NFL Week 10 Fantasy Football: Start ‘Em, Sit ‘ Em, Sleepers

We are in the thick of the fantasy football season, with many team owners jockeying for playoff position as the fantasy postseason approaches. Who are the must-starts, players to avoid, and sleepers for NFL Week 10?

*All fantasy football statistics and rankings are based on full-PPR scoring*

NFL Week 10 Fantasy Football Start ‘Em

QB – Justin Fields, QB7, Chicago Bears

Justin Fields looks like the player that many, myself included, expected him to be coming out of Ohio State. The second-year starter in Chicago is in a much better situation in 2022, and over the past month, he ranks among the very best at the position in fantasy.

The biggest reason for his explosion onto the fantasy football scene is his increased productivity as a runner. In his last four games, Fields ran the ball 49 times for an astonishing 408 yards, adding three touchdowns to boot. He also threw seven touchdowns in that span.

The Chicago Bears host the Detroit Lions this weekend, a defense giving up the third-most points to opposing quarterbacks. Justin Fields has earned the right to start in any matchup, but against the Lions, he should be in every lineup.

RB – Leonard Fournette, RB9, Tampa Bay Bucs

It was an ugly three-game stretch for Leonard Fournette, averaging around 10 points per game, primarily off receptions. That production will remain fickle due to the ineptitude of the Bucs’ offensive line.

That being said, I trust Fournette in NFL Week 10 as a viable fantasy football RB1. Tampa Bay is in Germany this weekend taking on the Seattle Seahawks. Pete Carroll’s crew is having a great 2022 season, but his defense ranks inside the top 10 for most points allowed to opposing running backs.

The new environment breeds uncertainty from a fantasy football perspective, so expect these two teams to lean on their run game early and often. The Seahawks’ secondary is tough to move the football on; Fournette is in line for a busy Sunday morning.

WR – DeVonta Smith, WR32, Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles are humming on offense, led by MVP candidate Jalen Hurts and star wide receiver, AJ Brown. Brown is a must-start in any fantasy football lineup, but so is his teammate, DeVonta Smith.

Smith currently ranks as a mid-tier WR3 in full PPR rankings, and this is due to his volatility on a week-by-week basis. In four of his eight games in 2022, Smith has scored 15+ points; in the other four games, Smith has failed to score more than 7.3 in any contest. I have good news, though.

Smith’s best game of the season came back in week three against the Washington Commanders. In that divisional battle, the lethal route runner diced up the DC defense with eight catches for 169 yards and a touchdown. Philly hosts the Commanders this weekend; lock DeVonta Smith into your fantasy football lineup.

TE – Foster Moreau, TE36, Las Vegas Raiders

Well… this is quite the disparity from the first three names, huh? The previous players on this list all have first-round draft pedigree, but Foster Moreau is a day-three pick that has found inconsistent playing time during his tenure with the Raiders.

Now that Darren Waller is on the IR, as well as WR Hunter Renfrow, Foster Moreau steps into a pass-catching corps with tons of unclaimed targets. Moreau’s 19 targets in the past three weeks indicate that he will have high usage in the offense going forward.

The Indianapolis Colts added a star of their own to the IR this week; All-Pro linebacker Shaquille Leonard suffered a setback during practice and is out for at least a month, if not longer. That leaves a major void in the middle of their defense.

As much of a disaster as 2022 has been for the Raiders, their opponents on Sunday have been even more dysfunctional. Take advantage of this by starting Foster Moreau, who is still available in most leagues.

NFL Week 10 Fantasy Football Sit ‘Em

QB – Josh Allen, QB1, Buffalo Bills

This can be considered bold because if Josh Allen is deemed healthy enough to play, he should probably be in 100% of fantasy football lineups. My concern is that even if he is cleared to play, it could be in a limited capacity.

I have no doubts that Josh Allen will do everything in his power to suit up vs. the 7-1 Minnesota Vikings. An arm injury to a guy that not only thrives as a passer but also as a runner that barrels over defenders is debilitating. He will have to approach the game differently Sunday.

I would not feel comfortable starting Allen this week if there are other options available to you on the waiver wire. Derek Carr vs. Colts, Daniel Jones vs. Houston, and Dak Prescott vs. Packers are a few I would consider.

RB – David Montgomery, RB32, Chicago Bears

A few factors are working against David Montgomery in NFL Week 10. The aforementioned rise of quarterback Justin Fields has come at a cost to the production of Montgomery out of the backfield. The other red flag comes from his backup earning more snaps.

Khalil Herbert, RB21 in full-PPR fantasy football rankings, has accumulated 36 touches in the last three contests. With two guys eating into his opportunities, it would be wise to avoid starting David Montgomery on Sunday afternoon.

Monty is more talented than his numbers indicate, but with a sub-10 PPG figure, there are better options.

WR – Michael Pittman Jr., WR18, Indianapolis Colts

The WR18 in full PPR fantasy football rankings will have a difficult path to points for the remainder of the 2022 season. Michael Pittman Jr., the No. 1 WR in Indy, is now catching footballs from Sam Ehlinger, making it hard to trust the third-year pass catcher in fantasy lineups.

The Las Vegas Raiders are not a juggernaut in the secondary at all, so it may be tempting to throw Pittman Jr. in the lineup, but outside of a flex play in deep leagues, it will prove to be a poor decision. The new play caller, Parks Frazier, has never called plays at the NFL level and will have his work cut out for him with this roster.

There are dozens of higher-upside options at wide receiver this week. Do not scout the name, scout the situation. MPJ is a great player with a great matchup, but he could not be in a worse situation than what he is facing Sunday in Las Vegas.

TE – Dallas Goedert, TE4, Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles make another appearance in this article, this time for the wrong reason. Dallas Goedert has been among the most productive tight ends in fantasy football in 2022, but his matchup this weekend gives me a reason for pause.

One argument against Goedert is due to the talent around him at wide receiver. The Commanders’ secondary is near the bottom of the league in terms of talent, and the Eagles will take advantage of that often with AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith, which might not leave enough meat on the bone for the star tight end.

In the week three matchup vs. Washington, Goedert salvaged a respectable scoring output with a short touchdown, but without that, it would be his lowest total of the 2022 season. There are better options this week at tight end.

NFL Week 10 Fantasy Football Sleepers

QB – Derek Carr, QB18, Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders QB has tormented Colts fans in five career games vs. the Shoe. Carr completes 71.1% of his passes, averages 247 passing yards and two touchdowns per contest, and owns a 3-2 record in his career against Indy. He is available in most leagues and is a top 10 play in NFL Week 10 against a messy Colts squad.

RB – Nyheim Hines, RB46, Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills could be without QB Josh Allen on Sunday, but even if their star signal-caller suits up, it might be in a limited capacity. Hines will get a chance to work himself into the offense against the Vikings; expect the dual-threat running back to be busy on the ground and in the check-down game in NFL Week 10.

WR – Kalif Raymond, WR74, Detroit Lions

The Lions WR room has not been fully healthy all year; that will remain true this weekend with Josh Reynolds ruled out of the contest. Kalif Raymond assumes the No. 2 role in the passing game behind Amon’Ra St. Brown in NFL Week 10.

D’Andre Swift is supposedly healthy, so he could eat into the touches a bit, but with TJ Hockenson long gone, someone has to catch footballs from Jared Goff. The Bears are stout against receivers, but Raymond is good for a big play or two this weekend.

TE – Evan Engram, TE12, Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars pass catchers have been inconsistent this fantasy football season, but if we toss out last week’s stinker vs. the Raiders, Evan Engram has settled in as the top tight end in Duval. From week five to week eight, Engram averaged 12 fantasy points per game. The Jaguars take on the Chiefs Sunday in Kansas City, a team giving up the seventh-most fantasy points to tight ends in 2022. Start him with confidence.