Week 10 Flex Rankings for Fantasy Football

There are only four NFL teams on a bye this week. And yet most fantasy football managers will be missing some crucial pieces heading into Week 10. Four of this year’s top 26 fantasy running backs are off due to a bye. That does not include other relevant backs, such as Tyjae Spears and Isiah Pacheco. Three of the overall top 11 scorers at the wide receiver position are off, not to mention CeeDee Lamb and Kansas City’s top three wideouts. The overall TE3 (Jake Ferguson) and TE5 (Travis Kelce) also have the week off. Sadly, they are not the only top-five tight ends who won’t be playing this week. On the bright side, I have ranked over 200 players to help you with those difficult lineup decisions. Below are my Week 10 Flex rankings based on Half-PPR scoring, along with a few (hopefully helpful) notes.

Running Back Notes

There are several injuries for fantasy managers to take note of as the week progresses. Bucky Irving, D’Andre Swift, and Rhamondre Stevenson all missed their respective last games. For the moment, I have all three ranked lower than I would if I knew they were receiving full workloads.

Swift might want to sue the team for malpractice for deciding to finally rest him before Chicago faced the Cincinnati Bengals last week. Rookie Kyle Monangai finally got to showcase what he can do, and he did not disappoint. Monangai totaled 198 yards in Chicago’s last-minute victory. I currently rank Monangai as an RB2 in 12-team leagues, with Swift being a viable Flex option. I may flip that – or at least reduce the gap – once we have a better understanding of Swift’s role in Week 10.

Irving has been out for over a month due to foot and shoulder injuries. He should be back for this week’s game. However, it is fair to wonder if Tampa Bay might ease him back into action. For now, I have Irving as a low-end RB2, with Rachaad White as a solid Flex. In addition to potential workload concerns, the Buccaneers face a pass-funnel defense from New England. Irving may not have his usual high ceiling this week, but I will probably bump him up a few spots if he is a full go by Sunday. On the other side of Sunday’s tilt is another murky running back situation. Stevenson missed last week’s game, allowing rookie TrayVeon Henderson to get some extra touches. Henderson is my preferred starter among Patriots running backs until further notice regarding Stevenson’s Week 10 status.

Vikings running back Aaron Jones Sr. suffered a sprain to his AC joint in Minnesota’s game last week. Jones appeared to regain control of the backfield from Jordan Mason before going down. Early reports suggest Jones can play through the injury. Because of that, I ranked Jones ahead of Mason for the time being. However, I did not place either Minnesota running back inside the top-50 overall in my Week 10 Flex rankings. The matchup is decent against a middling Baltimore Ravens run defense. However, it is challenging to determine how the team will distribute touches if Jones is compromised due to his injury. If Jones misses this game, Mason would likely profile as a mid-RB2 in 10 and 12-team leagues.

Check out all of our Week 10 Rankings: Flex Rankings | QB Rankings | RB Rankings | WR Rankings | TE Rankings

Wide Receiver Notes

Not to be outdone, there is no shortage of wide receiver injuries fantasy managers must navigate through. Jaguars wideout Brian Thomas Jr. suffered a high-ankle sprain in last week’s overtime victory in Las Vegas. Parker Washington has emerged in recent weeks as a solid PPR wide receiver. But the team also acquired now-former Raider Jakobi Meyers before this week’s trade deadline. This situation is very fluid, as we do not yet know Thomas’s availability or what role Meyers will step into. I currently have Washington ranked the highest among this trio, and he is a solid Week 10 Flex play. If Thomas is out, I will bump Washington into WR3 territory. Meyers is on the outside looking in for me right now, but he could be Flexworthy if Thomas is unable to suit up.

Some other wide receivers currently dealing with injuries and ranked outside the top 100 overall in my Week 10 Flex rankings include Chris Godwin Jr., Marvin Mims Jr., Ricky Pearsall, Terry McLaurin, and Kayshon Boutte. Commanders head coach Dan Quinn noted Washington’s Week 12 bye when discussing McLaurin’s status recently. That indicates to me that the team is leaning towards holding McLaurin out at least another week. With quarterback Jayden Daniels out, it is hard to get excited about any Washington wideout besides Deebo Samuel. Mims feels like the most likely among the remaining wide receivers mentioned to play in Week 10. However, he is recovering from a concussion, and Denver plays on Thursday. He has a decent matchup against the Raiders, but I would seek other options if possible.

The New Orleans Saints traded Rashid Shaheed to the Seattle Seahawks ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline. The speedy wideout goes from the 26th-rated pass offense based on DVOA to the NFL’s number-one unit. An added benefit is that the usual adjustment period following a trade may not apply to Shaheed. He reunites with offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who was running the offense last season during what was shaping up to be a breakout campaign for Shaheed before a season-ending injury. Still, I question what his immediate role may be. Rookie Tory Horton is coming off a two-touchdown game, and the team still has Cooper Kupp. I prefer to bench Shaheed this week unless you are in a crunch due to byes and/or injuries. The impact in New Orleans is minimal. Chris Olave is the only Saints wide receiver I want anything to do with.

Tight End Notes

Brock Bowers announced his return in a huge way last week, scoring three touchdowns. If Bowers is healthy, he is an elite option for weekly fantasy leagues. I only mention this because many fantasy managers who drafted Bowers may have grabbed an emerging rookie tight end like Oronde Gadsden II off waivers as a stopgap. I am generally not a fan of starting a tight end in your Flex spot. However, Gadsden has at least five receptions and 68 yards in four straight games. Gadsden will likely never get the volume that a player like Bowers receives due to a robust wide receiver room in Los Angeles. But the uber-efficient rookie should earn a spot in starting lineups this week. I currently have him 58th overall in my Week 10 Flex rankings.

Packers tight end Tucker Kraft suffered a torn ACL to add injury to insult in Green Bay’s loss to Carolina. The injury cuts short what was a remarkable half-season for Kraft. He is the overall TE2 in Half-PPR formats this year, behind only Trey McBride. With Kraft out, Luke Musgrave is likely to handle most of the tight end reps for Green Bay. It should be noted that Musgrave and Kraft were in the same draft class in 2023, and the Packers selected Musgrave first. Of course, I would not expect anything close to Kraft’s level of productivity over the next two months. Nor would I rush to get Musgrave into starting lineups anytime soon. But he could be worth a speculative add in deeper leagues or those with tight end premium scoring.

Make sure to check out all of our Week 10 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!