There is nothing easy about making lineup decisions in fantasy football. It is a necessary part of the game. Getting these decisions correct is key to your success as a fantasy manager. Here to help you make those decisions are our positional start ’em and sit ’em picks.
Fantasy decisions are more important than ever with playoff spots and playoff positioning on the line, so let’s look at our Week 10 start/sit plays for the WR position.
Which WRs Should You Start in Fantasy This Week?
DeAndre Hopkins, Tennessee Titans (at TB)
DeAndre Hopkins completely won me over with his performance over the past two weeks, with Will Levis taking over at quarterback. I thought DHop had lost a step, but he proved me wrong. He’s maybe lost a quarter of a step. Hopkins is no longer a threat to be a WR1, but he’s also nowhere near cooked. There was plenty of vintage Hopkins on display over the past two weeks. Or, as he would say, current.
This week, Hopkins finds himself in a much more advantageous position than last week. The Titans will be coming off an extended rest, and they get a Bucs defense that was just roasted into oblivion by C.J. Stroud.
MORE: Week 10 Start/Sit Options — TE | RB | QB
The Bucs allow the second-most PPG to WRs. A whopping 69.7% of their total receiving yards allowed go to the wide receiver position.
With the Titans lacking any semblance of a secondary option in the passing game behind Hopkins and the Bucs having a pass-funnel defense, we could be looking at another heavy volume game for the former Texan and Cardinal, who is coming off an 11-target performance against the Steelers. Get DHop in lineups.
Demario Douglas, New England Patriots (vs. IND)
I’m sold on the sixth-round rookie out of Liberty. The Patriots should just never draft Day 1 or Day 2 WRs. They only seem to hit on receivers when they’re Day 3 picks (Demario Douglas) or UDFAs (Jakobi Meyers). Guys like N’Keal Harry and Tyquan Thornton didn’t quite work out. But that’s neither here nor there.
The point is Douglas has assumed the role of the Patriots’ WR1. He’s seen 20 targets over his last three games and caught at least four passes in all of them.
This week, the Patriots get a Colts defense that has been better against WRs as of late, but largely due to facing teams with struggling QBs or WRs (or both). They still allow the 17th-most PPG to the position.
Fantasy managers who picked up Douglas off the waiver likely view him as just a bench player. I think he can be started as a WR3.
Which WRs Should You Sit in Fantasy This Week?
Jakobi Meyers, Las Vegas Raiders (vs. NYJ)
We have a current Patriot as a start, but a former one as a sit. I am very concerned about Jakobi Meyers going forward. Aidan O’Connell may be an upgrade for the Raiders offense, but I don’t think he’s an upgrade for Meyers.
The Raiders WR2 has been a godsend for fantasy managers who spent very little to acquire him. He’s scored at least 13.5 fantasy points in four of his last five games, including three games with over 17 points.
With that said, over his past two games, Meyers has seen target counts of five and one. He salvaged last week’s outing with a rare 17-yard rushing score. Had that carry come up short, fantasy managers might be wondering if Meyers is still startable, and I’m still wondering.
The Jets present the single toughest matchup for wide receivers. They allow the fewest ppg to the position by a 3.8-point margin. Teams don’t even throw to WRs against the Jets because they are so terrified. Gang Green is the only team on defense seeing lower than a 50% target share to wide receivers.
Sauce Gardner is going to try and lockdown Davante Adams, so it’s possible that makes Meyers the better option this week. Either way, I’m not expecting much from a rookie QB facing the toughest pass defense in the NFL. Sit Meyers if you can.
Marquise Brown, WR, Arizona Cardinals (vs. ATL)
Kyler Murray’s return will be a boon for Marquise Brown. I’m just skeptical it will start this week.
One of the reasons I like Conner is that I’m expecting Murray, in his first game back, to be cautious, not run as much, check more, and be a bit tentative, leading to more work for the running backs. That will come at the expense of wide receiver targets.
Furthermore, the Falcons have been pretty good against wide receivers. They allow the 11th-fewest PPG to the position. Just 61.5% of their total receiving yards allowed have gone to WRs.
Where the Falcons have excelled is in defending outside receivers. Their 7.5 PPG allowed out wide is the lowest in the league. That is bad news for Brown, who runs over 80% of his routes from the outside. He is a sit this week if your team can swing it.
Trending Searches for WR Start/Sit
Did you know that we have a Start/Sit Optimizer here at Pro Football Network?! It’s completely free to use, and it allows you to enter in up to six players to find the best option to plug into your starting lineup!
It also allows us to see the most popular trending searches, and we’ve jotted some of them down here to help provide some clarity!
Should You Start DeAndre Hopkins or Deebo Samuel?
When I plugged this into the Start/Sit Optimizer, I genuinely wasn’t sure what I expected it to spit out. Fitting with that feeling, it was razor thin, with Hopkins edging out Deebo Samuel 13.1-12.9.
I understand why this is close. Samuel hasn’t played in three weeks and hasn’t been healthy in over six. Hopkins was underwhelming most of the season but has started to pick things up with Will Levis taking over. Both of these guys have serious upsides, but they also both have their concerns.
MORE: 2023 WR Fantasy Football Rankings
The 49ers are coming off their bye. Samuel is fully healthy and ready to rock. But he still is competing with Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle for touches. Hopkins isn’t competing with anyone for his targets.
I do like the spot for Samuel against a Jaguars defense allowing the 11th-most fantasy points to wide receivers. I also expect the 49ers to come out very strong after three straight losses heading into their bye.
With all that said, though, Samuel is just not the engine of this offense. He’s a cog in a machine. He’s also not the primary target earner, as that is Aiyuk.
Much like the Optimizer, I have this very close in my rankings. But I also give the edge to Hopkins.
Should You Start Zay Flowers or Jakobi Meyers?
I had been treating Zay Flowers as an every-week WR3 for quite some time. Unfortunately, the last two weeks have thrown that into question.
Two weeks ago, Flowers caught five passes for 19 yards. Last week, he saw just one target.
This week, the Ravens have to contend with a Browns defense allowing the second-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers. They are limiting their opponents to a paltry 51.6% catch rate, by far the lowest in the league.
At the same time, things aren’t exactly peachy for Meyers against the only defense that has been better against WRs than the Browns.
Given the tough spot both of these talented receivers find themselves in, the tiebreaker needs to be a team situation. Flowers is his team’s WR1, and his quarterback is Lamar Jackson. Meyers is his team’s WR2, and his quarterback is Aidan O’Connell. For those reasons, I side with the Start/Sit Optimizer, which has this in favor of Flowers, 12.0-10.9.
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer, Start/Sit Optimizer, and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!