Sit Em, Start Em – Week Ten
Zac Stacy – Stacy is now an every-week must-start in all leagues regardless of format. Stacy has bullied his way into the RB1 conversation and comes in as our 11th ranked running back for week ten. This week the Rams square off against a leaky Colts run defense which should lead to Stacy vying for 100 yards rushing for the third consecutive week. It is quite perplexing that the Rams kept Stacy inactive to start the season but that is neither here nor there as Stacy looks like he is here to stay. Dynasty league owners may want to inquire to as if his current owner believes in his long-term prospects. Stacy looks like a RB2 option in dynasty leagues.
Nick Foles – Nick Foles squares off against the Packers this week and while he will not have the tremendous success he had against the Raiders pathetic defense, he should vie for QB1 numbers against the Packers. Obviously this is not going to be the shootout we all thought it would be now that Rodgers is slated to miss the game, but the Eagles offense will not change and Foles should get more than a handful of plays where he gets to take a shot downfield to either Desean Jackson or Riley Cooper. The Packers have given up 250.5 yards and 1.75 touchdowns per game so far this season and Foles should vie for at least 275 yards and 2 touchdowns this week in a plus match-up.
Jonathan Stewart – Available in 82 percent of Yahoo! leagues Jonathan Stewart returned this past Sunday versus the Falcons and put up 65 yards on 12 touches while DeAngelo Williams put up only 54 yards on 15 touches. Stewart is the lead back and the passing down back in this offense and should be picked up in all leagues. Stewart has RB1 talent but should settle in as a RB2 and top-25 running back with 15-18 touches per game the rest of the way. This week the Panthers square off against the 49ers who have been pretty strong against the run overall but have given up RB2 level games to the more talented larger backs they have faced so far this season. Stewart should average at least five yards per touch this week with a chance to find the end zone.
Terrance Williams – Williams has officially taken over as the Cowboys number two receiver. Williams has only four receptions over the past two weeks but has amassed 17 targets which leads us to believe a big game may be in store against the Saints in a potential week ten shoot-out. DeMarco Murray being banged up the past two weeks seems to have a correlative effect on Williams lack of production but Murray is healthy and ready to go for this Sunday night which should open up the passing game for Tony Romo. Williams comes in as our 26th ranked receiver for week ten.
Denarius Moore – Moore has been a solid fantasy contributor this season with Terrelle Pryor under the helm and we expect him to have another solid fantasy day against a poor Giants secondary in week ten. Opposing deep threats have found success against the Giants this year and with Pryor expected to play this week, Moore should top 80 yards receiving with a good chance to find the end zone. Moore comes in as a WR3 this week with WR2 upside.
Jordan Reed – Reed had a slow week nine but remains a must-start in fantasy unless you are a Davis, Graham, Thomas or Witten owner. Reed comes in as a top-eight option this week and will remain a TE1 option for the rest of the season. Reed is essentially RGIII’s number two receiver and has also showed that he has some juice in the run game. Start the move tight end where possible.
Sit Em
Carson Palmer – With 14 interceptions to only 10 touchdowns Carson Palmer has been a disappointment of epic proportions this season. After his strong stint in Oakland despite unenviable receivers everyone thought that coming to the desert to play under Bruce Arians with the best receiver he has ever played with in Larry Fitzgerald as well as emerging fantasy stars in Michael Floyd and Andre Roberts that Palmer would be a virtual lock for QB1 level value again this season. Most owners who drafted Palmer as their QB1 have likely already replaced him with someone like Terrelle Pryor but may need to gander at Palmer again due to bye or injury. This week versus the Texans Palmer is not a recommended start as the Texans have allowed the fewest passing yards per game against and the 2nd lowest opposing QB completion percentage so far this season.
DeAngelo Williams – We have been saying for weeks that DeAngelo would lose most of his fantasy appeal when Jonathan Stewart returned and our stance has not changed. Somehow Stewart managed to put up more yards than Williams in his first game back off the PUP list and that should tell you all you need to know here. Williams still has talent and is a fantasy option in deeper leagues due to his long speed and ability to break off a big run but Stewart is the more dependable fantasy option, especially in PPR. Larger backs have had more success against the 49ers than the smaller backs which leads to us suggesting sitting Williams this week in a tough match-up.
Steven Jackson – This hurts to write as Steven Jackson is one of my favorite running backs ever but S-Jax has not looked good since returning from injury. The Seahawks have a ferocious front seven with very talented players to rotate in the front four but have found themselves gashed by bigger backs the past two weeks. On paper it seems like S-Jax should be more than capable of continuing that trend as one of the leagues true power backs but S-Jax does not look like he has returned to 100 percent yet. S-Jax owners who had to deal with the long injury lay-off may have added a Stacy, James, Brown or Stewart all of whom are safer fantasy plays this week. S-Jax still has RB2 upside due to the Seahawks aforementioned struggles with bigger backs but if you have one available we advise going with an option with a higher floor.
Jarrett Boykin – Boykin is now going to be a weekly boom or bust play with Seneca Wallace at QB. Boykin looked like a playoff lottery ticket following Randall Cobb’s injury but the Packers are now a run first team with Rodgers slated to be out for multiple weeks. It is possible Wallace and Boykin have chemistry but it certainly did not show this past Sunday. Boykin has WR3 upside and a bench floor this week versus the leaky Eagles defense.
Robert Meachem – Fantasy owners who just grabbed Meachem off of the waiver wire may have designs on starting him this week versus Dallas after his strong week nine but with fewer teams on bye this week you should have better options outside of deep 14 and 16 team leagues. Meachem remains a boom or bust fantasy play whose downfield production could easily go to rookie Kenny Stills. We prefer Stills to Meachem despite week nine and suggest those that are outside the deepest leagues do not employ Meachem until he proves he can be a consistent option for his fantasy owners.
Jared Cook – Cook has emerged as Kellen Clemens’ favorite target which will likely make him the focus of the Colts scheme against the pass. The Rams receivers have been brutal this season and the Colts have given up solid fantasy games to the only two talented tight ends that they have seen all season but those teams had other threats to stop the Colts from focusing on the team’s tight end as the de facto number one. Sit Cook in all PPR formats while those in a standard league bye week crunch may have to trot him out there due to a lack of a better option.
