Not all fantasy football decisions are easy — most aren’t. We are talking about the thinnest of margins when it comes to projecting the fringe options for lineups. Here is the fantasy start ’em, sit ’em players that we’ve been asked most about this week within the PFN Fantasy Discord, as well as on X (Formerly known as Twitter). Let’s get to it!
Fantasy Start ‘Em Picks for Week 10
Jared Goff, QB, Detroit Lions (at Chargers)
Those who have been riding Goff this season have had their moments (three top-six finishes), but the downs have put them well behind the eight-ball (four finishes as QB18 or worse). Which version do we see on Sunday with the Lions coming out of their bye?
I lean toward the former. Goff’s three big games have all come against defenses that rank below average in QB hurry rate — a box the “Bolts” check. In Detroit’s three games before the bye, we saw them put their faith in Goff (44.7 attempts per game, over 270 passing yards in all three of those games), something that figures to again be the case in this spot.
That’s not that Goff is a risk-free proposition (he’s not), but with a significant rest advantage and a good matchup, he’s easily a QB1 for me this week that I’m willing to trust.
Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons (at Cardinals)
“Sometimes, his impact away from the ball can open things up.”
Awesome. Arthur Smith is trying to play 5D chess, and those who drafted Robinson in the first round this summer are forced to suffer through this nonsense. I maintain that the fantasy process on Robinson this offseason was sound, but not all good decisions are paid off with good results.
Robinson hasn’t had 15 carries in a game since against Green Bay in Week 2, and the prospect who was being compared to Saquon Barkley (91 catches as a rookie) has looked more like the retired version of Charles Barkley in the passing game lately, with more targets (nine) than receiving yards (eight).
I wish I could paint an optimistic picture moving forward. It’s tough. Robinson did out-snap Tyler Allgeier 42-24 last week (24-10 edge in routes) and faces a below-average defense in terms of both red zone and YPC. So there’s that.
Atlanta has played five straight one-possession games. If Robinson isn’t going to be heavily featured in those scripts, when will he?
The snap share and raw talent in a run-oriented offense keep him as an RB2 for me this week, but Robinson’s floor is far lower than I would have ever guessed this summer. There’s no denying the risk that is involved with him.
DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Tennessee Titans (at Buccaneers)
The three touchdowns in Week 8 during Levis’ debut were great to see and are proof positive of him owning a higher ceiling with Levis under center than Ryan Tannehill. However, performances like last week in Pittsburgh are just as likely to occur with a green QB (60 yards on 11 targets).
MORE: Fantasy Football WR Week 10 Trade Targets
This is a better matchup for the passing game than the run game, so I understand why you’d be comfortable in flexing Nuk this week, but the wide range of outcomes is not something I’m looking to invest in unless you’re a big underdog and can absorb significant risk.
David Njoku, TE, Cleveland Browns (at Ravens)
He’s found the end zone in consecutive games. The scores are nice (though last week’s was more the result of a defensive miscommunication than anything else), but the 23 targets over his past three games are what has my interest.
Watson lacks consistency through the air, but Njoku seems to have earned the secondary role behind Cooper, and that’s enough for him to be a top-12 TE for me, even in a tough matchup.
Fantasy Sit ‘Em Picks for Week 10
Zack Moss, RB, Indianapolis Colts (at Patriots)
Moss may bust a long gain (20+ yard rush in five of his past seven games), but he has been relegated to the reserve role and should be considered as nothing more than a handcuff option.
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He’s a rich man’s version of AJ Dillon. That is, he’s not a standalone option as the backup in a questionable offense. I prefer him to Dillon because he has proven capable of succeeding with the lead role this season, but neither is sniffing starting lineups while occupying the RB2 slot on the depth chart.
Jerry Jeudy, WR, Denver Broncos (at Bills)
This summer, Jeudy was drafted as a receiver who could flirt with a WR2 ranking consistently, and yet, his next top-25 finish at the position will be his first. He’s been held under 65 yards in each of his past five games and has underwhelmed weekly.
Is there light at the end of the tunnel? He scored his first touchdown of the season before the Week 9 bye, and that’s a good start. In theory, this could be a good bounce-back spot for his volume (current pace: 66 catches). Denver is a significant underdog against a banged-up Bills defense, but this would appear to be more of a Sutton spot.
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Through nine weeks, the Bills own the fourth-lowest opponent aDOT, and Jeudy’s aDOT is 33.3% higher than that of Sutton. Jeudy checks in as a low-end Flex play for me at best, while Sutton is more in the WR2 conversation.
Luke Musgrave, TE, Green Bay Packers
It was good to see the rookie find paydirt for the first time in his career last week against the Rams. The 51 yards he gained in that game were also a season-high.
Baby steps.
Musgrave looks the part of a pass-catching tight end who can thrive with time in this league, but that time is not right now. Not consistently, at least.
Musgrave has just two games north of five targets this season. With the value of those targets in question due to Love’s limitations, I’m not considering him an option this week (my TE17).
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!