Stars of Week 10 

QB:      Drew Brees: 34-41, 394 yards, 4 TDs

RB:      Marshawn Lynch: 24 carries, 145 yards, 1 TD

WR:     Demaryius Thomas: 7 catches, 108 yards, 3 TDs

TE:      John Carlson: 7 catches, 98 yards, 1 TD

The Week 10 honor roll features three stud fantasy players and a backup TE. Per usual, not a whole lot to add about the familiar names.  As for Carlson, we’ll take a closer look below.

Week 10 Takeaways – A Closer Look 

Each week we’ll take a closer look at a handful of performances and sort out what such performances mean going forward.

- Matthew Stafford: 18-35, 219 yards, 3 TDs                                         

Analysis: Stafford had a solid day against the Bears, especially on the TD front, although posting a meager yardage total. Stafford finds his way into this section more so for his body of work this season, rather than on the basis of his performance on Sunday. Two years ago, Stafford posted a historic season, but those who spent a high draft pick on him in 2012 were left disappointed. As for 2013, Stafford has re-established himself as a top-5 fantasy QB. Other than Manning, Brees and Rodgers, any other QBs that belong ahead of Stafford? I say no.

- Andre Brown: 30 carries, 115 yards, 1 TD

Analysis: Andre Brown had himself a strong game against the Raiders, one that should give him control over the top RB spot for the Giants. Quietly the Giants have won three in a row, and with the Cowboys losing on Sunday, the Giants have crept back into the divisional race. Why is this relevant? Well, with the Giants having a pulse again, they have great incentive to stick with their best players, and with David Wilson out for the year, Andre Brown is their best RB – by far. Brown will have every opportunity to show that he should be the featured back for the Giants. So where to rank him? Brown straddles the line between low-end RB2 and high end RB3/flex, depending on matchup. He has the potential to work his way to a solid RB2 as well. Certainly a useful player going forward, and if he’s available in your league, scoop him up.

- Mark Ingram: 14 carries, 145 yards, 1 TD

Analysis: There’s no other way to look at Ingram’s career thus far other than to conclude that it’s been a massive disappointment. The Saints gave up quite a haul to move up in the 2011 Draft to select Ingram. Thus far, we’ve only seen occasional flashes, such as what we saw against the Cowboys on Sunday. Has Ingram turned the corner? Don’t count on it, at least not enough to make a huge impact for this season. Ingram will remain behind Pierre Thomas (with Darren Sproles classified as a receiving RB), and as such, Ingram’s output will remain limited. Flex play at best for the remainder of the season. 

- Tavon Austin: 2 catches, 138 yards, 2 TDs (Plus a 98-yard kick return for TD)

Analysis:         Now this is what the Rams had in mind when selecting Tavon Austin in the first round of the 2013 draft. Austin has been extremely quiet this season, but with Sunday’s explosion, we have to take another look at his prospects for the remainder of the season. So what to make of Austin’s performance? The initial reaction is to expect more of an impact from Austin during this second half of the NFL season, but also to not overvalue him. While Austin had 138 receiving yards and two TDs, he also only had two catches (and three targets). Austin certainly falls into the boom/bust category, so relying on him as anything more than a flex is quite risky. If he’s available in your league, go ahead and pick him up, but expect up and down results.

- Golden Tate: 6 catches, 106 yards, 1 TD

Analysis:         Golden Tate has had a solid career thus far to date, and one that shows continual improvement from year to year. This year, Tate has taken his game to another level, becoming a dependable target for Russell Wilson. His catch in the end zone against the Falcons was a thing of beauty. At this point, Tate straddles the line between WR2 and WR3/flex, due in part to the nature of the Seahawks run-heavy offense. With Percy Harvin’s return imminent, Tate’s upside will be capped, but also don’t expect much of a drop either. Tate falls into the “better real life player than fantasy," but don’t discount his fantasy value either.

John Carlson: 7 catches, 98 yards, 1 TD

Analysis:         Carlson got the start at TE for Minnesota with Kyle Rudolph injured, and Carlson delivered. Rudolph is expected to be out for a month, so Carlson will continue in the starting role in the mean time. The best bet for Carlson is for Christian Ponder to continue as the Vikings starting QB. Assuming Ponder remains the starter, Carlson should be viewed as a TE2 during Kyle Rudolph’s absence. If you need a TE, feel free to take a flyer on Carlson, but don’t expect many days similar to this past Sunday.

Strategy Discussion  - Usage of Top Waiver Spots 

With trade deadlines having passed in most leagues, we’ll turn away from the Buy Low analysis and instead focus on various strategy discussion. For this week, let’s look at usage of high waiver priority. If you hold a top spot in waiver priority, you’re naturally a bit more hesitant to use the waiver pickup on just any player. This makes sense, as the top waiver spot (or spots) have great value. However, with the NFL season having reached Week 11, you want to be careful that you’re not being too selective and letting helpful players pass you by. The savior that you’re saving the top waiver selection for may never come. So in terms of using a high end waiver spot, you need to evaluate the following:

- Your league and league mates: Deep or shallow rosters? League mates likely to drop useful players? Or waiver players likely to come from emerging backups?

- Your playoff prospects and team holes: Are you on the bubble for making the playoffs?  What positions on your roster are weak? If you’re fighting to make the playoffs, you need to focus on the now. 

This is an abbreviated analysis of the waiver issue, but the point is to think about these factors if you are hesitant to use your waiver spot to pick a player up. As with many fantasy football scenarios, each situation is unique to the manager’s circumstances. You need to evaluate each of the above in determining whether or not use of a high waiver priority for a player is in the best interests of your team.

Week 11 Rankings 

Quarterbacks 

1. Drew Brees, Saints (SF)

2. Peyton Manning, Broncos (KC)

3. Matthew Stafford, Seahawks (at PIT)

4. Cam Newton, Panthers (NE)

5. Russell Wilson, Seahawks (MIN)

6. Robert Griffin III, Redskins (at PHI)

7. Nick Foles, Eagles (WAS)

8. Andrew Luck, Colts (at TEN)

9. Philip Rivers, Chargers (at MIA)

10. Case Keenum, Texans (OAK)

11. Tom Brady, Patriots (at CAR)

12. Colin Kaepernick, 49ers (at NO)

13. Andy Dalton, Bengals (CLE)

14. Josh McCown, Bears (BAL)

15. Matt Ryan, Falcons (at TB)

16. Mike Glennon, Buccaneers (ATL)

17. Ben Roethlisberger, PIT (DET)

18. Alex Smith, Chiefs (at DEN)

19. Jason Campbell, Browns (at CIN)

20. Eli Manning, Giants (GB)

Running Backs 

1. Marshawn Lynch, Seahawks (MIN)

2. Jamaal Charles, Chiefs (at DEN)

3. Adrian Peterson, Vikings (at SEA)

4. LeSean McCoy, Eagles (WAS)

5. Reggie Bush, Lions (at PIT)

6. Knowshon Moreno, Broncos (KC)

7. Frank Gore, 49ers (at NO)

8. Le’Veon Bell, Steelers (DET)

9. Andre Brown, Giants (GB)

10. Alfred Morris, Redskins (at PHI)

11. Eddie Lacy, Packers (at NYG)

12. Matt Forte, Bears (BAL)

13. Giovani Bernard, Bengals (CLE)

14. Ben Tate, Texans (OAK)

15. Andre Ellington, Cardinals (at JAC)

16. Chris Johnson, Titans (IND)

17. Stevan Ridley, Patriots (at CAR)

18. Darren Sproles, Saints (SF)

19. Ryan Mathews, Chargers (at MIA)

20. Lamar Miller, Dolphins (SD)

21. Danny Woodhead, Chargers (at MIA)

22. Fred Jackson, Bills (NYJ)

23. Chris Ivory, Jets (at BUF)

24. Trent Richardson, Colts (at TEN)

25. Brian Leonard, Buccaneers (at ATL)

26. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars (ARI)

27. Ray Rice, Ravens (at CHI)

28. C.J. Spiller, Bills (NYJ)

29. Rashad Jennings, Raiders (at HOU)

30. Steven Jackson, Falcons (at TB) 

Wide Receivers 

1. Calvin Johnson, Lions (at PIT)

2. Demaryius Thomas, Broncos (KC)

3. Brandon Marshall, Bears (BAL)

4. DeSean Jackson, Eagles (WAS)

5. A.J. Green, Bengals (CLE)

6. Andre Johnson, Texans (OAK)

7. Wes Welker, Broncos (KC)

8. Pierre Garcon, Redskins (at PHI)

9. T.Y. Hilton, Colts (at TEN)

10. Antonio Brown, Steelers (DET)

11.Josh Gordon, Browns (at CIN)

12. Victor Cruz, Giants (GB)

13. Torrey Smith, Ravens (at CHI)

14. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals (at JAC)

15. Keenan Allen, Chargers (at MIA)

16. Jordy Nelson, Packers (at NYG)

17. Alshon Jeffery, Bears (BAL)

18. Harry Douglas, Falcons (at TB)

19. Marques Colston, Saints (SF)

20. Danny Amendola, Patriots (at CAR)

21. Percy Harvin, Vikings (MIN)

22. Riley Cooper, Eagles (WAS)

23. Cecil Shorts, Jaguars (ARI)

24. Eric Decker, Broncos (KC)

25. Steve Smith, Panthers (NE)

26. Anquan Boldin, 49ers (at NO)

27. Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs (at DEN)

28. Golden Tate, Seahawks (MIN)

29. Rueben Randle, Giants (GB)

30. Hakeem Nicks, Giants (GB)

Tight Ends 

1. Rob Gronkowski, Patriots (at CAR)

2. Jimmy Graham, Saints (SF)

3. Julius Thomas, Broncos (KC)

4. Antonio Gates, Chargers (at MIA)

5. Jordan Reed, Redskins (at PHI)

6. Vernon Davis, 49ers (at NO)

7. Jordan Cameron, Browns (at CIN)

8. Greg Olsen, Panthers (NE)

9. Tony Gonzalez, Falcons (at TB)

10. Martellus Bennett, Bears (BAL)

11. Timothy Wright, Buccaneers (ATL)

12. Coby Fleener, Colts (at TEN)

13. Charles Clay, Dolphins (SD)

14. Tyler Eifert, Bengals (CLE)

15. Delanie Walker, Titans (IND) 

Neema Hodjat is the fantasy sports writer for RealGM.  He can be reached via email at nhodjat@gmail.com and followed on Twitter at @NeemaHodjat.