Is there such a thing as too much football? Probably, but not this week!

These rankings are tailored for a 10-person PPR league. Specific rosters, league size, and weekly matchups all play a role in lineup decisions. For example, in a 6-person PPR league, a player like J.K. Dobbins might not be a must-start. In a 14-person Superflex league, you better believe I’m starting Cooper Rush every week.

Label Definitions:

Houston Texans Vs Jacksonville Jaguars 

Must Starts:

Texans: Joe Mixon, Nico Collins

Jaguars: Evan Engram, Brian Thomas Jr.

Matchup Upgrade:

Tank Dell: He has averaged 7.5 targets and 11.7 points per game in his last four. Now he faces a Jaguars defense that ranks 30th against WRs, and with Nico Collins back up to full speed, Dell should be facing lighter coverage. I see Dell as a high-end flex/WR2 this week in what I suspect to be a higher scoring game than expected.

Grounds for Concern:

Travis Etienne: He’s RB39 on the year, averaging only 8.3 points per game. He’s the second best RB on this team and his value has only been kept afloat by his passing game usage. Coach Peterson hinted at changes this week, and I suspect this means more work for Tank Bigsby. I don’t know how you could start him, given his performances this year and facing the Texans defense that ranks 6th against RBs. Look elsewhere if you can. 

Indianapolis Colts Vs New England Patriots 

Must Starts:

Colts: Jonathan Taylor

Patriots: Rhamondre Stevenson, Hunter Henry

Matchup Upgrade:

Anthony Richardson: Great matchup for AR15! He’s averaging 10 rushing attempts in his last four starts and has looked better as a passer. Last week was a difficult matchup against an elite defense. The good news is the Patriots are not anything close to an elite defense. They rank 19th against QBs, 20th against RBs, and 23rd against WRs. He should be able to get back on track this week and dominate a bad defense. He’s a top-10 play for me this week with QB1 overall potential. 

Grounds for Concern:

Michael Pittman: While the Patriots have struggled against receivers, one bright spot they have is shutdown corner Christian Gonzalez. Gonzalez has faced the likes of Ja’Marr Chase, DK Metcalf, Garrett Wilson, and Tyreek Hill. He’s giving up an average of 12.2 points per game, which is incredible considering who he has shadowed. He’s only really been beaten by Metcalf, who, in week 2, went for 10 catches for 129 yards and a touchdown. I would still consider starting Pittman if he’s my best option, but I would lower my expectations this week. 

Los Angeles Chargers Vs Atlanta Falcons

Must Starts:

Chargers: Justin Herbert, Ladd McConkey

Falcons: Bijan Robinson, Drake London

Matchup Upgrade:

Will Dissly: He continues to be a consistent TE2 with upside. He’s had at least 8 points in 5 of his last six games and is the second-best pass catcher on the team, outside of McConkey. With QJ dropping passes, Josh Palmer being a non-factor, and a good matchup against the Falcons, who rank 19th against TEs, I like Dissly to continue his streak and put up low-end TE1 numbers.

Grounds for Concern:

Kyle Pitts: At least we didn't have to pay a premium for him this year. Pitts is TE12 on the year and has scored under 2.2 points in 2 of his last three games. His six catches in the last three games are equally concerning, as they have come in close games and negative game scripts, which should have led to more passing opportunities. He’s a mid-level TE2 for me this week. 

Seattle Seahawks Vs New York Jets

Must Starts:

Seahawks: Kenneth Walker III, D.K. Metcalf, JSN

Jet: Breece Hall (if playing), Davante Adams, Garrett Wilson,

Matchup Upgrade:

Geno Smith: The Jets are a team that looks like it has given up. They’ve lost 7 of 8 and the effort defensively has looked abysmal in recent weeks - giving up 28 to the Colts and making Anthony Richardson look like Peyton Manning (or Paintin’ Manning) and giving up 31 to the Cardinals in a game where Kyler Murray had two incompletions. Given that the Seahawks rank 3rd in pass rate over expected, I’m looking at Geno to deliver a QB1 performance. He’s had all the metric except for touchdowns in recent weeks, I think the touchdown luck goes his way this week.

Grounds for Concern:

Aaron Rodgers: Well, to put it plainly, he’s not very good at football anymore. He has all the playmakers and tools to be a QB1, but it just hasn’t happened this season in an offense that is built for him. He’s averaging just over 14 points per game this season against an improving Seattle defense. If I needed a desperation streamer, I would much rather go with Will Levis. 

Tennessee Titans Vs Washington Commanders

Must Starts:

Titans: Tony Pollard, Calvin Ridley 

Commanders: Jayden Daniels, Terry McLaurin 

Matchup Upgrade:

Noah Brown (Desperation Flex): In the last five games, Brown has averaged just over 6.5 targets and is averaging just under 10 points per game (thanks to the 1.4-point dud against the Eagles). He’s averaging more targets than McLaurin the last five games and, outside of that one play, was the better receiver last week against Dallas. The Titans are a tough matchup, but they will be focusing more on McLaurin than Brown. If you are looking for a streamer to get you 10 or so points, Noah Brown is a good option.

Grounds for Concern:

Terry McLaurin: Outside of the one crazy play against Dallas, F1 has struggled the last couple of weeks playing against quality secondaries. He faces another tough matchup against the Titans, who rank 4th against WR this season. There are a few reasons for this, one being that there is now half a season’s worth of tape on Jayden Daniels, so defenses are starting to adjust to his tendencies. I think this game will be much closer than anticipated, with the Titans edging out the Commanders in the end. 

Pittsburgh Steelers Vs Cincinnati Bengals

Must Starts:

Steelers: George Pickens

Bengals: Joe Burrow, Chase Brown, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins

Matchup Upgrade:

Calvin Austin (Desperation high-upside play): Russ Wilson throws a great deep ball. George Pickens has really benefited to the tune of WR19. Another beneficiary of this is Calvin Austin III. Last week, in a snowstorm against Cleveland, Austin hauled in all three of his targets for 79 yards and a touchdown. The Bengals rank 22nd against WRs and have been torched deep this season by Terry McLaurin and Zay Flowers. If I need a desperation Hail Mary play, then Calvin Austin is where I’m looking. 

Grounds for Concern:

Najee Harris: In a split backfield with Jaylen Warren, where Harris has the edge in carries and Warren targets, it becomes a game of touchdown-roulette. If the wheel falls to Harris, then he’ll be in RB2 territory, and the same goes for Warren. Even in a good matchup, Harris remains only a flex candidate for me due to the split backfield and limited target opportunities. 

Arizona Cardinals Vs Minnesota Vikings 

Must Starts:

Cardinals: Kyler Murray, James Conner, MHJ, Trey McBride

Vikings: Aaron Jones, Justin Jefferson, 

Matchup Upgrade:

Jordan Addison: He’s been cooking since the return of T.J. Hockenson! He’s had at least eight targets in the last two games and has scored over 15 points in 3 of the last 4. The Cardinals defense is mid-pack against WRs, so the matchup is not scary. With defenses having to focus on Justin Jefferson, Addison will have plenty of space to work again this Sunday. He’s a flex candidate for me. 

Grounds for Concern:

James Conner: He’s been a stud all season and he’s still a must start. However, there have been some concerning trends - first, his efficiency in the last two games has been poor, averaging under 2 yards per carry. He’s been under 3 yards per carry in 3 of his last four games. The second concern is the emergence of Trey Benson, who has been getting over 40% of the carries in the last two games.

Conner is still getting plenty of pass game work, with five catches last week, but the overall volume dip is concerning. Start him this week, and if he puts up a dud against the defense of the 3rd-ranked Vikings, then it might be time to consider other options. 

Los Angeles Rams Vs New Orleans Saints

Must Starts:

Rams: Kyren Williams, Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp

Saints: Alvin Kamara, Taysom Hill

Matchup Upgrade:

Matt Stafford: Thy Rod and Stafford have been comforting fantasy owners the last month! Over 17.5 points in 4 of his last five games. Now, with Nacua back and Kupp at full strength, this offense is cooking! The additional inefficiency of Kyren Williams has led to more passing opportunities for the Rams, and their poor defense has been keeping Stafford in throwing situations. The Saints have won 2 straight and are looking more like the team that started the season, so this should be a close game. I’m rolling with Stafford over Jordan Love in one of my leagues this week.

Grounds for Concern:

Derrick Carr: It really is feast or famine for Carr this season. Four games over 18.5 and 4 games under 13.5. The Rams defense is mid-pack against QBs, but bottom third against RBs. This figures to be a big Kamara and Taysom Hill game. With his top two receivers potentially out for the season, there are other QB streaming options I would look for this week. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Vs Carolina Panthers

Must Starts:

Bucs: Baker Mayfield, Bucky Irving, Mike Evans, Cade Otten

Panthers: Chuba Hubbard

Matchup Upgrade:

David Moore: He exploded onto the scene last week with six catches for 81 yards and a touchdown on ten targets. This could be the start of something good here with Bryce Young playing well. We’re always looking for late season bloomers and, with no one in the receiving room doing anything to command targets, Moore could be a late season gem. I would play him in a DFS lineup this week, but probably not in a 10-team league until I see him do it again. 

Grounds for Concern:

Rashaad White: Bucky Irving is the RB1 in this offense. He’s had the majority of the carries for the last few weeks, but last week’s game against the Giants was a big changing of the guard: White only had 3% of the target share compared to 20% for Irving He also trailed Irving in route participation: 56% to 31%.

White has stayed fantasy-relevant through his usage in the passing game. Last week, in a rout against the Giants, White only scored 11.7 points, which was due to a late touchdown. This week, even in a good matchup, he’s more of a touchdown-dependent flex play, in my opinion. This is Bucky’s backfield until further notice.

Philadelphia Eagles Vs Baltimore Ravens

Must Starts:

Eagles: Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown

Ravens: Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, Zay Flowers 

Matchup Upgrade:

DeVonta Smith: The Ravens have been a pass funnel this season. They rank second in rush yards allowed, and they’ve been leading in most of their games this year, so the run script hasn’t been there for their opponents. The pass defense is another story. The Ravens rank last against WRs in fantasy. We already know A.J. Brown is going to cook, as is Saquon, but Smith has been up and down all season. In a great matchup, I’m going with the talent of Smith, even coming off of injury, to produce WR2 numbers.

Grounds for Concern:

Rashod Bateman: He is the epitome of boom/bust - he’s had 6 games under 7.5 points and 6 games over 11. His targets have been fairly consistent - he’s averaging 4.5 per game; it’s just whether or not he makes the big play. He has six touchdowns this season and the third-highest average depth of target (ADOT) in the league! The problem for him is he’s facing the Eagles defense that ranks 10th against receivers and has really turned the corner in the last month. Given the matchup, I would look elsewhere. 

San Francisco 49ers Vs Buffalo Bills

(Weather Game!)

Must Starts:

49ers: Brock Purdy (If he plays), CMC, George Kittle

Bill: Josh Allen, James Cook 

Matchup Upgrade:

Khalil Shakir: Mr. Consistent! He’s only had one game this season under 10 points. In the past four games, he’s averaging 9.5 targets and just over seven catches. He is the real PPR cheat code. With Amari Cooper still dealing with injuries, a reeling 49ers defense that just got lit up by the Packers, and potentially bad weather, I believe Shakir is in line for a big game. 

Grounds for Concern:

Deebo Samuel: If Purdy does not play, then I would bench Samuel. What a weird sentence to write. Samuel hasn’t cracked 12.6 points in his last 5 outings and is right now playing like the third, maybe fourth, best pass catcher on his team. He’s been significantly out-targeted by Jauan Jennings the last three games (29-17) and has been weird on the sidelines.

This is a fracturing team that, I feel like, is about to be delivered a death blow by the Bills. If the weather is as bad as it could be, then the passing attack will be significantly limited. Deebo is, at best, a flex play for me, and a bench if Purdy doesn’t go or if the weather is at its worst. 

Cleveland Browns Vs Denver Broncos 

Must Starts:

Browns: David Njoku

Broncos: Bo Nix, Cortland Sutton 

Matchup Upgrade:

Devaughn Vele: Double-digit fantasy points in three straight games and increasing his targets and yardage in three straight. Bo Nix has been playing great football and Devaughn Vele has benefited. Sean Payton had high praise for him this week, comparing him to fantasy football legend Marques Colston. He had a season-high nine targets against the Raiders on Sunday and a season-high 80 yards. He’s an older rookie, and typically, rookies play better in the second half of the season. That’s what we are seeing here. I’m hopeful for a flex-worthy game from him before the bye.

Grounds for Concern:

Jameis Winston: I’ve been on record stating my love for the Winston experience. But not this week. Denver’s defense is outstanding, ranking 4th against QBs. Plus, Winston is a turnover waiting to happen against a Broncos defense that is top 10 in forcing turnovers. With limited rushing upside and the unknown status of Cedric Tillman, I would bench Winston this week.