Another little change to the fantasy football rankings, starts and sits. The notes still include a few matchup metrics, but there is even more focus on player situations. I tried to cover everything that matters most: major injuries, start/sit decisions based on matchups, risk/reward, and more. It was partly due to the power going out while writing, so I had to just opine with my outlook on players (couldn’t reference TruMedia, etc.) while sitting on my internet-less laptop. Anyway, hope you enjoy the new-ish format. Don’t worry, I already had the “Fun Ranks” done for this week. PlayStation 2! Let’s go!
Week 10 Fantasy Football Rankings Notes, Starts, SitsRunning Backs
The Seahawks allow the lowest percentage of rushes that go for first downs or touchdowns at 18.6%. For reference, the Cowboys allow the most at 32.2%.
The Browns have the lowest Yards Before Contact allowed at 0.77, and the Broncos are second-lowest at 0.81. The Bengals (2.33) and the Giants (2.14) are the highest.
The Browns also have the toughest RushEPA (+24.43), with the Giants the easiest (-23.37).
Trey Benson, ARI: Benson returning would put him in the RB2 tier, but it’s a tough matchup. He’ll be more of a mid-low RB2 if back, while Emari Demercado and Bam Knight would be RB3s without him. I’d shoot for Demercado’s upside if you’re needy.
Kyle Monangai, CHI: Without D’Andre Swift, Monangai would be an RB1 again.
Quinshon Judkins, CLE: Sounds like Judkins is fine, but if he’s out, Jerome Ford is a floor RB3 and Dylan Sampson is the higher ceiling option in the same tier.
RJ Harvey, DEN: He’s still a high-risk/high-reward RB3. Harvey’s RBTouch% hasn’t changed, just TD per Touch% — 2.0% through Week 6, 25.0% past three games. The league average is 3.6%.
Kimani Vidal, LAC: He’s been super meh. I wouldn’t risk Vidal unless needed, and if you need a desperation play, I’d lean Jaret Patterson and hope the Chargers lean on him more … and at least near the goal line.
Jordan Mason, MIN: Aaron Jones got banged up, so Mason would be just outside the RB1 tier if Jones is out. Otherwise, Jones is the majority lead and an RB2 with Mason as an RB3/4.
TreVeyon Henderson, NE: Covered him in this week’s waivers column. The Terrell Jennings nonsense was frustrating, but the usage was still solid enough to give Henderson fringe RB2 value without Rhamondre Stevenson. Jennings would be an RB4-touchdown prayer. Stevenson playing would make him and Henderson RB3s with Stevenson higher.
Devin Singletary, NYG: I have Tyrone Tracy in and expect a near-even timeshare, making both RB3s with Singletary touchdown-reliant and Tracy passing-game reliant. If Tracy is out, Singletary would be an RB2.
Bucky Irving, TB: If Irving returns, he carries a bit of risk in his first game back and with the matchup. He’d be an RB2. Rachaad White would slide back into the RB3 range.
Wide Receivers
The Broncos allow a league-low 27.1% of pass attempts to go for first downs or touchdowns, just ahead of the Texans at 27.2%. Meanwhile, the Bengals (43.4%) and the Commanders (42.6%) are highest.
The Broncos are also tied with the Lions, allowing the lowest Yards Per Route Run (1.21), while the Commanders allow 2.01 and the Vikings are second-highest at 1.88.
The Texans (+6.57) and Lions (+5.36) are the only two teams with a WR EPA above +1.00, while the Titans (-49.78) and Packers (-45.77) are the easiest.
DJ Moore, CHI: Give him another start, as the Giants run the fourth-most man coverage, and Moore has an EPA +2.58 better against man than zone.
Cedric Tillman, CLE: Dillon Gabriel loves his tight ends and not much else, meaning if Tillman returns, he’s still no more than a risk/reward WR4, even against the depleted Jets defense.
Nico Collins, HOU: You can’t bench him, but over the past three seasons, Collins has just 13.3 TmTGT% with 1.32 Fantasy Points Per Target and 1.99 YPRR when C.J. Stroud is out. Those numbers are 20.0%, 1.82 and 2.81, respectively, with Stroud. You might need more upside risk with other starters if Stroud is out (expected).
Brian Thomas, Parker Washington and Jakobi Meyers, JAX: Flow chart time! Thomas plays? He’s a risky WR2 with the injury and matchup, Parker Washington is a WR4 with a nice floor but not a WR3 because of those Texans, and Meyers is a boom/bust WR4 given it’s his first game with the Jags. If no BT7, Washington jumps to the WR3 tier but not more, again, because of the matchup, and Meyers doesn’t change much.
Puka Nacua, LAR: Reports are that Nacua avoided a serious injury. If he plays, you don’t even think twice. If out, Davante Adams is an obvious Top 10 play, but Jordan Whittington would top out as a risky WR4. We’ve seen time and again that the next wideout on the Rams is beyond inconsistent.
Tre Tucker, LV: He has a higher TGT% without Jakobi Meyers (25.0 to 15.7%), but his Air Yards per Target (Air/TGT) of 1.83 and YPRR of 1.38 are lower than with Meyers on the field (9.73 and 1.68). With Brock Bowers playing, Tucker is still just a boom/bust WR4.
Kayshon Boutte, NE: Has been more boom than bust the past few weeks, so he’ll be a decent WR3 play if active. If not, the Patriots could push Stefon Diggs outside more and bump DeMario Douglas’ use. They could also keep Diggs unchanged, limiting Douglas and kicking up Kyle Williams’ usage. The point is, Diggs and Hunter Henry would be the only pass-catchers I’d risk.
Tory Horton and Rashid Shaheed, SEA: If Cooper Kupp is out, Horton has enough of a ceiling to warrant WR4 value, even with the Rashid Shaheed incorporation risk. Shaheed is in the same neighborhood as Horton given it’s his first Seahawks game. If Kupp plays, Horton and Shaheed are no more than Hail Mary plays given the uncertainty.
Chris Godwin, TB: Even with full practices, I wouldn’t rank Godwin higher than a WR4 given how he looked during his previous return from injury. Godwin playing would make Tez Johnson riskier — probably in the WR5 range. With no Godwin though, Johnson is pushing the WR3 tier for upside, albeit, still with a risky floor.
Jaylin Lane, WAS: With Terry McLaurin and Luke McCaffrey out, Lane — despite being more of the Deebo Samuel replacement — is a WR4/5 risk if you need to hope for a high ceiling … with the risk of a goose egg. Lane has also done much better against man, and the Lions have the third-heaviest man defense.
Tight Ends
With the Bengals on a bye, the Panthers (-27.50) and Seahawks (-26.64) have the worst TE EPA, while once again, the Texans (+5.72) and Lions (+3.00) are the only teams with positive defensive marks.
The Falcons allow a league-low 3.6 targets, 2.1 receptions and 22.0 yards per game to tight ends, with only one touchdown given up.
Luke Musgrave, GB: A fine fill-in for Tucker Kraft, but don’t expect the same level of success, especially against the Eagles. Kraft had a 13.6 TD/TGT%, behind only AJ Barner (15.4%) and Dallas Goedert (17.9%), and the league average for tight ends is 6.7%.
Quarterbacks
The Texans check in again with a Pass EPA of +27.56, blowing away the second-place Lions at +8.61. The Rams are the only other defensively positive team at +4.66. The Commanders (-66.93) and Titans (-63.22) are second and third behind the Bengals (-90.21).
The Bears lead the league with a 26.4% Turnover per Drive mark, while the Jets are league-worst 1.9%.
Justin Fields, NYJ: This isn’t as cut-and-dried as if he starts. If Fields starts and Tyrod Taylor is inactive, he’s worth a fringe QB1 rank given the upside. Of course, we know the near-zero floor risk, especially versus the Browns, but it’s even worse if Taylor is active with the threat of benching (again).
Brock Purdy, SF: If he finally returns, Purdy would rank only a few spots higher than Mac Jones. It’s not the worst matchup, but Purdy is still an injury risk. Jauan Jennings would jump 3-4 spots with Purdy under center.
NOTE: Stats are since Week 4, unless noted — more recent trend sampling for a better “snapshot”
#CheckTheLink-ageWeek 10 Waiver Wire
Week 10 SOS Ranks (coming soon)
Fantasy 101 (weather, start/sit, trading, more)
🎙️All In Speed Run Podcast🎙️Fun With Ranks
Ah, all-night gaming sessions, the cool matte black system with edges that could puncture your skin, and the iconic beep as you powered up that PlayStation 2. Depending on your taste, it might have been your most-used and favorite gaming system. That’s not the rankings list this week, but the “best PlayStation 2 games” is. Before we get into it, remember, every week we have FUN with these ranks, and “taste” is a big part of it — well, that was literal with last week’s candy list, but you get my point. So, yes, you are going to notice — and likely lose it — that Grand Theft Auto is not on the list … any version. They’re just not my bag. Just as with “Souls like” games, I just found other games more enjoyable. I’m sure that “disqualifies my opinion,” and I should take a long walk off a short pier or whatever. But nope, that’s not stopping my ranks this week! Let me know your favorite, especially if it didn’t make the list.
Top 25 Best PlayStation 2 Games
God of War 1-2: One of the best series, ever, on any platform
Metal Gear Solid 2 & 3: Can say the same here
Resident Evil 4: I was 2 over 4, but this is Top 3 no matter what (if you count the remake of 1 as part of the list)
Ico & Shadow of the Colossus: Looping them together. Sony’s attempt at a Zelda-type game? Kinda? Obviously not the same, and wholly beautiful and engrossing (both)
Okami: This was way more like Legend of Zelda games, and if you never played it, you should
Final Fantasy X & XII: Enjoyed X more, even the blitzball
Devil May Cry 1-3: Action combat squared, then quadruple-downed
Ratchet & Clank series: Up Your Arsenal was the best of the series with the best (ridiculous) weapons/gadgets/etc.
Prince of Persia Sands of Time: One of the best platformers of the time
Kingdom Hearts 1+2: Disney’d version of Final Fantasy, and while less difficult, still fun if you like cartoons
Silent Hill 2: Enjoy your nightmares
Jak and Daxter series: Before the Uncharted games, Naughty Dog had this 3D platformer with top-end graphics, fun and laughs
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 & 4: Forget “Skate,” I don’t want realism in skateboarding video games. I want all the Judo-Indy-McTwist-Slamma Jamma-Hardflip-2160’s and killer soundtracks (though, THPS2 wins that one)
SSX 3 & Tricky: THPS on snowboards. I miss these!
Timesplitters 1 & 2: PS2 version of Goldeneye or Perfect Dark … deserves more respect
Def Jam Vendetta: Speaking of respect, environments affected by the music! And great music at that. And music you could upload?!
Amplitude: Before Guitar Hero and Rock Band, there was this gem, which I played way too much of while managing a Game Crazy
Burnout Series: Come for me. Gran Turismo is on the list, but further down, because this ridiculousness is beyond fun, especially the Crash Mode.
Beyond Good & Evil: Good story and visuals — might be underrated even as a Top 20 pick.
Max Payne 1 & 2: Bullet time fun … though, not everyone enjoyed it
NBA Street Vol 2: Can you tell I enjoy the insane version of real sports? NBA Jam to the next level. Hours, days, weeks and more spent on this.
Need for Speed Underground 1 & 2: Well, you had to know this was coming, especially during the peak street racing and Fast & Furious days
Gran Turismo 3 & 4: Yes, it finally made the list. Loses points for realism 😉 haha
Onimusha series: Resident Evil with swords and samurai
Splinter Cell series: I usually choose stealth tactics in games where you have the choice (Deus Ex), so I always enjoyed these
Honorable Mention:
Twisted Metal Black: Fun but a bit repetitive after a while
Tekken 5 and Soul Calibur II & III: It’s tough to rank fighting games super high, as they have a limited shelf life, for me — I know some people love the genre
Week 10 Fantasy Football Rankings
🚨 HEADS UP 🚨
There is no perfect widget out there, sadly, still. I know many view this on your phone, but 1) use the rankings widget on a PC/laptop/etc. if possible or 2) open in your phone’s browser, especially for Android users, to get the scrolling to work (or Android people can try a two-finger scroll).
ECR = “Expert” Consensus Ranking (which isn’t updated by everyone consistently, so take with a grain of salt).
Updated regularly, so check up to lineups locking.
Week 10 Fantasy Football Projections
🚨 HEADS UP 🚨 These can differ from my rankings, and MY RANKS are the order I’d start players outside of added context, such as, “Need highest upside, even if risky.” Also, based on 4-point TDs for QB, 6-point rest, and Half-PPR
Download Link Added ThursdayAll In Speed Run Podcast