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Scott Engel breaks down his Week 10 fantasy football lineup rankings, spotlighting key NFL players to start and tougher lineup start/sit decisions to make.
Welcome to Week 10, RotoBallers! Below you will find some of my spotlight plays and tough lineup decisions for the upcoming week of the fantasy football season.
These player selections are based on my Premium Weekly Lineup Rankings, available as part of the RotoBaller's NFL Premium Pass. Enter promo code KING at checkout for a 10% discount and get access to all of my ranks in all formats, plus a full roster of tools and analysis for the rest of the 2019 season.
Note that all skill position picks and analyses here are based on my PPR ranks.
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Spotlight RB Starters for Week 10
Tevin Coleman vs. SEA: Expect a quality rebound performance in this big Monday Night Football showdown. Coleman will shine brightly in this major NFC West matchup. The Niners will rely on their RBs to steer the offense and try to control the clock, keeping Russell Wilson on the sidelines as much as they can. Coleman is a threat to break off a sizable TD run or score from near the goal-line. Seattle has allowed nine rushing TDs, third most in the NFL.
David Montgomery vs. DET: He is ranked lower than the Expert Consensus Rankings, but is still a very good RB2 start this week. Montgomery has come on strong recently and the Lions allow the most Fantasy Points Per Game to RBs. The only minor concerns are that sometimes things don’t always go as expected on paper in divisional matchups, and even the Lions should be able to key on Montgomery and force the Chicago offense into the hands of the Terrible Trubisky.
J.D. McKissic vs. CHI: No one in Detroit can run the ball effectively, so they might as well roll with their pass-catching RB. The Bears allow the third-most receiving yards in the NFC to RBs. McKissic caught a 26-yard TD pass last week and as a former college wide receiver, he is a natural fit for an offense that relies mainly on the passing game.
Spotlight WR Starters for Week 10
Jamison Crowder vs. NYG: He represents Sam Darnold’s best chances of moving the sticks and Crowder has emerged as the one guy on the Jets with some true statistical upside in any given week. The Giants allow the second-most FFPG to WRs. Crowder should be a standout performer in the battle of New Jersey’s disappointing teams. Robby Anderson will also be a threat for a big play or two and a TD.
Zach Pascal vs. MIA: Considering his recent production and the matchup, Pascal has to be locked into your lineups in Week 10. If there is a tight decision between the Colts’ current WR1 and another player, you should undoubtedly go with Pascal. If you need to be convinced that he should be started, you are likely overthinking things. He should be a guaranteed fantasy WR2 this week. Why is the ECR seven spots behind me?
A.J. Brown vs. KC: The Kansas City pass defense is better than many people think, and they are seventh in allowing FFPG to WRs. But the Titans may still hit on some key passes as they try to keep up with the Chiefs. Brown is their best bet to make splash plays downfield or finish off a scoring drive with a TD reception in the red zone. He can also catch passes on key downs when needed. Brown may step into a larger role this week with Corey Davis out.
Spotlight TE Starters for Week 10
Cameron Brate vs. ARI: We don’t have to tell you how bad the Cardinals are against TEs, as it has become a legendary fantasy football tale. While there has been chirping about how this can be a game where O.J. Howard returns to life, I would rather take my chances with Brate, who has two TD receptions to Howard’s zero.
Jacob Hollister vs. SF: The matchup obviously does not look good, and the expected return of Ed Dickson may seem like another negative for Hollister. But he is a necessary reserve for George Kittle owners who have to wait until Monday night to see if he starts. If Kittle is active, you must start him against the Seahawks, who have allowed the second-most receiving yards to TEs among NFC teams. If he is out, you can pivot to Hollister, who should remain as a top TE target for Wilson for at least another week. Don’t worry too much about Dickson yet here. Hollister played well in the preseason and has recently produced enough to stay in the offensive mix.
Spotlight QB Starters for Week 10
Russell Wilson vs. SF: He has to be included here because too many of his owners are overthinking the matchup this week. They are considering benching Wilson for a lesser QB with a better draw, which is just matchup overanalysis. Wilson is the No. 1 QB in fantasy football right now. The Niners have yet to face a QB on the level of Wilson, and defenses do not win out in every matchup. Kyler Murray performed respectably against San Francisco before the bye, and Wilson is obviously a more established performer. The Cardinals poked a hole in the narrative that San Francisco’s defense is a complete shutdown unit, and Wilson should make that hole even bigger.
Jameis Winston vs. ARI: From a fantasy perspective, the Tampa Bay quarterback is playing at a very high level recently. Winston has thrown for 300-plus yards and two or more TDs in five of his past six games. The Cardinals allow the most FFPG to QBs, making Winston a must-start despite some of his turnover concerns.
Tough Lineup Decisions
David Montgomery over Devin Singletary: Both of these promising rookies have good matchups. But Montgomery is more likely to get a larger share of his backfield's workload, while Singletary could continue to lose some carries to Frank Gore.
Joe Mixon over Kalen Ballage: Neither of these options are too inspiring, but with six teams on a bye and injuries to guys like James Conner, you could be faced with a tough decision like this. Mixon has the more daunting matchup, but Ballage is a pure desperation start. Miami's de facto lead back has averaged two yards per carry and hasn't topped 20 rushing yards even once this season. He could easily flop and give way to Patrick Laird and/or Myles Gaskin.
Zach Pascal over Christian Kirk: The Arizona WR is the sexy pick this week in a great-looking matchup. But Pascal’s matchup does not stink either, and he has been a bigger TD threat than Kirk.
DK Metcalf over Robby Anderson: The Jets here again-gone again WR has the better matchup against the Giants, but Metcalf has definitely been more productive. Anderson can disappear even in what seems to be a good matchup, while Metcalf may be further motivated to perform well in a marquee game. Plus, he wants to keep his spot on the depth chart over the newly-added Josh Gordon.
Mike Gesicki over Eric Ebron: This could be the true breakout week for the second-year Miami TE. The Colts allow the second-most FFPG in the AFC to TEs. Ebron should get the cliched "squeaky wheel treatment" this week after meeting with the coaching staff about his role, but Indianapolis will still feature Jack Doyle.
Russell Wilson over Kyler Murray: The rookie has maybe the best matchup of the week against the Buccaneers. And while the Cardinals are certainly hoping he will become the next Wilson, he’s not proven enough to start him over the top-scoring QB in fantasy based on matchup alone.
