'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Fantasy managers don't (or at least shouldn't) need help with the obvious choices at receiver entering Week 10. Barring the first sign of an apocalypse, players such as Stefon Diggs and Amon-Ra St. Brown should be in starting lineups every week.
Decisions get a bit tougher after that, and that is where I hope to help by providing a reason or two why we can trust certain WR3 or WR4 types that usually end up deciding fantasy matchups. Below are a few receivers who could post fantasy week-winning performances and a few other wideouts who are generally considered weekly starters that could disappoint:
Fantasy Football Week 10 Start'Em Wide Receivers
1] Drake London, Atlanta Falcons @ Arizona Cardinals
London is the overall WR39 in total fantasy points and WR35 in fantasy points per contest among wideouts who have played at least five games. Life for the 22-year-old has been better since the first quarter of the season, however, when he averaged 2.8 catches for 31.5 yards. His one saving grace during that stretch was that he scored twice.
Over the second quarter of the season (Weeks 5-8), London increased those weekly marks to 6.5 and 78, respectively. His 312 yards receiving over that span ranked 10th among receivers, while his 26 receptions were good for seventh. The only thing that kept him from creating a bigger bang in fantasy was the absence of a touchdown.
Our Start/Sit Optimizer projects a return of 11.2 points for Drake London this week.
While there is no guarantee he will find the end zone in Week 10, the Cardinals have been pounded by alpha receivers consistently for the bulk of the season. Brandon Aiyuk (6-148-0), Ja'Marr Chase (15-192-3), Cooper Kupp (7-148-1) and Amari Cooper (5-139-1) have torched Arizona's secondary to the point where it would be a shock if Taylor Heinicke does not try to do the same.
2] Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks vs. Washington Commanders
Smith-Njigba makes this list for a second straight week in part because he is the overall WR54 in total fantasy points on the season, which has put him in the too-good-to-drop, not-productive-enough-to-start box for many managers. While the rookie has not quite ascended to must-start territory yet, he has somewhat surprisingly been Seattle's most productive fantasy receiver over the last three contests.
That alone is not enough to make him a no-brainer starting option this week. What should make him more of an obvious choice is the Commanders' leaky pass defense, which has coughed up the fourth-most passing yards (2,274) and surrendered 19 passing touchdowns (tied for the most among teams entering Week 10). All told, Washington has yielded 20-plus PPR fantasy points to seven receivers and at least 10 fantasy points to six others.
*** DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett could have been featured here as well, but most managers already have them in their lineups.
Other potential strong start(s):
Noah Brown, Houston Texans (With Nico Collins ruled out on Friday, Houston has a decision to make: start Robert Woods or ease him back his first action since Week 6 and roll with Brown, who is coming off a 6-153-1 performance in Week 9. The latter option makes the most sense, although it comes with risk. Not only is their risk due to Woods' expected return from a foot injury but also because Cincinnati has been very good against receivers this year.)
Trenton Irwin, Cincinnati Bengals (The other half of Texans-Bengals has a sleeper option in Irwin, who notably had a 10-target game in Week 5 when Tee Higgins missed a game due to injury. Higgins has been ruled out of Week 10 as well. There is also a distinct possibility that Ja'Marr Chase will be limited by the back injury he suffered in Week 9.)
Fantasy Football Week 10 Sit'Em Wide Receivers
1] Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens vs. Cleveland Browns
Flowers is coming off a one-target game in Baltimore's Week 9 rout of Seattle, but that isn't the reason to move off of him this week. Despite getting pummeled by wideouts in Week 7 (Colts) and Week 8 (Seahawks), the Browns still rank as the second-stingiest defense for receivers. Unsurprisingly, Flowers' worst fantasy effort before last week was against Cleveland in Week 4.
While the matchup is enough of a reason to think twice about playing Flowers, here are a few more: the rookie has mustered only 72 yards receiving on 82 routes against man coverage this season. No defense uses man coverage more often than the Browns (43.7 percent). If that still is not enough of a reason, teammate Odell Beckham Jr. has seen more targets than Flowers over the last three weeks (18-14)
2] Jakobi Meyers, Las Vegas Raiders vs. New York Jets
Meyers has performed at a low-end WR1 level for most of the season, topping 15 PPR fantasy points in all but three games. His worst outing came in Week 8 when Las Vegas attempted only 21 passes against the Lions. The other two poor games have come in games started by Aidan O'Connell. It is not a coincidence either, as Meyers earned only nine targets in those contests. In the five other games he played with non-O'Connell quarterbacks, he averaged 10.4 targets.
It seems extremely unlikely Meyers' luck will take a turn for the better in Week 10. While the Jets may not be able to light up the scoreboard offensively, their defense - especially against the pass - has been exceptional. New York has yielded NFL-low marks of 812 receiving yards (101.5 average) and one touchdown to receivers in 2023. It is more than just the Sauce Gardner show in the Jets' secondary; D.J. Reed has yet to give up a touchdown in 225 coverage snaps this season.
Other potential weak start(s):
Amari Cooper, Cleveland Browns (Cooper enjoyed his best fantasy performance of the season in Week 9 against a soft Arizona defense, but the Ravens will present a much stiffer challenge. Not only is Baltimore among the stingiest defenses against receivers, but Cleveland will also be forced to start a pair of backup offensive tackles against a defense entering this game with a league-high 35 sacks.
Tank Dell, Houston Texans (While Dell is set to be the closest thing Houston has to an alpha receiver this week, the Bengals have surrendered only two scores to receivers through eight contests. No wideout has topped 100 yards against Cincinnati and only two receivers have secured more than six catches since Week 2.)
