Ten Things We Learned In Week 10 (Fantasy Football)

Week 10 is heading to a close, as we are another week closer to the fantasy playoffs. There is always a lot to unpack and learn from every week, but it’s crunch time now as we are all trying to clinch those playoff spots. With that said, let’s dive right into it and see what the major storylines of Week 10 were and what we learned from them.

1. Matt Ryan Gives Pitty City and Parris Campbell Hope

The Colts surprised everyone in Jeff Saturday’s first game as the head coach. Matt Ryan ended up starting over Sam Ehlinger, and the Colts ended up winning the game. Ryan threw for 222 yards and a touchdown. Michael Pittman caught 7-of-9 targets for 53 yards, and Parris Campbell caught 7-of-9 targets for 76 yards and a touchdown. Before Ehlinger took over, Ryan and Campbell seemed to have had quite the connection going, and it seems to have continued where it left off. Campbell should once again be considered a flex player. Pittman may be a WR2 with Ryan back at quarterback.

2. There’s Hope For Jonathan Taylor Too

Fantasy managers who drafted Jonathan Taylor may have hope for this season now. Taylor had his best performance since Week 1, and while it may be too late, it was good to see him looking like his old self. Taylor rushed 22 times for 147 yards and a touchdown and caught 2-of-2 targets for 16 yards. He looked excellent on the ground, and hopefully, he will be more involved in the passing game, especially since Nyheim Hines is no longer on the team.

3. Christian Watson Needs To Be Rostered

The Packers have had troubles at the wide receiver position this season. Romeo Doubs was hurt, and Christian Watson flourished in his absence with the opportunity. Watson caught 4-of-8 targets for 107 yards and three touchdowns. Watson posted a 42.1% target share, which is promising as the rookie may be a big part of this offense going forward. If Watson is available in your leagues, he is definitely worth a roster spot. Rookie wide receivers tend to produce more toward the end of the season, so Watson could help fantasy managers should he emerge as the primary weapon for Aaron Rodgers.

4. Rachaad White May Be The Starter

There have been reports that Leonard Fournette is upset with his playing time, and it didn’t get much better for him in Week 10. Rookie running back Rachaad White got the start for the Bucs, and it seems they want him to be a big part of the offense. White had 22 carries for 105 yards but surprisingly did not have a target in the passing game. Fournette rushed 14 times for 57 yards and a touchdown. He was also ruled out of the game after suffering a hip injury. With a nice fantasy day, Fournette may be worth trading away as White eats into his workload and potentially becomes the RB1 on the team. White has flex appeal, and should he take over the job, he could be a league-winning running back.

5. Cole Kmet Is Finally Getting Involved

After a rough start to the season for Cole Kmet, he has been very involved and productive in the Bears’ offense the last two weeks. In Week 10, Kmet caught 4-of-7 targets for 74 yards and two touchdowns. With five touchdowns in the last three weeks, Kmet is becoming a primary red zone option for Justin Fields, who is playing out of his mind right now. The Bears’ offense has progressed, and it’s now safe to start Kmet, especially in the wasteland of tight ends this season.

6. Jeff Wilson Has Already Taken Over In Miami

While both Jeff Wilson and Raheem Mostert had good fantasy days in Week 10, it’s worth noting that Wilson had the workload we like to see. Wilson had 17 carries for 119 yards and a touchdown and caught 2-of-5 targets for 24 yards. Mostert only had eight rushing attempts for 65 yards and a touchdown and caught 4-of-4 targets for 22 yards. Wilson has already taken hold of the primary running back in Miami, and he is the one you will want to have in your fantasy lineups.

7. Najee Isn’t Losing His Job

There were rumors that Najee Harris could potentially lose his starting job or most of the workload to Jaylen Warren, and Harris instead had arguably his best rushing game of the season with 99 yards on 20 attempts. He had an impressive run and did everything but score a touchdown. Warren only saw nine rushes and turned that into 37 yards and caught 3-of-3 targets for 40 yards. The schedule for Harris does lighten up a bit, so it’s possible he could be a late bloomer this season, but he is likely only a top-24 type of guy until proven otherwise. The good news is it doesn’t seem he will be losing his job or much of the workload.

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8. Kadarius Toney Could Finally Be Happening

Former Giants’ wide receiver Kadarius Toney landed in the perfect situation in Kansas City. He now gets to catch passes from Mahomes in a top NFL offense. Toney flashed in Week 10 and showed that he could be a fantastic weapon in the Chiefs’ offense. He caught 4-of-5 targets for 57 yards and a touchdown and rushed twice for 33 yards. It’s worth noting that JuJu Smith-Schuster missed time in the game due to a concussion, and Mecole Hardman did not suit up. Still, Toney could become a solid flex player with significant upside as we get into the last few weeks of the regular season for fantasy football.

9. The Rams’ Backfield Is A Mess

Cam Akers has returned to the team over the last couple of weeks after many trade rumors and questions about his future with the team coming up. Akers had only six rushing attempts in Week 10 and turned that into 22 yards. Darrell Henderson also had six carries and 21 yards but scored a touchdown. The Rams also activated rookie running back Kyren Williams off of IR. Williams only rushed for nine yards on one attempt but did catch 3-of-3 targets for 30 yards. If Williams is used primarily as a pass-catcher, then this situation may be one to avoid unless you are desperate for a running back start.

10. D’Andre Swift Is Tough To Start Right Now

Although D’Andre Swift has played in the last three games, it seems he is not entirely back from injuries. In Week 10, he had only six carries for six yards and a touchdown and caught 1-of-3 targets for 6 yards. Swift is tough to leave out of fantasy lineups, especially at the running back position, but he may be worth benching until we see he is fully back as long as you have other options. Swift gets two tough matchups in a row, starting in Week 11 against the Giants and then Week 12 against the Bills. Hopefully, he will return to his explosive self quickly, but he is a risky start until proven otherwise.