We’re in the back half of the 2016 NFL fantasy season.
Are you riding high? Or do you need some serious help?
Whatever the case, we’re here to help with this week’s top rankings for every position heading into Week 10.
Note that the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions, Indianapolis Colts and Oakland Raiders all have byes this week, so we’ll let you know who to start in place of wide receivers Marvin Jones and Michael Crabtree and quarterbacks Andrew Luck and Derek Carr.
All rankings are based on standard-scoring 12-team leagues.
Quarterbacks
New England’s Tom Brady and New Orleans’ Drew Brees both face two of the league’s best defenses in Week 10 in the Seattle Seahawks (134 points allowed) and Denver Broncos (166 points allowed), respectively, so the edge in fantasy this week goes to the Green Bay Packers’ Aaron Rodgers.
The problem is, even against a Tennessee Titans defense that is allowing 25.1 points per game, 22nd in the league, will Rodgers and the Packers offense struggle to light it up?
Rodgers, despite his struggles this season, is still the No. 4-scoring quarterback in fantasy, with 179.46 points on the year. And Tennessee’s defense should give him and his weapons the opportunity for a big day.
Running Backs
Much to the chagrin of his owners (and this owner), David Johnson and the Arizona Cardinals were on a bye week in Week 9.
But he’s back in Week 10 and primed to regain his position as the top-scoring running back in fantasy. That distinction belongs to San Diego’s Melvin Gordon, who has 167.2 points on the fantasy season.
However, Johnson is right behind him with 157.2 points, and on Sunday the Cardinals host a San Francisco 49ers defense that is giving up 193 rushing yards per game to opponents, the most in the league heading into Week 10.
Wide Receivers
Everyone knows about Atlanta Falcons wideout Julio Jones‘ dominance in fantasy this season, but some may be surprised to learn that sitting right behind him as the second highest-scoring wideout in fantasy is none other than Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans.
Evans has 124.5 fantasy points on the year, made possible by his 745 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. He also caught a pass for a two-point conversion.
Not only is Evans racking up the points, but he’s doing so in style, including with this dazzling one-handed catch against the Falcons on Thursday, shared here by the Bucs’ official Twitter account:
Tight Ends
Who’s been the top-scoring tight end in fantasy through Week 9?
It’s not New England’s Rob Gronkowski. It’s not Seattle’s Jimmy Graham.
It’s Carolina’s Greg Olsen, who has 87.3 points on the season and has connected with quarterback Cam Newton on three touchdowns, including this one shown by the Panthers’ official Twitter account:
Olsen has a challenging matchup against a tough Kansas City Chiefs defense, but he’s a must-start every week, including Week 10.
Defense/Special Teams
Despite the Minnesota Vikings’ recent struggles, including three straight losses to the Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions, their defense is still one of the best starts in Week 10.
The Broncos have to face off against Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints, who are averaging 434.5 yards per game, the most in the league. It’s a similar story with the Eagles playing Atlanta.
But the Vikings, who are the top-scoring unit in fantasy, have a more favorable matchup against Washington. Minnesota is only allowing 15.8 points per game.
Kickers
Atlanta’s Matt Bryant has dethroned Indianapolis’ Adam Vinatieri as the top-scoring kicker in fantasy this season with 95 points on the year.
Bryant has been able to make a whopping 31 extra-point attempts thanks to the high-scoring Atlanta offense, which has added to his point total.
Vinatieri is still the kicker to have if you like long field goals; he has made more attempts of 50-plus yards than anyone else with five. But Bryant is a dependable option who enjoys the benefit of an offense that scores frequently.
Rankings, scoring leaders, average draft position and ownership stats via NFL.com and current as of Wednesday, Nov. 8.
Read more Fantasy Football news on NerdyFootball.com