Week 10 of the NFL season will see the return of two Super-Bowl winning quarterbacks. Aaron Rodgers (COVID-19) and Russell Wilson (IR) will return to action right at the start of the second half of the season. It's time to continue our fantasy football series with a breakdown of the quarterback position for Week 10.
Those two names are clearly a must-start regardless of the opponent. Wilson is returning to the Seattle Seahawks after recovering from a fractured finger on his throwing hand. Rodgers missed one game as he tested positive for COVID-19, but should be set to return this week. Fantasy football owners that have Rodgers or Wilson should insert them back into the lineup. They will also be playing against each other.
Now that we got that out of the way, let's focus on the six players you need to really think about for Week 10. There are some quarterbacks that haven't gotten the attention they deserve at this point in the season. Signal-callers like Carson Wentz, Matt Ryan, and Kirk Cousins have all played well as of late. As the fantasy football playoffs are starting to loom, those three could make a difference for your team.
Fantasy Football Week 10 Start ‘Em
Carson Wentz – Indianapolis Colts
Right when it matters, Wentz is starting to figure it out. As the halfway point of the season is now in the rear-view mirror, Carson Wentz and the Colts are playing good football. Wentz threw for 272 yards and three touchdowns in the 45-30 win over the New York Jets last Thursday night. He reached 24.18 fantasy football points according to ESPN. That is the highest he's scored this season and has also managed to surpass 17 points in his last six starts.
Wentz and the Colts will face a favorable matchup on Sunday, although the Jacksonville Jaguars are fresh off a big win over the Buffalo Bills. The Jags rank 23rd against opposing QBs this year, so Wentz is in line for another great performance. He should be inserted into your starting lineup if you don't like your current starter.
Matt Ryan – Atlanta Falcons
Matt Ryan is on this because of his last performance against the New Orleans Saints. Ryan scored his second-highest fantasy points as he threw for 343 yards and two touchdowns. He reached 28.52 points which are right below his season-high at 29. Ryan does not have his star receiver for an uncertain amount of time. Calvin Ridley is taking time off to focus on his life outside of football. So, in the meantime, Ryan is focusing on other targets and seems to be getting the job done. Kyle Pitts, Olamide Zaccheaus, and Russell Gage have all stepped up and given Ryan much-needed production.
The Falcons face the Dallas Cowboys this week who are ranked 26th against opposing QBs. The Cowboys' secondary does contain interception-leader Trevon Diggs, but I don't think he will shut down Ryan this week. If you don't like your current starter for this week, look for Ryan to play well once again.
Kirk Cousins – Minnesota Vikings
This is a tricky one for this week. Cousins is on this list because of the opponent he is facing, but not for the reasons you think. Cousins is playing steady football this year and is the 11th ranked fantasy football QB this year. He has two studs at receiver he throws to all game long and that production is benefitting Cousins.
The Vikings travel to Los Angeles to take on the Chargers on Sunday. LA is ranked 5th against opposing QBs which seems like it would shut down Cousins and the Vikings. Though that might not be the case this week. The Chargers are dealing with a ton of injuries in the secondary and could be without valuable starters for a second straight week. If that is the case, then Cousins should play better than expected and could have a huge game.
Fantasy Football Quarterbacks Sit ‘Em
Jalen Hurts – Philadelphia Eagles
Hurts started off the season on fire but has fallen off as of late. He was on this list last week and is on it against because he faces another difficult opponent on Sunday. The Denver Broncos are ranked 3rd against opposing QBs and completely shut down Dak Prescott and the Cowboys last Sunday. Denver's secondary is playing extremely well and should not allow Hurts to play well.
Baker Mayfield – Cleveland Browns
Mayfield played decent against the Cincinnati Bengals last Sunday throwing for two touchdowns. He faces a very difficult New England Patriots defense who just dominated the Carolina Panthers. The Pats' secondary is dominant and should stop Mayfield on Sunday. They will be without Nick Chubb (Covid-19), so Mayfield will be forced to create plays himself. I just don't think he will be very successful this week.
Ryan Tannehill – Tennessee Titans
Ryan Tannehill is not playing at the level we expected him to play at. Outside of fantasy football, he is getting the job done because the Titans are winning games and are in first place in the AFC right now at 7-2. The Titans are without Derrick Henry so it will be crucial for Tannehill to improve his game. He threw for just 143 yards against the LA Rams and finished with 14 fantasy points per ESPN. That production is not going to work in fantasy football.
He faces the 10th ranked Saints defense on Sunday and should be benched in your league until proven otherwise.