Week 10 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Debating Difficult Fantasy Football Lineup Decisions

It's been an unpredictable 2024 fantasy season, to say the least. Injuries, unexpected role changes and trades have impacted the landscape on an almost weekly basis, though things may be a little calmer now that the NFL trade deadline has passed.

Of course, injuries, tough matchups and bye weeks will still impact lineup decisions as managers prepare for the late playoff push. This week, the Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, Las Vegas Raiders and Seattle Seahawks will be out of action.

Managers still have time to peruse the waiver wire, though high-end options may not be available this late in the week. We're here to help with the other potential of Week 10, unfavorable matchups.

Here, you'll find a look at some of the trickier matchups on the remaining schedule, along with a few start-sit recommendations. All picks and analysis are based on point-per-reception (PPR) scoring.

Last week, Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs had a somewhat quiet outing that was saved by a 15-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.

Against the Green Bay Packers, the Lions leaned heavily on David Montgomery, who out-paced Gibbs in carries (17 to 11), receptions (3 to 1) and scrimmage yards (96 to 76). This week, both backs could have a tough time against the Houston Texans, who have allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs.

Standout fantasy back Breece Hall had a good-not-great two-catch, 85-yard outing against the Texans last week.

However, we wouldn't recommend sitting Gibbs. The second-year back hasn't had a truly disappointing outing yet this season. His worst game was a three-catch, 91-yard performance against the Baltimore Ravens, and he's had only one other game without a touchdown in 2024.

Sometimes, it's best to trust the player instead of the matchup, and this is one of those cases.

In the case of Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr., it's hard to trust the matchup or the player.

Etienne has been dealing with a hamstring injury and returned to face the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 9. He had a disappointing performance with just two receptions and 30 scrimmage yards.

While Etienne—who was an early draft pick in a lot of fantasy leagues—does usually carry a solid PPR floor, he's lost his status as Jacksonville's lead back. In his last three appearances, Etienne has seen fewer carries than Tank Bigsby. That trend is likely to continue this week against the Minnesota Vikings.

Bigsby is dealing with an ankle injury but played through it against Philadelphia. Neither back projects as a "safe" play against the Vikings, who have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing RBs.

Etienne, who hasn't topped 60 scrimmage yards since Week 3 and hasn't found the end zone since Week 2, can be safely sat in Week 10.

The Los Angeles Rams are battling to stay in the playoff picture, and they face a pivotal matchup against a desperate Miami Dolphins team. From a matchup standpoint, it's not an ideal situation for either Puka Nacua or Cooper Kupp.

The Dolphins have surrendered the third-fewest fantasy points to opposing receivers.

However, managers should be able to trust Kupp in this situation. He remains one of Matthew Stafford's preferred targets in critical situations, and he should see a high enough target volume to come through against Miami.

Kupp caught five passes for 51 yards and a touchdown in his Week 8 return. He had 11 receptions for 104 yards last week. He was targeted a whopping 22 times over the past two weeks.

While Kupp may not reach the end zone or top 100 yards against the Dolphins, he could easily finish with eight or more catches. Miami's offense has been better since Tua Tagovailoa's return, and L.A. will need to rely on Kupp to keep pace.

The New England Patriots don't have a receiver of Kupp's caliber on their roster, which hasn't been great for rookie quarterback Drake Maye. Second-year receiver Demario Douglas is probably the closest thing New England has to a true No. 1 wideout, though the consistency hasn't been there for him.

Douglas has seen nine targets in two of his last four games, but only one of those resulted in a strong fantasy outing—he had six catches for 92 yards and a touchdown in Week 6. Last week, Douglas caught seven of eight targets for just 35 yards. That's decent PPR value but not the sort of performance that will make him a must-start in Week 10.

In Douglas' other two games in the last month, he's caught a combined four passes for 26 yards.

While Douglas' PPR floor should be solid in favorable matchups, this isn't one of those. The Chicago Bears have allowed the fewest fantasy points to opposing receivers, and Douglas is likely to draw standout corner Jaylon Johnson in coverage.

*Fantasy scoring information from FantasyPros.