Fantasy Football Rankings Risers & Fallers: Justin Jefferson Among Week 10 Upgrades

There’s a saying in poker: it’s better to win late than win early. The same can be said in fantasy football. From a weekly standpoint, the rankings leading into kickoff are far more important than the rankings early in the week. We get more information as the week progresses, with the final piece of news dropping when inactives are officially announced.

We got our first big wave of news with the Friday injury reports. A handful of big-name players were ruled out, while others appear poised for returns. This results in a definite shake-up in the Week 10 fantasy football rankings.

Let’s dive into some of the biggest movers.

Risers In The Week 10 Fantasy Football Rankings

Javonte Williams, RB, DAL

The game between the Cowboys and 49ers stands out as a marquee option for fantasy purposes in Week 10. It leads the slate with a 55.5-point total, while the 49ers are just 4.5-point road favorites. It suggests a back-and-forth affair with plenty of scoring on both sides.

Williams has already had bell-cow-like usage for the Cowboys this season. He’s played on 74% of the team’s offensive snaps and handled 72% of their carries, which he’s turned into overall RB8 status in fantasy points per game.

However, Williams could be even busier than usual against the 49ers. The team has ruled out backup RB Tyler Goodson, who has been Williams’ only competition in the backfield this season. Israel Abanikanda will be promoted from the practice squad to serve as the backup RB, but he may not even see the field. The result is a phenomenal usage projection in what is expected to be the game of the week for fantasy purposes.

Williams is up to RB9 in our Week 10 projections, making him a clear-cut RB1. The 49ers have been excellent defensively this season, especially against the run, but the volume is simply too good to ignore.

Justin Jefferson, WR, MIN

Speaking of volume, how many targets can Jefferson get in Kirk Cousins’ first game back with the Vikings? Double digits feels like a lock.

Outside of Jefferson, the Vikings simply don’t have a ton of healthy bodies at the moment. Both T.J. Hockenson and Jauan Jennings have been ruled out, while Jordan Addison was a late addition to the injury report. He’s questionable with a thumb injury after getting “dinged” in Friday’s practice.

Jefferson was already set for a spike in value with the QB change in Minnesota. Neither Kyler Murray nor Carson Wentz has been able to get him the ball with any consistency. Cousins may not be the same QB that he was in his prime, but he still knows how to get the ball to the money. He peppered Brock Bowers with targets during their limited time together in Las Vegas, and Jefferson should get the same treatment.

Ultimately, Jettas is back to being a clear-cut WR1 for fantasy purposes. It’s a massive upgrade for a player who currently checks in as WR31 in 0.5-PPR fantasy points per game.

Tank Dell, WR, HOU

Dell is officially back, baby. He burst onto the scene as a rookie, tallying 709 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on just 47 receptions. He looked like one of the most electric players in football.

Unfortunately, a massive injury cost Dell the end of his sophomore season and all of his third. He also missed the first six weeks of this season, ultimately making his debut in Week 7.

Dell was unsurprisingly limited in his first game back, but he saw a big uptick in his second. His route participation was a lackluster 55%, but he made the most of it. He was targeted on 36% of his routes run, resulting in nine targets, four receptions, 105 yards, and a touchdown.

Dell’s role should only continue to grow, especially given the state of the team’s WR room. Marvin Harrison Jr. has been ruled out vs. the Brown, opening the door for more opportunities. He’s up to WR42 in our rankings, but that feels pessimistic. I’d have no issues starting him at WR3 or flex.

Fallers In The Fantasy Rankings For Week 10

Ladd McConkey, WR, LAC

As if the Chargers needed any more adversity. They’re the last winless team in the NFL, despite entering the year as an expected playoff contender. They’re 0-8 and haven’t even been particularly competitive: all but two of their losses have come by double digits.

Now, McConkey has popped up on the injury report as questionable. He sat out Friday’s practice, and while the Chargers play on Monday Night Football this week, missing Friday practice is never a good sign for a player’s availability.

Whether or not McConkey can return to the practice field on Saturday will likely determine his final availability. That said, he carries plenty of risk even if he does suit up. McConkey is a paltry WR58 in terms of 0.5-PPR per-game scoring this season, so he is far from a must-start.

Woody Marks, RB, HOU

Marks has gotten the opportunity to serve as the Texans’ clear-cut top RB of late. He’s had at least 15 carries in four straight games, though that hasn’t exactly led to a ton of fantasy production. Still, volume is king at running back, and Marks was getting plenty of it.

Unfortunately, that could be about to change. David Montgomery was able to practice this week, and it’s possible that he gets activated before their matchup vs. the Texans. Basically, every game is a must-win for the Texans at this point, and getting Montgomery back would certainly help.

Montgomery likely would be eased back into the rotation, but his return would still be pretty disastrous for Marks. He’s struggled to stay relevant even with a full-time role, so he’d be really tough to trust in a timeshare.

Tyler Allgeier, RB, ARI

The Cardinals’ offense was nothing short of a disaster last week vs. the Seahawks. They managed just three points and 198 yards of total offense, and things aren’t going to get any easier vs. the Rams. The fact that Carson Beck is making his NFL debut at quarterback also doesn’t figure to help much.

The one thing keeping Allgeier in the fantasy conversation was his potential workload. The team placed Jeremiyah Love on IR last week, while Bam Knight was sidelined with a concussion. It allowed Allgeier to handle 96% of the snaps and 94% of the carries last week vs. the Seahawks. Arizona’s overall pie was pretty small, but Allgeier basically had the whole thing to himself.

However, Knight has officially cleared the concussion protocol and will return to action vs. the Rams. We’ve seen Knight and Allgeier split the workload pretty evenly in games without Love earlier this season, so I’d expect a similar situation vs. the Rams. Add in the lowest implied team total of the week at 15.0 points, and both guys are now clear avoids.