Once again, four teams are on bye in Week 10, but three of the four -- the Texans, Giants, and Bears -- aren't teams with a ton of fantasy studs anyway. That said, we will have to find sleepers to replace injured players and Bengals Joe Burrow, Joe Mixon, Ja'Marr Chase, and C.J. Uzomah, so we're here to help you fill in the gaps. Whether it's with players on your roster or those sitting on the waiver wire, there are always guys with sneaky upside in a given week. Mark Ingram and DeSean Jackson are the types of players on the start 'em, sit 'em bubbles thanks to potentially new roles, and we like their chances enough to put them on our Week 10 fantasy sleeper list.
It's worth noting that any of our selections could bust this week. We're taking some chances here, as we don't want to say anyone too obvious. A list of easy choices wouldn't do anyone any good. You aren't going to start the guys below over consistent, proven producers, but you're probably not searching for fantasy sleepers if your lineup is set. However, even if that's the case, our sleepers list can help you find value in DFS contests, as the prices of these players should be affordable.
WEEK 10 FANTASY: Busts | Start 'em, sit 'em
Let's just say Week 9 wasn't the best edition of our sleepers picks. We'll apologize on behalf of Jordan Love and Jeremy McNichols for the huge letdowns, but the process seemed right. Derrick Gore, Van Jefferson, and Albert Okwuegbunam didn't help our case either, but hey, let's talk about the good. Myles Gaskin, Jerry Jeudy, and Pat Freiermuth exceeded expectations, and the Green Bay defense wasn't a terrible pick either.
Week 10 Fantasy Sleepers: Running backs
Myles Gaskin, Dolphins vs. Ravens (Jackson Sparks). Gaskin is certainly a scary RB to trust, but there is a path to fantasy success here. Baltimore is allowing the sixth-most total receiving yards to running backs, and this is where Gaskin can take advantage. Baltimore should score with ease on Thursday night, so whether Tua Tagovailoa (finger) or Jacoby Brissett starts at QB, they will need to attempt a ton of passes to keep up. Gaskin should be on the receiving end of several checkdowns, as he sits at No. 4 among RBs in receptions (37). He's a better play in PPR, but he also warrants consideration in standard leagues, too.
Kenyan Drake, Raiders vs. Chiefs (Vinnie Iyer). He’s been very productive of late getting key touches post Jon Gruden, and the game script says he should be rather involved as a third weapon behind Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow.
Mark Ingram, Saints @ Titans (Matt Lutovsky). With Alvin Kamara reportedly banged up, Ingram is likely to see an uptick in touches whether Kamara is active or not. Ingram saw 14 touches last week, including five receptions, and finished with 64 total yards. It’s not a great matchup, but Ingram is always a threat for a short TD, if nothing else. (Update: Kamara has been ruled out.)
WEEK 10 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Week 10 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Quarterbacks
Matt Ryan, Falcons @ Cowboys (Sparks). Matty Ice was on fire against New Orleans, putting up 343 passing yards and three total touchdowns. Against Dallas -- a bottom-eight defense against fantasy QBs -- Ryan could be well on his way to a hot streak. If this turns out to be a shootout, his ceiling is sky high.
Carson Wentz, Colts vs. Jaguars (Lutovsky). Wentz has been a staple on sleepers lists, and until more fantasy owners buy in, he’ll continue to be. He’s produced three TDs in three straight games and multiple TDs in all but two games this year. Lightning won’t strike twice for the Jaguars' defense.
WEEK 10 DFS LINEUPS: FanDuel | DraftKings | Yahoo
Week 10 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Wide receivers
Rashod Bateman, Ravens @ Dolphins (Sparks). Bateman has drawn 20 targets in his first three games as a pro, and he's set to have the most favorable matchup of his young career. Entering Week 10, Miami is giving up the third-most fantasy points per game to WRs, and even if Sammy Watkins (hamstring) plays, we like Bateman's chances to remain a key contributor in the offense. We saw the Elijah Moore breakout game last Thursday, and this feels like the spot for Bateman to have his turn.
Jerry Jeudy, Broncos vs. Eagles (Iyer). He’s not putting up the biggest numbers yet, but he’s running a good chunk of routes. The Eagles might be hurting in slot coverage should Avonte Maddox (knee) miss the game.
DeSean Jackson, Raiders vs. Chiefs (Lutovsky). There aren’t many (good) reasons to go all-in on Jackson in his first game with the Raiders, but there are plenty of fun narratives that point to starting him: A prime-time game in Vegas against the horrible Chiefs defense? Just feels like he’s hitting on a 50-yard TD, doesn’t it? D-Jax will effectively be replacing Henry Ruggs, who was averaging 5.1 targets and 67 yards per game this year.
WEEK 10 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Week 10 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Tight ends
Tyler Conklin, Vikings @ Chargers (Sparks). Conklin averaged seven targets and just over 50 yards over his past two games and draws another easy matchup against Los Angeles. The Chargers have allowed five receiving touchdowns and two 100-plus yard performances to tight ends in eight games, so this could be Conklin's best game yet. He's cemented himself as the No. 3 option in Minnesota, so he'll be attractive in all games against TE-friendly defenses.
Pat Freiermuth, Steelers vs. Lions (Iyer). He’s becoming a borderline every-week start with his key usage through the red zone and Eric Ebron hurting. Detroit’s been OK against the tight end, but Big Ben trusts him big time.
Noah Fant, Broncos vs. Eagles (Lutovsky). Fant missed last week while on the reserve/COVID list, and prior to that, he had a two-catch, eight-yard game. At this point, his owners might be getting sick of him, so we’re counting him as a "sleeper." The Eagles are below average against TEs, so this is a good spot for Fant to get back on track.
WEEK 10 DFS: Best stacks | Best values | Lineup Builder
Week 10 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Defense
Tennessee Titans vs. Saints (Sparks). The Titans lead the league in total pressure (100), and we just saw them absolutely bully Matthew Stafford and the Rams. Whether Taysom Hill or Trevor Siemian is at quarterback, we like Tennessee to accumulate a few sacks and perhaps a turnover or two. Kevin Byard is second in the league in interceptions (5) and Harold Landry is third in the league in sacks (9.0). Tennessee is also second in the league in defensive touchdowns (3).
Los Angeles Chargers vs. Vikings (Iyer). Here’s feeling a Kirk Cousins bad INT that turns into a pick-six.
Philadelphia Eagles @ Broncos (Lutovsky). The Broncos are allowing the ninth-most fantasy points per game to D/STs, and with a banged-up offensive line, we think the Eagles can generate a good pass rush, which we know they have from their four games this year with at least three sacks. The Eagles will allow yards and a decent amount of points, but they should also get sacks and a few takeaways.