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

Are you the type of NFL fantasy football player who changes his or her flex spot 50 times before the games start?

I count myself among that group. Sometimes, everything works out and you win. Other times, you pick up Cleveland Browns running back Duke Johnson Jr., start him, then bench him Sunday morning and watch him score 30 meaningless points as he torches the Kansas City Chiefs.

Anyway, we'll try to make better decisions for Week 10. Here's a look at some start and sit calls for fringe starters at quarterback, running back and wide receiver.

Quarterback

Start 'Em: Philadelphia Eagles QB Carson Wentz vs. Dallas Cowboys

The Eagles offense received a massive boost when the team traded for Detroit Lions wide receiver Golden Tate, who has 44 catches for 517 yards and three touchdowns this season.

Tate may take away fantasy production from fellow Eagles pass-catchers, but that won't be the case for quarterback Carson Wentz, who is only helped by the addition.

Philadelphia now has a pass-catching group of wideouts featuring Tate, Alshon Jeffery and Nelson Agholor in addition to tight ends Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert. They will be a serious problem for teams going forward, and fantasy football players who roster Wentz should enjoy the benefits.

Sit 'Em: Cincinnati Bengals QB Andy Dalton vs. New Orleans Saints

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Cincinnati Bengals wideout A.J. Green will miss "at least two games" with a foot injury. Green, who has 45 catches for 687 yards and six touchdowns this season, is a massive loss for a Bengals offense that doesn't have much depth at wideout.

His absence may have a ripple effect on the rest of the team, especially against the 7-1 New Orleans Saints, who are on a roll as winners of seven straight. While their defense has struggled this year, their task isn't as difficult sans Green.

That could make life more difficult for Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton, who will be without his favorite target for the past seven-plus years.

Running Back

Start 'Em: Tennessee Titans RB Dion Lewis vs. New England Patriots

Let's ride the hot hand here and select Tennessee Titans running back Dion Lewis against his former team (the New England Patriots). Lewis has 277 scrimmage yards and a touchdown in his last two outings in addition to 10 catches. He's racking up the fantasy points as the featured runner in the Titans' two-man backfield alongside Derrick Henry.

Whereas the two split time and carries more evenly earlier in the year, Lewis is now seeing the lion's share of the work. Provided that's the case down the stretch, he's an automatic start in your second running back spot or flex position given his pass-catching prowess.

Sit 'Em: Detroit Lions RB Kerryon Johnson at Chicago Bears

Lions running back Kerryon Johnson has been fantastic in his rookie season (5.7 yards per carry), but this is a nightmarish spot for him at the Chicago Bears and their powerful defense.

Per OddsShark, the Lions only have an implied team total of 19.25 points, which is one of the lower marks on the entire Week 10 slate.

That's understandable given the team's offensive struggles in the past two weeks (23 points combined) coupled with the Tate trade and the matchup.

However, the Lions may have trouble scoring for the rest of the year, leaving Johnson's end-zone opportunities few and far between.

Wide Receiver

Start 'Em: Los Angeles Chargers WR Tyrell Williams vs. Oakland Raiders

Admittedly, this is a bit of a shaky endorsement, as Los Angeles Chargers wideout Tyrell Williams hasn't seen more than five targets in a game all season.

However, the fourth-year pro has two significant factors in his favor.

First, he's playing the Oakland Raiders, who are 1-7 and have essentially thrown in the towel on this season.

Second, Williams is one of the better deep threats in the game, with three catches of 45 or more yards this year in addition to a 20.5-yard reception average. All he needs is one big play within four quarters to make him worth a start in your lineups.

Sit 'Em: Any Jacksonville Jaguars WR (at Indianapolis Colts)

All of the Jacksonville Jaguars are tough to trust in fantasy football given the team's significant slump. They've lost four straight games to drop to 3-5 and have scored just five touchdowns in that span.

Also, it's hard to gauge which one will see the most targets in a given week. For example, Jags wideout Donte Moncrief has three games of nine or more targets and four of five or fewer.

Keelan Cole only played on 23 percent of snaps in Week 8. Dede Westbrook hasn't had more than six targets in seven of eight games. Rookie DJ Chark is seeing more playing time of late, but we can't trust him in fantasy football until we see more consistent production.

Meanwhile, the Indianapolis Colts are feeling good after two straight wins by a combined score of 79-33. While the defense has encountered some struggles, Indianapolis could be starting a midseason push for the playoffs right now. The Jags could be meeting them at the wrong time as the two sides go in opposite directions.