Fantasy Football Week 10 Starts, Sits: Trust Colts After Coaching Change?
Michael Pittman can't be relied upon in Week 10
Fantasy football managers likely are ramping up for their playoff push, with Week 10 in the NFL serving as the latest opportunity to improve their postseason standing.
We've highlighted a few specific players who should be added into starting lineups while also acknowledging those who can't be relied upon entering the slate.
Check out our fantasy football starts and sits entering Week 10.
Starts
Joshua Palmer, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
Palmer benefitted from the Chargers' depleted receiver group, and it might prove the same in Week 10 with Mike Williams likely out and Keenan Allen recently experiencing a setback in his recovery. With Palmer serving as Justin Herbert's top wideout, the 2021 third-round pick saw 10 targets, which he turned into eight catches for 106 yards. Palmer ranked as WR10 in scoring last Sunday, finishing with 18.6 points in full-point leagues. Palmer now has a matchup against the San Francisco 49ers, a defense that has allowed the 11th-most points to wideouts this season. He's viewed as Yahoo's WR26 entering the slate.
Cordarrelle Patterson, RB, Atlanta Falcons
After being sidelined for four games due to injury, Patterson returned in Week 9 and didn't miss a beat. Falcons head coach Arthur Smith is so committed to the run game that Patterson immediately saw 14 touches despite being limited to just 39% of offensive snaps. Patterson finished RB7 in scoring in his return, turning those 14 touches into 53 yards and an important two rushing scores. Patterson and the Falcons enter a Week 10 contest against the Carolina Panthers on "Thursday Night Football." The Panthers allow the third-most points to running backs, prompting Patterson to be viewed as Yahoo's RB13 entering the week.
Sits
Michael Pittman, WR, Indianapolis Colts
The Colts are a complete unknown entering Week 10 given the recent firing of head coach Frank Reich and hiring of ex-ESPN NFL analyst Jeff Saturday. Saturday has never coached a game in the league, and actually hasn't held the clipboard above the high school level. One of Saturday's first orders of business was naming Parks Frazier the offensive play-caller, as the organization fired its offensive coordinator one week before Reich. Again, a mess. And that's why you can't trust Pittman. Since second-year QB Sam Ehlinger took over behind center, Pittman is averaging 8.75 points per game for a ranking of WR42 during that stretch. He has just 10 touches for 75 yards and ranks outside the top 30 in targeted air yards, meaning Ehlinger isn't looking his way downfield too often. Pittman is viewed as Yahoo's WR31 entering a Week 10 contest against the Las Vegas Raiders, whose defense is in the middle of the pack when it comes to points allowed to wideouts.
Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers
Rodgers absolutely cannot be trusted. The Packers quarterback scored fewer points than Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield in Week 9, and that was after Mayfield played just the second half in Carolina. Rodgers and the injury-hindered Packers put together one of their most embarrassing losses of the season in Week 9 against the Lions -- a Detroit defense that has allowed the most points and yards in the league. Rodgers will go up against a much better defense in Week 10, with the Dallas Cowboys proving to be a group that can get after the quarterback and cause turnovers. Rodgers is viewed as Yahoo's QB18 entering Week 10, and if you haven't yet done so, it's time to staple him to the bench.