Stars of Week 10 

QB: Jared Goff, LAR: 25-37, 355 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs    

RB: Mark Ingram, NO: 21 carries, 131 yards, 3 TDs

WR: Robert Woods, LAR: 8 catches, 171 yards, 2 TDs

TE: Jimmy Graham: 6 catches, 27 yards 2 TDs           

What a change a year makes as Jared Goff goes from 2016 punching bag, “bust” QB to back to back weeks as the top fantasy QB in this 2017 season. We looked at Goff in depth last week, and he’s legit. This week Goff is joined in the honor role by teammate Robert Woods, who led the way for wide receivers. Woods remains dependent upon matchups, and the Rams will now be facing a tough stretch of defenses over the next several games, starting with the Vikings next week. Perhaps the most impressive performance this past week came from Mark Ingram, who carved up the Bills’ run D for 131 yards and 3 TDs, averaging roughly 6.5 yards per carry. Ingram sits comfortably as a top 10 RB and a weekly must-start. Last but not least, Jimmy Graham hauled in two TDs in what was an ugly Thursday night game, primarily due to the multitude of key injuries suffered by the Seahawks and Cardinals. Graham has come on strong after a very weak start to the season. He’s a weekly starter at TE for fantasy teams. 

Week 10 Takeaways – A Closer Look 

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

- Case Keenum, QB – MIN: 21-29, 304 yards, 4 TDs, 2 INTs  

Analysis: The Minnesota Vikings have been one of the biggest surprises this season, and with their top two QBs hurt and rookie RB sensation Dalvin Cook out for the year as well, the team’s 7-2 record is even more impressive. While Sam Bradford and Teddy Bridgewater were sidelined, journeyman QB Case Keenum stepped up and directed the ship, and now looks to hold onto the starting gig long term. Keenum surpassed 300 yards and 4 TDs against a tough Redskins defense. Looking at Keenum’s weekly performances in the aggregate, there’s large week-to-week variability. In eight games this season, Keenum has thrown 4 TDs, 3 TDs and 2 TDs once each, 1 TD twice and 0 TDs three times. So despite his stat friendly game against Washington, you should not view Keenum as anything more than a mid to low end QB2 going forward. While Keenum has led the Vikings to several victories, his performances don’t translate well to the fantasy arena. 

- Austin Ekeler, RB – LAC: 10 carries, 42 yards, 0 TDs (5 catches, 77 yards, 2 TDs)

Analysis: Austin Ekeler’s name has been floated around as a player to keep an eye on, and we got a glimpse as to why this past Sunday against the Jaguars. The Chargers’ rookie backup RB scored two TDs in the passing game, while also toting the rock 10 times despite Melvin Gordon being healthy. Ekeler now has 4 TDs on the season, and it’s likely that his role will continue to increase down the stretch. Despite Melvin Gordon’s recent struggles, he will continue to be the primary ball carrier for the Chargers. But Ekeler should carve a role out for himself as a third down back with 5-8 carries per game to boot. If you need an RB, Ekeler’s a good one to seek this week, especially in PPR leagues. His ceiling for the coming weeks is that of a RB3/flex player though, so don’t go too crazy with expectations. But he can certainly provide help for RB needy teams. 

- Alfred Morris, RB – DAL: 11 carries 53 yards, 0 TDs

- Rod Smith, RB – DAL: 3 carries 14 yards, 0 TDs

- Darren McFadden, RB – DAL: 1 carry, -2 yards, 0 TDs 

Analysis: The Cowboys struggled mightily against the Falcons, as they were without primary RB Ezekiel Elliott, and also – and perhaps more importantly – star left tackle Tyron Smith. From a fantasy perspective, there was curiosity as to how the carries would be divvied up in Elliott’s absence. We got our first official answers now, with Alfred Morris receiving eleven carries, Rod Smith with three and forgotten man Darren McFadden with one. But, this doesn’t tell the whole story, as per Pro Football Focus, Smith won the snap count battle, with 39 snaps compared to 21 for Morris and 1 for McFadden. Smith also had four receptions in the game. With this information in hand, it looks like both Morris and Smith will have big roles, with McFadden riding the pine for the most part. It’s fair to expect a timeshare between Morris and Smith, with Morris serving as the primary ball carrier and Smith as the third down back who will also get a handful of carries per game. Both Morris and Smith will be matchup dependent, and in most cases they will be flex options. I still also wouldn’t discount the possibility that Smith could overtake Morris as the lead runner. McFadden is droppable in case you need room on your roster.

- Sterling Shepard, WR – NYG: 11 catches, 142 yards, 0 TDs 

Analysis: With the Giants decimated by injuries to its WR corps, the return of Sterling Shepard has been a welcomed sight for Eli Manning in an otherwise rough season. Shepard joins rookie tight end Evan Engram as the two go-to players for Manning in the passing game. Manning targeted Shepard 13 times this past Sunday against the 49ers, and Shepard hauled in 11 throws and accumulated 142 yards in the loss. With both Odell Beckham and Brandon Marshall out for the season, Shepard will continue to serve as the lead target for the Giants’ remaining games. The analysis here is rather simple – volume and paucity of competition for targets makes Shepard a WR2 for fantasy purposes the rest of the season. You should start him in all but the very toughest of matchups. 

- Chester Rogers, WR – IND: 6 catches, 104 yards, 1 TD

Analysis: While the Colts’ season has been largely disastrous with Andrew Luck missing the entire season, the team has maintained some fantasy relevance. QB Jacoby Brissett has done an admirable job filling in for Luck, and this past Sunday, wide receiver Chester Rogers put up over 100 yards and found the end zone against a tough Steelers defense. The second year WR has had a rather quiet career so far, but could Rogers be ready to break out? He’s certainly talented, but at least for this season, Rogers is unlikely to repeat this type of performance. He’s squarely behind TY Hilton and Donte Moncrief on the depth chart, and the current version of the Colts don’t possess a prolific passing offense. For those of you in dynasty leagues, Rogers is worth a stash. Otherwise, Rogers is not a reliable bet unless at minimum one of Hilton or Moncrief are out. So he’s a potential long-term buy, but a short-term pass.

Rapid Fire Pickups

Each week we throw out potential free agent pickups from each position for deeper leagues, in each case 1) someone who has NOT been referenced above, and 2) a player available in most leagues. 

QB: Josh McCown, NYJ

RB: Jamaal Williams, GB

RB: Danny Woodhead, BAL (could return as early as week 11)

WR: Corey Davis, TEN

WR: Josh Doctson, WAS

TE: Charles Clay, BUF

Week 11 Rankings 

Quarterbacks:

1. Tom Brady, NE (at OAK)
2. Carson Wentz, PHI (at DAL)
3. Alex Smith, KC (at NYG)
4. Drew Brees, NO (vs. WAS)
5. Russell Wilson, SEA (vs. ATL)
6. Derek Carr, OAK (vs. NE)
7. Dak Prescott, DAL (vs. PHI)
8. Kirk Cousins, WAS (at NO)
9. Matthew Stafford, DET (at CHI)
10. Philip Rivers, LAC (vs. BUF)
11. Matt Ryan, ATL (at SEA)
12. Jared Goff, LAR (at MIN)
13. Eli Manning, NYG (vs. KC)
14. Jay Cutler, MIA (vs. TB)
15. Blake Bortles, JAX (at CLE)
16. Andy Dalton, CIN (at DEN)
17. Case Keenum, MIN (vs. LAR)
18. Ryan Fitzpatrick, TB (at MIA)
19. Blaine Gabbert, ARZ (at HOU)
20. Brett Hundley, GB (vs. BAL)

Running Backs:

1. Mark Ingram, NO (vs. WAS)
2. Todd Gurley, LAR (at MIN)
3. Kareem Hunt, KC (at NYG)
4. Leonard Fournette, JAX (at CLE)
5. Melvin Gordon, LAC (vs. BUF)
6. Alvin Kamara, NO (vs. WAS)
7. Jordan Howard, CHI (vs. DET)
8. Jay Ajayi, PHI (at DAL)
9. LeSean McCoy, BUF (at LAC)
10. Tevin Coleman, ATL (at SEA)
11. Adrian Peterson, ARZ (at HOU)
12. Jerick McKinnon, MIN (vs. LAR)
13. Lamar Miller, HOU (vs. ARZ)
14. Orleans Darkwa, NYG (vs. KC)
15. Chris Thompson, WAS (at NO)
16. Kenyan Drake, MIA (vs. TB)
17. Joe Mixon, CIN (at DEN)
18. Marshawn Lynch, OAK (vs. NE)
19. Doug Martin, TB (at MIA)
20. Ameer Abdullah, DET (at CHI)
21. Alex Collins, BAL (at GB)
22. Jamaal Williams, GB (vs. BAL)
23. Dion Lewis, NE (at OAK)
24. Rex Burkhead, NE (at OAK)
25. Alfred Morris, DAL (vs. PHI)
26. Isaiah Crowell, CLE (vs. JAX)
27. Latavius Murray, MIN (vs. LAR)
28. C.J. Anderson, DEN (vs. CIN)
29. Duke Johnson, CLE (vs. JAX)
30. Damien Williams, MIA (vs. TB)
31. Samaje Perine, WAS (at NO)
32. Danny Woodhead, BAL (at GB)
33. Austin Ekeler, LAC (vs. BUF)
34. James White, NE (at OAK)
35. Theo Riddick, DET (at CHI)
36. Thomas Rawls, SEA (vs. ATL)
37. Javorius Allen, BAL (at GB)
38. Rod Smith, DAL (vs. PHI)
39. Devontae Booker, DEN (vs. CIN)
40. LaGarrette Blount, PHI (at DAL)

Wide Receivers:

1. Mike Evans, TB (at MIA)
2. Brandin Cooks, NE (at OAK)
3. Michael Thomas, NO (vs. WAS)
4. Julio Jones, ATL (at SEA)
5. Tyreek Hill, KC (at NYG)
6. Doug Baldwin, SEA (vs. ATL)
7. A.J. Green, CIN (at DEN)
8. Michael Crabtree, OAK (vs. NE)
9. DeAndre Hopkins, HOU (vs. ARZ)
10. Sterling Shepard, NYG (vs. KC)
11. Adam Thielen, MIN (vs. LAR)
12. Golden Tate, DET (at CHI)
13. Jarvis Landry, MIA (vs. TB)
14. Stefon Diggs, MIN (vs. LAR)
15. Dez Bryant, DAL (vs. PHI)
16. Amari Cooper, OAK (vs. NE)
17. Larry Fitzgerald, ARZ (at HOU)
18. Alshon Jeffery, PHI (at DAL)
19. Devante Parker, MIA (vs. TB)
20. Demaryius Thomas, DEN (vs. CIN)
21. Keenan Allen, LAC (vs. BUF)
22. Robert Woods, LAR (at MIN)
23. Emmanuel Sanders, DEN (vs. CIN)
24. Marqise Lee, JAX (at CLE)
25. DeSean Jackson, TB (at MIA)
26. Marvin Jones, DET (at CHI)
27. Davante Adams, GB (vs. BAL)
28. Mohamed Sanu, AT (at SEA)
29. Jeremy Maclin, BAL (at GB)
30. Jamison Crowder, WAS (at NO)
31. Nelson Agholor, PHI (at DAL)
32. Ted Ginn, NO (vs. WAS)
33. Kelvin Benjamin, BUF (at LAC)
34. Dontrelle Inman, CHI (vs. DET)
35. Cooper Kupp, LAR (at MIN)
36. Jordy Nelson, GB (vs. BAL)
37. Danny Amendola, NE (at OAK) 
38. Josh Doctson, WAS (at NO)
39. Randall Cobb, GB (vs. BAL)
40. Tyler Lockett, SEA (vs. ATL)

Tight End:

1. Travis Kelce, KC (at NYG)
2. Rob Gronkowski, NE (at OAK)
3. Zach Ertz, PHI (at DAL)
4. Evan Engram, NYG (vs. KC)
5. Jimmy Graham, SEA (vs. ATL)
6. Jared Cook, OAK (vs. NE)
7. Kyle Rudolph, MIN (vs. LAR)
8. Cameron Brate, TB (at MIA)
9. Tyler Kroft, CIN (at DEN)
10. Jordan Reed, WAS (at NO)
11. Charles Clay, BUF (at LAC)
12. Hunter Henry, LAC (vs. BUF)
13. Vernon Davis, WAS (at NO)
14. Jason Witten, DAL (vs. PHI)
15. Austin Hooper, ATL (at SEA)
16. C.J. Fiedorowicz, HOU (vs. ARZ)
17. Eric Ebron, DET (at CHI)
18. Marcedes Lewis, JAX (at CLE)
19. Benjamin Watson, BAL (at GB)
20. Martellus Bennett, NE (at OAK)

Defense/Special Teams: 

1. Jacksonville Jaguars (at CLE)
2. Baltimore Ravens (at GB)
3. Arizona Cardinals (at HOU)
4. Detroit Lions (at CHI)
5. Kansas City Chiefs (at NYG)
6. Denver Broncos (vs. CIN)
7. Philadelphia Eagles (at DAL)
8. New Orleans Saints (vs. WAS)
9. Seattle Seahawks (vs. ATL)
10. Cincinnati Bengals (at DEN)
11. Los Angeles Chargers (vs. BUF)
12. Houston Texans (vs. ARZ)
13. Los Angeles Rams (at MIN)
14. Minnesota Vikings (vs. LAR)
15. Green Bay Packers (vs. BAL)