The Fantasy Footballers’ Starts of the Week for Week 10
Can I get something off my chest? Is this a safe space? It is so frustrating when you write this article, and then a person you play against in a week reads it, plays one of the starts of the week, and beats you. Thanks a lot, Justin Fields!
Now that I’ve finished my self-absorption. I hope you all are doing well. I hope you have found excellent fantasy success this year and all your starters have been productive. If you have some underperforming teams like me, don’t give up. You can turn it around. That is why the Fantasy Footballers exist. To help you win #FootClanChampionships. This Thursday, Andy, Mike, and Jason went through their Starts of the Week for Week 10. To check out the full episode on YouTube, see below.
Keep reading for a breakdown of each player and the reasoning behind each choice.
If you are interested in even more insight to guide you through the season, check out jointhefoot.com and become a part of the #FootClan.
Andy’s Starts of the Week
QB- Tom Brady vs. SEA
Andy is going to borrow Mike’s steel underpants on this pick. Brady has been terrible in the touchdown-scoring department lately. He has thrown a max of one touchdown per game in the last five weeks. That is half the season. But it could be time for Brady to have some positive touchdown regression. The previous game’s ending seemed to be a lightbulb moment for the team. He has had a 2.5% touchdown rate. That is way below league averages and his average for his career. Now there should be some bounce back. Seattle is a good enough offense to make the game interesting, so the Buccaneers should need to score. Brady has conquered every land he has been. Why not Germany?
RB- Miles Sanders vs. WAS
He did very well in prime time last week, so let’s keep it rolling! The Eagles are 11-point favorites on Monday Night Football. Double-digit favorites this year have averaged 27 points per game. He is the RB12 of the year right now, averaging 82 rushing yards per game. He is always a threat to score. Andy believes his resurgence continues against Washington, and you need to play him.
WR- JuJu Smith-Schuster vs. JAX
NBA Jam rules are in full swing. For the last three weeks, JuJu has been a top-15 wide receiver, and this season, he has seen eight or more targets in all but two games. The Chiefs are throwing the ball at the highest rate this year because they cannot run it. JuJu is running closer routes, similar to what Travis Kelce runs. When Kelce is covered, Mahomes has been looking for JuJu, and he has been open. Over the last month, Jacksonville ranks 31st in schedule-adjusted fantasy points against the wide receiver. Follow the trend, and JuJu should stay hot.
TE- Pat Freiermuth vs. NO
It’s time to get luth! Chase Claypool is out the door, so 17% of the targets and 19% of the receiving yards are up for grabs. After his concussion, he has seen nine targets and seven targets. The Muth is such a friend for the rookie quarterback. He finds space, is sure-handed, and is dominant in the middle of the field. Freiermuth ranks second in 20-plus-yard targets among all tight ends. Those are precious targets, and he will be luth in this game.
Jason’s Starts of the Week
QB- Tua Tagovailoa vs. CLE
He is staying in the flames! The Dolphins’ passing attack is rolling right now. They rank second in passing yards per game and number one in explosive pass rate. All of this means good things for Tua. He is completing 64% of his passes of 20-plus yards. That is the highest mark for the QB in the last decade. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are significant reasons for that statistic, but that doesn’t mean Tua doesn’t reap the fantasy reward. Add in that the matchup is juicy, as the Browns allow the third-highest expected points per passing play, and you have yet another game where Tua could explode in fantasy points.
RB- Kareem Hunt vs. MIA
Hunt is a flex position start of the week. Jason wants you to have confidence in playing Hunt this week. This game should be good, with an over/under of 48.5 points. Hunt is still seeing 50% of the snaps. Since Week 3, Miami ranks 27th in schedule-adjusted points for the running back. There have been some split backfields that had success. Breece Hall, gone but never forgotten, and Michael Carter combined for over 40 fantasy points. Then D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams had almost 30 fantasy points combined. Hunt is difficult to start because you do not know what he will produce. This week, with this matchup, should be a week you get good points from him.
WR- Darnell Mooney vs. DET
Everyone wants a piece of this game. Darnell Mooney‘s resurrection is lost in the shuffle of Justin Fields‘ ascension. Over the last month, he is averaging 7.8 targets per game and nearly 60 receiving yards. Last week against Miami, he had seven receptions for 43 yards and a touchdown. He has an even better matchup this week against Detroit. The Lions are allowing the highest percentage of 15-plus-yard pass plays. They also rank 30th against fantasy wide receivers. Shoot the Moon this week with the Bears receiver.
TE- Greg Dulcich vs. TEN
He is the most popular person on our site this week. Everyone wants to know what to do with Greg D. People are asking, “should they start Greg D over…” Kyle Pitts, Evan Engram, Tyler Higbee, or David Njoku. Jason says yes to all of them and would start Dulcich over any of those players. Dulcich has played three games in his career, finishing in the top 12 in all three. With a solid 19% targets-per-route-run in those starts. The Titans are 24th in schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed to tight ends. They are 30th over the last six weeks in this metric. Hopefully, the Broncos get better off the bye, and Greg D becomes a central focal point for Russell Wilson.
Mike’s Starts of the Week
QB- Justin Fields vs. DET
This guy again! Of course, Justin Fields forever. He is starting to feel like an every-week starter. The beginning of the season was rough, but not anymore! Detroit is the third-best matchup for quarterbacks. Over the last month, Fields has been the quarterback eight, five, five, and one. He has been on fire. The cheat code is unlocked, with his running ability becoming a staple for the offense. Ride this wave of momentum straight into success.
RB- Jamaal Williams vs. CHI
Will D’Andre Swift ever be fully back? No one knows! In the meantime, J Willy is getting all the opportunities. Last week he had 24 chances in the game. This week he faces a Bears team that is the fourth-best matchup for running backs. The Lions are a team who wants to establish the run. They rank fourth in rush rate in the first half of games and eighth in the second half while trailing. Meaning Williams is game script-proof. It isn’t shocking that this team wants to run, as their offensive line ranks second in adjusted yards, according to Football Outsiders. That is a massive advantage for the Lions in this game, which should produce a solid outcome for J Willy.
WR- Courtland Sutton vs. TEN
Mike won’t let Andy be the only one with some steel undies strapped up. The Titans are the third-best wide receiver matchup, allowing five-plus points above expectation to the wide receiver position. Tennessee allows 13.9 yards per reception, the fifth-highest allowed in the NFL. The Broncos are coming off the bye week. So hopefully, they have figured something out. Courtland Sutton is still a very talented receiver. He can be hot and cold, but off the bye, there should hopefully be more hotness on the horizon.
TE- Cole Kmet vs. DET
The Lions are the third-best tight end matchup. He finally had more than five targets in a game. Last week that turned into two touchdowns. Kmet is a matchup play this week. You can’t expect a two-touchdown game every week. In a game that could become a shoot-out, Kmet should see plenty of volume. You can certainly do worse than Kmet. He is running the sixth most routes at the tight end position and is on the field a ton. Maybe we finally figured out Cole Kmet.