Last week I asked readers to email me their favorite fantasy football memory. Count me shocked at the number I received. 

Truly.

What can I say? My article created such a frenzy that I am afraid I will never get through them all. Picture a man sitting at his house as trailer after trailer delivers a new load of letters.

First, I had so many emails that led Gmail to crash, which led to a very vicious phone call from Google CEO Sundar Pichai. Boy, did he tear me a new one. Suffice it to say I am on a certain list in Mountain View, CA.

To his credit, he did allow for an auto-response in which people could call my phone in lieu of email. That’s fine, but I had to go old school and find not only a switchboard but also some operators to field all the calls. It’s so hard to hire and obtain employees right now. My operators quit en masse after 30 minutes. I don’t blame them. I couldn’t keep up either, but I still wonder if it was right to walk out while the President was on the line.

Soooooooooo…

In the end, I was able to save one fantasy football memory. This one is from Charles Johnson in Winston-Salem, NC:

I had joined a friend’s league that actually had $80 entrance dues, but I didn’t care.  During that season, I was joining any league I could because Fantasy Football was fun.  That being said, I didn’t take it as seriously as my main league that I had with some musician friends of mine whom I played in a band with.  

I had to put my team on auto-draft because I had a gig the night that draft was going down.  My team consisted of:

QB- Russell Wilson

RB- Le’Veon Bell (who had been suspended for like 4 games to start the season) 

RB- Matt Jones (remember him?)

WR- Michael Crabtree

WR- Amari Cooper (when they both played for the Raiders) 

Flex- Frank Gore

TE- an up-and-coming “this guy could be the next Gronk” Travis Kelce

K- Adam Vinatieri 

DEF- Ravens

So, between dealing with Bell’s absence as well as Jones’ ineffectiveness, I dropped a few games coming out of the gate.  

But then, a funny thing happened.  With a few tweaks from the waiver wire (as well as Bell finally being on the field) my team started to gel. Next thing I knew, I was in the playoffs.  

But the one guy I think helped me clinch the big game was…Matt Asiata.  That’s right.  The Vikings’ RB who was mostly known as Adrian Peterson’s handcuff.  A guy that every expert had listed as a “sit ’em.”  Scored a TD and ate up a whole bunch of touches.  So with the combo of Wilson, Kelce, Bell and Asiata (as well as a respectable outing for Crabtree and Cooper) I was sitting on a pretty sizeable lead, but my opponent had an ace up his sleeve.  Ezekiel Elliot, who had a dream match-up on Monday Night Football.  

But…although Zeke ate, and ate a lot…it wasn’t enough.  And I ended up winning the Championship as well as the $750 cash prize as well as League Commissioner the next year!  

So anytime I start stressing about how my team is doing, or rather how crappy my team is doing, I think back to that season.

Thank you, Charles. Best of luck this season, and I hope you get another championship! 

Fantasy football Week 10 start ’em

Quarterbacks to start in Week 10

Justin Fields (CHI) vs. Lions

He is officially on fire, and he has been burning down fantasy leagues for the past three weeks. He went from having 6.9 fantasy points against the Texans in Week 3 (what?) to putting up more than 20 points against both the Patriots and the Cowboys, and that was on the road.

Then, what he did against the Dolphins last week at home was jaw-dropping — 178 yards rushing with a touchdown. That is a Lamar Jackson-type number. A Saquon Barkley line. And now he’s going against the Lions? Yes, please!

Daniel Jones (NYG) vs. Texans

The Texans have actually been pretty stout against quarterbacks this year. They rank no.5 against the position and held the aforementioned Justin Fields in check.

And yet:

They are the no.32 team against the run. Dead last. And that’s where Daniel Jones delivers in your starting lineup. He may throw for less than 200 yards, but he will make up for it with his legs.

Running backs to start in Week 10

D’Onta Foreman (CAR) vs. Falcons

Did it turn midnight against the Bengals last week, turning Foreman back into a pumpkin? Not so fast, I say. It’s still 11:59 and there’s a party to be had.

The Panthers, fresh off a humiliating loss, are now facing the Falcons, who he recently put up 100+ yards and three touchdowns against. The Panthers are not going to bowl anyone over, but as long as they get to play teams from the NFC South twice this year there will still be games you get to start them. This is one of those times. Roll out Foreman with confidence.

Ezekiel Elliott (DAL) vs. Packers

This is only if he’s healthy. He’s not the same Zeke we’re used to, but he does have a proclivity to score touchdowns, and the Packers love to give it up on the ground. That and the Cowboys, fresh off a bye, should be able to push around this team that may have just gasped its last breath against Detroit.

Wide receivers to start in Week 10

DeVonta Smith (PHI) vs. Commanders

The Eagles are rolling, and it’s safe to start both AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith going forward. Consider that Washington is no.25 against the pass and are great against the run. Smith has been boom-or-bust this season, but his big game was against Washington in week 3, so there is past precedent of him doing very well against this team. 

Chris Olave (NO) vs. Steelers

Pittsburgh ranks last against fantasy wide receivers.

Michael Thomas is on IR.

Jarvis Landry is forever injured.

Once again, Pittsburgh ranks last against fantasy wide receivers, and it’s not like it’s going to get any better the rest of the season.

Start Chris Olave and jump into a pool of fantasy points. 

Tight end to start in Week 10

Tyler Higbee (LAR) vs. Cardinals

Yes, he goosed you. Yes, you probably are seeing red and have already dropped him to the waivers, but know this: if you’re looking to stream a TE, you may not have a better choice. That’s just how bad tight ends are. We’re forced to keep people like Kyle Pitts in our starting lineups and curse the 4 points they give us every week. I wish I could sugarcoat this for you, but I just can’t. Higbee right now is laughing that you are putting in a waiver claim on him 24 hours after you curse his name and declare he’d never be on any of your teams ever again. 

Just know this: Arizona is horrible against tight ends, and in the previous game against them Higbee posted 4 for 61 yards. Just think how elated us Kyle Pitts owners would be if he got those numbers.

(Smash cut to all Travis Kelce owners lighting a cigar and laughing manically.) 

Fantasy football Week 10 sit ’em

Quarterbacks to sit in Week 10

Aaron Rodgers (GB) vs. Cowboys

I could talk about how the Cowboys are fresh off a bye and no.26 against fantasy quarterbacks this year. I could also talk about how the injuries on Green Bay’s offense are piling up and driven past the point of no return. I could even talk about the Packers’ current losing streak, which includes a 9-point loss to the Detroit Lions.

But, no.

I am going to talk about Aaron Rodgers and how just how bad he has been.

Did you know he posted a 53.5 QB rating against the Lions? The Lions?! This is the team currently ranked no.3 against fantasy quarterbacks. This has brought his QBR rating to the lowest it has been since…2006. And if you are wondering, he threw for 46 yards that year backing up Brett Favre, making 2022 the worst statistical season Aaron Rodgers has played as a starter. 

He is currently on the waiver wire in a couple of my leagues. That’s probably where he belongs. 

Kirk Cousins (MIN) vs. Bills

Cousins has been fine. Through week 9 he’s the QB10, which is in between Trevor Lawrence and Marcus Mariota. He’s not going to go nuclear like Justin Fields, but he’s going to be much more consistent, especially given how easy the Vikings’ schedule is this year. Just don’t play him in any tough match-ups on the road. You know, like against an angry Buffalo team that’s no.3 against fantasy quarterbacks. There are better options out there. 

Running backs to sit in Week 10

Devin Singletary (BUF) vs. Vikings

The only way the Vikings win this game is by stopping the run (which they’re very good at) on defense and finding a way to hold Josh Allen in check. The latter is not going to be easy, but I can see the Vikings being able to stifle Singletary and company.

Even if this ends in a blowout, the Bills love to pull Singletary for James Cook, so he won’t even get that beautiful garbage time shot at a touchdown to cap the game. 

Melvin Gordon (DEN) vs. Titans

Consider that with the acquisition of Chase Edmonds this backfield is now an official RBBC with Gordon and Latavius Murray. It’s not like this offense is an explosion of points. This an RBBC you want no part of. On top of that, they are going against the no.28 rush defense that averages 14.9 points to fantasy running backs. Now split that three ways and know that Gordon has fumbling problems. You’re praying for a touchdown here, which is never a place you want to be. 

Wide receivers to sit in Week 10

Adam Thielen (MIN) vs. Bills

Did you know that Thielen has had zero 75-yard games this year and only two touchdowns? He won’t kill your team, but he’s not helping it. If you need a solid 6 points, he’s your guy, but it’s hard banking on anything more than that. He’s now going on the road against a very tough opponent. There’s no upside here, just a very low (and yet study) floor.

Robert Woods (TEN) vs. Broncos

Not only did Robert Woods post a goose egg last week, but so did the entire wide receiver room. Woof. Now they’re going against Patrick Surtain leading a defense that’s no.32 against fantasy wide receivers. It doesn’t get worse than this. Woods belongs on waivers, not your starting lineup.

Tight end to sit in Week 10

Robert Tonyan (GB) vs. Cowboys

See my notes on Rodgers. Sure, Tonyan is one of his only healthy pass catchers, but it may not matter against the Cowboys. It didn’t matter against the Lions, which, I never would’ve thought I’d type those words. 

Oh, and the Cowboys are no. 29 against tight ends this year, so they keep that position locked down. Why not start Tyler Higbee?

(Don’t kill me.)