This time last week, we had no idea where Odell Beckham Jr. was going to play next. The mercurial wide receiver was rumoured to be interested in signing with several teams since being released by the Cleveland Browns and clearing waivers, but ultimately Sean McVay and Les Snead rolled the dice and made him a member of the Los Angeles Rams as the NFC West powerhouse loads up for a potential Super Bowl run.
While the real-life impact for the Rams’ offence is yet to be determined, the fantasy impact will probably be felt not just in the yardage Beckham accumulates but the yardage he takes away from other players. Matthew Stafford’s got a powerful arm, but there’s only so much ball to go around. If you’re a Cooper Kupp owner, you can probably breathe easy as the Rams use personnel packages of three or more wide receivers 88 per cent of the time, which suggests Kupp – league leader in receiving yards and touchdowns – will not see too much of a drop-off, if at all. (For comparison’s sake, the Browns field three-plus wide receivers just 44 per cent of the time.)
Robert Woods and tight end Tyler Higbee might see their respective usage dip as Beckham becomes more acclimatized with the playbook, but will still likely be on the field for enough snaps to warrant WR2 and borderline-TE1 plays in any given week. This move does nuke the value of Van Jefferson, the top candidate to see more snaps in the wake of DeSean Jackson’s release. Maybe give it a game or two, but Jefferson can be safely dropped to waivers.
The player who benefits most from this move is, of course, Matthew Stafford. More pass-catching options are never a bad thing, right?
Our weekly picks have been made with 0.5 PPR leagues in mind, with standard rosters of one quarterback, two running backs, two wide receivers, one tight end, and one RB/WR/TE FLEX spot.
QUARTERBACKS
QB Start: Carson Wentz, Colts (vs. Jaguars)
After an inconsistent start to the season, which saw Wentz suffer not one but two sprained ankles, he is finally healthy. As a result, has been one of the better fantasy quarterbacks in the past several weeks. Buoyed by a fantastic run game and a stingy defence, Wentz is not asked to do too much in any given week, but he has delivered nonetheless, throwing three touchdown passes in two straight games entering Week 10. The Jaguars’ defence, coming off the season’s biggest upset victory over the Bills, has actually allowed the fourth-fewest touchdown passes in the NFL, but don’t let that scare you off a Wentz start — there’s still mid-tier QB1 value to be had here.
QB Start: Matt Ryan, Falcons (@ Cowboys)
Through eight games played this season, Ryan has quietly been stringing together some solid performances. The Falcons QB has put up three 300-yard passing games in the last four outings, and scored his first rushing touchdown of 2021 vs. the Saints last week. The Falcons experience can definitely be a rollercoaster at times — the ceiling may be 28-30 points, but we’ve also seen a floor that sits around seven or eight. But in Week 10, Ryan gets a Dallas defence that allows 20.5 fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks, which is the sixth-most allowed in the league. Expect a lower-end QB1 finish, but the opportunity has been there for Matty Ice in 2021.
Another starter to consider: Russell Wilson, Seahawks (@ Packers)
QB Sit: Teddy Bridgewater, Broncos (vs. Eagles)
He’s been a bridge over troubled water (sorry) all season, and I’ve been walking back and forth for weeks. Despite a very impressive win last week over the Cowboys, I think it’s time I get off this ride. The passing volume just isn’t there for him on a consistent basis, and even when it does pop up, the value is more as a bye-week fill-in for 2QB/super-flex leagues. If he continues to be as aggressive as we saw last week, that could change as Jerry Jeudy gets healthier, but you probably have better options on the bench.
QB Sit: Jimmy Garoppolo, 49ers (vs. Rams)
I recognize this is a risky sit as Garoppolo is coming off his two best games of 2021, fantasy-wise. However, Garoppolo and the 49ers put up 10 of their 17 points well after they had spotted Arizona a 24-point lead last week, and while you know as well as I do that garbage time still counts for fantasy (look no further than Jalen Hurts this season), the Rams present a tough challenge. L.A. gives up the ninth-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks and boasts a defence that has allowed just seven touchdown passes so far this season. I’d look elsewhere in Week 10.
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WIDE RECEIVERS
WR Start: Hunter Renfrow, Raiders (vs. Chiefs)
It’s going to be a rare double-dip after Renfrow’s start paid off last week. He tied his season-high in targets (nine) and grabbed seven of them for 49 yards and a touchdown against the Giants. It certainly looks like he is the most trusted pass-catcher after Darren Waller on this Raiders offence. He now gets the Chiefs’ defence, which gives up over 250 passing yards a game. If Renfrow continues to produce like this, he may graduate to an every-week start. [sidebar]
WR Start: Michael Pittman Jr., Colts (vs. Jaguars)
Coinciding nicely with a healthy Carson Wentz, Pittman has been en fuego as of late, and is – like Renfrow – just one more game from hitting that coveted ‘every-week start’ status. In the past three games, he has racked up 25 targets for 19 catches, 255 yards, and four touchdowns. That’s WR1 production from a guy you likely drafted in the 10th round or later. With a matchup vs. the Jaguars on tap (ninth-most fantasy points allowed to wide receivers), there’s no chance Pittman Jr. can be allowed to sit on the bench this week.
Another starter to consider: Mike Williams, Chargers (vs. Vikings)
WR Sit: Olamide Zaccheaus, Falcons (@ Cowboys)
Even after an astonishing Week 9 in which Zaccheaus was the third-best wideout in all of fantasy football (three catches, 58 yards, two touchdowns), I just can’t in good conscience recommend that you play him again. Even against a Cowboys defence that allows the eighth-most fantasy points to wide receivers, the WR carousel on a week-to-week basis is just too volatile. While I actually like the Russel Gage play this week – cornerback Trevon Diggs will likely be occupied by Kyle Pitts or Cordarelle Patterson – let’s wait to see if Zaccheaus manages to draw more targets before pushing him back into our lineups.
WR Sit: Marvin Jones Jr., Jaguars (@ Colts)
Jones is at an interesting juncture this season, sitting in that ‘Can’t start ‘em, can’t sit ‘em’ territory virtually every week. That’s largely because he is used as the deep threat on most passing plays, which gives him the highest ceiling, but when Trevor Lawrence is struggling to move the ball, it also unfortunately gives him the lowest floor. With targets like Laviska Shenault Jr., Jamal Agnew, and Dan Arnold seeing more of the target share in the short-to-intermediate passing game, I’m staying away from Jones until the offence shifts out of first gear.
RUNNING BACKS
RB Start: Josh Jacobs, Raiders (vs. Chiefs)
Whenever he has the ball in his hands, Jacobs is a dynamic, explosive weapon – it’s just been cut short by some unfortunate and unlucky plays. His biggest issue in 2021 has been, for the most part, his health. However, the RB looks pretty healthy as of late, and now faces the Chiefs – a team that ranks in the bottom five in the entire NFL in both yards per carry and rushing touchdowns allowed.
Concerned about Kenyan Drake again? As long as Jacobs is healthy, there’s no need to worry, as Drake had just four carries to Jacobs’ 13 last week.
RB Start: Brandon Bolden, Patriots (vs. Browns)
We usually get one of these every week: a player whose value is tied to the game-time decision of his teammates. With both Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson in concussion protocol, there’s a possibility that one or neither of them play. (James White is done for the year on IR, don’t forget.) That would open the door for Bolden, who has largely played special teams throughout his career, to be an enticing start. He gets a favourable matchup against a Browns defence that is good against the run but not so great against the pass (19th in pass DVOA). For a pass-catching back like Bolden, he could see a lot of opportunity if (read: when) Mac Jones is under siege by Cleveland’s front seven.
Another starter to consider: James Conner, Cardinals (vs. Panthers)
RB Sit: Michael Carter, Jets (vs. Bills)
Stop me if you’ve read this before: the Bills defence is really good, and stymies opposing running backs on the regular (fewest fantasy points allowed). That’s the simplest take to have on this. Coming off an embarrassing loss to the Jaguars, the Bills — who still only gave up nine points and 218 total yards in the loss — are a team you never want to start a running back against if you can help it.
RB Sit: Adrian Peterson, Titans (vs. Saints)
I know, he scored a touchdown last week, but the truth is that score essentially salvaged what was otherwise a terrible fantasy day (ten carries, 21 yards, and the aforementioned TD). While it is a good sign he essentially walked off the street and led the team in carries, you’re basically going to be praying for a touchdown every time you start him. He’s probably FLEX-worthy on a matchup-basis going forward, but against the Saints – fourth-fewest fantasy points to running backs – look elsewhere in Week 10.
TIGHT ENDS
TE Start: Dan Arnold, Jaguars (@ Colts)
It’s crazy to think that, beyond maybe three or four tight ends, nearly any other player at this position is a possibility to be mentioned in this article on a week-to-week basis. This week, I find myself examining Arnold, who has now led the Jaguars in receiving yardage two weeks in a row. This Sunday’s game is a good matchup for this to continue, as the Colts allow the sixth-most fantasy points to tight ends. Let’s rank Arnold in the low-end TE1 category.
TE Start: Dalton Schultz, Cowboys (vs. Falcons)
Last Sunday was a bizarre day for the Cowboys’ offence. Lost in that odd game was the fact that Schultz was tied for third on the team with five targets, and actually led the team in receiving yards with 54. With Blake Jarwin on IR, he’s the only viable tight end on the roster and has a pretty nice floor when compared to others at the position. Against the Falcons’ defence, he should continue to see enough targets from Dak Prescott to keep him in the TE1 conversation, even if things go topsy-turvy.
Another starter to consider: Dallas Goedert, Eagles (@ Broncos)
TE Sit: Tyler Higbee, Rams (@ 49ers)
If you want a rock-solid four to seven points in any given week, there is perhaps no better option across the tight end landscape than Higbee. He saw 10 targets last week, the most he’s had all year, and still turned that into five catches for 51 yards. He is intimately involved in the Rams’ offence as he is on the field almost every single down, but it just hasn’t led to him being at to the bona fide TE1 level. The floor is pretty steady, but if you want the higher upside, you may want to look elsewhere in Week 10 as the 49ers give up the ninth-fewest fantasy points to tight ends.
TE Sit: Hunter Henry, Patriots (vs. Browns)
Henry has scored a touchdown in five of the last six games — something we haven’t seen in New England since the heyday of Rob Gronkowski. Unfortunately, that has been the only thing keeping him in the TE1 mix, as the yardage isn’t really there otherwise. He’s a touchdown-dependent option against the Browns, who can be had via the pass (19th in pass DVOA and 12th-fewest fantasy points allowed to tight ends), but the question is more about ‘Will Mac Jones have time to throw?’ If you’re uncertain about the answer, then maybe wait until Week 11 when the Patriots travel to Atlanta.
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