X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

Fact or Fiction: Fantasy Football Outlooks for Derek Carr, Austin Ekeler, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Tylan Wallace, Tanner Hudson

Derek Carr - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Week 10 of the NFL is behind us, and it's time to look ahead to next week's action. There were some surprising performances in the 10th week of the season, but were those surprising performances a sign of things to come for players?

Every week, I'll examine five NFL players whose numbers from the previous week were better than expected. I'll analyze their games and consider their showings in the larger scheme.

Below, you'll find an analysis of the biggest fantasy football surprises of Week 10. Are those surprising results a fact, i.e., a sign of good things to come, or a fiction, i.e., an anomalous result?

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2024:

 

Derek Carr - QB, New Orleans Saints

Week 10 stats: 16-of-25 for 269 yards and two touchdowns, four carries for 17 yards - overall QB6

I used to play this PC game when I was a teenager where you put a band together. You chose from all these random musicians and then they recorded these songs. Most of the time, you'd put a ragtag group together and the band would sound really, really bad.

That's not a metaphor for the New Orleans Saints. Or maybe it is, but it's not why I brought the game up. I bring it up because one of the songs you can record has this refrain: "feels like we've been here before."

That's my analysis of Derek Carr's strong performance this week: we've been here before. Yes, Carr is capable of good games, but he's also down his top two receivers right now.

Carr has fantasy value. In the right matchup, he has streaming appeal. But this was the first time he's finished better than QB20 since Week 2. On the bright side, he has some plus matchups coming up, but his Week 10 performance was still an illusion.

Verdict: Fiction, but he's a streaming play when he has good matchups

 

Austin Ekeler - RB, Washington Commanders

Week 10 stats: 13 carries for 44 yards and two touchdowns, one reception for seven yards - overall RB5

Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler has had two pretty strong games in a row, finishing with 83 scrimmage yards and a touchdown in Week 9 against the Giants and then finishing with 51 yards and two touchdowns against the Steelers.

Notably, Brian Robinson Jr. missed both of those games. With Robinson sidelined, Ekeler had a more clear path to touches as part of a three-headed backfield with Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Jeremy McNichols. Robinson had dominated the touches before his injury.

If Robinson misses more time, Ekeler is a strong RB2 play, but the issue is that Robinson likely won't be out much longer. He practiced on Tuesday, though he was still limited by his hamstring injury.

The Commanders play the Eagles on Thursday, so the short week could lead to Robinson sitting for one more week. We'll have to monitor the situation to see what happens.

Verdict: Fact until Robinson is back ... which could be this week, so temper expectations

 

Marquez Valdes-Scantling - WR, New Orleans Saints

Week 10 stats: three catches for 109 yards and two touchdowns - overall WR2

As mentioned above, the Saints are without their top two receivers right now. Chris Olave is on IR with a concussion. Rashid Shaheed is done for the year. And you could extend that out to their top three receivers being out, as Bub Means is on IR with an ankle injury. Of course, that depends on you accepting that Means is the team's third-best receiver.

But maybe that job belongs to Marquez Valdes-Scantling? MVS started the season in Buffalo, but the Amari Cooper trade made him expendable. He landed in New Orleans and was a huge part of the team's offense in Week 10, as he caught three passes for 109 yards and two touchdowns against the Falcons on Sunday.

We initially thought Mason Tipton would be the team's best receiver with Olave, Shaheed, and Means out, but he failed to bring in any of his three targets in Week 10. There's a good chance that MVS is the best healthy wideout this Saints team has.

That doesn't mean he's going to have explosive games like this every week, of course. He should maintain a meaningful role, but the fact that he relies so much on speed and the deep-passing game makes him a boom-or-bust option.

Verdict: Fiction, but he's worth rostering

 

Tylan Wallace - WR, Baltimore Ravens

Week 10 stats: three receptions for 115 yards and one touchdown - overall WR4

We can keep this section of the article relatively short.

Tylan Wallace had a strong game on Thursday against the Bengals, catching three passes for 115 yards and a touchdown.

And look: it was an impressive touchdown. He broke a tackle, then stiff-armed a couple of guys and was off for an 84-yard score.

The thing is, it wasn't the kind of play that feels replicable. Those kinds of long plays don't grow on trees. And Wallace entered this game with just two targets all season, so the play -- and the overall performance -- has fluke written all over it.

Verdict: Fiction

 

Tanner Hudson - TE, Cincinnati Bengals

Week 10 stats: six receptions for 42 yards and one touchdown - overall TE4

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki was set up for a smash week in Week 10, but instead, it was his teammate Tanner Hudson who finished as the overall TE4.

The matchup against the Ravens was the perfect moment for Gesicki to deliver, as Baltimore has hemorrhaged fantasy points to tight ends this season. Joe Burrow threw for 428 yards and targeted Gesicki nine times, but he only managed four catches for 30 yards.

Meanwhile, Hudson was targeted seven times, catching six of those for 42 yards and a touchdown. The Ravens did struggle against a tight end. It just happened to be a different one than expected.

It was a strong showing for Hudson, who played a season-high 35% of Cincinnati's snaps and had by far his best game. But the fact remains that he's the No. 2 tight end on this team and the Bengals had a perfect matchup this week.

Verdict: Fiction



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!




Win More With RotoBaller

Be sure to also check out all of our other daily fantasy football articles and analysis to help you set those winning lineups, including this new RotoBaller YouTube video:

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Marcus Smart9 mins ago

Set To Play Wednesday
Seth Jarvis10 mins ago

Set To Miss A Second Consecutive Game
Michael Pittman Jr.13 mins ago

Practicing In Full
Brian Thomas Jr.22 mins ago

Limited On Wednesday
Josh Jacobs28 mins ago

Limited During Wednesday's Practice
Mike Conley29 mins ago

Resting Wednesday Versus Portland
Kirk Cousins37 mins ago

Limited On Wednesday
Najee Harris49 mins ago

Does Not Practice On Wednesday
Christian McCaffrey1 hour ago

Limited On Wednesday
George Kittle1 hour ago

Not Practicing On Wednesday
Brian Robinson Jr.1 hour ago

Off The Injury Report
DK Metcalf2 hours ago

To Be Limited In Wednesday's Practice
Sam LaPorta2 hours ago

Misses Practice, Remains Day-To-Day
J.J. McCarthy3 hours ago

Undergoes Second Knee Surgery
Gardner Minshew II3 hours ago

Will Start In Week 11
Tee Higgins4 hours ago

Won't Practice But Bengals Encouraged With His Progress
Isiah Pacheco4 hours ago

Unlikely To Return In Week 11
Younghoe Koo5 hours ago

Falcons Sticking With Younghoe Koo As Their Kicker
Dalton Kincaid5 hours ago

No Practice For Dalton Kincaid On Wednesday
Amari Cooper5 hours ago

To Be Limited On Wednesday
Davante Adams5 hours ago

Misses Practice On Wednesday
Trevor Lawrence5 hours ago

Ruled Out For Week 11
Anthony Richardson5 hours ago

Colts Going Back To Anthony Richardson As Starting QB
Nick Hardy7 hours ago

Looks To Find Consistency On The Greens In Bermuda
Carson Young8 hours ago

Hopes To Carry Recent Form To Bermuda
Miles Sanders8 hours ago

Panthers’ Miles Sanders Avoids Major Injury
Brandon Clarke8 hours ago

Questionable For Wednesday's Action
Kevin Yu8 hours ago

A Name To Watch At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Marcus Smart9 hours ago

Picks Up Questionable Tag Ahead Of Wednesday
Fred VanVleet9 hours ago

Tagged As Questionable For Wednesday
Steven Adams9 hours ago

Questionable For Meeting With Clippers
Dorian Finney-Smith9 hours ago

In Danger Of Missing Another Game
Obi Toppin9 hours ago

Questionable For Wednesday Night
Anthony Davis9 hours ago

Expected To Play Wednesday
Connor McDavid9 hours ago

Leads Oilers To Victory With Four-Point Effort
Neal Pionk9 hours ago

Records Three Assists In Historic Win
Linus Ullmark10 hours ago

Records First Shutout As Senator
Hampus Lindholm10 hours ago

Taken Out By A Lower-Body Injury
Sam Bennett10 hours ago

Battling An Upper-Body Injury
Lars Eller10 hours ago

Returns To Washington
Shohei Ohtani18 hours ago

Among NL Silver Slugger Winners
Aaron Judge18 hours ago

Headlines AL Silver Slugger Winners
Jose Alvarado20 hours ago

Out Against OKC
Zach LaVine20 hours ago

Back On The Injury Report For Wednesday
Luka Doncic20 hours ago

Cleared To Play Against The Warriors
Donovan Clingan20 hours ago

Starting Versus Minnesota
Deandre Ayton20 hours ago

Sidelined Versus The Timberwolves
Andrew Wiggins20 hours ago

Good To Go Versus The Mavs
P.J. Washington20 hours ago

Ruled Out Versus Golden State
Luka Doncic21 hours ago

Now A Game-Time Decision
Jusuf Nurkic22 hours ago

Out On Tuesday Night With Left-Ankle Soreness
Gary Trent Jr.22 hours ago

Active On Tuesday, Will Come Off Bench
Cameron Payne22 hours ago

Active On Tuesday, Will Face Former Team
Miles McBride22 hours ago

Active On Tuesday Against Sixers
Dante Fabbro23 hours ago

Makes Blue Jackets Debut Tuesday
Wander Franco23 hours ago

Now Facing Weapons Charges
Spencer Knight23 hours ago

Set To Face Devils Tuesday
Travis d'Arnaud23 hours ago

Agrees On Two-Year Deal With Angels
Logan Stanley23 hours ago

Added To Injured Reserve
Philipp Grubauer23 hours ago

Remains Out On Tuesday
Shane Pinto24 hours ago

Returns To Senators Lineup
Cam Fowler24 hours ago

Placed On Injured Reserve
Robby Fabbri24 hours ago

Lands On Injured Reserve
Brendon Todd1 day ago

A Hard Sell At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Greyson Sigg1 day ago

May Surprise In Bermuda
Jacob Bridgeman1 day ago

In For Adventure At Port Royal Golf Course
Mark Hubbard1 day ago

Plays Solid In Bermuda
Andrew Novak1 day ago

Tries To Build Off ZOZO Championship
Daniel Berger1 day ago

Looks To Continue His Consistent Run At Port Royal Golf Course
Justin Lower1 day ago

Looks To Continue His Hot Play At Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Ben Griffin1 day ago

Brings Solid Form And Good Course History To Bermuda
1 day ago

Blue Jays, Red Sox To Meet With Juan Soto
Sam Stevens1 day ago

In Good Form Heading To Bermuda
Doug Ghim1 day ago

May Be Up For Bermuda
Seamus Power1 day ago

Returns To Bermuda With Good Outlook
Dustin Wolf1 day ago

Cools Off Kings Monday
Mason Marchment1 day ago

Erupts For Five Points Versus Pittsburgh
Cole Caufield1 day ago

Takes Over Goal-Scoring Lead
Nick Suzuki1 day ago

Ends Dry Spell With Four-Point Effort
Jack Eichel1 day ago

Has Two Points In Losing Effort
Seth Jarvis1 day ago

Nursing An Upper-Body Injury
Anthony Mantha1 day ago

To Undergo Season-Ending Knee Surgery
Jasson Domínguez2 days ago

Yankees Expect Jasson Dominguez To Have A Big Role In 2025
Carlos Correa2 days ago

Progressing
Carlos Prates2 days ago

Gets Higlight-Reel Knockout Win At UFC Vegas 100
Neil Magny2 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 100
Cortavious Romious2 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC Vegas 100
Gaston Bolaños2 days ago

Gaston Bolanos Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Joey Logano2 days ago

Holds On At Phoenix To Win His Third Cup Series Championship
Los Angeles Dodgers2 days ago

Dodgers Considered Favorites For Roki Sasaki
Ryan Blaney2 days ago

Falls Short Of The 2024 Cup Series Title At Phoenix
Dusko Todorovic2 days ago

Gets TKO'd At UFC Vegas 100
Wander Franco2 days ago

Arrested On Monday After Altercation
Tyler Reddick3 days ago

Lacks Speed Of Other Championship 4 Contenders But Drives Well
William Byron3 days ago

Finishes Third In Phoenix Race And Championship
Miami Marlins3 days ago

Marlins Hire Clayton McCullough As New Skipper
Mansur Abdul-Malik3 days ago

Gets First-Round Finish At UFC Vegas 100
Luana Pinheiro3 days ago

Falls Short At UFC Vegas 100
Gillian Robertson3 days ago

Extends Win Streak At UFC Vegas 100
Gerald Meerschaert3 days ago

Gets Finished At UFC Vegas 100
MMA3 days ago

Reinier de Ridder Gets Submission Win In UFC Debut
3 days ago

Rays Have Interest In Juan Soto
NASCAR3 days ago

Bubba Wallace Is A Top DFS Recommendation With Upside For Phoenix
Tyler Reddick3 days ago

Is Expected To Compete For The Title At Phoenix
Joey Logano3 days ago

Is One Of The Favorites To Win At Phoenix
Kyle Larson3 days ago

Could Be A Favorable DFS Option For Phoenix Lineups
Corey Lajoie3 days ago

Corey LaJoie Will Start 20th At Phoenix
Brad Keselowski3 days ago

Is A Solid Recommendation For Phoenix DFS Lineups
Erik Jones3 days ago

Will Start 19th At Phoenix This Week
Carson Hocevar3 days ago

Will Compete For A Top-10 Finish At Phoenix
Ty Gibbs3 days ago

Should DFS Players Fade Ty Gibbs At Phoenix?
Chase Elliott3 days ago

Is Chase Elliott A Solid DFS Pick For Phoenix Lineups?
Ryan Blaney3 days ago

The Championship Favorite Despite Qualifying Blunder
William Byron3 days ago

Will Be Strong In Fight For Championship
Austin Cindric3 days ago

Is Austin Cindric Worth Rostering For Phoenix DFS Lineups?
Ross Chastain3 days ago

Is Great At Phoenix
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Looking To Go Back-To-Back At Phoenix After Championship Snub
Chase Briscoe3 days ago

Can Be Worth Rostering In Tournaments At Phoenix
Denny Hamlin3 days ago

Could Contend At Phoenix
4 days ago

Nick Martinez Expected To Accept Qualifying Offer
MLB4 days ago

Roki Sasaki Will Be Posted, Opens Door For 2025 MLB Debut
Nolan Arenado5 days ago

Could Be On The Trade Block
Zach Neto5 days ago

Undergoes Shoulder Surgery, Could Miss Start Of 2025
Mason Miller5 days ago

To Stay In The Bullpen
Shohei Ohtani5 days ago

Shoulder Surgery Could Delay His Pitching
New York Yankees5 days ago

Yankees Exercise Aaron Boone's Option
Carlos Prates5 days ago

Looks For His Fourth Win In A Row
Neil Magny5 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
MMA5 days ago

Benardo Sopaj Looks For His First UFC Win
Ricky Turcios5 days ago

Returns At UFC Vegas 100
Dusko Todorovic5 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 100
Mansur Abdul-Malik6 days ago

A Big Favorite At UFC Vegas 100
Luana Pinheiro6 days ago

Could Be Fighting For Job At UFC Vegas 100
Gillian Robertson6 days ago

Looks To Extend Win Streak At UFC Vegas 100
Reinier De ridder6 days ago

Reinier de Ridder Makes UFC Debut At UFC Vegas 100
Gerald Meerschaert6 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 100
6 days ago

Jeff Hoffman Could Enter Starting Rotation In 2025
6 days ago

Willy Adames Receives Offers From Mets And Dodgers
T.J. McFarland6 days ago

Re-Signs With The A's

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Austin Ekeler - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL News

Who Should I Start? TNF Fantasy Football Week 11 - DeVonta Smith, Austin Ekeler, Brian Robinson, Dallas Goedert, Cedric Tillman, Darnell Mooney, Courtland Sutton, Khalil Shakir, Josh Downs, Jauan Jennings

It's time to prepare for Thursday Night Football. Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Thursday Night Football and Week 11 of the 2024 NFL season. Some of the most common lineup decisions include players like DeVonta Smith, Austin Ekeler, Brian Robinson, Dallas Goedert, Cedric Tillman, Darnell […]


Cedric Tillman - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Fantasy Football WR Sleepers: Smash Spots for Week 11 include CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Cedric Tillman, Calvin Ridley

In a week where the WR10 had 15 fantasy points, big games were hard to come by at the WR position. With that behind us, let’s try to come back stronger this week. I have scoured the data, and I am confident we’ll be putting our best picks forward this week. Last week, I was […]


George Pickens - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL injury News

Fantasy Football Matchups We Love - Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Picks for Week 11 Include Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, Joe Mixon, George Pickens, more

Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson lit the world on fire on Thursday Night Football to send fantasy managers into a love/hate frenzy heading into the weekend. Unfortunately, the weekend did not deliver the same level of goodness that fantasy managers were hoping for. There were several duds from players fantasy managers have come to expect […]


Tampa Bay Bucs Defense D/ST Streamers, Rankings, Waiver Wire - Vita Vea Fantasy Football IDP

Top Fantasy Football D/ST Rankings (Weeks 11, 12, 13, 14) - Defense Streamers and Starts

Welcome, RotoBallers, to our fantasy football D/ST streamers and starts for Weeks 11, 12, 13, and 14 -- looking at the next four weeks and identifying the best D/ST matchups. Streaming defenses each week is a strategy that some fantasy managers have adopted over the years, and looking ahead weeks in advance could give you an […]


Jake Moody - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Week 11 Fantasy Football Kicker Rankings: Kicker Updates Include Jake Bates, Harrison Butker, Jake Moody, Jake Elliott, Jason Sanders, Chris Boswell

If you have struggled to get production out of the fantasy kicker spot in 2024, you're not alone. It can be challenging to pinpoint who to start at the largely unpredictable position, so use our Week 11 fantasy football kicker rankings for 2024 to guide you in setting optimal lineups. Ahead of the next slate […]


Green Bay Packers Defense - Rashan Gary, DST, D/ST, Rankings, Streamers

Week 11 Fantasy Football Team Defense Rankings: D/ST Updates Include Lions D/ST, Packers D/ST, Dolphins D/ST, 49ers D/ST, Jets D/ST, Saints D/ST

Navigating team defenses is one of the toughest tasks in setting optimal fantasy football lineups, so use our Week 11 fantasy football defense (D/ST) rankings for 2024 if you need assistance. Defenses are largely matchup-dependent, so fantasy managers should check in every week to find the top available option. Ahead of Week 11, let's see […]


Jonathan Taylor - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Week 11 Fantasy Football Projections: Running Backs (Half-PPR) - Kareem Hunt, Najee Harris, Aaron Jones, Austin Ekeler, Audric Estime

There are only four weeks of the fantasy football regular season remaining in most leagues, so it's never been more critical to set winning lineups. Our initial Week 11 fantasy football running back projections for the 2024 NFL season will help you understand where our weekly rankings come from and set those optimal lineups. Ahead […]


Tank Dell - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, Draft Sleepers

Week 11 Fantasy Football Projections: Wide Receivers (Half-PPR) - Tank Dell, Tee Higgins, Amari Cooper, Diontae Johnson, Jauan Jennings, DJ Moore

Exploring rankings articles is a good first step in weekly fantasy football preparation, but for a peak at how the rankings out determined, read our Week 11 fantasy football wide receiver projections for the 2024 NFL season. Many fantasy managers are in must-win situations, so let's dive into the projections and see the projected output […]


younghoe koo fantasy football rankings news NFL DFS lineup picks

Week 11 Kicker Streamers and Starts - 2024 Fantasy Tiers, Rankings

As we head into Week 11, some essential kickers, including Chase McLaughlin of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, are on bye. McLaughlin currently sits fifth among fantasy kickers. If McLaughlin has been a staple in your lineup, you need a replacement this week. Eddy Pineiro (Carolina Panthers), Chad Ryland (Arizona Cardinals), and Graham Gano (New York […]


Dallas Goedert - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Week 11 Fantasy Football Projections: Tight Ends (Half-PPR) - Dallas Goedert, David Njoku, Kyle Pitts, Sam LaPorta, Taysom Hill, Mike Gesicki, Evan Engram

The fantasy football playoffs are near, so it's never been more important to utilize all available resources to nail your critical start-or-sit decisions. Use our Week 11 fantasy football tight end projections for the 2024 NFL season to set winning lineups and visualize how rankings are determined. Ahead of the Week 11 slate, let's navigate […]


C.J. Stroud - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Week 11 Fantasy Football Projections Quarterbacks: Russell Wilson, Justin Herbert, Sam Darnold, Bo Nix, Kirk Cousins, C.J. Stroud, Geno Smith, Drake Maye

The 2024 NFL season has flown by, and before we know it, the fantasy football playoffs will begin. That said, it's never been a better time to set your optimal lineups, and a big week from your quarterback can be a difference-maker in your matchups. Our Week 11 fantasy football quarterback projections for the 2024 […]


Jauan Jennings - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Fantasy Football Risers and Fallers - Week 11

Week 10 of the 2024 season is in the books. That means another week of cold, hard data to analyze. We’ll try not to overreact, but instead, use logic and reasoning as the foundation for our decision-making in the weeks ahead. Each week, we’ll take a look back at the previous week to see if […]


Christian McCaffrey - Fantasy Football Rankings, DFS and Betting Picks, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Trade Targets - Buy/Sell For Week 11 Including Najee Harris, Christian McCaffrey, Calvin Ridley, Brian Thomas Jr.

I'm not sure how we are at this point in the season already, but the end of Week 11 marks the trade deadline in most fantasy football leagues. The past 10 weeks have flown by, despite the countless ups and downs that have brought us immeasurable joy and pain. Fortunately, I avoided pain with my […]