 points allowed, 5 sacks, 1 interception, 1 fumble recovery, D/ST5): There are some things you can count on in 2017—and the futility of the San Francisco 49ers offense is one of them. WIN

WEEK 9 TOTAL: 5/12 (.417)

Not the best week I've had this season, but not the worst either. I hit on the quarterbacks and defense, and missed badly on all but one of the backs and receivers.

Were I just making lineup recommendations, hitting on about 45 percent would be awful. But given that these are "sleepers" and that I've made an honest effort to avoid calls so obvious they aren't sleepers at all, that's a decent ratio of hits vs. misses.

Hey. In baseball I'd be headed for the Hall of Fame.

SEASON TOTAL: 50/108 (.463)

Sleeper of the Week

Jose Juarez/Associated Press

Detroit Lions Defense/Special Teams (at CLE)

It's a first for this series in 2017—a team defense as the "Sleeper of the Week."

No, the Detroit Lions aren't a defensive powerhouse. They rank outside the top 20 in total defense (21st, at 341.8 yards allowed per game) and passing defense (27th, at 251.9 yards allowed per game).

Their scoring defense is middle-of-the-pack, as it has allowed 23.2 points per contest. Detroit's 16 sacks put it 23rd in the NFL.

However, there are a few numbers that will appeal much more to fantasy owners. Detroit has 16 takeaways, good for third in the league. It has one of best punt returners in the NFL in Jamal Agnew. And while the D has tailed off a bit of late, over the first six weeks of the 2017 season only the Jacksonville Jaguars tallied more fantasy points among defenses.

That recent downturn (and a Week 7 bye) got the Lions the cold shoulder from many "what have you done for me lately?" fantasy owners, but it's time for things to warm back up in Motown. In Week 10, the Lions get the gift that keeps on giving.

Send in the Clowns!

The Cleveland Browns have been a fantasy goldmine for defenses for a number of reasons. The team is 27th in total offense, averaging 301.2 yards per contest. Cleveland has allowed almost three sacks per game, and it leads the league in interceptions thrown (17) by a large margin.

Most importantly, the Browns trail only the Indianapolis Colts in fantasy points surrendered to opposing defenses.

The Lions got their season back on track Monday night with a win 30-17 over the Green Bay Packers, but at 4-4, they still need this win—badly.

Playing at home, the Lions will open the proverbial can on the Browns in Week 10.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. NYJ)

Bill Feig/Associated Press

It's Fitzmagic time!

With Jameis Winston on the shelf for at least a few weeks with a shoulder injury, it will fall to veteran backup Ryan Fitzpatrick to salvage something from this season for the 2-6 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

As Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reported, it hasn't escaped Fitzpatrick that his first start with Tampa comes against the last team he played for.

"It's very ironic," Fitzpatrick said. "It encapsulates my career, basically. My first start as a Buccaneer, of course, comes versus the Jets with everything that happened there the last few years. My career has been a never-ending rollercoaster and one that I've loved every minute of along the way. So, I'll definitely enjoy the challenge on Sunday."

Frankly, odds are good that Fitz takes the field against one of his former teams. In 13 NFL seasons (including this one), he has played for seven franchises.

His 2016 season in New York was disappointing, but the year before he played well for a surprisingly good Jets squad and passed for 3,905 yards and 31 touchdowns.

The point being: Fitzpatrick has shown more than once over a long career that he's capable of robust production.

It won't be especially easy. Fitzpatrick will be without his top receiver Sunday, as Mike Evans will sit the game out on suspension for violating unsportsmanlike conduct rules.

But in veteran receiver DeSean Jackson and tight ends Cameron Brate and O.J. Howard, the Bucs aren't short on weapons in the passing game.

And the Jets have been good to opposing quarterbacks in 2017, as they've given up the ninth-most fantasy points to the position.

Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants (at SF)

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

This is what it's come to for New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning.

As the Giants suffer through their most disastrous season in recent memory, rumors are swirling that the two-time Super Bowl MVP is in danger of being benched. Head coach Ben McAdoo (who is likely working on borrowed time) told John Healy of the New York Daily News that Manning will start Sunday in San Francisco but allowed, "That doesn't mean, at some point in time, we won't throw another guy in there to get a look at him."

For his part, Manning made it clear he wants to play despite New York's 1-7 record.

"I want to play. That's what I like to do," Manning said. "I like to play football and play quarterback and I take—I understand that I got a job to do and I got to do it better and do it well and get wins and if you don't, everybody's job is up for grabs in this league."

Make no mistake: Manning hasn't played especially well. His numbers are down across the board relative to last year. But he hasn't been as bad as some think, either. He's thrown twice as many touchdown passes (12) as interceptions (six) and posted a passer rating of 85.4 despite an injury-ravaged wideout corps.

And if ever there were a week for Manning to play well, it would be Sunday against the 49ers.

To say the Niners haven't played well on defense is an understatement (and then some). San Francisco is 23rd in pass defense and has allowed 16 touchdowns through the air—tied for third-most in the league. It's also allowing the fourth-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks.

The end of the road may be near for the younger of the Manning boys. But it ain't here yet for the 36-year-old.   

Orleans Darkwa, RB, New York Giants (at SF)

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again" might be a fine mantra for life. But in fantasy football, beating your head against the same wall over and over again will probably leave you with a headache.

However, I'm willing to go back to the Dark-well for the second straight week (and for the third time this season) despite the fact that both times I've recommended the Giants' Orleans Darkwa, I've ended up with lumps on my bucket.

There are a couple of reasons for that.

For starters, Darkwa's played well this season. In 67 carries over seven games (including four starts), he's averaged 5.1 yards a pop. He picked up 71 yards on 16 totes last week against the Rams, and back in Week 6 he lit up the Denver Broncos for 117 yards in New York's only win.

The biggest reason for backing him, however, has nothing to do with the Giants.

To say that San Francisco's run defense is better than last year's squad is both accurate and laughable. The Niners are allowing about 30 fewer rushing yards a game (135.7) than in 2016 (165.9). But they are still last in the NFL in that regard. They're also giving up the most PPR fantasy points in the NFL to running backs.

Last week, the 49ers let Adrian Peterson roll for 159 yards. This isn't meant as any kind of comparison between Darkwa and AD.

But the table's set for Darkwa's best effort of 2017.

Alfred Morris, RB, Dallas Cowboys (at ATL)

Mark Tenally/Associated Press

Welcome to the "current events" portion of this week's piece.

Thought you could get away from the news here, didn't you?

No such luck.

As NFL.com reported Thursday, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied Ezekiel Elliott's request for an injunction, pending appeal, in Elliott's case against the league.

If you don't have a law degree (and by the end of this saga we all will), that means effective immediately Elliott's six-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy is back on.

And with Elliott seemingly just about out of ways to prevent serving it, the fantasy value of Dallas Cowboys reserve tailback Alfred Morris just skyrocketed.

Morris has served as Elliott's backup this season, and there's no reason to think he won't assume lead back duties this Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. Morris has three 1,000-yard seasons on his resume, and he'll run behind arguably the best run-blocking line in the NFL.

However, there's a "but." Because of course there is.

Morris has run well in limited action (116 yards on 14 carries). But he hasn't logged over 100 carries in a season since 2015, and he hasn't topped four yards a carry since the year before that.

The Cowboys also have Darren McFadden and Rod Smith waiting in the wings. And while McFadden's spent most of this season a healthy inactive, he rushed for almost 1,100 yards two years ago...

For these same Cowboys.

The cold truth is we won't know how the Dallas backfield will shake out without Elliott until we see it. We're speculating. Making an educated guess. Taking a leap of faith.

But in leagues where there's a hole in the backfield, it's at least a leap with a decent chance of not ending with your team at the bottom of a cliff.

Damien Williams, RB, Miami Dolphins (at CAR)

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

For one week at least, the revamped Miami ground game looked good.

With Jay Ajayi traded to Philadelphia, it fell to Damien Williams and Kenyan Drake to share backfield duties last week against the Oakland Raiders.

All things considered, it went well. Drake racked up 104 total yards on 15 touches. Williams found the end zone on a reception. The duo combined for 12 catches.

Head coach Adam Gase told Chris Perkins of the Sun-Sentinel he was pleased with what he saw from his revamped run game in Week 9, although he also allowed he's not sure how the split will work in the future.

"I like where our running game is heading," Gase said. "We were able to do a couple of things where we popped a big one, which was good to see, and there was an earlier one where we were really close; Drake got tripped up in a pile of guys. We want to just keep moving in the right direction and keep giving [Williams] chances, keep giving Drake chances."

In fairness, Drake was the more effective runner. He went for 69 yards on nine carries, while Williams managed 14 yards on seven totes. But Williams had the edge in receiving with 12 more yards than Drake.

And that's why I'm giving the edge to Williams in Week 10 against the Panthers.

Through nine weeks, the Panthers have the No. 1 defense in the NFL. They've surrendered just 274.1 yards per game. Only the Philadelphia Eagles are allowing fewer yards per contest on the ground than the Panthers' 78.4.

The Dolphins won't be able to run the ball in this one, which should mean more snaps (and touches) for the team's third-down back.

Against the Raiders, that was Williams.

Robby Anderson, WR, New York Jets (at TB)

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

The New York Jets are light-years better than most people expected them to be in 2017. There are a number of reasons the Jets are exceeding expectations, from the play of veteran quarterback Josh McCown to the resurgence of tailback Matt Forte.

McCown's new No. 1 receiver has had a say in their success as well.

It could be argued Robby Anderson isn't a "sleeper" anymore. After all, the second-year wideout has caught a touchdown pass in each of his last three games after reeling in four passes for 48 yards and a score in last week's 34-21 win over the Buffalo Bills.

But despite finding the end zone in three straight, tying for the team lead in touchdown catches and leading the Jets in both targets (57) and receiving yards (483), Anderson is owned in less than 15 percent of fantasy leagues on NFL.com, according to Alex Gelhar of NFL.com.

That's…puzzling.

There's an excellent chance that the good times will keep rolling this week when the Jets travel to Tampa Bay. The list of things the Buccaneers have done well in winning two of their first eight games is incredibly short.

Defending wide receivers well is nowhere near that list. No team in the NFC has allowed more passing yards per game than Tampa's 272.4. It also leads the NFC in fantasy points per game allowed to wide receivers.

If stats aren't your thing, I can put it in layman's terms.

Tampa is horrible. On offense. On defense. On any fence.

Curtis Samuel, WR, Carolina Panthers (vs. MIA)

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

At first glance, recommending Carolina Panthers wide receiver Curtis Samuel in Week 10 might appear to be a Hail Mary play. After all, the rookie wideout has had 10 catches for 70 yards—for the season.

But it's not quite the same.

After back and hamstring injuries slowed him earlier in the campaign, Samuel is only now scratching the surface of his potential with the Carolina offense. Receivers coach Lance Taylor told Max Henson of the team's website he expects Samuel's role to increase steadily.

"He caused some problems with his speed," Taylor said. "It showed that he's getting healthy and he can progress with what we want to do with him. His speed is real. He brings an element to our offense that helps all of the other pieces. We're just now getting him healthy to really see that speed and how it can help our offense. It's a great weapon to add to what we already have."

It stands to reason that the Panthers wouldn't have traded Kelvin Benjamin to the Buffalo Bills if they didn't have a measure of confidence that Samuel could step into a role as the team's vertical threat.

And while his four touches for 37 yards last week is hardly a stat line that inspires cartwheels, it's a season (and career) high for Samuel.

He'll set a new one in prime time Monday night against the Miami Dolphins.

And he'll find the end zone for the first time in the NFL.

Because I said so.

Robert Woods, WR, Los Angeles Rams (vs. HOU)

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

The Los Angeles Rams have the NFL's most potent scoring offense. The 6-2 Rams are piling up 32.9 points per game.

And yet, their wide receivers have been fantasy afterthoughts for most of the season. In more leagues than not, the likes of Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp aren't even rostered, much less started—although the latter has made a couple of appearances in this column this year.

Well, it's Woods' time to shine.

(And yes, I know Sammy Watkins is on the team. He's on more fantasy rosters, too, due more to name value than anything.)

Woods is coming off his best game of his first year in La-La Land. He made four catches for 70 yards and two touchdowns in last week's 51-17 win over the New York Giants, including a 52-yard touchdown on 3rd-and-33(!) that personifies all that's wrong with Big Blue in 2017.

Seriously, guys. That's embarrassing.

But even before last week, Woods' production had quietly been picking up. In three straight games preceding that explosion, he caught five passes and gained at least 63 yards from scrimmage. Over that span Woods has been a top-15 PPR wideout in terms of fantasy points per game.

This week, Woods and the Rams draw a Houston Texans team that's still reeling from losing QB Deshaun Watson to a season-ending torn ACL. A Texans team that's been decimated by injuries on both sides of the ball. A Texans team that's allowing the ninth-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers in 2017.

You smell that?

That's the smell of another Rams blowout.

And maybe Taco Bell. I was hungry.

Garrett Celek, TE, San Francisco 49ers (vs. NYG)

Reed Hoffmann/Associated Press

There is one important fantasy mantra in 2017 at the tight end position: Follow the Giants.

It's that mantra that led me to recommend Tyler Higbee of the Los Angeles Rams a week ago. And while Higbee didn't pan out (he had just one catch for eight yards), he did find the end zone.

That made it eight times in eight games that the Giants have allowed a touchdown pass to a tight end.

See where I'm going with this?

A quick look at the stat line for San Francisco 49ers tight end Garrett Celek probably won't inspire a stampede of fantasy owners to plug the sixth-year veteran into starting lineups. Long known more for his blocking than for his receiving skills, Celek has yearlong numbers (seven catches for 74 yards and a touchdown) that look like one game for a player such as Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots.

And not even an especially good one.

However, Celek could be set for one of the better games of his career Sunday against the Giants.

It isn't just that the Giants have allowed a tight end to catch a touchdown pass in every game this year. Or that they have surrendered the most PPR fantasy points to the position in 2017.

As CBS Sports reported, George Kittle is expected to miss Sunday's game with a leg injury. That elevates Celek into the starting lineup and gives him a bigger snap count.

Which means more opportunities in a fantastic matchup.

Eric Ebron, TE, Detroit Lions (vs. CLE)

Rick Osentoski/Associated Press

OK, OK…you can stop booing.

Seriously. Stop.

Knock it off.

You can stop throwing fruit, too. Especially the frozen tomatoes. That was…excessive.

I'm well aware that the mention of Detroit tight end Eric Ebron inspires a strong reaction in Lions fans and fantasy owners alike. So is Detroit head coach Jim Caldwell, although he told Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press he isn't sure why.

"Yeah, I'm not certain why he's the ire and focus of so many different people," Caldwell said. "He's had his ups and downs, but he's not the only one, and he works at it. There's been times—every year up to this point in time, the guy's doubled his output in terms of what he's done. At this point, we're not quite halfway through the season. Let's see where he is at the end."

Hint: It rhymes with "cropped glasses."

However, this is the week for fantasy owners to put aside their Ebronanimosity (What? It's a word) and roll the fourth-year pro out there—for the same reason one would pick Detroit's defense.

Send in the Clowns!

Not to keep piling on the Browns, but they've had exactly zero success with defending tight ends in 2017. Only the New York Giants have given up more fantasy points per game to the position this season.

There have been all of three reliable fantasy starters at tight end this year. Two of them (Kansas City's Travis Kelce and Philadelphia's Zach Ertz) are on a bye in Week 10.

That leaves many a fantasy owner searching either for a fill-in or a Week 10 streamer.

And Ebron could be the guy.

New England Patriots Defense/Special Teams (at DEN)

Winslow Townson/Associated Press

The New England Patriots have not played well defensively.

Actually, that's being kind. Through eight games, the unit is last in the NFL. It's allowed a staggering 417 yards per game. It's also 32nd in the NFL in pass defense, having surrendered 295.5 yards per contest.

New England's at least a middling scoring defense (17th, at 22.4 points per game), but the Patriots aren't piling up the big plays. The team is 23rd in sacks (16) and tied for 22nd in takeaways (nine).

Add it all together, and you have the ingredients for the second-worst fantasy defense in the league.

Yet, here we are.

And it's all about the matchup.

Through nine weeks, only the Browns have turned the ball over more than the Denver Broncos, who have 19 giveaways. The Broncos have also allowed 28 sacks, which is third-most in the National Football League.

Oh, and they're averaging just 18.8 points per game—the Broncos' fewest in 25 years.

In other words, the Broncos are attractive in just about every way that an opponent can be for fantasy defenses. That includes fantasy points allowed; Denver ranks third in that category.

The Pats are admittedly something of a risky play given their defensive shortcomings. But they've played better of late, and if you believe in following the matchups, they don't get a lot better than Denver.