As we pass the midway point of the fantasy football season, making start ’em or sit ’em decisions begin to carry even more weight as teams separate themselves from the pack. With not all matchups being equal, here are our top start ’em and sit ’em plays for Week 10 of fantasy football.
NFL Start’ Em, Sit ‘Em for Week 10: Quarterbacks
While the focus in the majority of fantasy leagues falls on skill positions, quarterbacks — in most cases — consistently bring the highest weekly total. Which QBs are must-starts, and who should remain on the bench in Week 10?
Start ‘Em | Carson Wentz, Indianapolis Colts
The Carson Wentz we are seeing right now is the best version since his 2017 season. In fact, I’d argue it is almost better. Since Week 4 (when he had both of his ankles back underneath him), Wentz has completed 65% of his passes, averaged 251 yards per game, and posted a 14:2 TD to INT ratio while adding another score on the ground. He has thrown for 2 or more TDs in six straight games, which is his highest streak since 2017 (seven).
Wentz is averaging 20 points per game and has finished as a QB1 or better (top 12) in four of his last five games (QB14 in Week 6). He has a reliable rushing game in the dynasty and rest-of-season RB1 Jonathan Taylor and has a budding superstar at WR in Michael Pittman Jr. In Week 10, the Colts take on the Jaguars, who I expect to come back to reality as long as Wentz does not appear on the ManningCast. I’m telling you, the curse is real.
Sit ‘Em | Teddy Bridgewater, Denver Broncos
Teddy Bridgewater lacks upside. Look, that might be a bit direct, but I don’t think it is entirely false. Bridgewater has finished as a top-12 QB three times this season but has never scored over 22 points in a single week. He has passed for 300+ yards twice but has thrown for 3 or more TDs only once. The Broncos have a decent enough defense and a running game they can count on, which means Bridgewater doesn’t need to be a superstar.
In 1QB leagues, there are several options to stream any given week. Bridgewater is — at best — a safe play. But that high floor typically comes in good matchups, which he won’t have the benefit of in Week 10. The Broncos get the Eagles this week, and the best part of their roster is their pass defense. Outside of 2QB leagues, Bridgewater shouldn’t be started, especially given the availability of other options with top-10 upside.
Running Backs
While these RBs found themselves with adjusted roles following injuries to surrounding players and poor play from others, they are on opposite sides of start/sit debates for Week 10.
Start ‘Em | Devin Singletary, Buffalo Bills
For the first part of the season, Zack Moss was the guy many people wanted. He scored 4 touchdowns in his first three games but since then has faltered. And now, he’s banged up. Early in the third quarter against the Jaguars, Moss left the game due to a head injury and is in danger of missing Week 10.
The issue with Buffalo’s backfield has been the split. But with Moss possibly out, Devin Singletary could be in line for a massive game. He played on 48 of the 67 snaps in Week 9 and ran 35 routes. The Bills had to abandon the running game, but Singletary saw a season-high 8 targets.
Additionally, we have seen him be a lead back in games where Moss has missed time. In the first two games of the year, Singletary rushed 24 times for 154 yards, caught 5 passes, and scored a TD. The Bills are coming into Week 10 in a bad mood and get the New York Jets. Expect a massive game out of the Bills’ offense, and expect Singletary to be a potential RB2/flex should Moss miss the matchup.
Sit ‘Em | Jeremy McNichols, Tennessee Titans
Okay, so did you all have fun with your Jeremy McNichols experiment? I did not see the same upside as many did coming into Week 9, and McNichols did nothing to excite me. In Tennessee’s victory over the Los Angeles Rams, McNichols rushed 7 times for 29 yards and caught all 3 targets for 11 yards. He played on 44.8% of the snaps as the Titans turned to a full-blown committee with McNichols, Adrian Peterson, and D’Onta Foreman.
The Titans were up at one point 21-3. That was the perfect scenario for them to rely on the rushing attack — if they wanted to. But even then, McNichols couldn’t produce a useable game for fantasy managers. Tennessee faces New Orleans in Week 10, who are No. 4 in points allowed to RBs (19.16). I am completely out on the Titans’ backfield for fantasy.
NFL Start’ Em, Sit ‘Em for Week 9: Wide Receivers
The WR position is the deepest position in fantasy football, with a plethora of quality starting options to choose from every single week. As matchups can be the final deciding factor, here are some of the start ’em or sit ’em recommendations for Week 9.
Start ‘Em | Rashod Bateman, Baltimore Ravens
We have been desperately waiting on another rookie to step up alongside Ja’Marr Chase. I believe we now have that player in Rashod Bateman, who we were all patiently waiting on as he missed the first five games. Since making his NFL debut, Bateman has caught 12 of 20 targets for 161 yards. In Week 9, he set new season highs in snaps played (66%), routes (82%), and targets (8).
The Ravens needed a WR2 to play next to Marquise Brown. But to me, they didn’t select their WR2 in the 2021 NFL Draft. They selected their WR1. From here on out, Bateman is a fantasy starter. For now, he is a flex play in Week 10 against the Dolphins, but he has WR2 upside given the volume he’ll likely receive.
Sit ‘Em | Robby Anderson, Carolina Panthers
Sam Darnold is now sucking the fun out of everything. He was playing well, and things were all sunshine and rainbows. But he’s taken a nosedive as of late, and the Panthers’ pass catchers have taken the brunt of it. Robby Anderson has seen 53 targets but has only 19 receptions for 206 yards and 2 touchdowns. He’s yet to finish as a WR2, has one finish as a WR3 (Week 1), and has six outings as the WR60 or worse.
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DJ Moore is getting the same treatment, which is insane. Over the last five games, Moore has been the WR58, WR38, WR26, WR44, and WR43. Darnold might not even play this week, and Carolina gets the Arizona Cardinals, who are rolling. Anderson shouldn’t even be rostered, let alone started in fantasy. Drop him and grab Bateman. You deserve it.
Tight Ends
It’s notoriously hard for fantasy managers to find consistent production from the tight end position. In Week 9, start ’em or sit ’em decisions could mean the difference between a win or a loss as the margins are razor-thin.
Start ‘Em | Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pat Freiermuth is quickly becoming a weekly starter in fantasy, which is massive as the TE position desperately needs more options. The Steelers lost JuJu Smith-Schuster (shoulder) for the season in Week 5. Since then, Freiermuth has recorded 7 targets in back-to-back games and is No. 2 among Pittsburgh pass catchers in targets (pre-Monday night).
He has finished as a top-12 TE in two straight games and was the TE2 in Week 8. Freiermuth has weekly low-end TE1 upside and in Week 10 gets a fantastic matchup against the Detroit Lions, who, well, are not a good football team.
Sit ‘Em | Adam Trautman, New Orleans Saints
Adam Trautman has played between 86% and 88% of the snaps over the last four games, but what does he have to show for it? Over this stretch, he has averaged 2.8 receptions on 4.5 targets for 32.5 yards. Sure, he is coming off a career-best 4-47 game in Week 9, but that came in an outing in which fellow TE Juwan Johnson was a healthy inactive.
Look, it doesn’t take much to be a TE1 in any given week. In Week 9, all it took was 8 points. That’s it. The TE4, Stephen Anderson, caught 4 passes for 39 yards. It was a touchdown that put him over the top, and anyone who scores a TD as a TE is nearly guaranteed to be a top-eight player at the position.
Trautman has just 6 red-zone targets despite the Saints lacking any reliable pass-catching options. I cannot trust Trautman, and Week 10 won’t be any different. The Saints take on the Titans, who are No. 5 in points allowed to TEs at 7.97 per game.