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Matt Donnelly's quarterback (QB) fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks for Week 10 of 2024. His QB lineups advice for Week 10 fantasy football start/sit decisions.
In Week 9, the big dogs were barking once more. Joe Burrow, Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson, and Josh Allen all finished the week inside the top 7 for fantasy, and the world is beginning to heal itself once more.
On the season, Geno Smith and Bo Nix still rank inside the top 10 so there's still some healing needed, but we are getting there.
With Jordan Love, Geno Smith, and, I guess, Jameis Winston and Gardner Minshew II unavailable due to byes, it’s time to break down this week's RotoBaller starts and sits for the quarterback position for Week 10.
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Week 10 Starts - Fantasy Football Booms
Sam Darnold - QB, Minnesota Vikings at Jacksonville Jaguars
Last week, despite throwing a pair of interceptions against the Colts, Sam Darnold still went on to post 24 fantasy points thanks to a trio of touchdown passes along with 290 yards. Darnold is averaging 17.9 fantasy points per game, among the top 12 in the quarterback position. Darnold, this season, is completing 69.5% of his passes and has thrown for 1,900 yards. He’s on pace for 4,200 yards and 36 touchdowns.
Sam Darnold lasers it for the Vikings touchdown 🎯
(via @NFL)
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) November 4, 2024
This week, Darnold faces a Jaguars defensive unit that has allowed a league-high 23.20 fantasy points per contest this season to the quarterback position after allowing 19 touchdown passes (tied for the most) and 2,478 (second-most). If Darnold can keep his head on straight instead of defenders trying to turn him into the headless horseman, he’s in line for another solid outing.
While the Jaguars have played better as of late, having allowed 239.7 passing yards per game over the last three weeks, they are still allowing the second-most passing yards on the season, having allowed 264.3 per game. With a game under T.J. Hockenson’s belt and Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson at his disposal, the Jaguars aren’t likely to have an answer for Darnold.
Kirk Cousins - QB, Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints
Over the last four weeks, the Saints have allowed an average of 19.32 fantasy points per game, including a game against Bryce Young last week in which he threw for just 171 yards and a touchdown. Including that game, New Orleans has allowed the fifth-most passing yards (1,099) and six touchdown receptions.
Entering Week 10, Cousins is averaging 16.6 fantasy points per game and has eclipsed 17.5 fantasy points in three of the last five contests, including two weeks in which he produced more than 28 fantasy points. Cousins is hot right now. In the last two games, he has thrown for seven touchdowns and posted quarterback ratings of 144.8 and 145.9, respectively.
Now, a lot of Cousins' perceived fantasy value is tied up in whether or not Drake London can play this week after exiting last week’s contest with a hip injury. London, in his first two seasons in Atlanta, caught just six touchdown passes. In nine weeks with Cousins, he has already equaled that mark.
Drake London first two seasons with Falcons: 6 TD
Drake London in 9 weeks with Kirk Cousins: 6 TD pic.twitter.com/jLXalWX5Zh— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 3, 2024
Daniel Jones- QB, New York Giants at Carolina Panthers
First, we need to apologize to Germany. It’s bad enough that we are sending them both the Carolina Panthers and the New York Giants, but we are also sending them Machine Gun Kelly, to boot.
Look for that “Wild Boy,” Daniel Jones, to do some “Bad Things” to this Panthers defense after posting a top-5 fantasy week in Week 9 when he accounted for three Giants touchdowns and 27 fantasy points against the Washington Commanders, including truck sticking two defenders on his way to the end zone. Jones also finished Week 9 with a top 5 fantasy week despite zero passing yards in the first half.
Daniel Jones with the POWER. TD @Giants!
📺: #WASvsNYG on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/CCrHCkROWT— NFL (@NFL) November 3, 2024
Carolina is ripe for the picking, too. During the season, the Panthers are allowing 19.28 fantasy points per game to the position while allowing the third-most passing touchdowns. Over the last four weeks, they’ve been even worse, having allowed 22.57 fantasy points while surrendering 1,024 passing yards and eight touchdowns over that period.
Worried about Jones turning it over? Don’t. Carolina has yet to record an interception over the last four weeks. Adding to the intrigue of starting Jones this week is the fact that Carolina is allowing the ninth-most rushing yards to quarterbacks over the last four weeks, and Jones is coming off a seven-carry, 54-yard rushing performance.
Week 10 Sits - Fantasy Football Busts
Russell Wilson - QB, Pittsburgh Steelers at Washington Commanders
Now, I just wrote about Washington giving up some fantasy production to Jones last week, yet I have Russell Wilson here on this week’s sit list. Why? Despite the 27 fantasy points they allowed to the Giants' signal-caller, Washington is still allowing a league-low 9.37 fantasy points per game over the last four weeks.
Jones was efficient. The Giants quarterback threw for just 174 yards yet managed two touchdown passes. Somehow he threw a touchdown pass even though he had no passing yards in the first half of last week's contest.
The last time we saw Wilson in action, he threw for 278 yards and a touchdown but had just seven yards on three rushing attempts against the Giants. He finished as QB24 for fantasy with 13.8 fantasy points.
Fun fact of the day: Wilson has been better than many realize. Since 2020, he has had as many starts as Lamar Jackson and has produced very similar numbers.
Their passer ratings are nearly identical, as are their interceptions (38). Wilson even has a slight edge in total touchdowns (121 to 119) and completion percentage (65.2% to 65.1%). For the record, Jackson has Wilson by a wide margin in rushing yardage over those 60-plus starts.
Patrick Mahomes - QB, Kansas City Chiefs vs. Denver Broncos
Patrick Mahomes was expected to have a solid fantasy outing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 9. After all, Tampa entered the week allowing a league-high 37.47 fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks in their last four contests. This week will have a different feel as the Chiefs go from one of the friendliest defenses to one of the stingiest defenses against the quarterback position.
The Denver Broncos have allowed the seventh-fewest fantasy points to date (13.51) and have been even better over the last four, surrendering 12.12 per game, the fifth-fewest. If you can recall, the last time Mahomes faced the Broncos, he threw for just 240 yards and a pair of interceptions.
Even in the contest previous to that, while the yardage was there (306 passing yards), he tossed a single touchdown pass, along with an interception. Combine those two contests, and you get 25.9 total fantasy points.
Tua Tagovailoa - QB, Miami Dolphins at Los Angeles Rams
Sure, the Rams surrendered three touchdown passes and 363 passing yards to Geno Smith, but they also picked Smith off on three occasions and sacked him seven times. If your quarterback has a history of concussions, that’s not exactly what you want to see heading into your Week 10 matchup.
Miami is going to need to find a way to slow down that Rams pass rush this week and protect Tua Tagovailoa. That means more quick passes to his backs, bubble screens, and draws while limiting any deep shots down the field. If you are a De'Von Achane manager, you love this game plan. If you roster Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, or Tagovailoa, it’s less than appealing.
Tagovailoa is a better quarterback than he is a fantasy option. Since returning, he has completed 80% of his passes, thrown three touchdowns, hasn’t turned the ball over, and scored 54 points in two games after scoring just 40 in the previous four contests. The problem is the 232.5 passing yards per game doesn’t lend itself to fantasy production.
📊 Tua Tagovailoa in his first two games since his return:
➖ 53/66 passing (80%)
➖ 465 passing yards
➖ 3 TDs
➖ 0 turnovers
➖ 111.4 passer rating
➖ Offense has scored 54 points in the last two games vs. 40 points scored in 4 games without TuaDolphins are 0-2. #GoFins pic.twitter.com/virrbjBPKv
— FinsXtra (@FinsXtra) November 3, 2024
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