The NFL trade deadline has come and gone, and Week 10 is upon us. When it comes to the RB position, there weren’t any significant deals to note, which is a benefit to fantasy managers from a simplicity standpoint. That being said, there are still plenty of evolving backfield situations around the league to monitor. From injured players to bye weeks and ever-changing usage rates, there is a lot to break down and consider when delving into fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em analysis this week. The pressure of the fantasy playoffs approaching is very real, so now is the time for us to rise to the occasion!
As a reminder, players like Saquon Barkley, Bijan Robinson and Derek Henry will still be started in lineups weekly. It’s the RB2 and FLEX spots where things can get a bit trickier. To help you make some of these tough decisions, check out our weekly fantasy football rankings and continue reading for our Week 10 fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em analysis at RB.
Wide Receivers — Week 10 Fantasy Football Start/Sit
Tight Ends — Week 10 Fantasy Football Start/Sit
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Fantasy Football Start ’em, Sit ’em: Week 10 RBs
Start: Rico Dowdle Fantasy Outlook vs. Eagles
Given the Dallas roster’s lack of RB depth, the argument here is that Dowdle is essentially matchup-proof. Who knows what Ezekiel Elliott’s status is moving forward after he was told to stay home for last week’s road trip to Atlanta. As a result, Dowdle played a season-high 71% of the team’s offensive snaps in his return from injury. He averaged over six yards per carry and also saw six targets in the passing game. With Rush at QB, Dowdle’s pass-catching ability could loom even larger on short dump-offs.
The Philadelphia Eagles have been stingy as far as PPR points allowed to the RB position this season. However, Dowdle should have a reliable usage rate this week and beyond. Thus, he has a great opportunity to surpass his ECR ranking of RB26.
Start: Najee Harris Fantasy Outlook vs. Commanders
Prior to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ bye last week, Harris put together a monster three-game stretch. He enters this Week 10 contest with a streak of three straight 100-yard rushing games. Even with Jaylen Warren back healthy in Week 8, Harris still garnered 19 carries and caught three of four targets in the passing game. One could argue that the switch to Russell Wilson at quarterback has helped more facets of the offense than just the passing attack.
What’s even more remarkable is that Harris scored 17+ PPR points in those three games despite snap percentages of 46%, 49% and 59%, respectively. Harris may not have the ideal snap counts, but he is getting used heavily for those plays in which he is on the field, a trend that shows no signs of stopping this week.
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Sit: Tony Pollard Fantasy Outlook vs. Chargers
Given that the Titans’ passing attack remains an unreliable disaster, one would have to believe that Pollard is in line to remain the focal point of the offense. There are a couple of concerns though when it comes to his Week 10 fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em outlook. For starters, Spears did log a limited practice on Wednesday. Second, and more noteworthy, Tennessee faces a rock-solid Los Angeles Chargers defense on Sunday.
To date, L.A. has given up the second-fewest PPR points on a per-game basis to opposing RBs. That’s not ideal for Pollard, who has drawn a questionable tag of his own on this week’s injury report as he battles a foot injury. A bad offense and a less-than-100% health designation up against a stout defense lands Pollard on the fringes of RB2 territory at best this week.
Sit: Brian Robinson Jr. Fantasy Outlook vs. Steelers
I have been a supporter of Brian Robinson Jr. in this column previously this season when it seemed like he was getting the shaft as far as his ECR ranking. That support has dissipated, at least for Week 10, as he and the Washington Commanders prepare to host the Pittsburgh Steelers. For starters, there’s the question of whether Robinson will even be healthy enough to play on Sunday. A limited practice on Wednesday is presumably a positive sign, but the hamstring injury that held him out of Week 9 is still something to monitor over the coming days.
As if the injury wasn’t enough, the matchup itself is daunting. Entering Week 10, the Steelers’ defense is only allowing 90.5 rushing yards per game, the fourth-fewest of any team. Opposing RBs have had more success scoring fantasy points against Pittsburgh as pass-catchers than runners this season. Needless to say, that doesn’t exactly align with Robinson’s skillset as a player as he has only 12 total targets in the passing game all year.
Given this, it makes far more sense for the Commanders to deploy Austin Ekeler in this game. Add in Robinson’s injury situation and that will probably be exactly what happens. One could make a strong case that Ekeler has a better chance of finishing as a fantasy RB2 than Robinson this week.
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