Can you believe it’s already Week 10? It feels like just yesterday we were kicking off the season, and now we are more than halfway through. Obviously, every fantasy football matchup is important, but this is where things really start to matter.
Whether you’re competing for a bye, battling to make the playoffs or just trying to avoid coming in last, it’s time to lock in. With that in mind, let’s use the Fantasy Points Allowed tool to find the best (and worst) fantasy football matchups for Week 10.
- Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
- Weekly Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
- Fantasy Football Start/Sit Advice
- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
Fantasy Points Allowed: Best & Worst Matchups (Week 10)
Week 10 Quarterback Fantasy Football Matchups
Good Matchup: Justin Herbert (QB – LAC) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Unfortunately, both our usual target defenses of the Cowboys and Bengals are on bye this week. However, the Steelers have actually managed to pull off the impressive feat of allowing more passing yards per game than either of those two defensively-challenged units, with a whopping 299.5.
Justin Herbert has already been performing like a QB1 in recent weeks — he is a no-brainer starting option in this matchup.
Bad Matchup: Daniel Jones (QB – IND) vs. Atlanta Falcons (Berlin Game)
Daniel Jones has really turned his career around. A season after being benched for Drew Lock/Tommy DeVito, he has led the Colts to an AFC-leading 7-2 record and the league’s best offense. This is translating on the fantasy side, too, as Danny Dimes’ 20.4 points per game average ranks him as the QB8 for the season.
However, I don’t expect big things from Jones this week. The Falcons’ defense is the sixth-toughest matchup for quarterbacks, allowing just 15.2 points per game. They also have allowed by far the fewest passing yards per game of any team at just 174.8. With how efficient he and the Colts’ offense have been all season, Jones is not a must-bench. But it’s at least worth checking your other options before simply rolling out Jones as your QB1 this week.
Week 10 Running Back Fantasy Football Matchups
Good Matchup: Kyle Monangai (RB – CHI) vs. Chicago Bears
With D’Andre Swift sidelined by a groin injury, rookie Kyle Monangai exploded for the Bears last week. He racked up 176 yards on 26 carries, averaging nearly seven yards per tote, and added three catches for 22 more yards. However, this was against the Bengals’ historically bad defense, so we have to take it with a grain of salt.
Thankfully for Monangai, he follows up his matchup against the league’s softest matchup for running backs with a matchup against the league’s second-softest matchup for running backs. The Giants’ defense only trails Cincinnati in both rushing yards and fantasy points allowed to opposing backs. Even if Swift is back, Monangai will be startable as a Flex option in this matchup. If the veteran is out another week, expect an encore performance from the seventh-rounder out of Rutgers.
Bad Matchup: Breece Hall (RB – NYJ) vs. Cleveland Browns
Despite reportedly wanting to be traded away from the Jets before Tuesday’s trade deadline, Breece Hall still plays in the Big Apple. And things just go from bad to worse, as his next matchup is with the Browns, who have been the second-toughest matchup for opposing backs this season. Additionally, Cleveland’s defense has allowed the lowest rushing success rate and second-lowest rushing expected points added (EPA) per play in the league.
Hall isn’t a must-bench, as he is still a talented player who should dominate touches in New York’s backfield. But the Browns have shut down plenty of talented backs with good workloads this season, from Derrick Henry (2.3 points) to David Montgomery (1.2) to Josh Jacobs (9.9). Especially given the Jets’ disgustingly low 17.5-point team total for this one, I recommend thinking twice before putting Hall in your lineup this week.
Week 10 Wide Receiver Fantasy Football Matchups
Good Matchup: Wan’Dale Robinson (WR – NYG) @ Chicago Bears
Despite being the Giants’ clear No. 1 WR since Malik Nabers went down with a season-ending injury, Wan’Dale Robinson is coming off two straight mediocre outings. However, this is a week to put your faith in the short king.
The Bears rank second in the league in points given up to opposing receivers. They also rank second in terms of points allowed to receivers lined up in the slot, which is perfect for Robinson and his 74% slot rate. In any kind of PPR format, Robinson is a borderline WR2 this week.
Bad Matchup: Khalil Shakir (WR – BUF) @ Miami Dolphins
It might say more about their terrible run defense than their secondary, but the Dolphins have quietly been the second-toughest matchup for opposing receivers so far this season. They have actually been the stingiest unit in terms of targets, receptions and yards allowed to the position (they are a bit weaker in terms of touchdowns).
This week, the Bills head to Florida to face Miami. And, despite that awesome Week 1 outing from Keon Coleman, Khalil Shakir is Buffalo’s only truly fantasy-relevant wide receiver. Like Wan’Dale Robinson, Shakir primarily plays in the slot.
While Miami’s defense isn’t quite as tough on slot receivers, in particular, they still allow just 6.5 half-PPR points per game to receivers lined up there, the ninth-lowest mark in the league. Shakir is volatile at the best of times due to his mediocre overall usage, so I recommend looking for a more stable option this week.
Week 10 Tight End Fantasy Football Matchups
Good Matchup: Kyle Pitts (TE – ATL) @ Indianapolis Colts (Berlin Game)
He’s not the game-changer he was drafted to be, but Kyle Pitts has settled in as a solid borderline TE1. He’s by no means a weekly must-start, but he is someone you can happily — although perhaps not confidently — start in good matchups. And he has a good matchup this week, as the Colts’ defense ranks fourth in points allowed to opposing tight ends with 14.4 per game.
Tight end matchups are often skewed by which tight ends a team has faced; however, the Colts haven’t exactly faced a murderers’ row. They did get lit up by Trey McBride and Oronde Gadsden, but they have also allowed decent outings of at least 7.3 half-PPR points to Pat Freiermuth, Gunnar Helm, Chigoziem Okonkwo (twice) and Adam Trautman. Pitts has a great shot to add his name to that list in Germany this week.
Bad Matchup: Tyler Warren (TE – IND) vs. Atlanta Falcons (Berlin Game)
I know, I know — you’re not benching Tyler Warren, no matter who his opponent is. And you’re probably right. But let’s take a step back for a second to look at how thoroughly the Falcons have dominated opposing tight ends this season. Tight ends against Atlanta are averaging 2.13 catches for 22 yards and 4.3 half-PPR points — all league lows. And those numbers are the total for all of a team’s tight ends, not just one player.
And this isn’t just a case of Atlanta only having faced non-factors at the tight end position. They’ve held Hunter Henry (7.1 half-PPR points), Zach Ertz (5.1), T.J. Hockenson (1.7), and George Kittle (goose egg) in check. Warren is certainly talented enough to break this trend. But I still recommend tempering expectations for the rookie sensation, if only for this week.
Subscribe: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart | Castbox | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict | TuneIn
Ted Chmyz is a fantasy football contributor for FantasyPros.com. Find him on Twitter and Bluesky @Tchmyz for more fantasy content or to ask questions.
