Making lineup decisions can be the most frustrating or most rewarding part of fantasy football. 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 positioning on the line, so let’s look at our Week 10 start/sit plays for the QB position.
Which QBs Should You Start in Fantasy This Week?
Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks (vs. WAS)
I believe the phrase being used is, “Geno Smith is turning back into a pumpkin,” which is apropos coming off the heels of Halloween.
There’s no denying Smith’s quality of play has declined from last season to this one. He has just one 300-yard passing game and only three multi-touchdown games. He’s peaked with 16.5 fantasy points just once all season. Here’s to hoping this week can be No. 2.
MORE: Week 10 Start/Sit Options — TE | WR | RB
The Washington Commanders have been quite generous to opposing fantasy quarterbacks. They are allowing 20.8 fantasy points per game — the second-most in the league.
Prior to Week 8, the last time the Seahawks got blown out was back in Week 1. Smith played his best game of the season in a bounce-back performance the following week. Let’s see if he can do it again in a favorable matchup against Washington.
Which QBs Should You Sit in Fantasy This Week?
Deshaun Watson, QB, Cleveland Browns (at BAL)
If you started Deshaun Watson last week, you were probably pleased with the results. 18.96 fantasy points is definitely good enough for QB1 numbers this season. But did Watson really impress?
He threw for just 219 yards and only ran three times for 22 yards. Watson just didn’t have to do much with Clayton Tune being an unserious starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals.
Watson was out with an injury the last time the Browns played the Baltimore Ravens, but that doesn’t mean I’m any more optimistic about what he can do. The Ravens just completely stymied QB Geno Smith and the Seahawks’ offense. Now, it’s Watson’s turn to travel to Baltimore — where the Ravens play their best football.
This season, the Ravens are allowing 11.4 PPG, the fewest in the league. There is no tougher matchup for an opposing quarterback, and it’s even worse on the road. I want no part of Watson this week.
Trending Searches for QB 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 up to six players to find the best option for your starting lineup!
It also allows us to see the most popular trending searches, which we’ve listed below to provide some clarity on.
Should You Start Geno Smith or Kyler Murray?
There’s no way to spin Smith’s performance this year as anything other than a disaster. He’s been incredibly disappointing. But as I mentioned above, I like him this week in a great matchup.
A fully healthy Kyler Murray, though, is a clear QB1 and firmly ahead of Smith in weekly rankings. But is that this week?
This is a situation where I sincerely hope I am wrong. I want to see Murray healthy, and I want to see him running. I want to see him looking like the guy he was before getting hurt. If he is, then he will be a weekly start over Smith.
But in Murray’s first game back, it’s just unrealistic to expect them to fully unleash him. He may prove me wrong, and I hope he does. But much like the Start/Sit Optimizer, which has Murray projected for 17.0 points against Smith’s 15.1 points, I would prefer to take a wait-and-see approach with Murray and stick with Smith this week.
Should You Start Joshua Dobbs or Deshaun Watson?
Is there a player that’s easier to root for than Joshua Dobbs? I can’t think of one. “The Passtronaut” (incredible nickname) now has four games with 23+ fantasy points. Care to guess how many Deshaun Watson has? Here’s a hint. Look in the mirror. It’s the same number as the person looking back at you — zero.
As detailed above, the matchup this week for Watson is horrible. Last week, in the most perfect of matchups, he was only able to throw for 219 yards and two touchdowns. I wouldn’t be surprised if he threw for zero touchdowns against the Ravens.
Dobbs’ matchup isn’t great, either, but he brings a lot more to the table than Watson. For starters, he runs more, which is not something I would’ve expected to use as an argument against Watson. The new Minnesota Vikings signal-caller has at least 40 rushing yards in six starts this season.
Additionally, the Vikings are a pass-first offense. That will come down a bit with Dobbs at QB, but having Dobbs isn’t going to suddenly make RB Alexander Mattison an efficient runner, nor is it going to make the New Orleans Saints a bad run defense.
This is a spot where the Vikings should have to throw. When Dobbs is dropping back to pass, good things happen for fantasy.
Surprisingly, the Start/Sit Optimizer has Watson projected for 14.6 points and Dobbs with 13.7. I would strongly advise fantasy managers to start Dobbs over Watson this week.
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