In Week 10, Green Bay, Oakland, New Orleans, and San Diego are all on byes. As far as quarterbacks go, 3 of the top 4 are out. So hopefully you have yourself a backup already to go. If you don’t, I’d consider picking up one of the following QBs that just might give you enough to pull out the victory.
Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions): Keep an eye on his injured shoulder, as it looks unlikely that he’ll be playing in week 10. If it looks like he’s a go for Sunday though, then he’s got a great matchup in the Buffalo Bills. With both teams loving to pass, this game looks like it will be a shootout, and as long as his shoulder holds up, Stafford should have a great game.
Ryan Fiztpatrick (Buffalo Bills): If you are in a league of morons, there is a good chance that Ryan Fizpatrick is still sitting out there on the waiver wire. If you find yourself that lucky, then he has to be your #1 QB to pickup this week, as the Bills are playing the Detroit Lions. Love the Fitz!!!
Mark Sanchez (New York Jets): Very good matchup this week in playing the Cleveland Browns. Sanchez has been playing extremely well this season, particularly lately, where it seems like he is throwing for 250 and 2 touchdowns every game. This past week against the Detroit Lions, he threw for 336 yards (thanks to a huge completion to Santono Holmes in OT) and 1 touchdown. If “The Fitz” or Stafford aren’t available, Sanchez is a solid option, particularly since he is facing the Cleveland Browns.
David Garrard (Jacksonville Jaguars): Listen, I had Garrard as my backup in 2008 and 2009, and each time he had a good matchup where he should have performed as a top 8 QB. But he never did, and I did not draft him as my backup this year. So clearly I’m biased, but with removing that bias, I think that Garrard could be a solid option. I mean, he did throw 4 touchdown passes against Dallas, who has a horrible pass defense. Now this week he’s facing the Houston Texans, whose pass defense may even worse than Dallas’s. I don’t think he gets 4 touchdown passes, but I do think the possibility exists where he throws for at least 200 yards with 2 touchdowns.
Josh Freeman (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): I’m sold on Freeman as being a very good quarterback, particularly with a receiver like Mike Williams to catch the ball. But you’re saying to yourself: “Consigliere! He only put up 189 yards against an Atlanta pass defense that is mediocre and threw two interceptions!” Fantasy Football reader, you would be correct with those states, but you also have to remember he threw 2 touchdowns and in the previous 4 games he had thrown for over 200 yards in each. This week Freeman will be facing the Carolina Panthers, one of the worst teams in the league. Looks to be a good matchup for him.
Matt Cassel (Kansas City Chiefs): I don’t know what the Chiefs are thinking, only handing the ball off to Jamaal Charles 10 times and throwing the ball 35 times with Cassel, completing 20 of those passes for a completion percentage of 57%. Clearly Todd Haley wasn’t thinking at all, as the Chiefs ended up losing in OT to the Raiders. The Chiefs should be a run first, run second, and maybe even run third team, but clearly Haley loves to pass the ball, as I’m sure he has a hangover from the years he spent in Arizona with Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald, and Anquan Boldin. But Cassel is no Warner and Dwayne Bowe is no Larry Fitzgerald. Nonetheless, Haley seems intent on throwing the ball, and against a Denver defense that isn’t very good on any level, I could see Cassel getting at least 200 yards with a touchdown, maybe 2 if he throws a goaline score to tight end Tony Moeaki.
Sam Bradford (St. Louis Rams): I’m pretty sure Sam Bradford would have loved to have Randy Moss to throw to, but St. Louis passed, deciding to stick with the guys they have. And despite multiple injuries, those receivers seem to produce week in and week out, which means to me that Bradford knows how to play the quarterback position (and trust me, it kills me to say that, as I thought he was completely overrated.). He’s completing about 200 yards a game with at least 2 touchdowns, so he’s a solid play, especially against the San Francisco 49ers, who are floundering on both sides of the ball this year.
RBs
Darren McFadden and Michael Bush, Chris Ivory, Ryan Mathews and Mike Tolbert, and Brandon Jackosn and John Kuhn all on a bye this week. The only stud to worry about is McFadden, and most likely you have a viable backup already in place. But if you don’t, or you’re needing to fill in for one of the other backs at your flex position, here are a few possibilities.
Fred Jackson/CJ Spiller (Buffalo Bills): Not putting up good numbers by any stretch of the imagination, the Bills are a pass first and pass second team, but the Bills will be facing the Lions, one of the worst run defenses in the league. With that said, I don’t feel great about Jackson, but my gut is telling me that Spiller is going to have a breakout game. If you’re searching for a flex guy, and you want to take a flyer, one of these two would fit the bill.
LeGarette Blount (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): Now Blount has come back down to earth after his awesome performance in Week 8. But listen, he only got 13 carries and no passes were thrown his way, if he was even in on passing downs. So the scheme and partly the opponent limited Blount, not his ability. Tampa Bay is playing Carolina this week, and if I’m head coach Raheem Morris of Tampa Bay, I’m getting Blount the ball at least 22-25 times. So if Blount is still available, or if someone decided to drop Blount after his performance yesterday, he would be a solid fill in as a #2 back, a definite great flex.
Mike Hart/Donald Brown/Javarris James (Indianapolis Colts): If no Joseph Addai, look at Mike Hart as your #2 back. If no Addai or Hart, look at Donald Brown as your #2. As for James, he scored two touchdowns this past week. He’d be a solid flex play if everyone else was hurt except Brown.
Tyrell Sutton (Carolina Panthers): If there is no DeAngelo Williams, and Stewart sits out week 10 with a concussion, then Sutton is the guy in Carolina. Against New Orleans, Sutton had 7 carries for 41 yards, a 5.9 yards/carry average. He also had 3 catches for 15 yards. So in 10 touches, Sutton had 56 yards, almost 6 yards per touch. If he’s the starter, there’s a definite possibility he could get 100 total yards with a touchdown, especially playing a Tampa Bay defense that is extremely bad against the run.
WRs
Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, and James Jones from the Green Bay Packers, Marques Colston, Lance Moore, and Robert Meachem from the New Orleans Saints, and Patrick Crayton and Seyi Ajirotutu from the San Diego Chargers. Some big names and some flex players with a bye this week. Let’s see who might be out there.
Steve Breaston (Arizona Cardinals): Either the Arizona Cardinals can’t run or don’t want to run the football, as they only had a total of 21 carries for 53 yards. 16 of those yards were from Derek Anderson scrambles, of which there were 3. So remove Anderson from the equation and you have 18 carries for 37 yards. Quite pathetic if you ask me. So that leaves us with Arizona having to chuck the ball, to which they didn’t even do that well, but they were playing a dysfunctional, yet highly motivated Minnesota Vikings team. In Week 10 the Cardinals draw the Seahawks, to which Eli Manning decimated in about 2 and a half quarters of play. Look for Anderson to have a better day, and a beneficiary of that should be Steve Breatson.
Roscoe Parrish (Buffalo Bills): Ah, I was so close to picking up Roscoe Parrish this week in one of my leagues. Had I done that, I still probably would have lost, but at least I wouldn’t have lost by so much. Parrish has had 31 targets over the last three games, which is second only to Steve Johnson’s 34. His production over the last 3 isn’t bad either, with 19 catches for 183 yards, and 1 touchdown. So Parrish’s value is rising fast in a Bills offense that, as I’ve stated over and over again, loves to throw the ball. Now, bear in mind Parrish suffered a minor injury this past week against Chicago, but head coach Chain Gailey says it isn’t serious, so there ‘s a good chance he’ll be in the lineup this week against Detroit.
Bernard Berrian (Minnesota Vikings): Was it a one game fluke for Berrian this past week? Week 10 will tell, but it does seem like the departure of Randy Moss may have reminded people that Bernard Berrian is a good talent that was still on the team. The Chicago Bears are no Arizona Cardinals, so the matchup is tougher this week, but if Favre is still slinging it around, why not take a flyer on Berrian.
Brian Hartline (Miami Dolphins): Hartline has 14 catches for 195 yards over the last 3 games, coming against good competition. With Marshall and Bess getting a lot of attention by the opposing team’s secondary, Hartline is going unnoticed, which is clearly providing Hartline with an opportunity that he is making the most of. If you are in need of a flex player or third receiver this week, you might want to look Hartline’s way.
Danny Woodhead (New England Patriots): If your league has Woodhead listed as a WR, then you may be in luck. Obviously a bad matchup against the Steelers defense in Week 10, but with intense pass rush the Steelers possess, look for Brady to be dumping that ball down a lot, with Woodhead the prime recipient. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him with at least 10 catches for 60 yards, with a sneaky touchdown thrown in. Also, don’t forget he can get you some rushing yards as he is also used as a running back, but those yards will be very few since the Steelers are one of the best against the run.
TEs
Zach Miller of the Oakland Raiders, Jeremy Shockey and David Thomas of the New Orleans Saints, and Antonio Gates of the San Diego Chargers are all on a bye this week. Good for Gates, Miller, and Shockey as they try to recover from injuries and get healthy for Week 11. If you are an owner of one of those guys, you may need a TE this week.
Benjamin Watson (Cleveland Browns): Cleveland draws a tough matchup this week in facing the New York Jets. As we know, the Jets like to blitz, so expect drop off and quick passes to Benjamin Watson. He should get at least 6 receptions this week.
Tony Scheffler (Detroit Lions): If Stafford is in, I like Scheffler this week. If Drew Stanton is in, Scheffler’s stock takes a little hit, but not much. Again, will be facing the Buffalo Bills in what is sure to be a shoot out with plenty of targets to go around.
Anthony Fasano (Miami Dolphins): Fasano’s targets have increased by one over the last 3 weeks (5 to 6 to 7). I wouldn’t expect those targets to get much higher, but if you’re looking for a little production to give you at least say 6-9 fantasy points (depending on the scoring of your league), Fasano might be able to help you out.
Bo Scaife (Tennessee Titans): Scaife may be a reach, but with the addition of Randy Moss, the underneath routes open up, which is where Scaife roams. His targets should go up a couple this week, and maybe his production will go with it.
Jermaine Gresham (Cincinnati Bengals): Unfortunately facing the best in the league against tight ends, but if there is nothing you like out there better, at least he gets some looks every game.
Jacob Tamme (Indianapolis Colts): Pick him up if he’s available!!! Pick him up if he’s available!! Oh, yeah, PICK HIM UP IF HE’S AVAILABLE!!!
As always, if you have a question, you can send it to mattymccall@gmail.com, or you can just post a response to the article.
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