Week 10 Wide Receivers Rank | Player Name | Opponent | Notes |
1 | Larry Fitzgerald | vs. SEA | - |
2 | Marques Colston | at STL | Probable(flu) |
3 | Vincent Jackson | vs. PHI | - |
4 | Randy Moss | at IND | - |
5 | Reggie Wayne | vs. NE | - |
6 | DeSean Jackson | at SD | - |
7 | Wes Welker | at IND | - |
8 | Roddy White | at CAR | Questionable(knee) |
9 | Chad Ochocinco | at PIT | - |
10 | Brandon Marshall | at WAS | Probable(back) |
11 | Miles Austin | at GB | - |
12 | Calvin Johnson | at MIN | Probable(knee) |
13 | Greg Jennings | vs. DAL | - |
14 | Donald Driver | vs. DAL | - |
15 | Steve Smith | vs. ATL | - |
16 | Devin Hester | at SF | - |
17 | Mike Sims-Walker | at NYJ | - |
18 | Sidney Rice | vs. DET | - |
19 | Nate Burleson | at ARZ | - |
20 | Derrick Mason | at CLE | - |
21 | Anquan Boldin | vs. SEA | Probable(ankle) |
22 | Jerricho Cotchery | vs. JAC | - |
23 | Santonio Holmes | vs. CIN | - |
24 | Hines Ward | vs. CIN | - |
25 | Steve Breaston | vs. SEA | Probable(knee) |
26 | T.J. Houshmandzadeh | at ARZ | - |
27 | Dwayne Bowe | at OAK | - |
28 | Percy Harvin | vs. DET | - |
29 | Michael Crabtree | vs. CHI | - |
30 | Lee Evans | at TEN | - |
31 | Earl Bennett | at SF | - |
32 | Bernard Berrian | vs. DET | Questionable(hamstring) |
33 | Braylon Edwards | vs. JAC | - |
34 | Malcom Floyd | vs. PHI | - |
35 | Austin Collie | vs. NE | - |
36 | Jeremy Maclin | at SD | Probable(foot, hand) |
37 | Roy Williams | at GB | - |
38 | Terrell Owens | at TEN | Questionable(hip) |
39 | Pierre Garcon | vs. NE | - |
40 | Devery Henderson | at STL | - |
41 | Santana Moss | vs. DEN | - |
42 | Johnny Knox | at SF | - |
43 | Mohamed Massaquoi | vs. BAL | - |
44 | Davone Bess | vs. TB | - |
45 | Mark Clayton | at CLE | - |
46 | Eddie Royal | at WAS | - |
47 | Greg Camarillo | vs. TB | - |
48 | Donnie Avery | vs. NO | - |
49 | Laveranues Coles | at PIT | - |
50 | Mike Wallace | vs. CIN | - |
51 | Torry Holt | at NYJ | - |
52 | James Jones | vs. DAL | - |
53 | Justin Gage | vs. BUF | Sidelined(back) |
54 | Patrick Crayton | at GB | - |
55 | Nate Washington | vs. BUF | - |
56 | Josh Morgan | vs. CHI | - |
57 | Andre Caldwell | at PIT | Probable(-) |
58 | Chris Chambers | at OAK | Probable(foot) |
59 | Deion Branch | at ARZ | - |
WR Notes: It doesn't figure to be a standout game for
Mike Sims-Walker, who is facing
Darrelle Revis and a Jets pass defense that leads the league in yards per attempt allowed by a wide margin. But sitting the SkyWalker if you don't have another top-20 option smacks of overthinking things. I still go back to FootballOutsiders' study that matchups don't make
that big a difference on fantasy production, especially at wide receiver. It's difficult to bench a guy that has produced WR1 numbers. …
DeSean Jackson + San Diego's gambling secondary should equal a lot of big plays. …
Roddy White has been a little up and down, but I'm shocked by the emailers that consider benching him every week. Even against the Panthers, it's not an option unless you have three top ten receivers.
Steve Breaston averages 6.5 targets a game. It doesn't change than much when
Anquan Boldin plays, so still use him against the Seahawks this week if Boldin is active. … Now is the time to try to trade for
Calvin Johnson. Fantasy championships are won with front-line talent and risk-taking. There will be a few desperate Megatron owners out there ready to give him up for a receiver that has played better lately. …
Chris Chambers is still
Chris Chambers – an inconsistent player. He had only four targets last week and isn't 100% healthy. Most importantly, he plays on the shaky Chiefs offense. Stay away.
Owners needing a lifeline this week could do a lot worse than
Greg Camarillo and
Davone Bess against the Bucs. … Upgrade
Lee Evans a handful of spots if
Terrell Owens' hip injury doesn't improve. … Cincy's starting cornerbacks are playing as well as any duo in the league, so you could consider benching
Santonio Holmes or
Hines Ward. In the end, they are tough to sit unless you have three top-20 options. …
Earl Bennett has earned the right to start most weeks. … Not buying the
Roy Williams resurgence, especially against a Packers team that plays good, physical press coverage.
In August,
Rashard Mendenhall was called "ordinary" by the Pittsburgh media. He finished September in Mike Tomlin's doghouse, with seven carries for the month. Now it's early November, and he's an every-week fantasy starter.
Mendenhall is a reminder of a few fantasy maxims. 1. Things change fast. It doesn't matter how ugly your starting lineup looks in Week 3 if it's peaking near playoff time. This year's
Pierre Thomas, next month's Mendenhall, is still out there.
Second lesson: If you are going to gamble in fantasy drafts, gamble with youth at running back. Mendenhall went in drafts after
Larry Johnson, who owners had hopes would bounce back for the third straight year. He went after
Willie Parker, who we saw begin to collapse last year.
I ranked
LaDainian Tomlinson out of the top-15 this year, which was met by cries that Rotoworld was giving up on the old star too fast. He was going to be healthy and turn it around! I did a poor job because LT2 wasn't rank him nearly low enough. No matter how much we adjust for a running back's decline once it starts, we almost never adjust enough.
Mendenhall still has a lot to prove as an NFL running back. He doesn't help on passing downs much, and he's prone to losing yards and piling up short gains before breaking a few long ones. He doesn't always fight through traffic.
The profile is remarkably similar to a bigger version of
Willie Parker in his prime. That approach isn't perfect for the Steelers, but it will lead to top-10-15 fantasy running back production. He'll get the vast majority of carries on a team that should play with the lead often and has an outstanding passing game. That's more than enough for all the owners that smartly gambled on youth in August, then had the patience to see it emerge.
Week 10 Quarterbacks Rank | Player Name | Opponent | Notes |
1 | Drew Brees | at STL | - |
2 | Peyton Manning | vs. NE | - |
3 | Tom Brady | at IND | Probable(right shoulder) |
4 | Aaron Rodgers | vs. DAL | Probable(feet) |
5 | Brett Favre | vs. DET | Probable(hip) |
6 | Tony Romo | at GB | - |
7 | Kurt Warner | vs. SEA | - |
8 | Philip Rivers | vs. PHI | - |
9 | Jay Cutler | at SF | - |
10 | Donovan McNabb | at SD | - |
11 | Joe Flacco | at CLE | - |
12 | Ben Roethlisberger | vs. CIN | - |
13 | Carson Palmer | at PIT | - |
14 | Alex Smith | vs. CHI | - |
15 | Matt Hasselbeck | at ARZ | Probable(ribs) |
16 | Matt Ryan | at CAR | - |
17 | Chad Henne | vs. TB | - |
18 | Vince Young | vs. BUF | - |
19 | Kyle Orton | at WAS | - |
20 | David Garrard | at NYJ | - |
21 | Trent Edwards | at TEN | Probable(concussion) |
22 | Matt Cassel | at OAK | - |
23 | Marc Bulger | vs. NO | - |
24 | Mark Sanchez | vs. JAC | - |
25 | Josh Freeman | at MIA | - |
26 | Brady Quinn | vs. BAL | - |
27 | Matthew Stafford | at MIN | Probable(knee) |
28 | Jake Delhomme | vs. ATL | - |
29 | Jason Campbell | vs. DEN | Probable(ankle) |
30 | JaMarcus Russell | vs. KC | - |
So we're on a new weekly schedule with Thursday Night Football starting. By popular request, the rankings will go up by Wednesday evening at the latest. (Rankings will continue to first appear on
Season Pass Tuesdays at noon, with full projections on Wednesdays.)
QB Notes: The loss of two Philadelphia cornerbacks should help
Philip Rivers this week. So does the fact that San Diego gives up running quickly when they face quality rush defenses. …
Ben Roethlisberger and
Carson Palmer probably won't put up huge numbers in a game that is likely to be a defensive struggle. But who are you going to bench them for …
Alex Smith? Maybe because he faces the Bears, but it gets too shaky after that. … I'm staying away from slumping
Matt Ryan against one of the pass defenses in the league. You attack Atlanta on the ground.
I'm intrigued by
Josh Freeman, but haven't been able to watch the game yet. The matchup is right and his running ability could give him significant value in 2 QB leagues the rest of the way. …
David Garrard just hasn't been competent against quality opponents, so expect an ugly game against a rested Jets defense. …
Jay Cutler is going to have to continue throwing like crazy to keep up with Chicago's terrible defense, not to mention running game. He's on his way to a remarkably similar season to the one that we would have expected in Denver. …
Kurt Warner owners have to live with the ups and downs. With the schedule he has, there shouldn't be a lot of downs coming up.
Chad Henne isn't a bad play if you need help this week, but how many teams really need help? It's hard not to have a reasonable QB1 on your roster in this pass-crazy season. …
Kyle Orton has a very small margin for error most weeks. I think the Broncos will find a way to blow out the Redskins, but Orton's lack of vertical plays makes him a QB2, and not a particularly exciting one. …
Joe Flacco threw for 342 yards on 35 attempts last time against Cleveland in a 34-3 win. Cam Cameron will continue to throw the ball even with a lead so the young quarterback gets work. Hard to sit him.
Week 10 Running Backs Rank | Player Name | Opponent | Notes |
1 | Adrian Peterson | vs. DET | - |
2 | Chris Johnson | vs. BUF | - |
3 | Ray Rice | at CLE | - |
4 | Frank Gore | vs. CHI | Probable(eye) |
5 | Maurice Jones-Drew | at NYJ | Probable(knee) |
6 | Michael Turner | at CAR | - |
7 | DeAngelo Williams | vs. ATL | Questionable(knee) |
8 | Ronnie Brown | vs. TB | - |
9 | Cedric Benson | at PIT | - |
10 | Pierre Thomas | at STL | - |
11 | Steven Jackson | vs. NO | - |
12 | Rashard Mendenhall | vs. CIN | - |
13 | Matt Forte | at SF | - |
14 | Thomas Jones | vs. JAC | - |
15 | Marion Barber | at GB | Probable(thumb) |
16 | Ryan Grant | vs. DAL | - |
17 | Marshawn Lynch | at TEN | - |
18 | Ricky Williams | vs. TB | - |
19 | Brian Westbrook | at SD | Probable(ankle) |
20 | Tim Hightower | vs. SEA | - |
21 | LeSean McCoy | at SD | - |
22 | Kevin Smith | at MIN | - |
23 | Mike Bell | at STL | - |
24 | Laurence Maroney | at IND | - |
25 | Joseph Addai | vs. NE | - |
26 | Darren McFadden | vs. KC | Probable(knee) |
27 | Knowshon Moreno | at WAS | - |
28 | Chris Wells | vs. SEA | - |
29 | Jonathan Stewart | vs. ATL | Questionable(heel) |
30 | Ladell Betts | vs. DEN | Questionable(ankle) |
31 | Shonn Greene | vs. JAC | - |
32 | Julius Jones | at ARZ | - |
33 | LaDainian Tomlinson | vs. PHI | Probable(hip) |
34 | Chester Taylor | vs. DET | - |
35 | Donald Brown | vs. NE | - |
36 | Carnell Williams | at MIA | - |
37 | Reggie Bush | at STL | - |
38 | Fred Jackson | at TEN | - |
39 | Darren Sproles | vs. PHI | - |
40 | Felix Jones | at GB | - |
41 | Jamaal Charles | at OAK | - |
42 | Kolby Smith | at OAK | - |
43 | Justin Fargas | vs. KC | - |
44 | Willis McGahee | at CLE | - |
45 | Jamal Lewis | vs. BAL | - |
46 | Derrick Ward | at MIA | Questionable(knee) |
47 | Correll Buckhalter | at WAS | - |
48 | LenDale White | vs. BUF | Probable(flu) |
49 | Tashard Choice | at GB | - |
50 | Kevin Faulk | at IND | - |
51 | Jerome Harrison | vs. BAL | - |
52 | Ahman Green | vs. DAL | - |
53 | Michael Bush | vs. KC | - |
54 | Bernard Scott | at PIT | - |
55 | Willie Parker | vs. CIN | - |
56 | Maurice Morris | at MIN | - |
57 | Rashad Jennings | at NYJ | - |
RB Notes: Who said workhorses are dead? Eight running backs are on pace for 1,400 yards rushing. That's mostly due to excellent efficiency, though, not heavy use. Only four runners are on pace for 300 carries. Another four –
DeAngelo Williams,
Maurice Jones-Drew,
Ryan Grant, and
Thomas Jones – are on pace for 290-300. … In theory,
Brett Favre's boffo first half should allow
Adrian Peterson to have a few more monster games. All Day does not have many difficult matchups left. One "risk" this week is that they don't need him much. He only had 15 carries last time against Detroit, but still had a nice fantasy day. This is definitely a week you can use
Chester Taylor as a flex.
Taylor isn't the only backup worth a strong look this week because of a mismatch.
Mike Bell could clean up late in a potential Saints blowout. We expect the Dolphins to manhandle Tampa Bay up front, which should lead to nice games from
Ronnie Brown and
Ricky Williams. Atlanta's rush defense has struggled in recent weeks, so
Jonathan Stewart isn't a terrible option. Take those quality backups over some weak starters like
LaDainian Tomlinson. … We like
Ladell Betts because he can carry the load by himself and is a quality receiver. His matchup isn't friendly, but he could rack up receptions if the Redskins fall behind early, so he's a better option in PPR leagues. … The Patriots know the Colts are vulnerable to the run when they have a lot of small defensive backs on the field, which is inevitable. As long as
Sammy Morris doesn't play,
Laurence Maroney has earned a little trust with his last two efforts. Fantasy Nation may not be confident in him, but the Patriots oddly still are.
DeAngelo Williams' schedule gets a lot tougher down the stretch. He's a logical sell-high after a few more strong games, although you need to get a ton of value. …
Matt Forte probably won't get a lot done on the ground Thursday night, but look for a high scoring game in which he does plenty of damage in the receiving game. … The Chargers have improved their run defense, but I'd use both
Brian Westbrook and
LeSean McCoy against them – assuming Westbrook plays. If he doesn't McCoy is a RB2 instead of a flex. … It's hard to get too excited about
Jamaal Charles.
Kolby Smith is already splitting up the work and could steal touchdowns. … It appears
Donald Brown will make his return, which makes
Joseph Addai much less exciting.
Week 10 Wide Receivers Rank | Player Name | Opponent | Notes |
1 | Larry Fitzgerald | vs. SEA | - |
2 | Marques Colston | at STL | Probable(flu) |
3 | Vincent Jackson | vs. PHI | - |
4 | Randy Moss | at IND | - |
5 | Reggie Wayne | vs. NE | - |
6 | DeSean Jackson | at SD | - |
7 | Wes Welker | at IND | - |
8 | Roddy White | at CAR | Questionable(knee) |
9 | Chad Ochocinco | at PIT | - |
10 | Brandon Marshall | at WAS | Probable(back) |
11 | Miles Austin | at GB | - |
12 | Calvin Johnson | at MIN | Probable(knee) |
13 | Greg Jennings | vs. DAL | - |
14 | Donald Driver | vs. DAL | - |
15 | Steve Smith | vs. ATL | - |
16 | Devin Hester | at SF | - |
17 | Mike Sims-Walker | at NYJ | - |
18 | Sidney Rice | vs. DET | - |
19 | Nate Burleson | at ARZ | - |
20 | Derrick Mason | at CLE | - |
21 | Anquan Boldin | vs. SEA | Probable(ankle) |
22 | Jerricho Cotchery | vs. JAC | - |
23 | Santonio Holmes | vs. CIN | - |
24 | Hines Ward | vs. CIN | - |
25 | Steve Breaston | vs. SEA | Probable(knee) |
26 | T.J. Houshmandzadeh | at ARZ | - |
27 | Dwayne Bowe | at OAK | - |
28 | Percy Harvin | vs. DET | - |
29 | Michael Crabtree | vs. CHI | - |
30 | Lee Evans | at TEN | - |
31 | Earl Bennett | at SF | - |
32 | Bernard Berrian | vs. DET | Questionable(hamstring) |
33 | Braylon Edwards | vs. JAC | - |
34 | Malcom Floyd | vs. PHI | - |
35 | Austin Collie | vs. NE | - |
36 | Jeremy Maclin | at SD | Probable(foot, hand) |
37 | Roy Williams | at GB | - |
38 | Terrell Owens | at TEN | Questionable(hip) |
39 | Pierre Garcon | vs. NE | - |
40 | Devery Henderson | at STL | - |
41 | Santana Moss | vs. DEN | - |
42 | Johnny Knox | at SF | - |
43 | Mohamed Massaquoi | vs. BAL | - |
44 | Davone Bess | vs. TB | - |
45 | Mark Clayton | at CLE | - |
46 | Eddie Royal | at WAS | - |
47 | Greg Camarillo | vs. TB | - |
48 | Donnie Avery | vs. NO | - |
49 | Laveranues Coles | at PIT | - |
50 | Mike Wallace | vs. CIN | - |
51 | Torry Holt | at NYJ | - |
52 | James Jones | vs. DAL | - |
53 | Justin Gage | vs. BUF | Sidelined(back) |
54 | Patrick Crayton | at GB | - |
55 | Nate Washington | vs. BUF | - |
56 | Josh Morgan | vs. CHI | - |
57 | Andre Caldwell | at PIT | Probable(-) |
58 | Chris Chambers | at OAK | Probable(foot) |
59 | Deion Branch | at ARZ | - |
WR Notes: It doesn't figure to be a standout game for
Mike Sims-Walker, who is facing
Darrelle Revis and a Jets pass defense that leads the league in yards per attempt allowed by a wide margin. But sitting the SkyWalker if you don't have another top-20 option smacks of overthinking things. I still go back to FootballOutsiders' study that matchups don't make
that big a difference on fantasy production, especially at wide receiver. It's difficult to bench a guy that has produced WR1 numbers. …
DeSean Jackson + San Diego's gambling secondary should equal a lot of big plays. …
Roddy White has been a little up and down, but I'm shocked by the emailers that consider benching him every week. Even against the Panthers, it's not an option unless you have three top ten receivers.
Steve Breaston averages 6.5 targets a game. It doesn't change than much when
Anquan Boldin plays, so still use him against the Seahawks this week if Boldin is active. … Now is the time to try to trade for
Calvin Johnson. Fantasy championships are won with front-line talent and risk-taking. There will be a few desperate Megatron owners out there ready to give him up for a receiver that has played better lately. …
Chris Chambers is still
Chris Chambers – an inconsistent player. He had only four targets last week and isn't 100% healthy. Most importantly, he plays on the shaky Chiefs offense. Stay away.
Owners needing a lifeline this week could do a lot worse than
Greg Camarillo and
Davone Bess against the Bucs. … Upgrade
Lee Evans a handful of spots if
Terrell Owens' hip injury doesn't improve. … Cincy's starting cornerbacks are playing as well as any duo in the league, so you could consider benching
Santonio Holmes or
Hines Ward. In the end, they are tough to sit unless you have three top-20 options. …
Earl Bennett has earned the right to start most weeks. … Not buying the
Roy Williams resurgence, especially against a Packers team that plays good, physical press coverage.
Week 10 Tight Ends Rank | Player Name | Opponent | Notes |
1 | Antonio Gates | vs. PHI | Probable(foot) |
2 | Vernon Davis | vs. CHI | Probable(shoulder) |
3 | Dallas Clark | vs. NE | - |
4 | Brent Celek | at SD | - |
5 | Jason Witten | at GB | - |
6 | Jeremy Shockey | at STL | - |
7 | Greg Olsen | at SF | - |
8 | Heath Miller | vs. CIN | - |
9 | Kellen Winslow | at MIA | - |
10 | Tony Gonzalez | at CAR | - |
11 | Visanthe Shiancoe | vs. DET | - |
12 | Dustin Keller | vs. JAC | - |
13 | John Carlson | at ARZ | - |
14 | Zach Miller | vs. KC | - |
15 | Todd Heap | at CLE | - |
16 | Brandon Pettigrew | at MIN | - |
17 | Fred Davis | vs. DEN | - |
18 | Tony Scheffler | at WAS | - |
19 | Marcedes Lewis | at NYJ | - |
20 | Donald Lee | vs. DAL | - |
21 | Ben Watson | at IND | Probable(back) |
22 | Randy McMichael | vs. NO | - |
23 | Bo Scaife | vs. BUF | - |
24 | Anthony Fasano | vs. TB | Questionable(hip) |
25 | Sean Ryan | at OAK | - |
TE Notes: Dallas Clark won't have 14 catches this week. The Patriots will build their defense around shutting down Clark first, and they have the safeties to pull it off. You can't sit him, but expect a quieter week than usual. …
Greg Olsen's one-week explosion could extend into Week 10. San Francisco's pass defense has slowly declined all year, and we expect a shootout Thursday night. … As an
Antonio Gates owner, I like it when the Chargers face a quality rush defense. They have learned to quickly give up on
LaDainian Tomlinson and concentrate on a pass-heavy approach. With Philadelphia short in the secondary, Gates should have a big game.
Vernon Davis should be able to back up his midweek talk because Chicago's secondary is not physical and they don't have a linebacker that can cover him. …
Jason Witten has been a disappointment. It's not a bad time to buy low because he still gets a lot of targets. He's never been a burner, but he's finding it more difficult to make plays after the catch than ever. Still, we don't trust
Roy Williams and Witten's production should inch up. … Game one of the
Josh Freeman era was encouraging for
Kellen Winslow owners, but let's see how the kid does when he's not set up in the red zone a few times. This week will be telling, because Miami has struggled to cover tight ends all year. …
Dustin Keller is available in a lot of leagues – he shouldn't be.
Week 10 Team DefenseWeek 10 Kickers
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Gregg Rosenthal has directed Rotoworld's football content since 2003. He co-hosts the
NBC Fantasy Fix and covers the NFL for NBCSports.com and Profootballtalk.com. Catch him
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Gregg Rosenthal