Well, folks, we are now officially and fully into the second half of the regular season. It seems it was only moments ago that many of us were confidently arguing our preseason takes … then BAM!! The unpredictable beast that is the NFL brings us to our proper size via injury, questionable coaching decisions, third-year wide receivers breaking out, and players straight-up failing to deliver.
Week 9, as each week preceding it, was not short on surprises and dramatic finishes. Safe to say, Rico Dowdle will not make my “Sit” list again anytime soon. Hopefully, your teams did enough to get the win. Let’s see what’s in store for us in Week 10.
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Quarterback
Start: Jared Goff
Week 9 was yet another week where Jared Goff finished outside of the top 12 at his position. His lone QB1 finish (incidentally, he was the QB1) came back in Week 2, when he and the Lions hung a fifty-burger on the Chicago Bears in Detroit. Since then, he has only scored over 20 fantasy points once, though he came close last week, scoring 19.4 against the Minnesota Vikings.
The former first overall pick from the 2016 draft will look to improve on last week’s effort in Week 10 when the Lions host the Washington Commanders. Historically, Goff is a much better bet when he is at home versus on the road, so there’s one box checked for Week 10. Next, we have a juicy matchup. The Commanders allow the third-most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks. If you need a third box to check off, Goff is ranked second in True Passer Rating and fourth in First Down Rate. Some of his other advanced accuracy metrics are eye-popping as well. Let’s let the house-cat loose this week.
Jared Goff‘s Advanced Accuracy Metrics
Honorable Mention: Jaxson Dart
Sit: Jordan Love
Jordan Love was outscored by Tyler Shough last week. YIKES. While you let that sink in, I’ll mention that he also lost his most productive pass-catcher in Week 9, as Tucker Kraft went out with a torn ACL.
Week 10 finds the Green Bay Packers set to square off with the Philadelphia Eagles in Philly on Monday Night Football. To date, the Eagles are a neutral matchup for opposing quarterbacks on a per-game basis. I’m not certain the two new trade acquisitions, Jaire Alexander and Jaelan Phillips, will have a drastic immediate impact.
But defensive coordinator Vic Fangio having two weeks to prepare is usually a scary proposition for the opponent. Sprinkle in some good vibes surrounding the return of veteran defensive end Brandon Graham, and it’s enough to have me looking elsewhere for quarterback production this week.
Honorable Mention: Trevor Lawrence
Running Back
Start: Travis Etienne
Travis Etienne‘s Athletic Profile
Coming out of the bye, Travis Etienne maintained a firm grasp on his lead-back duties. Rookie Bhayshul Tuten factored in on 25% of Jacksonville’s Week 9 snaps, which was about the same as before the bye. Etienne was also productive in the receiving game last week, hauling in all five of his targets for 31 yards to add to his 84 yards gained on the ground.
In Week 10, the Jaguars will host the Houston Texans. The Texans have a stout defense, presenting tough matchups across the board. They allow the tenth-fewest PPR points per game to opposing running backs. But matchups in general are a little tougher this week, with three of our most targeted defenses being on bye (that would be you, Cincinnati, Tennessee, and Dallas). Given what’s available to us, Etienne is a locked-in RB2 for us this week at RB15 in our weekly rankings.
Honorable Mentions: Rhamondre Stevenson, Chicago Bears RBs
Sit: Jacory Croskey-Merritt
The 24-year-old rookie has been in a rut lately, posting single-digit fantasy outputs in his last four games. Unfortunately for fantasy gamers who became enamoured with “Bill” earlier this season, it doesn’t get any easier in Week 10. The Commanders’ upcoming opponents this week are the Detroit Lions. The Lions have allowed the third-fewest PPR points per game to opposing running backs. If we can’t avoid starting Jacory Croskey-Merritt (as is the case for me in at least one league), let’s at least manage our expectations and look for upside elsewhere in our lineups.
Honorable Mentions: Kimani Vidal, Zonovan Knight
Wide Receiver
Start: Wan’Dale Robinson
Wan’Dale Robinson leads the New York Giants in targets, and it’s not close. Theo Johnson, second on the list, is 25 targets behind Robinson. Third is Malik Nabers, who hasn’t played since Week 4. Robinson has quietly become one of the more reliable plays in fantasy football, especially in positive matchups.
Wan’Dale Robinson‘s Explosive Rating
Cue the Chicago Bears, who will visit the Giants Sunday afternoon. The Bears allow the third-most PPR points per game to opposing wideouts. The former second-round pick leads the league in slot snaps and Designed Target Share. He is eighth in receptions and fifth in yards after catch (YAC). Plug him in with confidence this week as a solid floor play with some boom potential.
Honorable Mentions: Rome Odunze, Troy Franklin
Sit: Khalil Shakir
Khalil Shakir exited Week 9 as a low-end WR3, scoring just 11.3 PPR points in his team’s victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. Shakir has been pretty steady overall, generally producing as he did last week, with only two single-digit outputs this year. So if you are looking for a safe floor play, he could provide it, but there is some bust potential this week for the former Boise State Bronco.
The Bills’ Week 10 opponent, the Miami Dolphins, allows the second-fewest PPR points per game to opposing wide receivers. With Dalton Kincaid emerging as a steadier red-zone target, plus the team’s reliance on the run game with James Cook, I’m avoiding Shakir where possible.
Honorable Mentions: Marvin Harrison Jr., Tre Tucker
Tight End
Start: Dallas Goedert
Dallas Goedert has become a huge part of the Eagles’ passing game this year, much more than I anticipated way back before Week 1. Goedert comes into Week 10 as the TE6 (fourth in PPR points per game) on the year, despite playing in only seven games. His usage near the goal line has certainly helped the cause, as he leads all tight ends with seven touchdowns. But his 20.9% target share is certainly nothing to scoff at.
In Week 10, the Eagles will host the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football. The Packers’ defense has allowed the eighth-most PPR points per game to opposing tight ends. They are much stingier against the other skill positions, making this a good spot to start the veteran tight end coming off a bye.
Honorable Mention: Harold Fannin Jr.
Sit: Evan Engram
Remember all that “Joker” talk in the weeks leading up to the season for Evan Engram? Seems like the joke is on those of us who drafted him, as he has posted just one game with a double-digit PPR point total, and that was back in Week 5.
Evan Engram‘s Game Log
Coming off the goose egg he put up last week on three targets, Engram and the Broncos will take on the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 10. The Raiders allow the fourth-fewest PPR points to tight ends on a per-game basis. Let’s leave the part-time player on our benches this week. That is, if you can’t find a player to drop him for.
Honorable Mention: T.J. Hockenson
That’s all for this week. Thank you for reading!
Feel free to hit me up on X, Instagram, or Bluesky to let me know if you agree or disagree, or to share your own lineup dilemmas!
Many Successes,
Kyle
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