Another week has come and gone in the NFL, and it’s time for a temperature check. How are we feeling, FAmily? Are you cruising towards the fantasy football playoffs on your way to a championship after Week 10, or has your team been marred by bad luck and injuries? If you started Justin Fields, you are happy as a clam, as he had another HUGE day against the Detroit Lions. CeeDee Lamb also exploded in the Cowboys’ loss to Green Bay, and Justin Jefferson pulled off one of the best contested catches of all time in Minnesota’s surprise win against Buffalo. But, you can’t have the good without the bad, and there were plenty of disappointments with Derrick Henry, Deebo Samuel, and Alvin Kamara all underperforming. The injury bug didn’t take the week off either, with potentially severe injuries taking out Jerry Jeudy, Zach Ertz, and *gulp* Cooper Kupp. Fantasy football giveth, and fantasy football taketh away, but that’s the name of the game. Sometimes you’re the Spartan and sometimes you’re the one getting kicked.


If you are getting kicked while you’re down, don’t sweat it. You still have time to win out and sneak into the playoffs, but you’ll have to out-smart your competition. Pull up a chair, and let’s load up on some of Week 10’s hot takes!

 


Fantasy Football Hot Takes Week 10

Justin Herbert Will Cost You a Fantasy Championship

We all like to talk about “league winners” on your fantasy team, but what about “league losers”? That’s where we’re at with Justin Herbert. His upside is too high to bench him, but he has vastly underperformed this season. Since Week 4, Herbert has only thrown for multiple touchdowns once, and in Week 6, he was held out of the end zone completely. Yes, he does have an “easy” schedule coming up against the Chiefs, Cardinals, Raiders, and Dolphins, but he had an exploitable game against the Falcons in Week 9 and we saw how that worked out. This isn’t a knock on his talent; when you’re missing your top two offensive weapons, there’s only so much you can do as a quarterback. Until Keenan Allen and/or Mike Williams return, Herbert will continue to sabotage your fantasy rosters and cost you a fantasy championship.


Christian Watson Will Out-Score Allen Lazard the Rest of the Season

Aaron Rodgers is notorious for being stingy in targeting his rookie wide receivers, but he put that narrative to rest Sunday with Christian Watson’s massive performance against the Dallas Cowboys. Sure, it could have been because Allen Lazard was being shadowed by Trevon Diggs, but no matter the reason, Watson delivered on those targets, amassing 107 yards on six catches and not one, not two, but three touchdowns! Watson was still plagued by the drops he was notorious for during his college career, but it didn’t matter. The kid single-handedly won this game for Green Bay.

Allen Lazard has been solid throughout the season, but we witnessed a changing of the guard in real time on Sunday. Rodgers clearly trusts Watson in high-pressure situations, and with must-win matchups against the Titans, Eagles, and Bears before the bye week, look for Watson to continue torching opposing cornerbacks with his elite speed and vertical ability.

 

Nick Westbrook-Ikhine is the Titans’ Top Target Going Forward

With Treylon Burks activated off of injured reserve and Ryan Tannehill back in the starting lineup, the day was bound to be dominated by…Nick Westbrook-Ikhine? If you said you saw that coming, you’re lying. Westbrook-Ikhine led the Titans offense by hauling in five of his eight targets for 119 yards and two touchdowns against a stingy Broncos pass defense, helping Tennessee to another win to secure their spot atop the AFC South. Robert Woods and Treylon Burks both got a decent number of targets, but neither were able to make much of them.


 

So if Westbrook-Ikhine is the number one target on the Titans, can you start him? Well, yes and no. I liken Westbrook-Ikhine to that Thanksgiving casserole that is really tasty the day of but becomes nearly inedible once it hits the microwave the next day. Sure, he may be the number one target, but the inconsistency and pure inefficiency of the Titans’ pass attack doesn’t really give you the upside that other wide receivers do. If you’re in a bind due to injuries and bye weeks, you may not have a choice, but he’s unlikely to deliver this stat line on a consistent basis with Derrick Henry in the backfield.
 

Rachaad White Finishes the Season as the RB1 in Tampa Bay

Move over Playoff Lenny; there’s a new kid on the block. Despite putting up decent fantasy numbers due to his pass-catching ability, Fournette has not performed well on the ground this year. He’s only averaging a very pedestrian 3.35 yards per carry this season, and after suffering a hip injury that took him out of the game, Rachaad White swooped in like a hawk to lay claim to the starting role. White finished with over 100 yards on 21 carries for an average of 4.8 yards per carry, well-above Fournette’s stat line.

Tampa Bay is somehow still atop in a putrid NFC South division, but their lead is tenuous. The good news is that with a strong run game, they have the potential to win out, and White gives them that chance. With upcoming games against the Browns and Saints, White should be able to carry Tampa Bay to another division title with Fournette warming the bench.
 

Cole Kmet is a Must-Start

What’s that I hear? The sound of silence from the Cole Kmet haters? While we typically don’t advocate for touchdown dependent tight ends on your fantasy rosters, there comes a time where you can’t ignore the production any longer. Kmet was a HUGE disappointment the first half of the season, never seeing more than four targets in a single game, but a rising tide lifts all ships.


The ascension of Justin Fields has cranked Kmet’s value to 11, with 13 targets over the past two games and five touchdowns over the last three. Even with Chase Claypool in the mix, it’s clear that Fields trusts Kmet in big situations, and with touch matchups against the Packers and Jets coming up, you can be sure Kmet will continue to play a big role in their offense. In the hellscape that is the tight end position, he’s as close to a sure thing as you will get without someone named Kelce in your lineup.

 

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