Week 10 of the NFL season is the most difficult one this year when it comes to fantasy football. That’s because six teams are on bye, the most of any week of the season.
The Broncos, Eagles, Jaguars, Patriots, Redskins and Texans are off. That means, if you have players from those teams, you’re going to have to reach deep into your roster or maybe even the waiver wire.
With that in mind, here are nine fantasy football sleepers for Week 10:
9. Zach Pascal, WR, Indianapolis Colts
Colts coach Frank Reich has said T.Y. Hilton could be out for a month with a strained calf muscle. That leaves the Colts without a true No. 1 receiver. That’s where Pascal could fit in. He’s the best of the bunch of the other Colts receivers. Pascal had five catches for 76 yards and a touchdown in Sunday’s loss to Pittsburgh. He should get even more touches against Miami on Sunday.
8. Jacob Hollister, TE, Seattle Seahawks
Keep an eye on Ed Dickson’s status for the Monday night game against the 49ers. If Dickson isn’t going to play, Hollister is a nice sleeper. In Week 9, he had two touchdown catches against Tampa Bay. If Dickson is out, Hollister could have a similar performance against San Francisco. But if Dickson is going to play, stay clear of Hollister.
7. Hunter Renfrow, WR, Oakland Raiders
The rookie from Clemson has taken on a bigger role in the Raiders offense recently. In a Week 8 game against Houston, Renfrow had four catches for 88 yards. He followed that up with a six-catch game (for 54 yards against Detroit). He also caught a touchdown in each of those games. Renfrow’s involvement in the offense could continue to increase Thursday night against the Chargers.
6. Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, San Francisco 49ers
Garoppolo is a good reality starter, but he hasn’t put up huge numbers in fantasy. That’s starting to change. In a Week 9 win against the Cardinals, he threw for a season-high 317 yards and four touchdowns. That trend could continue Monday night against Seattle because the Seahawks’ pass defense hasn’t been very good.
5. Ronald Jones, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jones got his first start of the season on Sunday and had 67 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians made it official Monday by saying Jones will start ahead of Peyton Barber going forward. That’s good news for the Bucs and for fantasy owners, because Jones is much more explosive than Barber. With the Bucs playing the Cardinals this week, Jones could be a productive fantasy starter.
4. Jaylen Samuels, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers running back James Conner has a shoulder injury and could miss Sunday’s game against the Rams. Keep a close eye on his situation. If Conner is out or limited, Samuels becomes a legitimate fantasy starter. Although he has only 60 rushing yards on the season, Samuels is an excellent receiver out of the backfield. In Sunday’s win against Indianapolis, he had 13 catches for 73 yards.
3. Ryan Tannehill, QB, Tennessee Titans
Since replacing Marcus Mariota as the starter, Tannehill has thrown for 300 yards in two out of three games. He could be worthy of a fantasy start this week against Kansas City, because an offensive shootout is always a possibility when the Chiefs are involved.
2. Brian Hoyer, QB, Indianapolis Colts
Colts quarterback Jacoby Brissett has an MCL injury, so keep a close eye on his status as the week goes on. If he’s going to be out, Hoyer could be a decent fantasy starter. First off, he’ll be playing against the lowly Miami Dolphins. Second, Hoyer is an experienced veteran. After Brissett was injured against Pittsburgh, Hoyer came on and threw three touchdown passes.
1. Kareem Hunt, RB, Cleveland Browns
Hunt is eligible to play after serving an eight-game suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct penalty. Browns coach Freddie Kitchens already has said Hunt will have a role against Buffalo on Sunday. Nick Chubb likely will remain the starter for now. But Hunt’s role could be significant. Remember, he led the NFL with 1,327 rushing yards in 2017 while with Kansas City. The Chiefs cut Hunt after video surfaced of him having a physical altercation with a woman. Hunt has practiced the past two weeks, so he’s probably going to make more than a cameo appearance.
Pat Yasinskas has covered the NFL since 1993. He has worked for The Tampa Tribune, The Charlotte Observer and ESPN.com and writes for numerous national magazines and websites. He also has served as a voter for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
