Week 10 in the NFL resembled many of the weeks that recently preceded it, with blowouts, upsets and sometimes the least likely of fantasy football fill-ins lighting up the scoreboard. Jonathan Taylor and CeeDee Lamb excelled, while Tom Brady and his teammates fell flat.
How should fantasy managers react? Matt Bowen and Tristan H. Cockcroft offer their takes.
RB Jonathan Taylor continues to establish himself as a potential league winner
For the sixth time in the past seven weeks, the Indianapolis Colts' second-year RB scored 20-plus PPR fantasy points, his 24.6 the second most at his position from the 1p.m. ET games. He's now averaging 5.8 yards per rushing attempt, and this game represented his season high in touches (27). Judging by his recent play, the ability to dominate his soft matchups and his offensive-line support, he makes a very real case for No. 1 status at his position from this point forward. I won't rank him that way with his two toughest matchups up in Weeks 11-12 -- the Bills and Buccaneers -- but I'm also not remotely scared by either assignment. -- Cockcroft
Tristan, I'm really impressed with Taylor right now. He is so patient as a runner right now. And when he does find daylight, then we see the explosive traits he brings to the position. He can scoot past the second level now. And I'm with you on the upcoming matchups, too. He will get the volume, and there's always scoring upside with Taylor on low red zone touches. -- Bowen
RB AJ Dillon becomes a bigger factor
Perhaps the biggest story of Week 10 was the injury to Aaron Jones, who sprained a medial collateral ligament during the third quarter of the Green Bay Packers' 17-0 win over the Seattle Seahawks, after which he was witnessed in tears. Dillon absorbed a huge workload after Jones' departure, concluding the game with 26.8 PPR fantasy points on 23 total touches. While some of that can be attributed to the favorable matchup against the Seahawks, it was good to see him involved in the passing game after Jones' early exit, as Jones entered the week averaging 20.0 routes to Dillon's 8.3, and any rise in that number could pay big fantasy dividends for the second-year back. As is, Dillon had scored 10-plus points in three of six games before this, raising questions about the division of carries in the Green Bay backfield. Assuming Jones' injury is a lengthy one -- it seems likely to sideline him for Week 11 at the minimum -- Dillon should take on a hefty workload, elevating him into the back end of the RB1 tier. He's somehow still available in 40.5% of ESPN leagues, a number that needs to shrink to zero in this week's waiver run, and the only real knock on him as a fill-in would be that the Packers have their bye in Week 13, taking a week out of the fantasy-scheduling equation. -- Cockcroft
Rhamondre Stevenson leads a trio of solid fill-in RBs
Injuries might've created this expanded opportunity, but New England Patriots rookie Stevenson's usage in Week 10 -- and his resulting numbers -- was one of the most encouraging storylines of the week. He played 56.5% of the offensive snaps, easily more than double that of Brandon Bolden (25.8%) or J.J. Taylor (19.4%), had 20 rushing attempts and four receptions, and had four rushing attempts and a receiving target in goal-to-go situations, converting two of the former for touchdowns. It showed a clear commitment to Stevenson, which bodes well for future weeks when Damien Harris might be at less than full strength, and in fact could set up a competition between the two for carries in their healthy weeks. Stevenson's 27.4 PPR fantasy points, by the way, were the most by a Patriots rookie running back since Jonas Gray scored 44.1 in Week 11 of 2014. For your Week 11 pickups, Stevenson remains available in 90.1% of ESPN leagues. -- Cockcroft
WR CeeDee Lamb shines in a Dallas Cowboys' rout
The star of what was a rout of the visiting Falcons, Lamb scored 28.6 PPR fantasy points in three quarters' work, which at the time of his departure from the game led all players who had appeared to that point. Of Lamb's seven targets on the day, three came in the red zone, a good sign considering he hadn't seen any in Weeks 8-9 and had only five for the season entering Sunday. He also now has 105.0 points in his past five games, continuing to show a good rapport with QB Dak Prescott, who seems to only look stronger the further he gets from last season's surgery. If there's any worry with Lamb, it was his early departure due to an arm contusion, which might've been as much a scoreboard-related decision than a concern. Assuming he's 100% and gets in his early-week practice time, Lamb should be regarded a borderline WR1 from this point forward, especially in Week 11 when he has a great matchup against the Chiefs. -- Cockcroft
I agree on CeeDee here, Tristan. And I might even have Lamb a little higher in the ranks -- as a locked-in, low-end WR1 for that Week 11 game versus the Chiefs. We know how the Cowboys will scheme for Lamb on catch-and-run balls, but the red zone targets are the big takeaway here, too. Lamb had two scores on Sunday inside the 15-yard line (on outside breaking routes), and that's where we usually see man coverage from NFL defenses. I'll take Lamb in those matchups. -- Bowen
RB Christian McCaffrey puts versatility on display
For the 11th time in his five-year, 56-game NFL career to date, McCaffrey made double-digit catches (10 in this one), looking once again like the locked-in, PPR dynamo he has been in the past. He scored 26.1 PPR fantasy points on what was 23 total touches, and played 76.9% of the Panthers' offensive snaps, a number that might have been higher if not for his team being up big on the scoreboard late in the contest. If there was any frustration about McCaffrey's performance, it was that he got only one of the team's five goal-to-go rushing attempts, as Cam Newton and Chuba Hubbard each converted chances for scores. That wasn't so much the case during McCaffrey's big 2019, and while the team could be attempting to protect him from further injury, it's just as likely that they're working him back one step at a time, and that the goal-line opportunities will still come. There's no reason to think of him as anything less than a top-three running back going forward. -- Cockcroft
Quick hitters
Tom Brady, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: In what was the upset of Week 10, Brady's Buccaneers lost 29-19 to the Washington Football Team, a matchup that made him a popular top-three pick at his position. He scored only 13.00 fantasy points, meaning he has now finished beneath 15 in two of his past six games. Brady and his team didn't look at all like a squad freshly rested off the bye, though he also rebounded with a massive 37.74-point performance the most recent time he had such a poor stat line (Week 5), and all logic points to him rebounding nicely against the Giants in Week 11. Consider this a one-week blip. -- Cockcroft
Mac Jones, QB, New England Patriots: Looking at the Patriots' schedule over the second half of the season, can we consider Jones a matchup-dependent starter moving forward? The rookie was pretty dialed in against the Browns' defense on Sunday, posting 19.92 fantasy points, his second-highest scoring total of the season, and throwing three touchdown passes in New England's blowout win. We know Jones is an easy fit for this Patriots' passing game, too. Throw with timing, rhythm, anticipation here. And I loved the seam-ball touchdown Jones delivered to Kendrick Bourne in this one. That's a small window to hit. Go challenge it. Up next for Jones and the Pats? It's the Falcons' defense. And that's a matchup I like with Jones as a lower-tier QB1 in deeper leagues. -- Bowen
D'Ernest Johnson, RB, Cleveland Browns: Johnson has the running traits to play a volume role in this Cleveland offense when he gets the opportunity to roll as the lead back. We saw it in Week 7, when Johnson racked up 24.8 PPR points versus the Broncos. And he did it again on Sunday, finishing with 22.7 PPR points (on 26 touches) against the Patriots. He's a decisive, one-cut runner. Get downhill. Yes, the volume will take a dip with Nick Chubb's anticipated return next week, but Johnson is a player you want on the roster given his ability to produce as a viable insurance back in one of the league's most run-heavy offenses. -- Bowen
Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers: Some concern here after Ekeler failed to score at least 15 PPR points for the second straight week? Yes, a little, because I don't believe the Chargers have a meaningful run game. For Ekeler to produce high-end RB1 numbers, you need to see production in the pass game. And the Chargers running back has caught just a total of six passes in his past two games. -- Bowen
DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles: Smith scored 22.6 PPR points (all in the first half) for the second straight week. And the highlight for me was the contested catch he made versus Patrick Surtain II in the end zone. That's big-time football. Smith added a second touchdown in this one, too, running away from man coverage on a crosser in the red zone, giving him three total scores in his past two games. The explosive plays are up, and so are the scoring opportunities for the rookie. But with a Week 11 matchup versus the Saints' aggressive, man-coverage secondary, Smith will stay in my ranks as an upside WR3. -- Bowen
Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks: In his return from a finger injury, Wilson scored only 5.64 fantasy points, his fourth fewest in any of his 150 career NFL starts. He simply looked rusty, lacking the usual zip on his throws and making poor decisions at times, which isn't entirely shocking considering his four-week absence. Wilson should improve with time, though a Week 11 matchup against the Cardinals isn't the easiest matchup in which for him to rebound. He'll be a low-end QB1, one I'll probably prefer to have outside my top 10. -- Cockcroft
Mark Ingram II, RB, New Orleans Saints: Like Johnson, Ingram was a popular streaming choice for Week 10, and he similarly delivered in a losing effort, scoring 20.8 PPR fantasy points. While his 18 total touches fell short of what Alvin Kamara usually handles, Ingram's receiving usage showed that the team should regard him somewhat similarly if Kamara is forced to miss any additional time. He's an insurance policy worth keeping around if you're among the 38.2% of ESPN managers who added him within the past week. -- Cockcroft
Matt Breida, RB, Buffalo Bills: There's a blast from the past, as Breida, the former 49ers and Dolphins back, finished among his position's top-10 scorers from the 1 p.m. ET games, scoring 18.0 PPR fantasy points despite finding himself rostered in only 0.2% of ESPN leagues. While that's at least a small step toward him carving out a small role in the running game, keep in mind that 17 of his 25 snaps played came on special teams, and he had just six total touches in the contest. Call it a matchups-driven fluke, and it's a pretty rough time in the team's schedule to consider him a pickup, as the Colts (Week 11), Saints (Week 12) and Buccaneers (Week 14) represent three of his next four matchups. -- Cockcroft
Hunter Henry, TE, New England Patriots: With Jonnu Smith (shoulder) sidelined, Henry played 82.3% of the Patriots' offensive snaps, saw a pair of goal-line targets that he caught for touchdowns and saw an additional red zone target wiped out by penalty. The result: 19.7 PPR fantasy points, a season best for him, giving him 10-plus in five of his past seven games. Clarity on Henry's role helped, and an extended Smith absence would thrust Henry easily into the TE1 class, as he'll have back-to-back favorable matchups in Weeks 10-11 against the Falcons and Titans. -- Cockcroft
Dan Arnold, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars: With 13.7 PPR points in Week 10 against the Colts, Arnold has now scored 10 or more PPR points in his past three games, with at least seven targets in each matchup. While the scoring upside isn't there with Arnold, the volume alone puts the veteran in the low-end TE1 mix. -- Bowen