There are some weeks that are worse than others as it pertains to bye weeks. Depending on how invested you or your Week 10 opponents are in specific teams, it can be argued this is the most gut-wrenching loss of talent of any bye week of 2023.
The four teams sitting next weekend are the Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams. It’s one thing to have players on your roster. It’s another to have them in your starting lineup.
Unavailable this week will be quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa and Matthew Stafford. So are running backs Isiah Pacheco, Raheem Mostert and D’Andre Swift. Also gone are wide receivers Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. So are tight ends Travis Kelce and Dallas Goedert (for a while). So are their kickers and defenses.
A lot of guys who have been in fantasy football lineups every week are down in Week 10. Roster depth will be tested, because it would hard for any fantasy team not to have a taste of one or more them. Hopefully your crippling is minimal.
Fantasy football risers
Baltimore Ravens RB Keaton Mitchell – An undrafted rookie who made a splash in the preseason, until last week, Mitchell was mired at the back end of the depth chart. In Sunday’s blowout of the Seattle Seahawks, he carried nine times for 138 yards and a touchdown. The Ravens are always looking to replace Gus Edwards when injuries push him to the top of the depth chart – they’ve done it multiple times. They may have found their guy (again) in Mitchell.
Minnesota Vikings QB Joshua Dobbs – The Vikings traded for Dobbs five days before he shocked the Atlanta Falcons with an improbable road win despite having never practiced with his teammates. He made plays with his arms and his legs and did so without some of Minnesota’s top offensive weapons (and its left tackle) available. When Justin Jefferson comes back, Dobbs will have more talent around him than most. With so many teams going to Plan B at quarterback, having elite receiving weapons is huge.
New Orleans Saints QB/TE Taysom Hill – Sunday’s stat line for Hill has been repeated many times – 11 carries for 52 yards, four catches for 13 yards and a touchdown to go along with a touchdown pass. The Saints coaches said before the season that Hill was going to be a quarterback only. That lasted about two weeks. His production isn’t consistent, but for someone without an elite tight end, he’s a roll of the dice worth taking.
Washington Commanders QB Sam Howell – Howell has taken every snap for the Commanders this season and has thrown two or more touchdown passes in four of his last eight games. In his last two games – against the Eagles and New England Patriots defenses – he has completed 68-of-97 passes for 722 yards and five touchdowns. At a time when starting quarterbacks have been out of lineups due to injuries or ineffectiveness, Howell has earned his spot and has value.
Chicago Bears TE Cole Kmet – Kmet is inconsistent, but so is everything in Chicago. He flashed early with Justin Fields before Fields went down. Many who picked up Kmet early dumped him when he took a downward turn. He quickly has become Tyson Bagent‘s favorite receiver. Over the last two games, Kmet has been targeted 18 times, catching 16 passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns. Elite tight ends are hard to come by. He’s approaching that status due to volume.
Fantasy football fallers
Los Angeles Rams WR Cooper Kupp – Kupp was taken extremely high in drafts despite the knowledge that he was going to miss the first four games on IR. When he returned, it seemed as though the risk was worth it. In his first two games, he caught 15 passes for 266 yards and a TD. Classic Kupp! In his last three games, he has caught eight passes for 98 yards and no touchdowns. With Matthew Stafford‘s thumb injury clouding the short-term outlook, it’s hard to endorse Kupp despite the huge investment.
Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson – In the five games he has played, Watson has thrown just six touchdowns and has produced more than 235 passing yards only once. He has brought almost nothing as runner – in his last four games, he has rushed 13 times for 60 yards and no touchdowns. His only saving grace is so many backup quarterbacks are playing this season that those who have him likely feel the need to keep him on their rosters.
Dallas Cowboys RB Tony Pollard – Pollard initially made the Cowboys look brilliant for signing him and casting Ezekiel Elliott adrift. In his first three games, Pollard rushed 62 times for 264 yards and two touchdowns. In the five games since, he has rushed 58 times for just 210 yards and no TDs. He hasn’t brought much as a receiver (20 catches for 141 yards and no touchdowns in his last seven games). He has made it hard to keep starting him if options are available.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin – Godwin is where he always seems to be – leading the Bucs in receptions. But his week-to-week production has been weak. Through eight games, he has caught 40 passes for 468 and one touchdown. That’s an average of five catches for 59 yards and odds against a touchdown. For a player drafted to be a weekly starter, 11.8 points (PPR WR38) a game is unacceptable. Godwin still jumps to only No. 36 if five games played is the qualifying threshold.
Indianapolis Colts RB Zack Moss – He was a great story at the start of the year when Jonathan Taylor was out. When he came back, Moss was productive enough to ease Taylor back and keep him on a pitch count. That time is over. It wasn’t so much that a heel injury limited Moss to 13 plays (21 percent of snaps) last week, it was that Taylor was in on 45 snaps (74 percent) and held up. That’s going to be the new (and old) normal in Indy starting now, meaning Moss’ value plummets.
