Week 10 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Fantasy Football Stars to Play and Bench

In Week 9, DJ Chark returned to the heights of fantasy stardom thanks to the prowess of...Jake Luton.

But, while the rookie quarterback deserves credit for outperforming Gardner Minshew II, Chark's production can better be attributed to full health and a matchup with the woeful Houston Texans secondary. 

Looking forward to Week 10, we can continue drawing on similar factors to help predict fantasy football's starts and sits among the NFL's best. 

With the Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs and New York Jets all on bye, this week's pool of roster options ought to be more limited. And with the fantasy playoffs looming, making the right decisions among the remaining players is critical. 

Here, we'll analyze stars at quarterback, running back and wide receiver who you may be undecided upon due to recent performance but should reconsider based on matchup and injury concerns.

QB Start: Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at CAR)

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On the season, Tom Brady is the QB7 in standard leagues. Against the New Orleans Saints last week, he completed just 57.9 percent of his passes, totaled 209 yards and gave up three interceptions to end up as QB30.

Now, Chris Godwin gets a second week back from injury, Antonio Brown gets a second week of practice, and fantasy managers get to enjoy angry Brady against a beatable Carolina Panthers secondary. 

This season, the Panthers have allowed the seventh-most yards and seventh-highest completion percentage to opposing quarterbacks. Managers who stay the course should enjoy one of the veteran's patented point-proving performances. 

QB Sit: Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens (at NE)

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Speaking of Brady and highly touted quarterbacks who need to bounce back, Lamar Jackson has had some rough weeks and is set to face off against the New England Patriots.

Unfortunately, that does not bode well for the Baltimore Ravens star, whose form this year has yet to justify his draft cost.

Jackson is the QB13 in 2020 and could drop even further in Week 10 against a Patriots secondary that has been in the top 10 all season, despite giving up 27 points to the typically toothless New York Jets on Monday night. 

On The Rich Eisen Show, the 23-year-old said opposing defenses are "calling out" the Ravens' plays. Jackson can be played this week, but those 2019 ceiling games aren't likely to return until Baltimore's incredibly soft schedule starts in Week 13.

RB Start: Ronald Jones, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at CAR)

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The easy starts at the running back position come down to injury news this week, as both the Los Angeles Rams' Malcolm Brown and Houston Texans' Duke Johnson could see substantial workloads against porous defenses.

With Darrell Henderson and David Johnson rated questionable for the Rams and the Texans, respectively, those waiver starts are simple.

Less simple is the Ronald Jones conundrum. On the surface, he is RB12 in 2020 and an easy start against a susceptible Panthers defense. In Week 9, though, his team rushed just four times, leaving him as RB57 on the week.

Further complicating things, his backfield competition for touches has resumed as Leonard Fournette has outsnapped him in each of the three weeks since returning from injury. 

However, barring a surprise fumble or misplay from Jones, this is a week when he should feast on the ground and comfortably avoid the doghouse.

Sure, Fournette is locked in as the Bucs' receiving back, but with Brady having his way on offense, early-down and goal-line chances should abound.

RB Sit: Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts (at TEN)

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After feeling like one of draft day's steals following Marlon Mack's Achilles tear in Week 1, Jonathan Taylor appears to be getting robbed of his workload.

Over the past two weeks, the highly touted rookie's share of snaps has dropped below 40 percent, and he has totaled just 65 yards and a touchdown while fumbling away one of his 21 opportunities (carries and targets).

It's unclear whether the 21-year-old is hindered by injury or simply losing the trust of his coaches, but he has been outsnapped by Jordan Wilkins in two consecutive weeks and by Nyheim Hines in his most recent outing.

Not only has Taylor received less opportunities, but he's also been less effective. Across Weeks 8 and 9, he has averaged 2.9 yards per carry while Wilkins has averaged 4.1. 

Even if Taylor resumes his volume as lead back in Week 10, the Titans aren't the type of vulnerable defense you hope for in a potential bounce-back game.

If possible, he should remain benched until this backfield clears up.

WR Start: Jerry Jeudy, Denver Broncos (at LV)

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Unlike Taylor, Jerry Jeudy's volume has skyrocketed over the past two weeks. During that span, he has played over 80 percent of offensive snaps, earned 24 targets and caught 11 of them for 198 yards and a touchdown. 

Career highs in snap and target share notwithstanding, the rookie standout's routes and confidence have proved why many considered him the best receiver in this class. The bump in volume may be attributed to pass-catching injuries to players such Tim Patrick and Noah Fant, but Jeudy's current presence on the offense is undeniable.

The Las Vegas Raiders aren't a porous secondary or a stout one, so managers should feel comfortable enough to keep starting the 21-year-old until Drew Lock stops feeding him.

WR Sit: DJ Chark, Jacksonville Jaguars (at GB)

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An absolute enigma, Chark dropped 21.5 fantasy points in Week 4, scored 8.7 cumulatively across his next three outings and then dropped 20.6 in Week 9.

Although injury-prone, the 24-year-old is a great player and deserving of his targets, but few expected Luton to bring out the productivity that Minshew seemed unable to.

Now comes the week that most expected. Luton is a rookie and the Jacksonville Jaguars offense isn't suddenly indomitable—the Texans simply are giving up the sixth-most touchdowns to receivers this year and have no corner capable of covering a wideout like Chark.

The Green Bay Packers, meanwhile, are a real NFL defense, and leading corner Jaire Alexander is the best in the league (with the highest PFF grade to show it). They have a copy of Luton's game tape and a shutdown corner, suggesting a return to less-than-ideal production from Chark.