What a week it’s been! America tuned in with bated breath to see who would succeed. Early on, the results were anti-climactic, but ultimately, it became a nailbiter with a late-night victory. Of course, I am referring to Bengals-Ravens and nothing else that happened this week. It’s week ten of the NFL season, and the bye weeks are starting to stack up. This week, we have some one-week starters for you to stave off the bye-week blues. A player must be available in at least 50% of Yahoo! leagues to make it on this list. For folks who love to assert that every player is rostered in your league smugly, we have someone available in at least 90% of leagues.
Be forewarned, there are way more guys in the Germany matchup than I would normally be comfortable with, but it’s between two teams circling the drain, so there’s some bozo shootout potential there.
QUARTERBACKS
Daniel Jones at Carolina in Germany (19% rostered)
We start with the King of Bozo Shootout Potential, Danny Dimes. The Panthers allow the third-most fantasy points to quarterbacks on the season, and the seventh-most in the last five weeks. If you don’t think that Danny Dimes can do it, please remember that Marcus Mariota dropped 19.6 points on their heads three weeks ago, straight off the bench. Speaking of Mariota’s Commanders, Jones is coming off of a hot game against them last week, rushing for 54 yards and a score en route to 24.36 fantasy points. It marked his first 20+ game since week five, but two of his three games before last week came against teams in the bottom ten in fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks. Jones should be able to run all over the Panthers, as seven different quarterbacks have double-digit rushing yards against them this season.
Derek Carr versus Atlanta (12% rostered)
It’s been a long time since Derek Carr dropped bombs on a team, and I sincerely hope that the Dennis Allen firing gets Carr some of his mojo back. Carr previously led the Saints to two straight 44+ point games back in weeks one and two. Granted, he will be seriously deprived of weapons, but he was seriously deprived of weapons last week, too. While we love to pick, and laugh, at the Panthers, the Falcons have quietly been as bad (or worse, depending on splits) as the Panthers against quarterbacks. Over the last five weeks, they allow the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks while taking on Baker Mayfield, Andy Dalton, Geno Smith, and Dak Prescott (& Cooper Rush). They’re top-six in completion percentage, touchdowns, and completion rate over expected, while only getting one sack per game.
Bryce Young versus N.Y. Giants in Germany (4% rostered)
Look, under 10% rostered, much like the German countryside after WWI, is a minefield. You can go with McCorkle Jones in a spot start, or go with the FORMER NUMBER ONE OVERALL PICK (!!!) and Bryce Young against the Giants. The Giants garner a strong pass rush, but other than that, they are letting opposing quarterbacks pretty much do whatever they want against them. The Giants allow the tenth-most fantasy points per game (both on the season and over the last five weeks) thanks to yielding high-floor games. No quarterback against the Giants has under 13 fantasy points (4 points per passing touchdown), and the three under 15 fantasy points were Deshaun Watson, Russell Wilson in his first start, and Jayden Daniels in his second start. Young is in sink-or-swim mode for his career and has 100% of his passing touchdowns on the season in his last 40 completions.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Xavier Legette versus N.Y. Giants in Germany (35% rostered)
Hey, I warned you that we would be heavy on this game, and here we go. While the bad money was on Jalen Coker last week, Xavier Legette put together his second-straight 13+ PPR point game, going for 4/33/1 on six targets. While that might not seem like much, those touchdowns are bankable, as he has three in his last four games and four in his last six games. He’s the Panthers’ best receiver, whatever that means, and he gets a suddenly porous Giants secondary this week. The Giants have yielded double-digit fantasy points to six wide receivers in their last three games, and to ten of the last eleven wide receivers to get over five targets against them.
Ricky Pearsall at Tampa Bay (34% rostered)
Christian McCaffrey is BACK, and Jauan Jennings is trending towards doing the same, but he is still limited in practice after missing two weeks (and going through the bye). So, I expect another incremental increase in YAC Miller’s workload. After being DNP – LITERALLY SHOT WITH A BULLET, FROM A GUN, THROUGH THE TORSO for the first couple of months of the season, Pearsall played in 76% and 59% of snaps, getting 9 targets, for 7 catches, and 59 yards. He was a Hoover out there, turning errant Brock Purdy throws into nice catches and gains. The Buccaneers are currently the team to target, allowing the most fantasy points to wide receivers over the last five weeks, with Darnell Mooney, DeAndre Hopkins, Rashod Bateman, and “Bub Means” all going off in that timeframe.
Noah Brown versus Pittsburgh (9% rostered)
The Commanders have a strong deep threat in their wide receiver room in Terry McLaurin, and for most of the season, that’s been it in their WR corps. Noah Brown emerged over the last two weeks and is garnering enough volume to make his way into fantasy football relevance. He led the team in routes run in week eight, was second in week nine, and led Commanders’ wide receivers in targets over the last two contests. He’s been performing just under the radar for a couple of weeks and makes for a nice deep league play as Jayden Daniels’ release valve in tough plays.
RUNNING BACKS
Tyler Allgeier at New Orleans (42% rostered)
Two weeks after it was never more Joever, we’ve never Been So Back. Tyler Allgeier went bowling ball mode last week and barreled his way into the end zone for six. While that was six of his 7.8 fantasy points, this doesn’t have as much to do with Tyler Allgeier as it does with the New Orleans Saints. Speaking of Joever, that team’s run defense has been in the toilet over the last month or so. Chuba Hubbard dropped 21.2 PPR points on them last week, J.K. Dobbins took a break from circling the drain to hit them for 16.8, and let’s not forget Javonte Williams dropped two scores on them on Thursday Night Football, and the Bucky (Irving) & Tucky (Sean Tucker) show, where they combined for over 200 rushing yards, 70 receiving yards, and three touchdowns.
Start anyone and everyone with RB next to their name against the Saints, as long as they’re staring double-digit touches in the face. And Allgeier is facing down exactly that.
Isaac Guerendo at Tampa Bay (23% rostered)
This will take a bit of hope to make work, but both Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason were limited at practice on Thursday. I expect one of those guys to not be active on Sunday, or to play with a very limited snap count. My money is on Jordan Mason, who left two straight games with complications from his shoulder injury. If McCaffrey is back in the fold, then the Niners will give Mason some more time to heal. In steps Guerendo, who had 24 carries for 174 yards in the 49ers’ last two victories, to salt the game away.
Roschon Johnson versus New England (9% rostered)
While I firmly believe that this is still D’Andre Swift’s backfield, moving away from Khalil Herbert (traded to the Bengals) only bodes well for Roschon. He’s been getting limited touches lately, so it’s a long-shot play, but running backs are not good this week. The Patriots allow the sixth-most fantasy points to running backs on the season and have given up 9+ PPR points to seven running backs in their last four games. That leaves plenty of room for Roschon to function as a 1B to Swift’s 1A.
TIGHT ENDS
Taysom Hill versus Atlanta (48% rostered)
To be honest with you, there’s nothing that I could put here that would make sense. Nothing about Taysom Hill makes sense. He is TE-eligible and had 5 rushes, 4 receptions, and a pass attempt last week. The Falcons are a bad defense, and the Saints are down to the mat in terms of weaponry. That’s the entire case for Taysom Hill: wherever normal things on the Saints fail, that’s where you’ll find Taysom Hill and his Taysom Hill Bullshit.
Jonnu Smith at L.A. Rams (20% rostered)
If Jonnu Smith did what he is doing now, but did it back in September, then he would be 80% rostered. He has 6+ targets in four straight games, 4+ catches in all of those games, and is averaging 56 yards per game over the last five weeks. Over the last five weeks, he’s sixth in target share among tight ends (22%), fourth in the share of team yards (27.3%), and is eleventh in receptions, and tenth in yards… despite only playing four games in the last five weeks. He’s TE10 in that span on a per-game basis. He’s currently a must-start tight end if you went dumpster diving in The Blob, or if you just need a spot start for David Njoku this week.
Theo Johnson at Carolina in Germany (1% rostered)
Man, I don’t know, either. The Panthers stink and the Giants will be without suddenly useful target Darius Slayton. The rookie tight end has 10 targets over his last two games and takes on the team that allows the most fantasy points to tight ends. It could just be that simple… or it could be six targets, two receptions, and 31 yards.
