Welcome back to our Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em series for 2020, we are about to enter Week 10! The season seems to be flying along, and more importantly, we haven’t really seen any COVID issues. Hopefully, you are playoff bound- but if you aren’t it’s time to turn that around!
The teams on bye this week are
- Atlanta Falcons
- Dallas Cowboys
- Kansas City Chiefs
- New York Jets
That makes some of our selections a bit tougher, but there are still plenty of options! If you have a particular start/ sit question then you can always check out our weekly rankings page, or reach out to us on any of our social media channels. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. I answered all of you that reached out last week, I will always try to get to every single one of you.
Our Week 10 Start ‘Em and Sit ‘Em selections for 2020 are chosen deliberately for players that I’ve seen people questioning. Slam dunk starts (the likes of Patrick Mahomes) and sits (pretty much anyone in New York) aren’t going to be included. You should always be starting or avoiding those guys.
Start ‘Em
Drew Lock @LV
Lock has been decent for fantasy since his return from injury, with matchups against the Chargers and Falcons. This week Denver face up against a Raiders offense that can be beaten through the air, giving up 21.1 points on average to the position.
Jared Goff v SEA
This week feels like one of those deadline weeks- either Goff pops off and you can still (somewhat) use him for fantasy, or he fails and you can get off the bus. Seattle are terrible against QBs this season, giving up the highest points total in the league. As mentioned in our streamers article, you could do a lot worse than Goff this week.
Tua Tagovailoa v LAC
Tagovailoa has been decent since his debut in the league, steadily looking more comfortable in the offense. This week he matches up against the Chargers who have given up an average of 21.5 points to the position.
Carson Wentz v NYG
This matchup on the face of it isn’t great for the Eagles- the Giants have only given up an average of 17.3 points to the position this season. But, just a few weeks ago Wentz had a decent game against the same opponent. He threw for 359 yards, 2TDs and 1 INT as well as adding 14 yards and a single TD on the ground. That was without some of the talent that is expected to be back in this game.
J.D. McKissic @DET
2020 has seen some unlikely names push themselves into contention for your fantasy linueps. McKissic is one of them, after bouncing around the league previously. This week, he faces a Detroit team that is a little on it’s own as one that gives up over 30 points on average to the position. Crucially, for McKissic’s role in the offense, they are weak at stopping pass-catching RBs- which should lead to plenty of opportunity this week.
Kareem Hunt v HOU
This might seem a little obvious, especially if Nick Chubb isn’t able to play, but don’t feel like you can’t put Hunt in your lineup. The Texans have given up 25.5 points to the position this season, beaten only by the Lions and Packers. There is enough production for each of the two RBs to exceed.
Leonard Fournette @CAR
I’m projecting Fournette is going to be the starting RB in this game, but if that isn’t the case then I’d be equally happy with Jones. In Week 2 the Panthers allowed the Tampa backfield to run for 126 yards and 3 TDs. Since then the Panthers have continued to struggle in defending RBs, so this feels like a great play.
Brandin Cooks @CLE
Cooks still leads this team in targets, but has struggled a little in making those count with production. However, a matchup against the weak Cleveland secondary should give him a great chance at getting his season back on track.
Brandon Aiyuk @NO
Aiyuk has been activated from the COVID list, and should slot straight back into the starting lineup. Aiyuk leads the team in targets (excluding George Kittle, who is now on IR) and should step into a leading role again this week.
Mike Williams @MIA
Williams is now getting more involved in the offense, and as a result, has become far more consistent than in previous years. He has continued his role as a redzone weapon but has been given increased looks from elsewhere on the field. Miami have given up an average of 25.6 points to the position, but with the way this offense is playing there is no reason why that can’t increase.
Jerry Jeudy @LV
Much like you can stay in the fire with Drew Lock, you can do so with his lead receiver. Jeudy had a great game against the Falcons, with 7 receptions for 125 yards and a TD. The Broncos have a good matchup against the Raiders this week, so I’m projecting some more solid production.
Eric Ebron v CIN
I said it with Goff, now I’m going to say it with Ebron, this is the final week I am ready to be hurt. Ebron has been solid the past few weeks, and now has his easiest matchup (on paper) against the Bengals. In this week with some popular TE options unavailable, Ebron could be the tonic you need.
Evan Engram v PHI
Engram faced Washington last week, and finished with five receptions for 48 yards and a TD. This week he faces an Eagles defense that is equally as susceptible, so I’d be happy to roll with Engram for a second week in a row.
T.J. Hockenson v WAS
Hockenson has continued to be an effective TE option this season. He might not have had a big blow-up game like Robert Tonyan, but he has offered solid production. Washington are one of the worst teams against
Daniel Carlson v DEN
I mentioned Carlson in my waiver wire article this week for good reason. The Raiders offense has been effective, and has allowed Carlson to attempt at least 2 FGs in each of his games this season. Denver have allowed plenty of kickers to perform this season, and Carlson should just be the next one up.
Brandon McManus @LV
I had McManus a start last week, and am continuing with that trend here. McManus is part of a Denver offense that has been able to move the ball, but has stalled in some drives- which has allowed McManus to attempt FGs.
Philadelphia Eagles v NYG
In some of the leagues I’m in, the Eagles were picked up during the bye week- I assume for this very matchup. The Giants have been giving up sacks and turnovers all season, and the Eagles have found a way to put pressure on teams upfront. Start with confidence.
Green Bay Packers v JAX
Green Bay has allowed teams to literally run all over them, so I’m confident in James Robinson having a decent game. However, the Packers offense is likely to be able to get up and down the field, meaning the pressure will mount on Jake Luton. With the Packers able to put pressure on QBs, we could see a long day for the rookie.
Sit ‘Em
Joe Burrow @PIT
Burrow has had a great start to his rookie season, but his one down game this season came on the road against Baltimore (a tough defense). This week he matches up against a Steelers unit that failed to live up to the expectations last week against a depleted Dallas offense. I’m expecting the Steelers to put the rookie under pressure, which could lead to the whole offense stalling.
Daniel Jones v PHI
Like Wentz, Jones had a decent outing in the reverse of this game in Week 7. However, unlike Wentz, the majority of his points came on one single long rush. This Giants offense continues to give up pressure, which has led to turnovers. I wouldn’t want to deal with the swings of Jones in this matchup.
Kirk Cousins v CHI
Chicago are great against opposing QBs this season and while the Vikings offense seems to be getting back into it’s stride, the majority of the production is coming on the ground. We could see a repeat of Tannehill’s efficient outing against the Bears, but I’m not holding out too much hope for it!
Jerrick McKinnon/ Entire SF backfield @NO
This sit has two parts to it. Firstly, the Saints defense are great against RBs this season, only giving up an average of 13.8 points to the position. That doesn’t give a lot of opportunity to score points. Secondly, this backfield is so hard to predict individually. Overall, in any given game, I’m confident in the ability of the team to perform. I just never know which guy will get the work.
Devin Singletary @ARI
Singletary feels like a frustrating player to own, you don’t feel like you can drop him but you can’t start him. He seems to have lost the lead-backfield role to Zack Moss, and doesn’t get goal-line opportunity. Avoid.
DeeJay Dallas @LAR
Similar to the above, this is another team going up against a tough RB defense with plenty of options to lead them. We could see Dallas lead in touches, or Travis Homer could step up. Equally, we could see one of Chris Carson or Carlos Hyde return from injury and be given touches.
DK Metcalf @LAR
You won’t do it, because I mean, how could you? But really you should limit your expectations with Metcalf this week. The Rams are one of the better units against WRs in the league, and Metcalf is likely to attract the attention of Jalen Ramsey as he did late last season. I’m also a little worried about Tyler Lockett’s production in this game, but not as much.
Adam Thielen @CHI
Thielen (and Justin Jefferson) are both players that I’m worried about going into this game. The Chicago Bears have only allowed 3 TDs to WRs all season, and an average of just 16.5 points. That just isn’t going to get it done for fantasy.
Kenny Golladay/ Marvin Jones v WAS
Washington has continued to be one of the better units against the position this season. Golladay is currently looking like he is going to miss this game through injury, which is why I’ve mentioned Jones too.
D.J. Moore v TB
I’m at the point of giving up with Moore this season. He doesn’t seem to be getting the opportunity to perform with Robby Anderson and Curtis Samuel getting touches instead. In Week 2 Moore had a great game against Tampa, but I’m not expecting that to repeat this week.
Mark Andrews @NE
Andrews has been a major disappointment this season for fantasy owners. In his past three games, Andrews has caught a total of eight passes for 75 yards. That just isn’t going to get it done. Against New England who have only allowed 4.4. points per game so far, and only 1 TD to the position this is not a target matchup.
Tyler Higbee v SEA
Higbee is another player who came into the season with a lot of buzz, but has only flashed in one game this season (Week 2, where he caught all 3 of his season TDs). Equally, Higbee has only topped 50 yards in two games. Seattle have been an effective unit against the position this season, allowing an average of 5.7 points to the position. Mix in the involvement of Gerald Everett, and this is an easy sit for me.
Jason Myers @LAR
Myers is part of a fantastic offense, but suffers from it being too effective. That has led to the kicker being limited to PAT attempts, rather than FGs which is what you want for fantasy. Against the Rams, a tough matchup, I’d look at other options.
Dustin Hopkins @DET
The Washington offense has stalled often this season, but not within range for their kicker to take advantage. Detroit are also in the habit of just conceding straight TDs, rather than forcing kick attempts. Look elsewhere for a streaming option
San Francisco 49ers @NO
It’s getting to a point in the season that you have to think about giving up on the 49ers defense. Yes, you drafted them high (a reminder that you shouldn’t do that!) but the unit are far from what there were previously. The Saints offense has scored an average of just over 30 points a game this season, and have only given up 10 sacks in total.
Buffalo Bills @ARI
Don’t get me wrong, I think the Bills defense is good. They just won’t be good for fantasy this week. The Team are due to face one of the most potent offenses in the league. I’d look for another option this week if I could.
So that’s it for our 2020 Week 10 edition of Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em. Remember, you can always reach out to us for help in setting your lineup. Check out our weekly rankings page, or reach out to us on any of our social media channels. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. And, as always, if you want something more specific to your league- reach out!
Image Credit: Jasen Vinlove – USA TODAY Sports
