It’s so quiet. I know, not that many important fantasy football players are on bye this week. It’s the deep breath before the plunge. (checks next week)
Welcome to Start/Sit for Week 10, in which we revel in the fact that it is not yet Week 11 when there will be six teams on bye, the slate of games is as disgusting as it has ever been and you will probably have to start two backup running backs and flex a tight end and just hope everyone falls into the end zone. But it is still Week 10, and we’re totally fine, with really only a few notable players on bye: Caleb Williams, Luther Burden III, D’Andre Swift, Colston Loveland, Bucky Irving and Jonah Coleman. You might actually be happy Saquon Barkley is on bye given how that’s gone so far this year.
As always, the intro gimmick, and I think we have a great one this week: fantasy football loser punishments. This is a divisive topic in my friend group and one I could legitimately write a book about, but I will dispense with it in a single paragraph so we can get into start/sit before Tuesday afternoon:
Your fantasy football loser punishment should be a punishment that the league agreed to in advance, but in the likely scenario that no one can agree to anything … just tell the loser they have to do anything. Seriously. Anything, pick literally anything and do it; we couldn’t agree on something one year (my friends are annoying), we all forgot about it, and then I lost so I just sat down and ate 50 chicken wings, which was a semi-boring previous year’s punishment, but it was something. The punishment should also be based on a tournament of the teams that did not make the playoffs because while that is not the fairest way to determine the worst team, that is objectively way funnier and the whole point of this is it’s supposed to be funny. And make your punishment reasonable and hopefully original; nobody wants to do the 24-hour IHop Challenge, but if you’ve got nothing else, that’s a classic. Alright, start/sit!
Start: RB Corey Kiner, New England Patriots
Those of us that have delighted in/suffered through every minute of New England Patriots football this season will tell you that Corey Kiner has been one of the lone positive surprises on offense. In a season that has seen injury disasters up and down the map, Kiner has had actual juice between and outside the tackles. Rhamondre Stevenson has been great, but he’s injured and will miss Sunday’s game. TreVeyon Henderson has endured an injury saga that will see him miss his third straight game in Week 10 as well. That sets up Kiner to be the lone back, with a smattering of Lan Larison as well.
It’s never a sure thing with backup running backs, let alone third-string ones, but everyone in New England likes Kiner quite a bit, and I don’t think this Detroit front seven is anything to be feared. I guarantee there are worse running backs in your league being started than Corey Kiner this week, and so I endorse firing him up in Germany, alles gut.
Sit: WR Caleb Douglas, Miami Dolphins
We have a rule here at Oliver Fox Fantasy Football Consultants: if you are a pass catcher on one of the least-talented rosters by salary cap investment in NFL history that just put the single most expensive player on that roster and the guy that has to throw you the ball, QB Malik Willis, on injured reserve, we just don’t start you in fantasy football. I’ve actually really enjoyed the Caleb Douglas experience this year, and think he has the look of a good real-life wide receiver who we shall monitor for future years. But with Kyle McCord for the next four weeks? I’m good.
Start: QB Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers
Rodgers has really fallen off the hayride as a startable fantasy quarterback after an epic four-week run, but in deeper leagues or in those annoying quarterback-hoarder environments, there’s a chance that you’re scrounging around for a QB to start. Cincinnati has been middle of the pack against fantasy quarterbacks this year, but I don’t actually care about any of that garbage.
What I care about is that Cincinnati is second in points per game, scoring exactly 30 per contest, meaning that Rodgers will need to sling the rock if they have any desire to win this thing. He’s never going to run, so that limits his upside entirely to how many passing touchdowns he will throw; you basically need two for a solid performance, three for a good one. I’m willing to bank on two to three.
Sit: WR Josh Downs, Kansas City Chiefs
I mentioned this in my fantasy risers and fallers column after the Trade Deadline, but you would have to be crazy to start Josh Downs this week in fantasy football even though “name-brand receiver teams up with Patrick Mahomes” is the title of 90 percent of dead spec scripts in Hollywood. Downs is a fine player who completely quit on his team and requested a trade publicly, and while he’s guaranteed to be happier on the Chiefs, I have no idea how he’ll play this week. Neither do you, neither does that prediction model making the score projection next to his name, neither does anyone. Do not start Josh Downs. Don’t do it. Do not.
Sit: RB Quinshon Judkins, Cleveland Browns
Quinshon Judkins appears to be experiencing early-onset J.K. Dobbinsitis, in which he is slowly phased out of his own offense for reasons that aren’t hard to see with the human or numerical eye. Judkins has not been effective this season beyond his goal-line carries, and he’s only eclipsed 10 fantasy points twice: the two games in which he scored a touchdown. Dylan Sampson has simply been better, averaging 4.9 yards per carry to Judkins’ 3.9, and Sampson played 64 percent of the snaps last week to Judkins’ 34 percent — Sampson also outsnapped him in Week 8, 56 to 39 percent. That’s a massive red flag in fantasy, and means we should stay far, far away from Judkins and this entire backfield going forward. But maybe go pick up Sampson just … in case.
Start: RB Breece Hall, New York Jets
Some concerned citizens may tell you Breece Hall was slightly outsnapped by Braelon Allen last week, and he was, but it’s no secret they’re going to work Hall back into the offense. He was never going to be a bell cow, and with Hall we’re probably getting a 65-35 or 60-40 advantage at best, but that’s fine because Hall is good, and he also had 18 touches to Allen’s 10, so these are game planned snaps, and those can be explosive touches as well as work in the passing game. I have full confidence in Hall as one of the focal points for the Jets. Whatever … it is the Jets are these days, anyhow
Sit: Every Los Angeles Rams pass catcher
There is going to be a Rams wide receiver or tight end who scores double-digit fantasy points this week against the Arizona Cardinals, and let me lay out your options: Konata Mumpfield, Tutu Atwell, CJ Daniels, Xavier Smith, Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen. So … who’s it going to be?
If you think you know, you have a problem, and the first step is admitting it. That is a random list of names, and there is no rhyme or reason or logic or math or … philosophical framework with which to determine which of those people is going to catch more passes than the other ones from Matthew Stafford on Sunday. If you have watched a Rams game at any point since Davante Adams got injured, the first, second, third and fourth reads were Puka Nacua. Beyond that, I have no idea. Do not start any of these players.
Speed Round
Start: QB C. J. Stroud, Houston Texnas
Stroud is sneakily the QB5 in fantasy football in points per game, and just threw for 384 yards and five touchdowns against the worst team in the history of football: the 2026 Los Angeles Chargers. I wouldn’t expect that against the Browns, but Stroud has not had a bad fantasy performance since Week 3 agains the Colts.
Sit: WR Jordan Addison, Minnesota Vikings
I know, I know it’s supposed to be party time with Kirk Cousins back but maybe just wait one week on Addison and see how it looks.
Start: WR Adonai Mitchell, New York Jets
Have I ever suggested a player who scored 0.0 points the week before? Well, I have now, because Mitchell did so on zero catches despite SEVEN TARGETS (how is that even possible?). Geno has been launching him the ball lately, so go for it with Mitchell.
Sit: WR Keenan Allen, San Francisco 49ers
A trade deadline acquisition, do not start Keenan Allen until we know how much he will play, even with Mike Evans out.
Sit: WR Tre Tucker, Las Vegas Raiders
The river finally came for our time with Tre Tucker, as I will need some evidence of his rapport with Fernando Mendoza before I start him again.
Start: K Tyler Bass, Buffalo Bills
One of my friends and I did this thing a few years ago where we picked up a new kicker every single week and charted if there was a significant difference in points versus if we just kept the guy we drafted. There wasn’t. We called it the Monty Hall Kicker.
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