We’re heading into Week 10 of the NFL, and have just a little over a month left in the regular season in most fantasy leagues.
For Week 10, the Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, Las Vegas Raiders and Seattle Seahawks will rest their collective bumps and bruises. As a result, fantasy managers take a big hit at the tight end position, with Brock Bowers, Tucker Kraft and David Njoku off.
In addition, we will have the final overseas game of the 2024 schedule as the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers meet at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany. That game kicks off at 9:30 a.m. ET, so keep that in mind.
We’ll have three games divisional games on tap, too, including a rematch between the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints.
Also of note, only six of the 13 remaining games on the schedule this week are played outdoors, including Allianz Arena. If you’re a fan of weather games, your best bets will be in Washington and Jacksonville. The nation’s capital has the ugliest forecast, calling for a 40% chance of showers. It will be quite windy in Chicago, too, with sustained winds at 14-17 mph, with gusts up to 20-25 mph. That could affect the passing and kicking games.
Doing start/sit articles can be a little challenging. The players featured on the list below should not be taken as “must starts” or “must sits.” Instead, these are more suggestions on what we believe managers should do with fringe players heading into the weekend. The choice is ultimately up to the manager.
Just because a player is listed as a “start” doesn’t mean he should be put in the lineup over the secure, bona fide studs. Vice versa for the “sits.” If there’s no better option on the waiver wire or the bench, a manager shouldn’t automatically sit the player. That’s why these can be tricky waters to navigate.
Feel free to ask any specific start/sit questions via X, formerly Twitter, (@danieledobish), or check out our start/bench list for Week 10:
Quarterbacks
Start ‘Em
Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings at Jacksonville Jaguars: Darnold and the Vikings are set to take on Jacksonville in Duval, facing a defense that has been conceding an average of 389.3 total yards, 264.3 passing yards, and 28.0 points per game. Anticipate a standout performance from Darnold and his star wide receiver Justin Jefferson against Jacksonville’s vulnerable pass defense.
Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Purdy and the Niners are set to embark on a cross-country journey to take on the Buccaneers. Despite the challenging trip, the outlook is positive. Purdy is anticipated to have RB Christian McCaffrey join the lineup for the first time this season. McCaffrey’s exceptional receiving skills out of the backfield are likely to provide support against Tampa’s pass rush. Additionally, WR Jauan Jennings available, it would mark the healthiest the San Francisco team has been recently. Given that the Bucs concede the second-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks, a significant performance is expected.
Sit ‘Em
Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: The rookie may struggle against the Steelers and their formidable pass rush. Pittsburgh has given up the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks and only eight passing touchdowns in total. Daniels is a dual-threat QB, but he isn’t likely to gobble up much real estate on the ground, either. Pittsburgh is the fourth-best NFL team against the rush, so it will be challenging for the Washington offense to gain yards.
Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals vs. New York Jets: Murray and the Cardinals are an underdog at home. A major reason for that curious line might be the Jets are so hard to pass against. New York allows the fourth-fewest fantasy points against opposing quarterbacks. The Jets give up just 158.2 passing yards per game, second-best in the NFL. Expect a slow-go for Murray and the Arizona offense.
Running Backs
Start ‘Em
D’Andre Swift, Chicago Bears vs. New England Patriots: Swift should be able to run for huge chunks of yardage against a bad New England defense. The Pats cough up 136.9 rushing yards per game, and that ranks 26th in the NFL. The Patriots have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points, too. Swift has rolled for 73 or more rushing yards in four of the past five games, also scoring in four of the previous five contests, too. Treat him as a low-end RB1 in most fantasy leagues and enjoy the ride.
Tyrone Tracy Jr., New York Giants at Carolina Panthers: The game between the Giants and Panthers might not necessarily be a marquee battle, but there will still be some big-time fantasy performances. The rookie Tracy will be facing the worst rushing defense in the NFL, so he should put on an offensive show in Munich. Carolina ranks dead-last in total yards (391.9), rushing yards (159.3) and points scored (32.6) per game. Consider Tracy as a high-end RB2 in most fantasy leagues.
Sit ‘Em
Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans at Los Angeles Chargers: Pollard was able to post his first 100-yard game of the season against the New England Patriots last week, going for 128 yards. He has 88 or more rushing yards in four of the past five games. However, that isn’t expected to continue against a Bolts’ rushing defense allowing the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing runners. LA allows just 107.9 rushing yards and only 12.6 points per game, so it should be tough sledding.
Javonte Williams, Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs: Williams continues to see double-digit touches each week, but he is just not getting the job done of late. In Week 7 at New Orleans, he had a monster game with 88 rushing yards and two scores, but the past two games have been a disaster. He has 86 rushing yards on 29 carries, good for less than three yards per tote. One of those games came against the Panthers’ beleaguered run defense, so that’s problematic. Even when the matchup is favorable, you never know which version of Williams is going to show.
Wide Receivers
Start ‘Em
Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins at Los Angeles Rams: Hill was able to practice in full Thursday, but he suffered some sort of a wrist injury late in the week. That’s cause for concern, but if he plays, he is back to must-start status every week. Hill has an NFL-caliber quarterback under center again after wading through rough waters for six weeks without Tua Tagovailoa. The Rams allow the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing wideouts, and they have yielded 11 receiving scores, too.
Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions at Houston Texans: Williams is back from a two-game suspension, and his roster exemption has been lifted. He’ll be working against a Houston Texans pass defense allowing 14 touchdowns to wide receivers, the second-highest mark in the NFL. Williams is well rested, and he’ll be raring to go under the lights on Sunday night.
Sit ‘Em
Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals vs. New York Jets: The electric rookie faces a tough matchup as he’ll likely have Sauce Gardner blanketed all over him Sunday. The Jets allow the fifth-fewest fantasy points to opposing wideouts, and wide receivers have found the end zone just five times against New York’s defense this season. Harrison is still worth starting, but downgrade him to WR3 or flex status for this difficult matchup.
Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams vs. Miami Dolphins: Let’s hope Nacua doesn’t throw any punches this week, and he can hang around for the entirety of the game. Nacua was ejected last week in the first half for an on-field fight, killing his fantasy managers. This week, he will be hit hard by a Miami Dolphins pass defense that allows the third-fewest fantasy points to wideouts. Miami has allowed only 948 yards and five TDs to wide receivers.
Tight Ends
Start ‘Em
Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills at Indianapolis Colts: Kincaid should be in line for a solid day against an Indianapolis pass defense that has given up the third-most fantasy points to tight ends, including five touchdowns. Kincaid also could see his touches skyrocket if Amari Cooper (questionable) and Keon Coleman (out) both are unable to go due to injury. Kincaid has some low-end TE1 ability this week in leagues of 12 or more teams.
Adam Trautman, Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs: Trautman is normally not a player who would be on the fantasy radar, but he will be facing a very giving Kansas City pass defense, which allows the second-most fantasy points to tight ends. If you’re digging around for a streaming option, as several of the top tight ends are on a bye, you could fish Trautman off of the waiver wire, and he might end up being quite a short-term catch.
Sit ‘Em
Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles: Ferguson could struggle for a number of reasons. First off, QB Dak Prescott is going to be sidelined for this game, leaving Ferguson to try and develop a rapport with backup QB Cooper Rush. In addition, the Eagles have allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points to opposing tight ends, and Philly is one of three teams that haven’t allowed a touchdown to a tight end this season.
Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans vs. Detroit Lions: The “other” Dalton is in line for a very rocky Sunday in Week 10. Schultz will be working against a Detroit defense that has allowed just 244 yards and one touchdown to opposing tight ends this season. Schultz is a fringe fantasy option anyway, but he might have been under consideration as a streaming play. Look elsewhere.
