Hello and welcome to the most exotic daily fantasy football advice blab on the world wide web. (Take that, Pigskin Hogs®!) I’m Dan MacRae and as is our custom on Thursdays, we’re serving up DFS advice for your Week 10 DraftKings/FanDuel style lineup that could bring you temporary glory. Or it might just ruin your brilliant strategy. That’s the magic of professional sports dinkflicking. Guzzle it down!
If you prefer your fantasy football advice in a more traditional season-long flavor, lovable scamp Jason Nawara is here to help. Let’s football, shall we? (Preferably with fewer horrific injuries, please.)
Quarterback
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Invest in Matthew Stafford: After notching his best fantasy outing since Week 1 courtesy of a 30-17 Monday night win at Lambeau, large adult athlete Matthew Stafford gets the luxury of hosting the winless Cleveland Browns who are somewhere between a professional football team and a complicated tax shelter that plays football occasionally. Stafford (who will set you back a reasonable $6,800 in DraftKings Sunday afternoon action) has been regularly cracking the 300-yard mark game-by-game and the Browns have managed to give 25.3 points-per-game away to opponents all season. Provided there isn’t some sort of inspiring Lewis & Oswald speech at halftime, the Lions are in an excellent position to slaughter the Browns. (Yes, there’s the “but they’re the Lions” factor in play. If you’ve been burned before, I understand.)
Avoid Phillip Rivers: Provided Phillip Rivers doesn’t get half of the Jacksonville secondary pregnant by mere contact (DUDE HAS A HUGE-ASS LITTER OF KIDS), it’s best to make like the rest of Los Angeles and ignore the Chargers QB. Rivers returns from his bye week with the thankless task of going up against Jacksonville’s stifling defense. The Jags have kept pivots to the lowest fantasy totals in the league and the margin between 1-2 hasn’t been close. The Chargers need a big road win to keep playoff optimism alive, so Rivers will need to sort out what his peers haven’t to put anything resembling decent numbers in Jacksonville.
Consider Eli Manning: The Giants have been raw sewage for the bulk of 2017 and give the Niners a genuine shot at their first victory of 2017. So why Eli? The Niners have gifted points to opposing quarterbacks like a talk show host leaving their guest’s book under the seats of every studio audience member. So thoughtful! Eli trades last week’s tough matchup against a Wade Phillips devised a defense for a far more exploitable matchup on the West Coast versus San Francisco has the second worst defense in the league for points allowed. A reasonable price tag ($5,100) and favorable conditions make Eli worth considering even if Giants fans are fantasizing about a life without him.
Running Back
Invest in Le’Veon Bell: Star player is good. That’s the all-star analysis you come to UPROXX Sports for and I’m happy to provide it. Even with the fattest salary in your Sunday fantasy slate, Le’Veon Bell is lined up to pretty much disembowel the Colts defense this weekend. The Colts have given up a league-high 8 rushing touchdowns to RBs and appear poised for decimation against Pittsburgh’s prized rusher who comes off a bye week and has more than shaken off his early season rust. Last season, Bell had 142 combined yards and a touchdown against Indianapolis and he can definitely surpass those totals against the current incarnation this season.
Avoid Todd Gurley: Todd Gurley is having a bounce-back season worth drooling over. It’s too bad for Gurley enthusiasts that Week 10 is not a promising match-up for the Rams rusher. The Houston Texans have given up big numbers on the scoreboard, but their defense has been remarkably stingy against opposing running backs. Only one (1!) rushing touchdown has been surrendered all year to a running back and while Gurley could certainly break through, his Sunday afternoon salary ($8,700 on DraftKings) is too big of a gamble to be worth risking.
Consider Lamar Miller: While we’re on the subject of Texans-Rams (FEEL THE ELECTRICITY!), the other star rusher in their Week 10 contest is worth consideration. The Rams have a tough defense, but it’s one that opposing rushers have been thriving against. At least from a fantasy perspective. Provided Tom Savage doesn’t get hit with a bunch of gamma rays, Lamar Miller (a gentle $5,200 salary cap hit) is going to be essential for a post-Watson Texans offense and test how generous the Rams are versus visiting backs. The big variable here (welcome to Considertown) is the presence of D’Onta Foreman in Houston’s rushing attack, because both backs got nearly identical touches in Week 9’s loss to the Colts. I’m more inclined to endorse Miller because he was 1) more effective than Foreman last week and 2) he established himself as the more popular receiving option versus Foreman. It’s worth having a think about.
Wide Reciever
Invest in Antonio Brown: If you can invest in Bell and Brown without killing off the rest of your roster, this is the week to do it. The Colts gives up 28.9 points-per-game to opponents and that sort of defensive hemorrhage applies to fantasy opponents too. Indianapolis has allowed WRs to nab 107 receptions and 7 TDs already this season and their schedule hasn’t exactly been stacked with dates against elite receivers outside of AJ Green. Brown, who currently leads the NFL in receiving yards a 130+ yard margin, will give the Colts fits on Sunday. Emerging rookie JuJu Smith-Schuster is also worth a look in this AFC clash. Kudos on the driver’s license, dude!
Avoid Kelvin Benjamin: The Kelvin Benjamin Era truly begins in Buffalo! Break out your finest Labatt-stained Zubaz and let’s throw someone threw a flaming table! *waits politely for the tailgate injury report* Tyrod Taylor will be happy to have a new weapon in the Bills passing attack. It’s too bad that this matchup does both he and the ex-Panthers receiver no favors against a strong Saints side. Benjamin has been somewhat snakebit against New Orleans (including a dismal two reception outing earlier this season), so it’s best to adjust expectations for his Buffalo debut.
Consider Robby Anderson: The grab bag New York Jets have been better than advertised (which can be easily achieved when expectations are set at “flaming wreckage”) and wideout Robby Anderson has been torching opposing secondaries of late. Anderson is riding a three-game TD streak thanks to his marvellous chemistry with Josh McCown that’s resulted in increased targets and production. Next up? A date with the imploding Tampa Bay Buccaneers who rank among the league’s dirt worst teams for WR fantasy points allowed.
Tight End
Invest in Cameron Brate: Nothing says fantasy sizzle quite like a five-game losing streak and a season going to sh*t! In addition to being able to exploit Tampa Bay’s miserable as an opponent, Week 10 could also bring you unfathomable riches (or just nice numbers) from a Buccaneer. Jameis Winston’s out and star wideout Mike Evans is suspended, amping up Cameron Brate’s role/value in Tampa Bay’s offense. The Jets are middle-of-the-road when it comes to shutting down tight ends and this seems as good as time as any to point at that three-game stretch (Weeks 4-6) where Brate scored 17.7 fantasy points or more a contest. This is a favorable matchup with a tight end that should be getting a fair bit of action on Sunday.
Avoid Coby Fleener: New Orleans is having a stellar 2017 campaign, but the same can’t be said for Coby Fleener. Fleener hasn’t caught a TD pass since Week 2 and hasn’t seen four targets or more since Week 4. Fleener’s 46 yards against Tampa Bay when supposedly buried behind Josh Hill might give a glimmer of optimism for Fleener die-hards, but it’s just been a plain ol’ lousy year stats-wise for the Saints tight end and projects to get even worse against a strong Bills defense in Week 10. Keep a healthy distance.
Consider Garrett Celek: Feeling a bit dangerous? Consider Garrett Celek as a potential sleeper in Week 10. Celek’s statlines won’t inspiring any fainting spells, but with George Kittle out, Celek gets the start at tight end versus the Giants. A bargain bin $2,500 salary on DraftKings, Celek will go up against a New York squad that’s given up a league-worst 9 touchdowns to opposing tight ends. It’s definitely a boom/bust sort of proposition, but one with some friendly stats and a Dollar Tree price tag on its side.
Have a great football, everyone!
