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| Friday, November 11, 2022 |
| As expected, Thursday Night Football wasn't a huge help for Fantasy. I mean, if your opponent had, say, Kyle Pitts and Younghoe Koo, it ended up being a pretty good night for you. |
| It was a pretty good night for at least one of my opponents, is what I'm saying. |
| Whether you have ground to make up or just need help making sure you've got the best lineup set, the FFT team is here to help. In today's newsletter, I have my previews of every Week 10 game, with start/sit calls and injuries to know from each game, and that's not all the help we've got. If you have other lineup questions or need more help, send your emails my way at Chris.Towers@ViacomCBS.com with the subject line "#AskFFT" and I'll try to answer them before Sunday morning's lineup locks. Plus, you can catch our YouTube stream Sunday morning at 11:30 a.m. ET where Adam Aizer, Frankl Stampfl and I will be answering all of your lineup questions. |
| Get ready for Week 10 with all of our preview content here: |
| Week 10 Start 'Em & Sit 'Em: QB | RB | WRStarts, sits and sleepers for every game Week 10 Position Previews: QB | RB | WR | TE Week 10 Rankings: Jamey | Dave | HeathMy rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE |
| And here's what the rest of today's newsletter has in store to help you get ready for Week 10: |
| 🏈TNF Fantasy Recap: Panthers 25, Falcons 15🔍Week 10 Game Previews: Injury updates and lineup dilemmas |
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| 🏈TNF Recap: Panthers 25, Falcons 15 |
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| Winner: D'Onta Foreman. I thought there was some risk of Foreman being in a timeshare with Chuba Hubbard with the latter back from injury, but that wasn't the case at all. Foreman got five of the team's eight carries in the first quarter and kept that pace up most of the way, ultimately ending up with 130 yards on 31 carries with a touchdown. I still think there are going to be some pretty lousy games in the future here with Foreman -- he doesn't catch passes and the Panthers are still a bad team, a bad recipe if you're looking for weekly production. But he has clearly played his way into the lead RB role when the Panthers are in run-mode, and that should keep him in the RB2 discussion most weeks. |
| Loser: Kyle Pitts. This was one of the most frustrating games of the season to watch, because the issue for Pitts this time around wasn't that he didn't get the opportunities; the issue was that Marcus Mariota didn't even give him a chance. Mariota wasn't even close on several throws to Pitts this week, so when you see the 8-2-28-0 line for Pitts, understand that he isn't the issue. The problem is, Mariota is the starting QB here and likely will be moving forward -- I haven't seen much reason to think they're going to go with rookie Desmond Ridder if they haven't yet. I'm probably going to keep Pitts in the low-end TE1 range moving forward, but he's behind the likes of Dalton Schultz, Pat Freiermuth, and Greg Dulcich now -- and probably for good. At least until the QB play improves. If it ever does. |
| One more thing: D.J. Moore 's struggles in this one were more like what we've gotten used to seeing from Pitts this season. Despite leaving the game briefly to be evaluated for a concussion (and ultimately being cleared and returning), Moore led the team in targets. The problem is, the Panthers threw the ball just 16 times for 108 yards, with Moore catching four of six for 29 yards. The Panthers threw the ball just 11 times compared to 39 pass attempts from the end of the first quarter on, and they won't be in many situations like that moving forward, so consider this the floor for Moore. Unfortunately, that's now two floor games in a row, a reminder that he's being held back by his offense as much as anyone in the game right now. He's just a boom-or-bust WR3. |
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| 🔍Week 10 Game Previews |
| There's something to watch in every game on the NFL schedule every week, even if you have to squint to see it sometimes. Here's a look ahead at every Week 10 game, with some notes on what Vegas is expecting to see, some lineup help and the latest injury updates from around the league: |
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| All odds are via Caesars Sportsbook. |
| Seahawks "at" Buccaneers |
| Sunday, 9:30 a.m. ETLine: Buccaneers -2.5; 44.5 O/U Implied totals: Buccaneers 23.5-Seahawks 21 |
| Relative to expectations coming into the season, there might not be two teams further apart so far. The Buccaneers offense just hasn't been right all season, and even with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin healthy, this team looks like it seriously needs some help. It's not at all a stretch to say Geno Smith is outplaying Tom Brady this season, which goes a long way toward explaining why the Seahawks are two games up on the Buccaneers right now. |
| Toughest lineup decision: Chris Godwin -- Start. I don't think starting Godwin is a particularly tough decision right now, but judging by how many questions we've gotten about him, a lot of you don't agree. He has double-digit targets in four straight games, so while the ceiling outcomes haven't been what you hoped for, the floor here is still incredibly high. And, if he starts to be more efficient with that volume, the upside remains very high. I'm not only starting Godwin, but I'm trying to trade for him everywhere I can. |
| Injuries: Russell Gage (hamstring) -- Gage did not travel with the Bucs to Germany and won't play this week. |
| Vikings at Bills |
| Sunday, 1 p.m. ETLine: Bills -3.5; 43.5 O/UImplied totals: Bills 23.5-Vikings 20 |
| The line has already moved 3.5 points toward the Vikings since it opened, and it wouldn't be a surprise at all if this one ended up close to a pick 'em if Josh Allen is ultimately ruled out. The Bills are probably still the better team, but they've been devastated by injuries, with several big names on defense also dealing with injuries. This might not be as tough a matchup as it has been for much of the season, and the Bills offense might really struggle, even if Case Keenum is a decent enough backup. |
| Toughest lineup decision: Gabe Davis -- Start ... if Josh Allen plays. And even then, Davis certainly doesn't feel like a sure-fire starter these days. The highs have been incredibly high, but he also has six straight games with three or fewer catches and fewer than 40 yards in five of eight games overall. He's a boom-or-bust WR3 at this point, but if Allen doesn't play, the chances of that boom look a lot slimmer. |
| Injuries: Josh Allen (elbow) -- Allen has been held out of practice both Wednesday and Thursday, and it looks like there's a legitimate shot he won't play. If he does, I'll probably still start him and rank him as a top-five option. If not, Case Keenum is a viable streamer, though probably not a top-12 guy. ... Adam Thielen (ankle) -- Thielen got up to a full practice Thursday, so he should be good to go. He's just a WR3 at this point. |
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| Broncos at Titans |
| Sunday, 1 p.m. ETLine: Titans -2.5; 36.5 O/UImplied totals: Titans 19.5-Broncos 17 |
| I'm pretty sure this is the lowest over/under of the season, and I would imagine it'll tick up a point or two in the Titans favor if Ryan Tannehill is cleared to play. Still, the Titans game plan probably won't change much -- they'll trust Tannehill to throw more than Malik Willis, sure, but this offense is going to run through Derrick Henry, especially with Tannehill still likely to be less than 100% healthy. They'll try to control the ball, and if their defense plays as well as it did last week, they'll have a great chance. |
| Toughest lineup decision: Russell Wilson -- Start . I'm starting to talk myself into Wilson having a big second half of the season, and it comes down to this: Most of his struggles have come in the red zone. He's been fine everywhere else, ranking ninth in passer rating outside of the red zone. He's been a disaster once the Broncos get in close, and I think the larger sample size of the non-RZ plays (196 pass attempts vs. just 32) is probably a bit more representative of how he's likely to play moving forward. That's not to say this is just bad luck or something like that -- Wilson legitimately has played poorly when the Broncos have gotten in close. I just think he's likely to figure it out at least a little bit, and going from disastrous to simply average in those key situations should make this offense look a lot better. Even with the Titans playing pretty well last week, they've still allowed the fifth-most Fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season. |
| Injuries: Ryan Tannehill (ankle) -- Tannehill got a full practice in Thursday, so we'll see how he responds to that on Friday, but it looks like he's ready to make his return this week. He's a low-end QB2. ... Treylon Burks (toe) -- Burks has been designated to return from IR and told reporters he is planning on playing this week. He still needs to be fully cleared, but if you've got a roster spot to play with, consider stashing Burks, who could emerge as Tannehill's No. 1 option down the stretch ... KJ Hamler (groin) -- Hamler suffered the injury during Wednesday's practice and sat out Thursday's so it looks like there's a pretty good chance he won't be out there this week. |
| Lions at Bears |
| Sunday, 1 p.m. ETLine: Bears -3; 48.5 O/UImplied totals: Bears 25.75-Lions 22.75 |
| Only four teams have a higher implied total than the Bears this week, which is an incredible turnaround that is entirely owed to Justin Fields' individual brilliance of late. That's a little worrisome, because he's going to have a less-than-stellar game at some point, but I'm not expecting it to come against a Lions team still allowing the most points per game of any team in the league. |
| Toughest lineup decision: D'Andre Swift. -- Sit. I wasn't worried enough about Swift's usage last week. He played just 10 snaps, rushing two times and getting four targets. He did come within a couple of yards of scoring at one point, but that's basically the only thing you can hope for right now, it seems. Maybe he'll have a bigger role this week -- I'd bet on it -- but even then, 10 touches feels like the ceiling until further notice. He's a boom-or-bust RB3 for me at this point. |
| Injuries: Josh Reynolds (back) -- Reynolds has not practiced this week, so it looks like he's unlikely to play at this point. |
| Jaguars at Chiefs |
| Sunday, 1 p.m. ETLine: Chiefs -9.5; 50.5 O/UImplied totals: Chiefs 30-Jaguars 20.5 |
| It won't be as extreme, but expect the Jaguars to go with a similar game plan to the Titans last week. Travis Etienne has 52 carries over the past two weeks, and they'll probably look to get him a similar workload this week in order to try to keep Patrick Mahomes off the field. Of course, if Mahomes drops three first-half touchdowns on them, they might have to go away from that game plan, so I'd still expect Trevor Lawrence to throw more than 31 times, which has been his total in each of the past two games. |
| Toughest lineup decision: Trevor Lawrence -- Start. Lawrence isn't a must-start QB, but he's a solid enough option against a Chiefs team that has allowed every QB except Malik Willis to throw multiple touchdowns against them this season. It's not that they've got an awful defense or anything -- they're around middle-of-the-pack in points and yards allowed -- but teams have to pass a lot to keep up with them, and they do have the fourth-highest touchdown rate allowed in the passing game. It sets up well for Lawrence to have a solid showing, even if some of it might come in garbage time. |
| Injuries: Mecole Hardman (abdomen) -- Hardman has been held out of the past two days of practice, so it looks like there's a real chance he won't play this week. It'll be interesting to see if Skyy Moore or Kadarius Toney steps into a larger role, though neither would be worth starting outside of very deep leagues where you are desperate this week. I'd give Moore the edge based on experience in the offense ... Evan Engram (back) -- Engram has been limited both days so far this week, so he could be cleared to play this week. He's a low-end TE1 with the injury risk dangling above him. |
| Browns at Dolphins |
| Sunday, 1 p.m. ETLine: Dolphins -3.5; 49 O/UImplied totals: Dolphins 26.25-Browns 22.75 |
| The Dolphins are looking like a gold mine for Fantasy, and not just because their offense is incredible. They've also grown increasingly suspect on defense, having allowed 30-plus points in consecutive games to the Bears and Lions -- hardly the toughest offenses around. They've struggled about equally against the run and the pass, which puts Cleveland in position to try to establish the run while still putting Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones in contention as viable starts if they fall behind. Peoples-Jones is a high-upside WR3 for this one. |
| Toughest lineup decision: Raheem Mostert/Jeff Wilson -- Sit. You want a piece of this Dolphins offense, but I'm not sure a timeshare in the backfield is the piece you want. The Dolphins don't run the ball a ton -- 20.4 RB carries per game -- and they don't throw to their running backs all that often -- 14% of Tua Tagovailoa 's passes have gone to RBs. So you're left hoping for goal line touches on a team that has a tendency to break big plays in the passing game, leaving relatively few opportunities for touchdowns -- their running backs have seven in nine games. Good luck trying to figure out which one has the edge in close after both Mostert and Wilson scored last week. |
| Injuries: David Njoku (ankle) -- Njoku told reporters earlier in the week he expects to play, but after two days of DNPs, it's hard to assume that. If he does play, Njoku is a viable starter against a great matchup, but you need to have an alternative ready to go just in case. |
| Texans at Giants |
| Sunday, 1 p.m. ETLine: Giants -4.5; 40.5 O/UImplied totals: Giants 22.5-Texans 18 |
| The Giants are 6-2, and coming off their bye week they could be healthier than they have been in a while. This isn't a team with a ton of talent, but it has been exceptionally well coached in the first year of the Brian Daboll era. One place it has really struggled is against the run, allowing 5.5 yards per carry this season, the second-highest mark in the league. I think we know what the Texans game plan is going to be. |
| Toughest lineup decision: Brandin Cooks -- Sit . There have been other, more high-profile busts, but Cooks really stands out because he seemed like such a safe bet. Sure, he might not have superstar upside, but he's been so rock-solid for so many years and had so little competition for targets, it was hard to see how he could go wrong. Well, his target share is down to a just-decent 23%, and he didn't play last week after being apparently frustrated that he wasn't traded. The Texans probably should funnel more of their targets to him -- why keep him if you're not going to use him? -- but until we see them do it, it's hard to trust Cooks. |
| Injuries: Dameon Pierce (chest/shoulder) -- I haven't seen much one way or the other on this injury, but Pierce has been limited at practice both days, so I'm expecting he'll play. Hopefully he's a full-go Friday and it's a non-issue, but Rex Burkhead would be in the RB2 discussion if Pierce were out ... Brandin Cooks (wrist)/Nico Collins (groin) -- Both were limited Thursday, but I'd guess Cooks probably has a better chance of playing -- that's based on the assumption that his absence Wednesday was more about fall-out from his disappointment following the trade deadline. I wouldn't want to use either one this week, but both remain worth stashing. |
| Saints at Steelers |
| Sunday, 1 p.m. ETLine: Saints -1.5; 40 O/UImplied totals: Saints 20.75-Steelers 19.25 |
| It says an awful lot about how poorly the Steelers have played so far this season that the Saints, at 3-6 and ranking 28th in scoring defense, are favored on the road here. The problem is that the Steelers just don't look like they can take advantage of even a bad defense. Their running game has been largely juice-less, and Kenny Picket has been the worst deep passer in the league -- on attempts of 15 yards or more down the field, he has zero touchdowns, six interceptions, and a 15.9 passer rating, which is almost impossibly bad. With T.J. Watt potentially back this week, the under could hit on this one fairly easily unless Pickett took a big step forward in the bye week. |
| Toughest lineup decision: Najee Harris - Sit. There's been some talk about the Steelers possibly starting to shift more of the workload from Harris to rookie Jaylen Warren, though Warren told reporters Thursday he has not seen an increase in reps in practice so far this week. Mike Tomlin had some quotes early in the week sort of vaguely alluding to maybe possibly giving Warren more work , but until we see it, I'm going to assume Harris remains the lead back here, but to what end? Harris was inefficient as a rookie and he hasn't been any better so far this season, to the point where it's fair to wonder if he just might not be good enough to thrive in the NFL, especially in a bad offense. That being said, I don't necessarily think Warren has incredible upside either until Kenny Pickett gives defenses something to worry about, I think this offense is going to continue to struggle. If Pickett starts playing better, Harris should benefit, but I would hope you have better options by this point. |
| Injuries: Jarvis Landry (ankle) -- Landry has been limited both days in practice, so while there's no guarantee he'll be back this week, I think there's a pretty good chance. It sounded like he was close to returning last week, so he shouldn't be far off. I probably wouldn't start him this week unless I'm desperate, but Landry has some WR2 upside here. |
| Colts at Raiders |
| Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ETLine: Raiders -6; 42.5 O/UImplied totals: Raiders 24.25-Colts 18.25 |
| I have no idea what to expect from the Colts offense. It has a first-time head coach and a first-time play-caller taking over in the middle of the season, with a QB making his third start ever after looking wildly overmatched last week. I'm guessing we'll see the Colts try to establish the run for as long as that makes sense, and with the Raiders injury issues, it might be tough for them to pull away. The other wild card is whether Jonathan Taylor is healthy enough to look like himself. |
| Toughest lineup decision: Michael Pittman -- Sit. Ideally, you would avoid the Colts offense entirely with the exception of Taylor. The targets have been decent for Pittman with Sam Ehlinger under center, but with 15 in two games, it's not such overwhelming volume that you have to start him. In PPR, he's a bit better, but even then, this offense looks like it could just be dysfunctional, and Pittman has just 75 yards in the two games with Ehlinger. At this point, I'm looking for Pittman to give me a reason to start him. |
| Injuries: Jonathan Taylor (ankle)/Deon Jackson (knee) -- Taylor worked up to a full practice Thursday, so he looks like he'll be good to go, which makes the fact that Jackson hasn't practiced this week a lot less concerning. Jordan Wilkins is worth a pre-emptive stash just in case Taylor suffers some sort of setback ... Mo Alie-Cox (ankle) -- Alie-Cox has been unable to practice this week, which could leave the Colts mighty thin at tight end -- Jelani Woods has also missed both days of practice with a shoulder issue ... Darren Waller (hamstring)/ Hunter Renfrow (hamstring/ribs) -- Renfrow and Waller were both placed on IR Thursday, so they'll be out until at least Week 14. You can drop Renfrow, while Waller is probably worth stashing for the upside, but if you need the roster spot, he's expendable too. |
| Cowboys at Packers |
| Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ETLine: Cowboys -4.5; 43 O/UImplied totals: Cowboys 23.75-Packers 19.25 |
| I'll be honest, I don't see the case for the Packers being only 4.5-point underdogs in this one. The Cowboys average point differential this season is 6.25, and the Packers basically haven't looked like a good team at any point this season -- even their three-game winning streak came against the Bears before they figured things out plus what look like pretty mediocre(-to-bad) Buccaneers and Patriots squads. Maybe the Packers can finally figure out their offense and give the Cowboys a game, but this one feels a lot more lopsided than that line. |
| Toughest lineup decision: Ezekiel Elliott -- Start. Assuming Elliott is able to play, I think you have to roll him out there. The Cowboys have shown no reason to believe they're ever going to go away from him when he's healthy, and while you can't really count on him for huge yardage totals, he scored two touchdowns in Dak Prescott 's first game back and figures to have a pretty good chance of finding the end zone in any given week. |
| Injuries: Ezekiel Elliott (knee) -- Elliott has been limited both days this week, so there's no guarantee he'll play. However, nearly all of the noise out of Dallas indicates he will play, so it seems like a relatively safe assumption. If he doesn't, Tony Pollard is a top-10 RB ... Aaron Jones (ankle) -- Jones has been limited both days in practice, but it looks like he's going to end up playing without missing any time due to this injury. If he doesn't, AJ Dillon is a fringe RB1... Romeo Doubs (ankle) -- The Packers receiving corps is pretty beat up, but it looks like Doubs is the only one who definitely won't play this week -- he's a candidate for IR with his high-ankle sprain. |
| Cardinals at Rams |
| Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ETLine: Rams -1.5; 41 O/UImplied totals: Rams 21.25-Cardinals 19.75 |
| It feels like every week, I'm writing some variation of, "When the schedule makers put this Rams game on the schedule, they probably expected it to be one of the marquee matchups of the week," and it's true this week again. The Rams have been one of the worst offenses in the league, with only the individual brilliance of Cooper Kupp keeping them from ranking among the dregs of the league, and now they might be playing with John Wolford starting at QB. Yikes. Not that the Cardinals have been much better. |
| Toughest lineup decision: Kyler Murray -- Start. Typically, there wouldn't be much question of whether you're starting Murray, despite his subpar play so far this season. However, he's been a deeply mediocre passer so far this season -- he ranks 21st in points per game just from passing production, just behind Taylor Heinicke -- and if that hamstring injury limits him as a runner, it probably makes him a pretty fringe-y Fantasy option. I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, but I don't feel great about it. |
| Injuries: Matthew Stafford (concussion) -- Stafford could play even if he doesn't practice this week, but he'll have to get cleared through the concussion protocol, and there's no guarantee that happens. You shouldn't be starting Stafford at this point anyway, but his absence would obviously be bad for the rest of the Rams offense ... Kyler Murray (hamstring) -- Murray was limited at practice Thursday, a good sign after he was held out Wednesday. |
| Chargers at 49ers |
| Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ETLine: 49ers -7; 45.5 O/UImplied totals: 49ers 26.25-Chargers 19.25 |
| These two teams both carry quite a few questions into this game, though for quite different reasons right now. The Chargers have injury issues that make it hard to know who will play what kind of role, while the 49ers are fully healthy for the first time since acquiring Christian McCaffrey, which leads to questions about how they're going to distribute the ball that are, arguably, even tougher to answer. For the Chargers, it basically comes down to this: You're starting Austin Ekeler, Josh Palmer, and Gerald Everett ; for the 49ers, you're starting Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, and George Kittle, but whether Samuel is still a top-12 WR or more like a fringe starter is a legitimate question still. |
| Toughest lineup decision: Justin Herbert -- Start. For the first time since he was a rookie, Herbert is starting to look like a questionable Fantasy option. Herbert is averaging just 14.9 points per game over the past three despite 151 pass attempts because he's averaging just 5.15 yards per attempt with just three total touchdowns. His receiving corps is just incredibly short-handed right now, and until Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are healthy enough to play, he's going to be a volume-based, low-end QB1. |
| Injuries: Keenan Allen (hamstring)/Mike Williams (ankle) -- Neither has practiced this week, so it looks like another week of Josh Palmer as the top option in this passing game. He's a top-24 WR for me this week ... Deebo Samuel (hamstring) -- Samuel has practiced in full both days this week, so it looks like he'll be back this week. |
| Commanders at Eagles |
| Monday, 8:30 p.m. ETLine: Eagles -11; 44 O/UImplied totals: Eagles 27.5-Commanders 16.5 |
| The vibes may be a bit better with Taylor Heinicke in at QB for the Commanders, but the results aren't that much better -- they scored 23 points in their first game but just 17 in their past two, with fewer than 200 yards passing in two of three games. The Washington defense has looked much better of late but hasn't faced an offense like Philadelphia's since ... well, the last time the Commanders faced Philadelphia and lost 24-8 while giving up 400 yards of offense. I'd be surprised if this one was much more competitive. |
| Toughest lineup decision: Terry McLaurin -- Start. Heinicke at QB seems to be indisputably good news for McLaurin, who went from a target share in the mid-teens with Carson Wentz to 24% from Heinicke. However, after big games in Weeks 7 and 8, Week 9 was a reminder of what we already knew from last season: McLaurin is still pretty hit or miss with Heinicke. That's just life when you're a downfield-oriented receiver with below-average QB play. This is a very tough matchup, too, but McLaurin did have six catches for 102 yards against the Eagles in their previous matchup, and he'll always have that kind of upside. That makes McLaurin worth using, even if there's some risk. |
| Injuries: J.D. McKissic (neck) -- McKissic missed practice Wednesday, and seeing as how he didn't practice or play last week, we'll have to see him back out there before he plays. Antonio Gibson remains a low-end RB2 in PPR if McKissic is out ... Jahan Dotson (hamstring) -- Dotson returned to practice Thursday on a limited basis, his first time after missing five games due to the injury. Dotson could return this week, but he has to prove he can be a consistent producer before you can trust him. If you're in a deeper league, he's an interesting stash, but by no means a must-stash. |
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| | Sunday, week ten of the NFL on CBS is headlined by the Jaguars taking on the Chiefs and the Texans meeting the Giants. All the action starts at 12:00 PM ET on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.
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