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Fantasy Football Stud or Dud: Week 10

mogotxt_fitzgerald via Flickr

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Stud or Dud: Week 10 || Fantasy Football

We have now reached the first double-digit week of the season, meaning the playoff picture is starting to take shape. The same rings true for the draft order for those teams that have had disappointing seasons. The Giants and Raiders would have the top two picks in the 2019 Draft if the season were to end today. Most, however, did not have those two finishing the season in that position. Both teams were sellers at the deadline, though, and are looking to next season. Another monumental event happened last week, as the Saints handed the Rams their first loss of the season. But without further ado, here is Stud or Dud: Week 10!

Quarterback

Stud

Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs: This is Patrick Mahomes’ first appearance on the Stud list. Mahomes has been downright spectacular this season, averaging 322.3 yards per game. He has also thrown 29 touchdowns, compared to only 7 picks. Moreover, he has established himself as the best and most exciting young quarterback in the league right now. The Chiefs face the Cardinals this week, who remain one of the worst teams in the league. They rank 22nd in total defense per game and also have not faced a talent like Mahomes yet this season. The Cardinals offense should be able to score on the Chiefs atrocious defense, which could lead to a shootout — something the Chiefs are very familiar with. The Texas Tech prospect should be able to put up top 5 QB numbers easily.

Nick Mullens, San Fransisco 49ers: Mullens shocked the football world last week, as he threw for 262 yards and three touchdowns. He showed poise throughout, moving up and down the field against a very poor Raiders defense. The 49ers face the 1-7 Giants this week, who have all but given up on the season. They currently have only the 16th best pass defense in the league, but this number is most likely better than it indicates, as they tend to get down early and allow teams to run the ball more. The 49ers are looking to get back on track after Jimmy Garoppolo went down and Nick Mullens could do just that. He has high-end QB2 potential this week, with an even higher ceiling.

Dud

Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks: Wilson is an immense talent, there’s no doubt about that. He is a starter in fantasy each and every week. However, the Seahawks have not made the commitment to let him throw 35 times per game. He is currently averaging only 27.6 passing attempts per game. That is low for any starting quarterback. The Seahawks, though, have been very effective running the ball this year. Their three-headed rushing attack of Mike Davis, Cris Carson, and Rashaad Penny has been very effective. The team ranks third in the league in rushing, which should not change against a very tough Rams team who will look to dominate and bounce back from their first loss. Look for Wilson to put up QB2 numbers in this difficult matchup.

Running Back

Stud

Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs: Kareem Hunt has dominated in recent weeks. He racked up 141 all-purpose yards last week, along with a whopping three touchdowns. Andy Reid has committed to getting him the ball and it is paying off. His blend of speed and power makes him one of the top running backs in the league and yet another weapon in the potent Chiefs offense. The Chiefs face the Cardinals this week, who are second-to-last in the league in rushing yards allowed. This bodes well for Hunt to continue the tear that he’s been on in recent weeks. He is must-start option in all leagues and has a chance for the number one RB spot in Week 10.

Nick Chubb/Duke Johnson Jr., Cleveland Browns: Since the Browns traded Carlos Hyde, Nick Chubb has averaged 19 carries per game. This is arguably as close as one can get to workhorse territory. During that span, he’s also scored two touchdowns. Chubb and scatback Duke Johnson have created quite the thunder-and-lighting duo. Duke Johnson notably broke out last week. He only had one carry, but made up for it in the passing game — reeling in 9 passes for 78 yards and two receiving touchdowns. Johnson offers especially high upside in PPR leagues. Both running backs should play well this week, as they are facing the Falcons. Atlanta is still coping with numerous injuries on the defensive side of the ball and have posted poor performances against receiving running backs. Both Cleveland backs are RB2s this week, at least, and have potential for more depending on game flow.

Dud

Marlon Mack, Indianapolis Colts: Mack has emerged as the leader of the Colts backfield. Over his past two games, he’s averaged 129 rushing yards per game with three touchdowns. The Colts offensive line improvements have helped Mack, with rookie guard Quenton Nelson showing the ability to anchor their line. But this streak should end in Week 10, as the Colts will face the Jaguars who, coming off a bye, will look to turn their season around. Even with the Jaguars poor record, they rank very highly in most defensive categories. With the bye, the Jags have had plenty of time to rest and plan for the Colts rushing attack — and will look to shut it down. Mack is still in the low-end RB2 conversation despite the matchup, largely due to his guaranteed high volume.

Wide Receiver

Stud

Tyler Boyd, Cincinnati Bengals: Boyd will take over the number one wide receiver role while AJ Green is nursing an injury. He has been a revelation behind Green this year and should now take a massive target share in the Bengals offense. He has 49 catches for 620 yards and five touchdowns, which are all already career highs. Beyond Boyd, the Bengals do not have many options. Second-year speedster John Ross has been a letdown this year and could be given an opportunity to show out this week. The Bengals are facing the Saints, whose run defense is much better than their secondary. While this is still not a very enticing matchup for Boyd, he should be buoyed to at least low-end WR1 numbers based on volume alone.

Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals: Fitzgerald is coming off his best game of the season in Week 8, reeling in 8 passes for 102 yards and a touchdown. The future Hall of Famer seemed to be forgotten in the earlier parts of the season, but new offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich seems to want his star players involved early and often. The Cardinals are facing a Chiefs defense that ranks toward the bottom of the league in terms of pass yards allowed per game. Fitzgerald, with his massive target share, should be able to produce high-end WR2 numbers as the Cardinals look to knock off the Chiefs.

Dud

Alshon Jeffery, Philadelphia Eagles: Jeffery has had a very solid season for the Eagles. He had been splitting the number one receiving role with tight end Zach Ertz. However, the Eagles recently added slot receiver Golden Tate to their roster from Detroit. Tate is a receiver who thrives on short term routes and lots of targets. He typically needs 6-7 catches to break off one long one. While this type of volume is not available on the Eagles, he should still cut into Jeffery’s target share. Ertz should not be as affected by the addition as Jeffery, though, remaining a high priority at tight end. The Eagles are facing the Cowboys this week, which means that Jeffery will be shadowed by standout corner Byron Jones — ranked as the #4 corner in the NFL. Look for Jeffery to produce as a WR3 this week — and possibly for the rest of the season.

Tight End

Stud

Jordan Reed, Washington Redskins: The draw to Reed this week starts with number one receiver Jamison Crowder being out with an injury. Reed has come on strong in recent weeks, with 11 catches in his past two games. The yardage numbers, however, haven’t been there quite yet (only averaging 36 yards over the past two games). You’ll have to believe that, eventually, the yardage will begin to pile up. Positive regression may come in another category, as Reed currently has one touchdown on the year. He has been a huge red zone threat throughout his career and those chances should come with time. Reed should live up to TE1 numbers this week.

Dud

Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots: This is Gronk’s second week in a row on the Dud list. He was banged up last week and ended up not playing at all. Now, there’s talk he could sit this week out as well. This does not bode well for his health on the season. Even if he does play, the questionable tag means he will not be at 100%. The Patriots will likely at least limit his snap count or limit the amount that he gets the ball if he plays. This would severely limit his ability to produce this week, if he does feature. Fantasy owners should be looking for replacements this week and try to leave Gronk on the bench until he can prove he’s back to full health. If he plays, he is more of TE2 than his normal elite status.

Photo Credit: mogotxt_fitzgerald via Flickr

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