amphitheater of pain | RealTime Fantasy Sports

RealTime DFS Strategy: Week 10

Fri Nov 8 8:53am ET
By MIKE BARNER
Contributing Writer

Harris should rack up the carries

Four teams will be on a bye during Week 10, but there are still plenty of great matchups to try and exploit in DFS. Let’s highlight some of the top players to consider at each position, as well as a few to possibly avoid.

Quarterbacks

Tua Tagovailoa, MIA at LAR ($6,300): Tagovailoa completed 25-of-28 pass attempts last week as the Dolphins nearly pulled off an upset on the road against the Bills. In two games since making his return from a concussion, he has thrown for 465 yards and three touchdowns. He comes with plenty of upside in a matchup against the Rams, who have allowed the highest yards per pass attempt in the league.

Sam Darnold, MIN at JAX ($6,200): The Jaguars are a team to attack in the passing game. They are tied for the most passing touchdowns allowed in the league and they have allowed the second-most passing yards per game. Darnold has continued to thrive for the Vikings, throwing at least two touchdown passes in six of eight games this season.

Player to Avoid

Jayden Daniels, WAS vs. PIT ($7,500): The Steelers have a great defense. They have given up just eight passing touchdowns this season while generating 10 interceptions. That has helped them allow the fourth-fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. Given his hefty salary, Daniels comes with too much risk.

Running Backs

James Cook, BUF at IND ($7,000): Cook hasn’t been great lately, posting fewer than 45 rushing yards in four of his last six games. However, he did have five touchdowns during that span, giving him a total of eight touchdowns for the season. Don’t sleep on him against the Colts, who have allowed the fourth-most rushing yards to running backs in the league.

Najee Harris, PIT at WAS ($6,200): The Commanders have allowed the most yards per carry to running backs in the league. That could be a recipe for disaster against the run-heavy Steelers. Harris has received at least 17 carries in a game five times this season and he has posted at least 102 rushing yards in three straight games. The Steelers also feature Harris heavily when they get in close, giving him 26 carries inside the red zone this season.

Player to Avoid

Tony Pollard, TEN at LAC ($6,900): Pollard was excellent against the Patriots last week, posting 128 rushing yards and 26 receiving. He has received at least 16 carries in all but one game this season and he has five games with at least 80 rushing yards. However, with the Titans struggling at quarterback, Pollard only has three touchdowns. He’ll be facing an uphill battle against the Chargers, who have allowed the eighth-fewest rushing yards per game in the league.

Wide Receivers

Garrett Wilson, NYJ at ARI ($7,200): The addition of Davante Adams has not proven to be a negative for Wilson. In fact, two of his best performances of the season have come since Adams joined the team. Last week, he caught nine of 10 targets for 90 yards and two touchdowns. A hefty workload against a Cardinals team that has allowed the sixth-most yards per target to wide receivers in the league leaves Wilson with significant upside.

Josh Downs, IND vs. BUF ($6,100): Joe Flacco is going to start again for the Colts. That’s good news for Downs, who caught six of nine targets for 60 yards last week with Flacco under center. In the four games that Flacco has played this season, Downs has been targeted at least nine times in each of them. The Colts might need to throw a lot to keep up with the Bills’ high-powered offense, so expect Downs to be busy again.

Player to Avoid

Xavier Worthy, KC vs. DEN ($6,100): Worthy was targeted just two times against the Buccaneers last week, failing to catch either of them. That marked his fourth straight game with fewer than 40 receiving yards. Now that the Chiefs have DeAndre Hopkins to lead them at wide receiver, Worthy could continue to produce underwhelming stat lines down the stretch.

Tight Ends

Cade Otton, TB vs. SF ($5,600): Otton has stepped up with the Buccaneers hurting at wide receiver. He enters Week 10 having posted at least eight receptions and 77 receiving yards in three straight games. He was targeted at least 10 times in each game and also hauled in three total touchdowns. The 49ers aren’t an easy matchup, but his hefty target share alone makes Otton worth considering.

Jonnu Smith, MIA at LAR ($3,700): Smith is an interesting option for those looking for a Dolphins stack with Tagovailoa at quarterback. He has been targeted at least six times in four straight games, posting at least 46 receiving yards in three of them. The Rams have had problems slowing down tight ends, allowing the second-most yards per target and the fifth-highest catch rate to the position. If Smith can reach at least six targets again, he could provide significant value.

Player to Avoid

T.J. Hockenson, MIN at JAX ($4,700): Hockenson returned from injured reserve last week against the Colts, catching three of four targets for 27 yards. He played just 45.1% of the Vikings’ offensive snaps, so they were clearly easing him back into action. It could take a couple of more games before Hockenson is fully unleashed. The potential for a limited snap count at this salary makes Hockenson someone to avoid, despite the favorable matchup against the Jaguars.

Mike Barner has been covering fantasy sports since 2007. His work has appeared in Sports Illustrated, Yahoo, SportsLine and RotoWire. Mike was also a finalist for the 2018 FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. Follow Mike on Twitter @rotomikebarner.

RealTime DFS Strategy: Week 10

The Paur Report