Last minute fantasy football start/sit advice as Week 10 inactives come in

The NFL is back for Week 10, and we’re coming off another fun Thursday Night Football contest out west. The Raiders jumped on the Chargers earlier and after a back-and-forth fourth quarter, got the win on a late Josh Jacobs touchdown run.

We’re back with a more unbalanced schedule for Sunday thanks to no early morning London game. There are seven games in the 1:00 p.m. slot and then three in the 4:05/4:25 p.m. slot. The day wraps up with a potential playoff preview on Sunday Night Football between the Vikings and Cowboys.

This week we have the most byes of the season. The Broncos, Patriots, Eagles, Jaguars, Texans, and Washington will not be playing, which removes quite a few big names. This means no DeShaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins, no Tom Brady and company, no Courtland Sutton, no Leonard Fournette and D.J. Chark. It also gives Dede Westbrook and others time to get healthy for Week 11.

There are plenty of notable names on the injury reports and lineups will be dependent on 11:30 a.m. inactives. Matthew Stafford is dealing with a host of injuries and will go through pre-game warmups before deciding if he can play. Jacoby Brissett has formally been ruled out, which means Brian Hoyer gets the start, and he’ll be without T.Y. Hilton. But Stafford is the big name given what he means for his skill position players.

If you’re trying to figure out your fantasy football lineups, this information is critical to getting the right players in the right spots. If you’ve got key players in the Sunday Night Football or Monday Night Football slots, you’re looking for any grain of information that will help you make the decision early rather than waiting until it’s too late tonight or tomorrow night.

We’re all figuring out last minute roster decisions, and that means not only who is not playing this week, but who is playing but might not be the best start in your Week 10 fantasy football lineup. We’ll provide updates on injuries, key start/sit decisions, and more leading up to kickoffs.

JuJu Smith-Schuster ACTIVE

The Steelers have announced that their star wide receiver is active in spite of a foot injury that had him questionable on the final injury report. None of the Steelers receivers are solid starts this week against a quality Rams secondary, but if you were counting on JuJu in Week 10, he is available to start in your lineup.

Inactives report, Week 10

Active

QB Lamar Jackson
RB David Johnson
RB Le’Veon Bell
WR Marquise Brown
TE Chris Herndon

Inactive

QB Matthew Stafford
QB Jacoby Brissett
RB LeSean McCoy
TE Delanie Walker
WR Corey Davis
WR Parris Campbell
TE Ricky Seals-Jones
WR Sterling Shepard
WR Adam Thielen

JuJu Smith-Schuster expected to play

The Steelers wide receiver is expected to play, according to ESPN’s Dianna Russini. He was listed as questionable after a late week injury, but a beat writer indicated on Saturday he would likely play. This serves as helpful confirmation for making a decision before 1:00 p.m. kickoffs.

A.J. Green to be re-assessed this coming week

The Bengals receiver had some swelling in his ankle after a walkthrough and won’t play in Week 10. The team is not shutting him down just yet, and will re-assess in the coming days heading into Week 11, per Tom Pelissero. If you’ve held out this long as a Green owner, you might as well wait another week.

Jacoby Brissett out and now week-to-week

The Colts downgraded Brissett from questionable to out on Saturday. He’s believed to be week-to-week, and they’ll need to see how he looks in practice heading into Week 11 vs. the Jaguars. Brian Hoyer is a solid start this week against an awful Dolphins team.

Matthew Stafford to be ruled OUT

Ian Rapoport reported at 9 a.m. that the Lions will be without their starting quarterback for Week 10. He had an MRI on Friday that revealed issues with his back and the team could not expect to clear him by kickoff. Jeff Driskel will start in his place, but he is not a viable fantasy football option. Here are some quarterbacks to consider.

Amari Cooper expected to play

The Cowboys don’t play until the last game of the day, but Cooper owners should expect to start him. He’s dealing with a bruised knee, but is expected to play, according to Ian Rapoport. It sounds like it’s soreness more than damage. He’s a solid start against an up-and-down Vikings secondary.

JuJu Smith-Schuster questionable, but beat writer optimistic

The Steelers don’t play until 4:25 p.m., so we’re likely not going to get a firm answer on JuJu’s availability until after the early games kick off. However, on Saturday, beat writer Dale Lolley tweeted that he expects JuJu to play in spite of the questionable tag. If you’re willing to roll the dice, this is probably the most news you’ll receive before the early games start.

Le’Veon Bell, Chris Herndon both expected to play

Bell declared himself good to go on social media. Herndon is also expected to be good to go for Sunday, according to Ian Rapoport. Bell is a solid start against a bad Giants defense. Herndon is making his season debut after a four-game suspension and then a four-game absence with a hamstring injury. It’s worth waiting to see how the rust shakes off before starting him in fantasy football.

Lamar Jackson, Marquise Brown should be good to go

Jackson came down with a mid-week illness but is expected to be fine for the game. Brown was added to the injury report late in the week with ankle and thigh issues. He is questionable, but is expected to play, according to Tom Pelissero. Brown has slowed down after a hot start to his rookie season, but the Bengals are a great matchup for a bounce-back spot.