Fantasy Football Tips: Week Ten

The disappointments after Week Nine and what to look forward to in Week TenAlex Stewart The Santa Clara November 9, 2017Buy Low - Jared Goff (QB, LAR)The Rams are for real, and it comes to the surprise of many, including myself.Goff, available in over 50 percent of ESPN leagues, is an undervalued QB with clear upside in the right matchups.An upcoming schedule with Houston, New Orleans, Philadelphia and San Francisco deliver great matchups for the rest of the year.Goff is a guy to target if you had Deshaun Watson or Aaron Rodgers and need a guy to keep you in the hunt.Sheer volume may not be there like in week nine. But the efficiency and consistent floor should be sufficient. Goff is a great prospect to buy low if you are looking for a QB this week.Sell High - Mike Evans (WR, TB)The Bucks are a disaster. Jameis Winston’s shoulder is injured, and the coaching staff has failed with game planning the majority of the season. This isn’t a team that’s heading in the right direction—so, if you invested in Evans on draft day, you can’t be excited about what’s to come. Evans hauled in one reception against the Saints in Week Nine and is facing a suspension for his cheap-shot hit on Marshon Lattimore. All of these situations devastate his value, so it would be wise to sell him for the value he still has.Key Waiver Wire Pickups - Matt Forte (RB, NYJ) and Corey Davis (WR, TEN)Forte entered Week Nine having played just shy of 50 percent of the Jets snaps in the previous two games. He racked up 18 touches in the win over the Bills, running for 77 yards on 14 carries, catching four passes for 19 yards and scoring two touchdowns. Forte’s presence in the offense has grown over the last three weeks, and he handled all the goal-line work against the Bills. The Jets still have their bye ahead of them, but Forte could be a flex-worthy player for the rest of the season, depending on matchups and the depth of your league.Davis returned in Week Nine after missing the Titans’ last six games because of a hamstring injury, and he was relatively quiet in the 23–20 win, catching two of five targets for 28 yards. Davis is the one pass-catcher who can truly be a game-breaker for Marcus Mariota. Now that he’s back in the fold, the Titans can add a vertical element to the offense that has been lacking. Davis is more than just a depth receiver. Even with bye weeks coming to an end over the next couple weeks, Davis is well worth making a priority on the waiver wire this week.Key Matchups for Week NineSteelers @ Colts: If you have Ben Roethlisberger, Le’Veon Bell, Antonio Brown or Juju Smith-Schuster, you’re in for a treat. The Steelers have blown out the Colts many times in the past, and this matchup should be no different. In fact, this could be the most lopsided game of the season. In terms of offense, the Steelers have Bell and Brown, arguably the best running back and wide receiver, respectively. On the flipside, the Colts have an elite receiver in T.Y. Hilton with a struggling quarterback, Jacoby Brissett — not an ideal combo. The Steel Curtain will shut down the Colts offense for less than ten points in this game and Big Ben will have a field day against a Colts defense that is arguably the worst in the NFL. Look for this game to be over at the half and for the Steelers’ big weapons to score above their projected production value for the week.Packers @ Bears: If you are just tuning into this NFL season for the first time, you would think that this game would be very lopsided in the Packers’ favor. You would be wrong. That is because Rodgers, one of the greatest quarterbacks in history, is injured and will not play against the rebuilding Bears. Brett Hundley will look to fill Rodgers’ big shoes and turn this game into a high scoring affair.Bears will look to develop Mitch Trubisky more, but as always, will keep feeding the rock to star running back Jordan Howard.Both teams have a subpar defense, so we should expect fairly high scores them both.Chargers @ Jaguars: An unstoppable force in Melvin Gordon will meet an immovable object in the Jaguars’ defense.We will get to see which breaks first. My bet is on the Chargers to break first, so count on Gordon and other weapons for the Chargers having a subpar week.“Sacksonville” will get to Philip Rivers early, and behind Leonard Fournette’s running attack, Jacksonville will come out with a solid win.Expect the Jacksonville defense along with Fournette to perform above their projected production value as they take on a Chargers team that can’t seem to make up its mind about rebuilding or going all in on a feeble attempt at a playoff run.Contact Alex Stewart at astewart@scu.edu or call (408) 554-4852.