Week 10 Visionary Plays: Bold Fantasy and DFS Predictions
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Quarterbacks
Drew Brees, Saints
Prior to the season, I had not been the biggest fan of Brees as a fantasy starter. It’s not that I don’t like him as a player, it’s just that his numbers seemed to have slacked off in recent memory as he did not even pass for 4,000 yards in 2018. None of that really matters in Week 10, as the Saints are matched up against their division rival Falcons who are playing some of the worst defensive football l have ever seen. Look for Brees to be able to do whatever he wants on Sunday. He can throw to Ted Ginn deep, Michael Thomas over the middle or Alvin Kamara out of the backfield. Regardless of who he throws to, Brees will be unstoppable on Sunday.
Kyler Murray, Cardinals
Tampa Bay is the worst team in the league against opposing wideouts. Moreover, they have allowed all but three QBs to throw for over 300 passing yards against them. Even Ryan Tannehill had a good day against them, which tells you everything that you need to know! Not only will Murray be able to throw at will, I also expect him to get some yardage on the ground. This should be a big game for the Air Raid offense, as David Johnson is back, and Kenyan Drake will also be in the lineup too. If this game ends up as a shootout like Las Vegas thinks, all Murray owners should end up very happy come Sunday night.
Aaron Rodgers, Packers
The Packers were embarrassed last week against the Chargers and now come home to face the Panthers. There is no doubt in my mind that Rodgers is going to come out throwing and won’t let up for four quarters. Look for Rodgers to use this game to get Davante Adams back on track as well. That said, I can easily picture this as another 40-plus point game against the Carolina defense. When it’s all said and done, I think Rodgers is a lock for three passing TDs.
Running Backs
Jaylen Samuels, Steelers
With James Conner expected to be ruled out, Samuels becomes someone fantasy owners want to etch into their roster in both seasonal lineups and DFS contests. Samuels showed very little on the ground last week, but had 13 receptions as Mason Rudolph used him as a crutch. With Aaron Donald and the Rams pass rush coming at Rudolph, and with Jalen Ramsey covering Juju Smith-Schuster, Rudolph might have little choice but to go back to Samuels once again. The Rams will be happy to give up short passes out of the backfield as opposed to big gainers downfield. With that in mind, expect Samuels to put up about 15-20 fantasy points in PPR formats.
Marlon Mack, Colts
With Brian Hoyer most likely starting in place of the injured Jacoby Brissett, look for the Colts to dominate this game on the ground. Additionally, with wide receivers TY Hilton and Parris Campbell out with injuries, it seems like there won’t be enough time for Hoyer to build a rapport with his receivers in practice. Making matters even better for Mack is the fact that the Dolphins are the third-worst team in the NFL at stopping the run.
Mark Ingram/Gus Edwards, Ravens
The Bengals’ run defense has been nothing short of horrific and I am sure that the Ravens are going to take full advantage of that fact all game long. I can easily see both Ingram and Edwards getting double-digit carries, and both have an excellent chance of scoring a TD. Ingram will be a big part of the game plan in the first half, but once this becomes a route, expect to see a great deal of Edwards in the second half.
Aaron Jones, Packers
Jones played poorly last week against the Chargers and I fully expect him to rebound and have a great game against the Panthers. The Panthers have struggled mightily against the run in recent weeks (remember how badly the 49ers demolished them?) and I expect the Packers to run the ball at least 30 times in this game. If that happens, Jones should have 20 of those 30 carries and a good chance for 100-plus yards rushing and a TD.
Wide Receivers
Odell Beckham, Jr., Browns
It seemed comical to hear that Browns QB Baker Mayfield said that the team needed to make a concerted effort to get Beckham the ball earlier in games. What he should have said was that the team needed to do a better job of getting Beckham the ball during the entire game. Beckham has shouldered some of the blame, saying that he and Mayfield have yet to get in sync. There seems to be too much coming out of Cleveland for me to think that they won’t make a concerted effort to get Beckham the ball. The Bills’ Tre’Davious White is an excellent cover corner, but Beckham has more skill than any other wide receiver White will face all season. Most people are down on Beckham, which makes him a great undervalued play this week.
Christian Kirk, Cardinals
I guess it was expected that Kirk would have a rough outing against Richard Sherman and the 49ers defense in Week 9. The 49ers concentrated their defense on him and gave him very few open looks. I expect the total opposite this week. Neither Tampa Bay CB can cover Kirk one on one and he should find a lot of room to operate. A game of 7-8 catches for 90 yards seems about right, as the Bucs are the worst in the league against opposing wide receivers and Kirk is clearly the best receiver on the Cardinals.
Golden Tate, Giants
With Sterling Shepard most likely heading to the IR due to concussion issues and TE Evan Engram dealing with a mid-foot sprain, Daniel Jones will have no choice but to throw to Golden Tate as much as possible. Look for Tate to have double-digit targets against the Jets, who have struggled to stop most wideouts this season.
Ted Ginn Jr, Saints
Looking for a flyer in your seasonal league? What about a DFS contrarian play? Look no further than Ginn, who always seems to make a big play at home in the dome. Add to the fact that he will be covered by arguably the worst cover CB in the league in Isaiah Oliver, and Ginn becomes a very sneaky under-the-radar play on Sunday.
Tight Ends
Eric Ebron, Colts
On Thursday it was reported that Ebron went to Frank Reich and asked him why he wasn’t seeing the football more. I LOVE when a player asks for the ball. My guess is that there was no real reason that Reich was phasing him out and it was more of him being overlooked. Look for the squeaky wheel to get oiled this week and for Ebron to find the end zone.
Greg Olsen, Panthers
Packers linebackers Preston Smith and Za’Darius Smith like to rush the passer, which leaves the middle wide open for tight ends to roam free. The only thing potentially holding Olsen back is the inconsistent play of Kyle Allen, but I am willing to overlook that this week and start Olsen in what should be a big game.
O.J. Howard, Buccaneers
Simply put, the Cardinals are the worst team against opposing tight ends in the league. Howard has been upset all year long with the number of targets that he has received. If Bruce Arians and Byron Leftwich don’t get him more involved in the offensive scheme on Sunday, then Howard might need to seek a new home in the NFL and away from my fantasy roster.
Mike Gesicki, Dolphins
Now that Preston Williams is out for the season with a knee injury, Ryan Fitzpatrick will have to look elsewhere for production. In Week 9, Fitz found Gesicki for six catches for 95 yards. A former second-round pick, Gesicki has ability but he has not been able to string any consistent starts together. It normally takes tight ends two or three years to mature, so perhaps he has begun to figure it out.
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