The fantasy football regular season is quickly drawing to a close, and one lineup decision could make all the difference in whether your team reaches the playoffs.
With that in mind, here’s what to do about several flex options, streaming candidates and other players you could be on the fence about plugging into your starting lineup in Week 10.
Quarterbacks
Start: Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
49ers at Buccaneers / 1 p.m. ET Sunday
Purdy has been inconsistent this season but appears to have hit his stride from a fantasy football perspective, topping 20 points in each of his last three outings. It’s worth noting that three rushing touchdowns over that timeframe have helped Purdy accomplish this feat. While Purdy will lose that upside with the possible return of Christian McCaffrey, the running back’s receiving ability should balance things out against Tampa Bay’s defense, which has surrendered the third most passing yards and touchdowns in 2024.
Other starts: Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings; Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
Sit: C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
Lions at Texans / 8:20 p.m. ET Sunday
The reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year is experiencing a sophomore slump due in part to the array of injuries the Texans offense has suffered. Stroud has been held under 200 passing yards in two of his last three games, throwing one touchdown in that span while losing two fumbles.
Houston is hoping WR Nico Collins (hamstring) returns for its pivotal “Sunday Night Football” clash with Detroit, but that seems unlikely since he still hasn’t practiced this week. The Lions are already a challenging matchup for quarterbacks, having allowed the second-fewest touchdown passes (six) while ranking second in the NFL in interceptions (11). Regardless of whether Collins suits up, it’s probably best to look elsewhere for a quarterback this week.
Other sits: Drake Maye, New England Patriots; Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets
Running backs
Start: Tyrone Tracy Jr., New York Giants
Giants at Panthers (in Munich, Germany) / 9:30 a.m. ET Sunday
Tracy, a fifth-round pick, leads all rookie running backs with 442 rushing yards despite the fact that he took over the lead role in New York’s backfield during Week 5. While the 24-year-old posted just 7.9 PPR points during last week’s loss to Washington, Tracy’s upcoming matchup is too appealing to pass up.
Carolina’s defense has been the worst unit in the NFL at defending running backs this season. In addition to allowing the most rushing yards (1,196) and touchdowns (13) to the position, running backs are averaging 27.1 fantasy points per game against the Panthers, the most among teams. Considering Tracy has at least 17 touches in four of his last five games, he should have a high floor and the upside to finish as a top-10 running back in Week 10.
Other starts: Rico Dowdle, Dallas Cowboys; D’Andre Swift, Chicago Bears
Sit: Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans
Titans at Chargers / 4:05 p.m. ET Sunday
The RB19 overall this season, Pollard is a difficult player to sit, seeing as though he’s averaging 16.6 PPR points over his last two games. However, there are several factors that could lead to Pollard having a disappointing outing against the dominant Chargers defense.
Los Angeles has had no trouble containing opposing running backs through its first eight games, allowing the second-fewest fantasy points per contest (11.8) while surrendering one rushing touchdown. This doesn’t bode well for Pollard, who is dealing with a foot injury and could also lose touches to Tyjae Spears, assuming he is available to play after being sidelined by a hamstring injury.
Other sits: Raheem Mostert, Miami Dolphins; Javonte Williams, Denver Broncos
Wide receivers
Start: Khalil Shakir, Buffalo Bills
Bills at Colts / 1 p.m. ET Sunday
Shakir is amid a breakout season in Buffalo, posting at least 10.2 fantasy points in seven of his eight games. The Boise State product has been particularly impressive in recent weeks, averaging 7.3 receptions and 74 receiving yards per game over his last three contests.
Although wideout Amari Cooper should be active after missing last week’s win against Miami with a wrist injury, Shakir should be peppered with plenty of targets since Keon Coleman (wrist/arm) could miss Sunday’s game. Wide receivers are averaging 22.2 fantasy points per game against Indianapolis this season, paving the way for Shakir to make a significant impact once again.
Other starts: Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals; George Pickens, Pittsburgh Steelers
Sit: DeAndre Hopkins, Kansas City Chiefs
Broncos at Chiefs / 1 p.m. ET Sunday
Hopkins is another player who may be too valuable to leave on the bench, especially since he racked up 86 yards and two touchdowns on eight receptions in his last game.
Still, if you have adequate depth, it might be worth sitting Hopkins this week, as he’ll line up across from Broncos star CB Patrick Surtain II for the majority of the game. Surtain, widely regarded as the NFL’s best cornerback, has allowed just 12 catches and 116 yards in coverage this season. Those numbers are the second-fewest in each category among cornerbacks who’ve played at least 400 snaps this season, raising doubts about Hopkins’ potential to enjoy another productive performance.
Other sits: Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers; Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
Tight ends
Start: T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings
Vikings at Jaguars / 1 p.m. ET Sunday
Hockenson made his long-awaited return from last season’s ACL injury during Minnesota’s Week 9 win over Indianapolis, but he wasn’t particularly effective. The two-time Pro Bowler scored 5.7 PPR points and was out-snapped by fellow Vikings TE Josh Oliver.
Even so, with another week of practice under his belt, Hockenson should be more involved in Minnesota’s offense. As a result, Hockenson is well-positioned to deliver a strong performance against a Jaguars defense that has allowed the fifth-most fantasy points per game to tight ends over the last four weeks (18.6).
Other starts: Hunter Henry, New England Patriots; Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
Sit: Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions
Lions at Texans / 8:20 p.m. ET Sunday
After finishing as the TE1 overall during his historic 2023 rookie season, LaPorta has established himself as one of the worst picks from fantasy drafts. LaPorta has only scored double-digit fantasy points twice across eight games and is coming off another lackluster performance, during which he caught two passes for 28 yards.
With wideout Jameson Williams set to return from his two-game suspension for this week’s road matchup against Houston, it seems unlikely that LaPorta’s target share will increase much, if at all. Not to mention that the Texans have been one of the toughest opponents for tight ends in 2024, giving up a mere 3.8 points per game to the position, the third-fewest among teams.
Other sits: Tyler Conklin, New York Jets; Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys
