Week 10 fantasy football buy or sell

32 seconds for 32 teams — why the Detroit Lions passing game could be a cheap fix to your fantasy woes

It’s official. We’re more than halfway through the NFL season, and fantasy leagues are careening toward the playoffs. Teams are split into three tiers at this point. Anyone with six or more wins is making plans for the playoffs. Teams with four or five wins are still tweaking the roster, looking for the right combination. Anyone below that is hoping for a miracle, or selling off parts in keeper leagues. It’s officially trade season. Every single team has a move to make, and they’re only kidding themselves if they believe otherwise.

We’re almost past the bye weeks now, and moves start to change as we hit the home stretch. We’re far enough into the season to dump those guys you’ve been waiting on for months. It’s now more important to grab a good backup QB or stash an important RB handcuff. Bye week depth is no longer as useful. Now it’s time to make that two- or three-for-one deal and go all in.

You’re feeling pretty good if you followed advice to pick up T.Y. Hilton, Demaryius Thomas, Doug Baldwin, and Marshawn Lynch the last few weeks. But now a couple of those guys are prime sells, and players like DeVante Parker and Keenan Allen could be the right targets — or everyone in Detroit. Let’s take a trip around the league and make some big moves…

Arizona Cardinals

Who knows what in the world Arizona was thinking giving old man Adrian Peterson a ridiculous 39 touches, but he had a big game against the terrible 49ers run defense. He’s due for another dud on a short week against the Seahawks Thursday night, so grab that sell window while you can. Larry Fitzgerald was still the top receiver for Drew Stanton so that’s a relief, but he remains a sell as a player whose value will only decline going forward.

Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta’s offense remains downright pedestrian in 2017. Mohamed Sanu has scored double digit points in PPR leagues in every game but the one he left injured. He’s become a weekly WR3 start. Devonta Freeman and Julio Jones remains guys I’ll buy low any day of the week. Jones looks healthy and is putting up big yardage totals, and the TDs will come, while Freeman’s snaps and touches remain steady. This was actually a pretty solid offensive game for the Falcons against a tough Carolina defense.

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens head into a bye week, and you should feel free to cut every single Raven from your team. And if you are wondering if that includes Justin Tucker, the answer is yes, you should quit your pansy league and join one without kickers like a real fantasy player.

Buffalo Bills

Kelvin Benjamin didn’t suit up for Buffalo on a short week after the trade, so there’s no data there yet. Buffalo gets the red-hot Saints this week who feature cornerback Marcus Lattimore, one of the best in the league this year. You might do well to wait a week and see how targets shake out, but Benjamin’s biggest value will be in the red zone as always so play him if you need to. Tyrod Taylor is worth owning in every league at this point. He’s adding rushing value and gets Benjamin as well as tight end Charles Clay back, and the fantasy quarterback situation is getting very murky.

Carolina Panthers

Christian McCaffrey had by far his best game as a runner with career highs in carries (15) and rushing yards (66) along with his first rushing TD. He played a season-high 82% of the snaps and still caught his usual five balls. He’s a high ceiling guy if he starts getting regular rushing attempts too and makes an intriguing buy. He could be the biggest benefactor of a more spread out Panthers attack after the Benjamin trade. It probably won’t be Cam Newton. He saw his passing yards drop a fourth straight game, though he’s rushed for 251 yards and two TDs in that span. That’s a 1000/8 pace on the ground that would basically make him a RB that passes too, but it’s not sustainable. He remains a risky play week to week.

Chicago Bears

You probably didn’t miss the Bears this bye week unless you’re a Jordan Howard owner. Howard continues to run well and should only improve as Mitchell Trubisky does too. He’s a slight buy low.

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals played an awful 39 snaps on offense, so there’s not much to see here. Any remaining doubts about Joe Mixon’s role should be gone. He had 16 of the 18 RB touches — now he just needs to make them count.

Cleveland Browns

Deep leaguers might consider stashing Corey Coleman sometime in the next week or two. Coleman is eligible to return from IR in Week 11. He led the Browns in targets the first two weeks, and Cleveland has a very easy closing schedule so Coleman could be decent if the Browns just find a quarterback for the first time since the 80s.

Dallas Cowboys

Your guess is as good as anyone else on the Ezekiel Elliott situation at this point. If you think the suspension will get pushed to next year, you should already have your trade offers out there. If you think the suspension is coming, the right buy is Dak Prescott. The Cowboys have a very winnable schedule and Prescott has been an awesome fantasy option with five games of 3+ TDs. He could be the #1 fantasy QB down the stretch if Zeke is out.

Denver Broncos

Turns out Brock Osweiler was not the magic solution to everything in Denver, and now the running game looks broken too. C.J. Anderson played a season-low 23 snaps, but Devontae Booker is nothing more than a speculative add for now. If you still believe in the Broncos, you’ll never get Anderson or Emmanuel Sanders cheaper. Sanders played only 29 snaps but saw five targets and looks like a good buy low.

Detroit Lions

Matt Stafford had his biggest game of the season and Golden Tate had another good game, but Marvin Jones is finally paying off owners’ patience with 44 targets the past four games and a huge 7/107/2 line. The Lions have an incredibly soft closing stretch, so Jones and Tate look playable any week and Stafford has worked his way back firmly into the QB1 mix. He’s averaging 332 yards and two TDs a game over the last four weeks, and those numbers are against tough defenses too. Detroit could save your fantasy season.

Green Bay Packers

We knew it would be tough going without Aaron Rodgers, but this is bad. The Packers offense has been downright lifeless under Brett Hundley, and now even Aaron Jones was a dud with just 11 yards on seven touches. He was out-snapped by Ty Montgomery, who is a cursory buy low in case things do turn around. Green Bay plays Carolina and Minnesota Weeks 15 and 16, so it might not get much better. Hope you sold your Packers receivers already.

Houston Texans

Well this is depressing. Remember how everything tanked in Green Bay when Aaron Rodgers went out? Tom Savage is even worse than Brett Hundley. DeAndre Hopkins salvaged his day with a long late TD. He still saw 16 targets but had a forgettable 5/52 line outside of that play, and it looks clear his time as a top five WR has ended for the season. He and Will Fuller are sell-sorta-high-before-their-stock-plummets-even-worse-than-you-think unless you’re in a points-per-missed-target league.

Indianapolis Colts

Told you to buy low on T.Y. Hilton last week and you got 175 yards and two TDs this week if you did. That’s the story with Hilton, who immediately reverts to serious sell high status. He has a brutal remaining schedule including Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, Buffalo, Denver, Baltimore, and a bye. If you’re counting, that’s only one plus matchup left. Sell sell sell!

Jacksonville Jaguars

A late Leonard Fournette scratch keeps the window to buy open a bit longer, and it looks like Chris Ivory is the handcuff you want, though a low-upside option. Marqise Lee had his biggest game of the season with 8/75/1 on a season-high 12 targets and has established himself as the top Jags receiver.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs are reeling with three losses in their last four, and the bye week comes at the perfect time. Kareem Hunt played a season low 31 snaps and saw his lowest yardage total ever. He hasn’t scored a TD since September, and a lot of Hunt owners probably have serious keeper’s remorse for not selling after the first few games. This rough stretch plus a Chiefs bye week makes Hunt the buy of the week if you’re looking to bolster your team for a playoff run. He’s still leading the league in missed tackles by a wide margin and is still being used plenty in the passing game, and the Chiefs have a soft closing schedule now that they’ve passed this tough four-week stretch. Check Chiefs owners in your league. Hunt, Kelce, Hill, and Smith all make great trade targets if an owner is desperate for a win and can’t afford this ill-timed bye.

Los Angeles Chargers

Keenan Allen remains a buy low through the bye week. He hasn’t hit 70 yards in over a month and hasn’t found the end zone since Week 1, but he’s among the NFL’s top target leaders per game. The Chargers have a tough matchup with the Jaguars and Bills after the bye, but the schedule really opens up after that, so Allen, Philip Rivers, and Hunter Henry could all be nice targets.

Los Angeles Rams

These Rams are averaging 33ppg after another beatdown, but they’ll face a heftier defensive schedule the rest of the way. I remain a bit skeptical on Todd Gurley. He did have 104 yards and two TDs, but 80 of those yards came on two long plays. He’s caught only nine passes the past four games after 20 the first four, and the Rams schedule gets pretty tough. He’s probably not going to start sucking, but he won’t stay this hot. Robert Woods has 50+ yards in all but two games and leads the Rams in targets. He’s the one Rams receiver worth owning.

Miami Dolphins

We were very high on DeVante Parker going into the season, and he’s been great when on the field with a 90/1200 pace in four healthy games. He’s a forgotten man and far more valuable than his price tag, a buy low best bet going forward. Kenyan Drake and Damien Williams split the RB snaps pretty evenly and both were used heavily in the passing game with six targets each, but Drake was the far better runner. Neither RB looks usable against a tough Panthers run defense next week.

Minnesota Vikings

This is the perfect opportunity to buy low on both Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen coming off the bye week, especially since the Vikings could have a real QB again soon if Teddy Bridgewater returns. Both Diggs and Thielen have been excellent all year and should get better with Teddy, though the schedule toughens up as well. No need to roster Bridgewater just yet.

New England Patriots

Rex Burkhead could be a sneaky flex play this week if you’re desperate. He led the Patriots in receptions their last game and is finally healthy and facing a tough Denver run defense that may lead to a New England script that puts Burkhead and James White on the field often. The Patriots play five of their next six on the road, and their next seven games are all against AFC contenders with tough defenses. Don’t put too many eggs in your Brady, Gronk, Cooks, or other New England baskets.

New Orleans Saints

It was a big game for rookie RB Alvin Kamara with 152 yards and a pair of TDs, but Mark Ingram actually played his biggest snap percentage in a month. Kamara remains a high-upside low-floor flex, a clear second option and a sell high if you find an owner that thinks he’s about to bust out. Ingram remains the lead back. Michael Thomas is a great back-end WR1 to target if you’re looking to make a trade. He hasn’t scored a TD in a month but has eight or more targets all but one game. Ted Ginn has become a weekly start, too. He’s averaging 16ppg in PPR leagues over the last four weeks and is always a threat to catch a long one.

New York Giants

Evan Engram continues to roll with another TD, the rare rookie tight end putting up big numbers. Sterling Shepard had five catches for 70 yards on nine targets and looks like the healthy WR1. He should be owned in every league with a great closing schedule.

New York Jets

Bilal Powell was third among Jets RBs with snaps this week playing only 15. He did little outside of one long carry and didn’t see a single target, and he’s one of the guys you can cut at this point if need be. Matt Forte didn’t get the extra snaps or touches but did score two TDs. He remains a useful flex play but is a sell high if someone thinks he’s taken over the backfield. Don’t be embarrassed to add Josh McCown. He has multiple TDs in five straight games and gets the awful Bucs pass defense next, and the fantasy QB ranks are thin.

Oakland Raiders

The Raiders have quietly saved their season the past few weeks and now they’re just a game back in the wildcard race heading into the bye. Marshawn Lynch had his best game of the season and rewarded owners who bought low as advised, and Derek Carr and the passing game are coming around too. Jared Cook remains playable at tight end, and Amari Cooper remains a heavy target leader. The Raiders offense is finally looking up, but a bye week and a difficult closing stretch remain, so buyer beware.

Philadelphia Eagles

New Eagles RB Jay Ajayi played 17 snaps and got eight carries, including a long 46-yard run for his first TD of the season. Rookie Corey Clement was a surprise RB snap leader ahead of Ajayi and LeGarrette Blount, and that’s not terrible news. Wendell Smallwood was mostly out of the rotation, and Ajayi ran well and looks ahead of Blount already. He should be the lead Eagles runner after the bye week. If he gets short yardage touches too, he could turn out to have great closing value. If your team needs a spark to make a run, he could be a great gamble. Alshon Jeffery is a slight sell high after three TDs the last two weeks. He won’t keep that up in an offense that spreads it around.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Ben Roethlisberger has been a pretty weak fantasy play despite the weekly success of Bell and Brown, but he’s actually faced a pretty difficult schedule. That changes coming off the bye, with a tasty slate of matchups and four home games that could put him in play as a cheap QB option if you need one.

San Francisco 49ers

Carlos Hyde still isn’t getting much room to run, but he had a career-high nine catches and now has 40 on the season. He’s still getting as much run as all but a few RBs in the league, and his value can only increase once the 49ers turn to Jimmy Garoppolo. Marquise Goodwin looks like a good WR stash in deeper leagues with Pierre Garcon on the IR. He has blazing speed and looks like the top option in the passing game. George Kittle is a great streaming option at tight end. He gets a Giants defense that has allowed a tight end TD in a record nine straight games.

Seattle Seahawks

Russell Wilson had another good game and is clearly a weekly start, but I remain skeptical on his consistency, especially with a difficult schedule during the fantasy playoffs. He still feels like a sell. Doug Baldwin has come around and is rewarding you if you followed advice a few weeks ago to buy low. Thomas Rawls may finally be a Seattle RB worth owning. He had 70 yards and is as much of a lead back as the Seahawks have these days, if you’re desperate.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucs are officially reeling. They’re now 2–6, Mike Evans has been suspended one game, and Jameis Winston is sidelined indefinitely. It’s bad. And now the long-awaited return of Doug Martin isn’t working out either. He played the third most RB snaps on the team behind Charles Sims and Peyton Barber and got only seven yards on eight touches. But turning to the run game may be Tampa’s only option for now, so Martin still looks usable.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans are 5–3 but don’t have a single fantasy player that’s must-start each week. Neither RB did much against a weak rush defense, and Marcus Mariota didn’t look 100% healthy. Delanie Walker had a nice game but split targets almost evenly with Jonnu Smith. The one guy you might want to stash is rookie Corey Davis, a top five pick who was finally back healthy this week and immediately played the second most WR snaps. Remember what Odell Beckham did the back half of his rookie season? Davis has that type of potential and a really easy closing schedule.

Washington Redskins

Of course Chris Thompson plays his fewest snaps in a month and is a non factor after we finally talked ourselves into him. Rob Kelley got the touches and two TDs instead but looked awful running the ball, with 18 yards on 14 carries, so that should bolster Thompson’s value to the attack going forward. Vernon Davis had a big game. Washington’s tight ends are a big target leader in this offense, so he’s a weekly start as long as Jordan Reed remains injured.

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