Fantasy: Start, Sit, Stash, Quit - Week 10
SSSQ is a weekly look at under-the-radar fantasy players to consider starting and potential busts you should leave on your bench. We also identify breakout candidates to stash on your roster and players you can safely cut.
For the rest of your lineup decisions, consult our Week 10 rankings. You can also listen to the Week 10 preview episode of theScore Fantasy Football Podcast.
Start
Derek Carr, Raiders
vs. Chiefs
The Raiders will be looking to rebound from an upset loss to the Giants.
Normally a matchup with the Chiefs wouldn't provide much relief, but Kansas City is having some struggles of its own; its defense is bottom five in Football Outsiders' defensive DVOA.
Steve Spagnuolo's group is giving up the third-most fantasy points to quarterbacks, which bodes well for Carr, who threw for six touchdowns against the Chiefs in their two meetings last year.
Carr can be started as a fringe QB1 for Week 10.
Boone's projection: 283 passing yards, 3 passing TDs, INT, 4 rushing yards
Other QBs to start
- Carson Wentz vs. Jaguars
- Ben Roethlisberger vs. Lions
- Matt Ryan at Cowboys
D'Ernest Johnson, Browns
at Patriots
It's still possible Nick Chubb gets activated off the COVID-19 list in time for Sunday's game against the Patriots, but players who have tested positive tend to miss at least a week.
That means we should see another start for Johnson, who dominated the Broncos in his last opportunity as the Browns' lead back.
Johnson rattled off 168 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown in the win, and we could see something similar with Chubb, Kareem Hunt, Demetric Felton, and John Kelly all likely out for this one.
Cleveland is averaging the second-most rushing yards per game this year (160.2) behind one of the NFL's best offensive lines, and Johnson has already shown he can pick up the load as a top-15 fantasy option when called upon.
Boone's projection: 71 rushing yards, 20 receiving yards, TD
Other RBs to start
- Josh Jacobs vs. Chiefs
- Melvin Gordon/Javonte Williams vs. Eagles
- Devin Singletary at Jets
Christian Kirk, Cardinals
vs. Panthers
After missing last Sunday's game with a hamstring injury, DeAndre Hopkins was also held out of the first two practices this week. If the Cardinals star is forced to sit again, Kirk will get another chance to shine as Arizona's top receiver.
Kyler Murray's status is also in doubt, but that might not matter since Kirk caught all six of his passes from backup quarterback Colt McCoy last week and turned them into 91 yards.
As long as Hopkins remains out or limited, Kirk will be set up for another strong stat line as a borderline WR2 in fantasy.
Boone's projection: 83 receiving yards, TD
Other WRs to start
- Jerry Jeudy vs. Eagles
- Hunter Renfrow vs. Chiefs
- Brandon Aiyuk vs. Rams
Pat Freiermuth, Steelers
vs. Lions
Even though veteran Eric Ebron is practicing in full and appears ready to return to the Steelers' lineup for the first time since Week 6, he's coming back to a much different tight end depth chart.
In his absence, Freiermuth has emerged as a major part of Pittsburgh's offense with stat lines of 7-58-0, 4-44-1, and most recently 5-43-2 on Monday Night Football. He's averaging the second-most fantasy points per game at his position over that stretch.
And with JuJu Smith-Schuster out for the year and Chase Claypool week-to-week with a toe injury, the Steelers have no choice but to lean on their talented young playmaker.
If it wasn't for fellow rookie tight end Kyle Pitts casting a massive shadow, fantasy managers might be even more excited about Freiermuth's outlook as a fantasy TE1 the rest of the way.
Boone's projection: 62 receiving yards, TD
Other TEs to start
- Dawson Knox at Jets
- Dan Arnold at Colts
- Ricky Seals-Jones vs. Buccaneers
Sit
Baker Mayfield, Browns
at Patriots
While the cold war between Mayfield and Odell Beckham Jr. is finally over, the Browns quarterback still has to prove he can produce with a less talented roster around him.
Mayfield will face a heightened degree of difficulty Sunday when he takes on Bill Belichick's defense, which is allowing the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing QBs.
Cleveland and New England also rank in the bottom half of the league in pace of play, meaning we could be in for a slower, lower-scoring affair.
Leave Mayfield on your bench in single QB formats - or better yet, on the waiver wire.
Boone's projection: 228 passing yards, TD, 2 INTs
Other QBs to sit
- Teddy Bridgewater vs. Eagles
- Mac Jones vs. Browns
- Jimmy Garoppolo vs. Rams
Antonio Gibson, Washington
vs. Buccaneers
Fantasy managers are hoping Gibson can come off his bye week healthier and ready to produce like the player they drafted in August.
Even if he is close to 100%, the matchup this week makes him a risky flex play.
The Buccaneers have given up the second-fewest rushing yards (624) and rushing touchdowns (four) on the year.
They're one of the toughest opponents a running back can encounter, and if Tom Brady is able to get out to a lead, we might see more of J.D. McKissic - Washington's favored pass-catching option out of the backfield.
Boone's projection: 46 rushing yards, 11 receiving yards
Other RBs to sit
- Adrian Peterson vs. Saints
- Mike Davis at Cowboys
- Damien Harris vs. Browns
Courtland Sutton, Broncos
vs. Eagles
Sutton has disappeared since Jerry Jeudy returned from injured reserve, catching just three balls on six targets over the last two weeks.
Speculating on specific receiver-cornerback pairings can be dangerous at times, but all signs point to Sutton spending most of his afternoon squaring off with the Eagles' top cover man, Darius Slay.
Sutton's recent dip in production combined with a tough matchup is more than enough reason to fade him in Week 10.
Boone's projection: 42 receiving yards
Other WRs to sit
- Julio Jones vs. Saints
- Corey Davis/Elijah Moore vs. Bills
- Jakobi Meyers vs. Browns
Hunter Henry, Patriots
vs. Browns
The Browns are one of the 12 hardest fantasy matchups for tight ends, but the decision to sit Henry goes deeper than that.
The 26-year-old has only topped 36 yards once in his previous seven appearances.
Henry's fantasy scoring has been almost entirely based on the five touchdowns he scored during that span.
Unless you're in a spot where you have no other choice than to gamble on a touchdown-or-bust tight end, you should be able to do better than Henry this week.
Boone's projection: 32 receiving yards
Other TEs to sit
- Tyler Higbee at 49ers
- Jared Cook vs. Vikings
- David Njoku/Austin Hooper at Patriots
Stash
D'Onta Foreman, Titans
Foreman (2% rostered) was more involved than many people expected in Adrian Peterson's debut with the Titans.
| Player | Snaps | Touches |
|---|---|---|
| Peterson | 19 | 11 |
| McNichols | 26 | 10 |
| Foreman | 12 | 5 |
Though Jeremy McNichols saw the most playing time and Peterson had the edge in touches, Foreman flashed the most with the ball in his hands.
Maybe Peterson just needs to knock the rust off, but it's also possible the 36-year-old future Hall fo Famer fails to show another gear. If that happens, Foreman could take on a bigger workload in the coming weeks.
Be proactive and get him on the roster before his opportunity arises.
Rhamondre Stevenson, Patriots
Both Damien Harris and Stevenson (10% rostered) are in concussion protocol this week. We haven't heard much about Harris, but CLNS Media Network's Evan Lazar reported there was hope early in the week that Stevenson would be cleared for Week 10.
Either way, it's become evident that Stevenson is the immediate backup to Harris and would step into a significant role if his teammate ever missed time.
Even in limited action, the rookie has seen at least eight touches in each of his last four games. And despite getting hurt last week, he posted his best stat line of the year with 106 yards from scrimmage.
The Patriots are also showing a willingness to use him as a pass-catcher, something they rarely do with Harris. So stash Stevenson in case he eventually finds himself in a starting role between now and the end of the season.
Quit
Tyler Boyd, Bengals
It's no secret that Boyd (71% rostered) has struggled this season playing alongside Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins in the Bengals' receiving corps.
Boyd has topped 40 yards in just three of his nine outings, and his lone 100-yard performance came when Higgins was out of the lineup.
He's only put up double-digit fantasy points in one of his last five games, making it hard to trust him.
The production he's providing this season can be replicated by a one-week pickup off the waiver wire, which means there's no reason to use a bench spot on Boyd any longer.