Start/Sit Hub Week 10
Happy Friday! Welcome back to my weekly Start/Sit HUB! Mike Hubbard Jr here, providing you with information that can help you win your fantasy league week in and week out. For all things fantasy football, follow me on Twitter (@FantasyHubbard). You can tweet me or message me with any questions you might have regarding the fantasy football season.
Week 10 is underway which means the season is getting closer to the end and now is more important than ever to keep up with your team and make decisions to further your chances at that championship. No matter your league record, always keep fighting. Stay informed and be strategic.
Last night was a TNF matchup between the Atlanta Falcons and the Carolina Panthers. Panthers pulled out the home win by a score of 25-15. Whoever bet that exact score must be very happy. Carolina rushed 47 times in this game and 31 of those went to D’Onta Foreman who had the best night for a player on either team. He finished with 130 rushing yards and scored a rushing TD. Only Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, and Jonathan Taylor have reached 31 carries in a game this season. Mariota had a rough night getting sacked 5 times and throwing an INT. The Falcons drop to 4-6 and take on the Bears in Atlanta next weekend while the Panthers get win #3 and travel to Baltimore next. Next week’s TNF game is the Tennessee Titans @ the Green Bay Packers. Titans have won 5 of their last 6 and almost took down KC last weekend while the Packers are searching for answers after losing 5 straight games which could be 6 by the end of the weekend.
The week 10 games I’m interested in the most this weekend include the Seahawks/Bucs, the Vikings/Bills, and the Chargers/49ers. Can Brady go international and keep up the momentum his offense gained in the final minute of last week’s game? Is Josh Allen going to play and how does it affect the game overall? And finally, can Ekeler and the Chargers brew an upset over CMC and the 49ers on SNF?
FRIENDLY REMINDER THE BUCCANEERS AND SEAHAWKS PLAY IN GERMANY SUNDAY MORNING
PAY ATTENTION TO BYE WEEKS. THIS WEEKS BYES ARE BALTIMORE RAVENS, CINCINNATI BENGALS, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS, AND NEW YORK JETS. PLAN YOUR LINEUPS ACCORDINGLY
I’m here every week during the fantasy football season with start and sit suggestions that can impact your team each week. My decisions as always include obvious and not so obvious picks. I would also like to clarify that my sit suggestions are based on the assumption you have or can add a player that has a better chance at success. Good luck this week and continue to check out my weekly articles.
START OF THE WEEK
Start – Chris Olave – Olave is set to have a booming week. The offensive rookie of the year candidate leads the Saints in targets, receptions, and receiving yards this season. Michael Thomas is on IR so only the injury prone Jarvis Landry could be a threat to cut into his targets. Olave has an average of 9 targets per game this season which is 13th most amongst all NFL WRs. Chris seems to be excelling no matter who starts at QB each week. Andy Dalton is set to start, and he should be targeting Olave often to take advantage of the dreadful Pittsburgh secondary. Steelers have allowed 13 TDs to WRs this season so look for a few deep shots to Olave. I think Olave can easily make top 15 fantasy WRs this weekend.
Seahawks @ Buccaneers (Munich, Germany)
Start – Cade Otton – I like Otton in my start spot in Germany this week after the momentum he gained in his previous outing. Brady went to him in the final most important drive of the game in week 9 and Otton delivered. Brady has targeted Cade 5+ times in 4 of his last 5 games so there is obviously some trust and chemistry building. Even if Brate plays this week, I still like Otton. Seahawks struggle defending TEs this season, so everything is in line for a solid outing.
Sit – Noah Fant – Fant had a good game last week facing the Cardinals catching 5 of his 6 targets for 96 yards. That was last week against the worst defense against TEs and now it’s this week where he has to face the Bucs in Germany. Tampa Bay defends TEs a lot better only allowing 3 opposing TEs to reach 50+ yards in a game this season and none of them hit triple digits. Seattle is capable of winning, but I think it will be a lot more Kenneth Walker and the duo of Metcalf and Lockett that will have a larger impact. I like Otton over Fant.
Vikings @ Bills
Start – Stefon Diggs – Ok this is an obvious start even with the uncertainty of who will be QB1 for Buffalo Sunday. Keep your eye on Allen’s status. Diggs is on a tear again this season and his stats don’t lie. The stud WR has only 1 game under 74 yards receiving and that was 62 against Baltimore. He has yet to have a bad game and has scored in 5 of his 8 games this season. Both Allen and Case Keenum know Diggs is the best pass catcher on the team and will want to go through them to establish a rhythm. Don’t overthink it, start Diggs as he is a top 5 option this week (and every week).
Sit – Kirk Cousins – Kirk has his team with just 1 loss going into Buffalo that might be without Josh Allen. Too bad for Kirk, Allen isn’t on defense. Cousins is sure to have issues facing the Bills defense that will be at home. Kirk on the road is not the Kirk you want starting on your fantasy team. His fantasy points dip a bit between home and away games. Kirk is always an option to start with his weapons, but I would start a different QB if you have options.
Lions @ Bears
Start – Justin Fields – This matchup feels almost too good to be true. Fields has been on a tear lately, Lions defense is subpar against opposing QBs, and he gets to play at home. He is clearly trusting the process and using his skills to his advantage. He has not attempted 30 passes in a game this season and has 7+ rushing attempts in every game. Only Lamar Jackson has more rushing yards at the QB position this season and after them there is a 200+ rushing yard drop-off. Fields just ran for 178 yards in week 9 and has over 400 in his last 4 games combined. Jalen Hurts ran for 90 and a rushing TD back in week 1 when he faced Detroit. Fields should be in for a great and hopefully easy top 10 fantasy QB performance this weekend. Fire him up.
Sit – D’Andre Swift – Swift has been disappointing since he exploded in week 1. He seems to be on the fence every week dealing with injuries but is supposed to get a little more work this week. A little more work sounds nice but a little more than already a little doesn’t amount to what you want out of your RB1. Jamaal Williams has played well in his absence and in his presence. Swift has a good matchup, and we know he can go off, but until he is fully healthy, I’m going to sit him if I have decent options. If you can start Jamaal over D’Andre I say do it confidently.
Broncos @ Titans
Start – Greg Dulcich – Dulcich made his debut in week 6 and has since had 3 solid performances. He has 10 receptions for 138 yards on 14 targets. Coincidentally Courtland Sutton has seemingly gone missing since Greg’s debut catching an uncharacteristic 6 passes for 50 yards in all 3 games combined. The Broncos offense is not a sight for sore eyes, but this rookie TE has potential and Denver QBs clearly enjoy him thus far.
Sit – Melvin Gordon – Gordon is coming off of a BYE week to face the Titans in Tennessee. The Titans rush defense has been good this season after week 1. Saquon went off week 1 in Tennessee but since they haven’t allowed a RB to surpass 66 rushing yards in any game and no RB has reached 50 receiving yards. Titans haven’t allowed a RB rushing TD since week 1. So yea the matchup is less than stellar for Gordon who scored his 2nd TD of the season in his last game back in week 8. I would avoid all Broncos RBs until something changes for the better.
Jaguars @ Chiefs
Start – Christian Kirk – Kirk has been the best receiving option for Jacksonville all year. He started the season red hot, cooled off a bit, and is now back to consistently producing. Kirk leads all Jags in targets, receptions, receiving yards, and receiving TDs. He and Trevor Lawrence have a good thing going when it’s time to drop back and find him. Jags get the Chiefs on Sunday which could be a lopsided affair. I believe game flow should benefit Kirk in this one since the Jags might need to rely on a pass heavy approach if KC scores early and often.
Sit – Clyde Edwards-Helaire – CEH has a few good games under his belt this season, but it feels like it was a long time ago. Since week 5 began in early October CEH has under 10 rushes each game, under 35 rushing yards each game, and has 34 total receiving yards. The lone bright spot in that time period was his rushing TD in week 7. Jags are average at best defending RBs this season which would normally be a good thing for CEH, but he has been giving up a lot of playing time to Jerick McKinnon and Isiah Pacheco. CEH RB1 days have long passed. Sit him and start McKinnon this week.
Browns @ Dolphins
Start – Tua Tagovailoa – Since Tua returned to action in week 7 he has been on a tear. 7 TD passes in his last 3 games (6 in his last 2 games) and 0 turnovers has the Dolphins on a 3-game win streak and frankly the offense looks great. Tua has Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle to target who have been the best duo WRs in the NFL this season. The lefty QB is primed to have another good outing at home even with the matchup not being great. He should easily make the top 10 fantasy QBs this week as long as he stays healthy.
Sit – Mike Gesicki – Gesicki finished last week with 1 reception on 2 targets for 3 yards. That is Gesicki’s 4th game this season that ended with him accounting for just 1 reception. Those 4 games tally to a total of 40 receiving yards. Mike has been way too TD dependent for fantasy owners to this point in the season and the matchup this week favors the Browns defense. Cleveland has surrendered just 1 receiving TD to opposing TEs this season and no TE has hit the 65 yards mark.
Texans @ Giants
Start – Dameon Pierce – The rookie RB has made Texans fans at least a little hopeful for the future. Texans have 1 win this season and have to travel to the Giants who have only 2 losses this season. The obvious start here is Saquon Barkley who is bound to erupt in this game yet again. Pierce is also a mostly obvious start the way he has been playing. Pierce has double digit rushing attempts in every games this season and had 90 or more rushing yards in 4 of his last 5 games. He is also a threat to receive as well. Let’s see if Dameon can rush for 100+ yards on the Giants like 4 other RBs have done this season.
Sit – Wan’Dale Robinson – Robinson has a tough matchup against the Texans who have been great defending WRs this season. They have only allowed 3 WR TDs through 8 games. Robinson had a BYE last week but before that in week 8 he had just 2 receptions for 30 yards on 3 targets. His TD in week 4 helped his fantasy appeal and so did the departure of Kadarius Toney but doesn’t seem enough on a Giants team that is mainly run through Barkley. Saquon is the only starter for me on the Giants this week, Daniel Jones could have a good day, but I like at least 15 other QBs more this weekend.
Saints @ Steelers
Start – Chris Olave – SEE START OF THE WEEK TOP OF PAGE
Sit – Diontae Johnson – Diontae is riding the struggle bus this season. For a WR averaging a solid 9.5 targets per game, he averages under 50 receiving yards per game. He also has yet to score a TD this season. The Saints should be able to score on the Steelers defense making it more opt that Pittsburgh will need to throw. Even with that expectation I don’t feel confident in Johnson unlike last season. Johnson has reached 60 receiving yards just once this season so he is outside my top 30 WRs this week and will be until we see more yards and hopefully TDs.
Colts @ Raiders
Start – Josh Jacobs – Going with another more obvious start with Josh Jacobs. He should get a big workload in order to establish a run game and expose the Colts rush defense. Jacobs is averaging over 92 rushing yards per game this season which is only behind Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, and Nick Chubb. Talk about good company to be in. Jacobs may not have a receiving TD (yet) but he is active in the pass catching game with 3+ receptions in 5 of his last 6 games. Colts might have their hands full defending the run this week.
Sit – Hunter Renfrow – Hunter has yet to be targeted over 4 times or record 4 receptions in a game since week 5 when he returned to action following 2 missed games. Davante Adams will surely demand the most targets from Derek Carr Sunday and even Darren Waller might play this week limiting his potential even more. The Colt’s defense has only allowed 4 WR TDs this season and none since week 6. It’s clear the Raiders will have most success this week if they pound the football with Josh Jacobs. Renfrow is an easy fade this week.
Cowboys @ Packers
Start – Tony Pollard – According to Jerry Jones Zeke will be RB1 in Dallas and it doesn’t seem like that will change anytime soon despite the success Pollard has in less opportunities than Zeke usually has. Zeke is questionable right now, but it doesn’t seem serious. Whether he plays or not I like Pollard. Green Bay allows RBs to average almost 120 rushing yards per game. Pollard is averaging 86 yards per game in his last 4. Seems like a recipe for success to me.
Sit – Aaron Rodgers – Wow Rodgers was a major disappointment last week where he usually throws for 3+ TDs against the Lions he ended up throwing 3 INTs instead. The former back-to-back MVP has lost 5 consecutive games and now has to face the Cowboys defense which has been great. Opposing QBs have a combined 8 TD passes and 7 INTs against the Dallas defense. Aaron Rodgers should not be started this week and consider dropping him if you haven’t already.
Cardinals @ Rams
Start – Tyler Higbee – Higbee is in my start spot because he is a TE, and he is facing the Cardinals. Tyler has been bad recently accounting for only 3 receptions for 22 yards since week 6. That would normally scare me away, especially knowing Stafford has been going through concussion protocol. The Cardinals allow the most receptions and receiving yards to opposing TEs this season and have given up 7 TE TDs which is tied for most this season. Playing the matchup here. Higbee is just inside my top 10 TEs this week.
Sit – James Connor – Connor came back last week and rushed for 45 yards and caught all 5 of his targets for 19 yards. The Rams defense only allowed Tampa Bay RBs to reach a total of 46 rushing yards last weekend. The Rams also have only allowed 3 RBs to score this season and only once each. Arizona should get most of their success behind Kyler Murrays arm, and maybe a little with his feet as well. Kyler was the leading rusher last week for the Cardinals and is the leading rushing for the Cardinals for the entire season thus far, despite Eno Benjamin and James Conner both with more rushing attempts.
Chargers @ 49ers
Start – Brandon Aiyuk – Aiyuk has 3 consecutive games with over 80 receiving yards and has scored 3 receiving TDs in those 3 games. Aiyuk has 4 games with 8+ targets and 4 games with 5+ receptions. Jimmy G has weapons everywhere he looks, but he has been looking Aiyuks way enough to keep firing him up. Chargers allow the 3rd most points per game to opponents this season averaging over 25. The entire 49ers offense should have a solid day in SF.
Sit – Justin Herbert – Justin Herbert hasn’t looked like himself out there. He has thrown 3 TDs and 3 INTS in his last 3 games and has the San Francisco defense to look forward to. SF has been good against QBs this season with the exception of week 7 when they had to deal with Patrick Mahomes. If you dismiss the KC game, SF hasn’t allowed a single QB to reach 255 yards passing, and all other games they allowed a total of 5 TD passes and 4 INTs. Herbert is already without the electric Mike Williams and Keenan Allen is still an uncertainty for Sunday. Limited weapons yet again making an impact on Herbert and the offense. Feels like another game heavily leaning on Ekeler. I don’t sit Herbert very often, so tread lightly and hopefully you have a better top 10 option this week at QB.
