Each week there are some obvious starts and sits in fantasy football. Other decisions are not quite so simple. With that in mind, I offer up some not-so-obvious picks with my weekly Studs, Duds & Sleepers. Here are this week’s picks.
STUDS
QB: Justin Fields (CHI) vs. DET: Count me as someone jumping on the Fields’ train. Since Week 4 only Joe Burrow has scored more fantasy points. Now he gets a Lions’ D that has ceded 20 plus FP to opposing all but two of the signal callers they’ve faced all season.
RB: Travis Etienne (JCK) at KC: The thing I love most about Etienne is that he’s game flow agnostic, especially after the trade of James Robinson. He’s a mid-range RB1 for me the rest of the way and with the Chiefs and Jaguars’ game the only one on the Week 10 slate with a total at 50 or higher the opportunities should be there.
WR:Chris Olave (NO) at PIT: No team has been more friendly to fantasy wideouts this season than the Steelers, who have allowed a league-high 13 scores to the position and let six wideouts hit the century mark in seven games.
TE: Dallas Goedert (PHI) vs. WAS: Right now I want any piece of that Eagles’ offense I can get. Goedert is coming off a monster performance (8/100/1) in Week 9 vs. the Texans and he should definitely keep the good vibes rolling vs. Washington this week. In his last three contests against his NFC East foes he has tallied 307 yards on 21 catches.
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DUDS
QB: Aaron Rodgers (GB) at DAL: I’ve been out on Aaron Rodgers all year so I don’t own him on any season-long rosters, but I am still amazed by how many starting lineups I still see him in. With the already thin corps of receivers losing Romeo Doubs to a multi-week injury there’s no way I’m playing in 1 QB formats. He’s outside my top 20 at the position for Week 10.
RB: Clyde Edwards-Helaire (KC) vs. JCK: In case you missed it, the TD spree has dried up for CEH and so has his fantasy value. He is not the passing-down back, he’s sharing early-down work, and now even Mecole Hardman is getting looks out of the backfield in KC. Edwards-Helaire has reached double digit PPR points since Week 4 and he won’t get there this week either.
WR: Courtland Sutton (DEN) vs. TB: The Broncos’ entire offense has been a bust and outside of Javonte Williams, who got hurt, nobody on the team came at a stiffer price this summer than Sutton. He has only eclipsed five catches in a game twice all year and the last time came in Week 3. I’m sitting all Broncos not named Greg Dulcich this week, including Sutton, who needs to play his way back into fantasy lineups.
TE: Tyler Higbee (LAR) vs. ARI: After last week’s goose egg, Higbee is officially ready to be taken out of the top 10 tight end discussion and no longer is a weekly start. Now we’ve got Matthew Stafford in concussion protocol and that is not helping boost my confidence. The matchup is appealing for sure, but I’m sorry my trust level on any Ram not named Cooper Kupp has faded.
SLEEPERS
QB: Jimmy Garoppolo (SF) vs. LAC: The Chargers’ D has improved after a rough start to the season, holding four straight QB’s to under 20 FP. However, I like Jimmy G this week, especially with Deebo Samuel expected to return to action. It doesn’t take much for his short-range passes to turn into big plays with Samuel and Christian McCaffrey catching his balls.
RB: Jeff Wilson (MIA) vs. CLE: It was to ask for a better performance on the short timeframe Wilson had than he delivered fantasy managers a week ago. He had one more snap than Mostert and finished with 12 touches for 72 total yards and a score. Both Dolphins’ running backs are on my radar as solid flex options this week, with Wilson my preferred option of the two.
WR: George Pickens (PIT) vs. NO: The trade of Chase Claypool should open up things even more for the rookie wideout, who has displayed some big-play ability. Look for a bounceback effort from his first catchless effort of his career in Week 8 and coming out of his first bye week as a pro.
TE: Cole Kmet (CHI) vs. DET: Suddenly my Kmet season-long props don’t look so bad as the veteran tight end has scored three times in two weeks. The Lions have allowed four TD’s to tight ends in their last five outings. I am intrigued by the Anytime TD prop for him this week (+295 at Caesars) and as a streamer option for those struggling with injuries and bye weeks.
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