Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Week 10 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers

Quarterback
MVP: Aaron Rodgers (Packers)
While it was a painful afternoon for the suddenly-incompetent Packers against the suddenly-respectable Titans, Aaron Rodgers still delivered for his fantasy owners. The Packers signal-caller took full advantage of garbage time to put up 399 total yards (371 passing, 27 rushing) and 3 TD's (2 passing, 1 rushing) in one of the most embarrassing losses in recent history for the Cheeseheads. He may be in the middle of one of the worst seasons of his 12-year career, but Rodgers is still a matchup-proof QB1 for fantasy purposes.  
Honorable Mentions: Marcus Mariota (Titans), Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers), Russell Wilson (Seahawks)

LVP: Tom Brady (Patriots)
I'll admit that this isn't exactly a fair pick because of the matchup, but no other prominent QB put up a weaker performance than Tom Brady did in Week 10. Brady look like a mere mortal for the first time since returning from his Deflategate suspension in Week 5, picking up 316 YDS, 0 TD and an INT against the Seahawks aggressive defense. Brady is highly unlikely to falter again in Week 11 as he returns to his hometown to take on the pathetic 49ers.
Dishonorable Mentions: Matt Ryan (Falcons), Andy Dalton (Bengals), Carson Wentz (Eagles)

Running Back
MVP: Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys)
Ezekiel Elliott just continues to wow. The Cowboys rookie standout put up arguably his finest performance to-date as he carved up the Steelers defense for 209 YDS (114 rushing, 95 receiving) and 3 TD's (2 rushing, 1 receiving) on 23 touches in an exhilarating shootout at Heinz Field on Sunday afternoon. Elliott will look to continue his month-long reign of terror against the Ravens top-ranked rush defense in Week 11. 
Honorable Mentions: Ryan Matthews (Eagles), DeMarco Murray (Titans), Le'Veon Bell (Steelers)

LVP: Jonathan Stewart (Panthers)
The recent struggles for Jonathan Stewart (a.k.a. the world's most polarizing fantasy running back) continued in Week 10. Stewart couldn't find any room to run against the Chiefs weak run D, finishing with just 39 yards on 13 carries. Stewart has chance to get back on track this week against a Saints defense that he picked up 85 YDS and 2 TD's against in Week 6. 
Dishonorable Mentions: Carlos Hyde (49ers), Mark Ingram (Saints), Tim Hightower (Saints)

Wide Receiver
MVP: Doug Baldwin (Seahawks)
Don't look now, but the late-season, touchdown-vulturing version of Doug Baldwin might be back. Baldwin caught all 3 of Russell Wilson's touchdown passes to beef up an otherwise average statline (6 receptions, 59 yards) in the Seahawks upset win over the Patriots on Sunday night. The Seahawks balanced attack and Wilson's love of spreading the ball around to different receivers will result in underwhelming performances, but Baldwin is still an undeniable WR2 with low-end WR1 upside. 
Honorable Mentions: Antonio Brown (Steelers), Allen Robinson (Jaguars), Jordy Nelson (Packers)

LVP: Alshon Jeffrey (Bears)
The funk that Alshon Jeffrey has been in for all of 2016 doesn't seem like it can be broken. Despite being handed a dream matchup against the Buccaneers struggling secondary, Jeffrey couldn't produce, finishing the game with just 4 receptions for 47 yards. Jeffrey was just suspended for the next 4 games after testing positive for a banned substance, so his owners should look to pick up Cameron Meredith or Eddie Royal off of waivers to replace him.
Dishonorable Mentions: Brandon Marshall (Jets), Randall Cobb (Packers), DeAndre Hopkins (Texans)

Tight End
MVP: Delanie Walker (Titans)
Week 10 was Delanie Walker's way of showing how important he is to the functionality of the Titans offense. Walker provided a huge spark to the Titans inconsistent passing attack with a 9 REC/124 YDS/1 TD performance that helped lead his squad to a huge blowout win over the Packers. Walker's favorable late-season schedule and guaranteed weekly flurry of targets makes him a candidate to be a top-3 TE1 come year's end. 
Honorable Mentions: Cameron Brate (Buccaneers), Kyle Rudolph (Vikings), Antonio Gates (Chargers)

LVP: Zach Miller (Bears)
There were a lot of victims of Jay Cutler's horrific performance against the Buccaneers, but Zach Miller is arguably at the top of that list. Miller was ignored for most of the day and as a result, he failed to take advantage of a stellar matchup, finishing the afternoon with just 32 yards on 4 receptions. Despite his weak performance in Week 10, Miller is the top candidate to receive an uptick in targets in the wake of Alshon Jeffrey's suspension, and should be viewed as a top-end TE1 for the next 4 weeks.
Dishonorable Mentions: Jordan Reed (Redskins), Travis Kelce (Chiefs), Jimmy Graham (Seahawks)

Defense
MVP: Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens became the latest defense to victimize the poor Cleveland Browns offense. They picked up 4 sacks, 2 INT and a fumble recovery while allowing just 7 points to the NFL's worst team in yet another Thursday Night Football instant classic. The Ravens defense has exceeded their preseason expectations and can now be classified as a solid weekly fantasy option for owners in 12-14 team leagues.  
Honorable Mentions: Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans

LVP: Green Bay Packers
The recent problems with the Packers defense escalated to a new level in Week 10. The Titans put up a whopping 47 points and completely avoided turning the ball over against the once-vaunted D on Sunday afternoon. With a tough schedule on the horizon and no end to their struggles in sight, the Packers D can safely be dropped.
Dishonorable Mentions: Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots 

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