Fantasy Football Week 10 Rankings: Projections for Players with Matchups We Love

The NFL superstars are out to play in Week 10. 

This hasn't always been the case, not when guys like Kareem Hunt and Deshaun Watson have scored well on the way to ranking among the top names in fantasy football so far. 

But Week 10 started with a bang Thursday, as Larry Fitzgerald, Jimmy Graham and Russell Wilson put up big games in a divisional showdown. If fantasy owners are lucky, it's a sign of things to come for what looks like another tough segment of schedule. 

To help owners prepare, here's a look at matchup rankings at each position. 

Week 10 Schedule

Cincinnati at Tennessee 

Cleveland at Detroit 

Green Bay at Chicago

L.A. Chargers at Jacksonville

Minnesota at Washington 

New Orleans  at Buffalo

N.Y. Jets  at Tampa Bay

Pittsburgh at Indianapolis 

Houston at L.A. Rams

Dallas at Atlanta 

N.Y. Giants at San Francisco 

New England  at Denver 

Miami at Carolina

Quarterbacks

Player	Projected Points
Matthew Stafford	20
Ben Roethlisberger	20
Jared Goff	19
Cam Newton	18
Matt Ryan	17
Tom Brady	16
Dak Prescott	16
Drew Brees	15
Josh McCown	15
Tyrod Taylor	14
Marcus Mariota	14
Kirk Cousins	13
Andy Dalton	12
Ryan Fitzpatrick	12
Blake Bortles	11

It's hard to avoid gushing about Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford this week. 

The veteran has come alive in recent weeks, scoring at least 17.88 points in three matchups in a row, capped by his second foray over the 20-point mark. 

Normally regression comes into the conversation, but not when the next matchup is a date against the Cleveland Browns, a team allowing the ninth-most points to opposing quarterbacks on average. At home, Stafford should feast. 

Speaking of feasting, we haven't seen Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger do that for most of the season considering he hasn't hit the 20-point mark all year. 

Big Ben has three double-digit outings in a row, though, with a good matchup perhaps ready to push him over. This week looks like the week, too, thanks to a game against the reeling Indianapolis Colts—the team allowing the 10th-most points to signal-callers, including 25.08 to DeShone Kizer.

Running Backs

Player	Projected Points
Le'Veon Bell	20
Jordan Howard	20
Leonard Fournette	19
Mark Ingram	18
Todd Gurley	17
Alvin Kamara	17
LeSean McCoy	16
Carlos Hyde	15
Devonta Freeman	14
Melvin Gordon	13
Lamar Miller	12
Joe Mixon	12
Jerick McKinnon	11
Marlon Mack	11
Orleans Darkwa	11
Christian McCaffrey	11
Doug Martin	11
Chris Thompson	11
DeMarco Murray	10
Ameer Abdullah	10
Matt Forte*	10
Tevin Coleman	10
Aaron Jones	8
Isaiah Crowell	8
Bilal Powell	8

It's all about rising stars at running back. 

Last year's breakout rookie, Jordan Howard, is set to put his team on his back against the Green Bay Packers in Week 10. Not only did those Packers produce one of his double-digit outings already, they're allowing the fourth-most points to opposing backs this year. 

On paper, Howard should have an even better showing against the Packers this time out as he can dominate the game sans Aaron Rodgers. 

Leonard Fournette, one of this year's breakout rookies, figures to have a big day as well. After missing last week for disciplinary reasons, the Jacksonville Jaguars lead back rolls right into a game against a Los Angeles Chargers defense allowing the eighth-most points to backs. 

Considering Fournette has hit double digits every week so far and even surpassed the 30-point mark, it wouldn't come as a shock to see him lead all scorers at the position. 

Wide Receivers

Player	Projected Points
Antonio Brown	17
Julio Jones*	17
A.J. Green	16
Brandin Cooks	16
DeAndre Hopkins	15
Demaryius Thomas	14
Jarvis Landry	14
Michael Thomas*	14
T.Y. Hilton*	13
Golden Tate	13
Adam Thielen	12
Stefon Diggs	12
Devin Funchess	12
Robby Anderson	11
Marvin Jones	11
Dez Bryant	11
Sterling Shepard	11
Devante Parker	11
JuJu Smith-Schuster	11
DeSean Jackson	10
Robert Woods	10
Keenan Allen	10
Emmanuel Sanders	9
Mohamed Sanu	8
Ted Ginn	8
Jordy Nelson	8
Cooper Kupp	8
Rishard Matthews	7
Sammy Watkins	7
Corey Davis	7

Don't shy away from A.J. Green now. 

The Cincinnati Bengals' lead wideout escaped a suspension after a fight in Week 9 and is frustrated with his offense. When this has happened in the past, the offense has fed him target after target for a game. 

The catch here? The Tennessee Titans don't really have anyone who can run with Green, something reflected on the depth chart and by the fact they allow the 11th-most points to the position. Expect a huge bounce-back game for a guy who hasn't scored double digits since Week 5. 

Speaking of bounce-back games, the Denver Broncos could get one from Demaryius Thomas in Week 10 thanks to a game against the New England Patriots. 

Thomas has had problems this year in large part thanks to quarterback play. But he's coming off his best-scoring game of the year on 12 targets, and a Patriots defense allowing the second-most points to wideouts has a way of nullifying quarterback issues. 

Still the top target, Thomas could have a comeback week no matter who lines up under center. 

Tight Ends

Player	Projected Points
Rob Gronkowski	11
Evan Engram	10
Cameron Brate	10
Kyle Rudolph	9
Hunter Henry	9
Julius Thomas	9
Austin Seferian-Jenkins	8
Jack Doyle	8
Charles Clay*	7
Delanie Walker*	7
Jason Witten	7
Austin Hooper	7
Vernon Davis	7
Eric Ebron	6
Jordan Reed*	6

Sometimes the matchup can deceive. 

Such is the case with New York Giants tight end Evan Engram this week, who heads into a game against a San Francisco 49ers defense allowing the fifth-fewest points to tight ends. 

But those 49ers have allowed at least 8.3 points three games in a row to the spot. The overall numbers are skewed thanks to playing Jermaine Gresham twice, as well as Luke Wilson, Derek Carrier, Brandon Williams and Vernon Davis. Engram, on the other hand, has 12 or more points in three games and counting, making this an easy call. 

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Elsewhere, things are exactly as they seem, as Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cameron Brate heads into a game against a New York Jets defense allowing the fifth-most points to tight ends. 

Brate has at least six points in six games this year, including six of his last seven. The emergence of rookie O.J. Howard hasn't fully happened yet, so owners should be all over Brate while it's still a viable option. 

Defense/Special Teams

Unit	Projected Points
Jacksonville Jaguars	10
Pittsburgh Steelers	10
Detroit Lions	9
Los Angeles Rams	9
Minnesota Vikings	8
New York Jets	7
Carolina Panthers	7
New England Patriots	7
Tennessee Titans	6
Chicago Bears	6

It's getting boring spotlighting the Jaguars on a weekly basis, so let's have a chat about the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

These Steelers have 26 sacks with seven interceptions and forced fumbles heading into a game against the struggling Colts, the team that happens to cough up the most points to opposing defenses on average. 

The Colts have a turnover-prone offense that has produced six double-digit performances by defenses this year, as well as three trips to 20 points or higher. 

Maybe the Steelers don't hit the 20-point mark, but they're a lock to be one of the top-scoring units. 

Kickers

Player	Projected Points
Greg Zuerlein	11
Stephen Gostkowski	10
Matt Prater	9
Chris Boswell	9
Matt Bryant	8
Graham Gano	7
Ryan Succop	7
Will Lutz	7
Mike Nugent	6
Kai Forbath	6

Kicker is generally a boring, predictable position, so excuse the fact this week keeps chugging right along like so with Stephen Gostkowski of the Patriots. 

Gostkowski has put up double-digit outings five times this year, including twice in a row. He also has nine or more points in six games. 

Both marks figure to keep rolling right along thanks to a Week 10 game against the Denver Broncos, a team allowing the fifth-most points to kickers. Since Week 3, these Broncos have allowed 19, 14, 21 and 10 points to kickers. 

All scoring info, points-against info and ownership stats courtesy of Yahoo standard leagues.