As bye weeks and previous selections continue to mount, finding an option for a survivor pool entry becomes increasingly difficult. There are several teams I really like this week. But of the seven teams I am most confident in this week, I have already selected six of them. That helped make my decision for me. With that in mind, here are my Week 10 survivor pool rankings.
Week 10 Survivor Pool Rankings
Best Bet: Philadelphia Eagles v. Dallas Cowboys
As readers of previous installments of this column can attest, I do not like to take divisional matchups in survivor pools. But options only become more limited as the weeks go on. There are quite a few teams I am more confident in than the Eagles, but whom I have already selected. Therefore, please allow me to talk myself into this.
The Cowboys remain one of the least consistent teams in all of the NFL. They are winless in four road games, their defense just allowed 28 points to an inept Tennessee Titans offense, and they are traveling on a short week and are busy answering questions about Dez Bryant. Philadelphia is fresh off a bye, should have Darren Sproles and Lane Johnson back in the lineup, and recently acquired Golden Tate. While with Detroit earlier this year, Tate tagged the Cowboys for an 8-132-2 line. He is exactly the type of receiver Dallas struggles to contain. The Eagles also have the second-best defense in the NFL against the run. They should be able to keep Ezekiel Elliott in check, especially if they can get out to an early lead.
OK, mission accomplished! I’m feeling really good about this, you guys. Let’s make it official: the Philadelphia Eagles are the top team in my Week 10 survivor pool rankings. I think they will get the best of the Cowboys this week as they try to reclaim their status as the NFC East’s premier club.
Next Best Thing: Kansas City v. Arizona Cardinals
This probably does not need to be said, but here goes. If you have not selected the Kansas City Chiefs yet, make them your Week 10 survivor pool pick and enjoy the free win. These two teams are about as diametrically opposed on offense as two teams can be. Kansas City’s season-low in points scored is 27, and they have scored at least 30 in every other game. Arizona’s season-high in points scored is 28, and they have scored less than 20 in every other game.
Arizona’s only hope of keeping this game relatively close is to feed David Johnson the ball 30 times and take advantage of the Chiefs’ glaring deficiency in run defense. The Cardinals simply cannot keep up with Kansas City. This game should be over in short order. Take the Chiefs wherever possible.
Best of the Rest
Green Bay Packers v. Miami Dolphins
You would be hard pressed to find many quarterback matchups more lopsided than Aaron Rodgers versus Brock Osweiler. Osweiler has not been horrible while replacing Ryan Tannehill over the last four games, but he is still far from a reliable commodity. Green Bay’s defense has been suspect this season, but I cannot realistically expect Osweiler to match Rodgers point for point in this game. He will be a welcomed sight for Packers’ defenders after having to deal with Jared Goff and Tom Brady in their last two games.
Despite dealing with a knee injury throughout the season, Aaron Rodgers has continued to be great. Rodgers has just one interception in 327 pass attempts this season. Miami’s defense had four interceptions last week, but that was against Sam Darnold. Rodgers will obviously not make the same mistakes Darnold was guilty of making. I have already selected Green Bay, making them ineligible for me. But if you have managed to avoid Green Bay so far in your survivor pool, Week 10 should probably be the week you jump on board. I expect the Packers to dispose of the Dolphins quite handily in this game.
Los Angeles Chargers at Oakland Raiders
I selected the Los Angeles Chargers several weeks ago and swore off them due to their habit of playing down to their opponent. But I don’t know if it is possible for them to play down to the level of the Oakland Raiders. Oakland only has an overtime home win against Cleveland in its favor this season. They have since lost their last four games by an average of 21.25 points. One of those losses was a 26-10 defeat at the hands of the Chargers.
Things have only gotten worse for the Raiders since then. Because I have already chosen the Chargers in a previous installment, they are obviously off of my own personal Week 10 survivor pool board. I also personally try to avoid teams facing divisional opponents on the road in survivor pools. But other than that, there is no tangible reason I can find to avoid Los Angeles this week. They should dispose of their division rivals fairly easily in this matchup.
Los Angeles Rams v. Seattle Seahawks
The Los Angeles Rams finally lost their first game of the 2018 regular season last week. The 1972 Miami Dolphins can rest easy. Los Angeles will look to get back in the win column when they host the Seattle Seahawks. As silly as this sounds in the first half of November, a victory would effectively wrap up the NFC West for the Rams. A Week 10 win would put them up four games over Seattle with seven to play, and the Rams would own the head-to-head tiebreaker. They will be plenty motivated to put last week’s loss behind them and put more distance between themselves and their division foes.
Seattle has more or less beaten bad teams and lost to good teams over the course of the season’s first half. They did play the Rams very tough in Week 5, losing 33-31 at home. The Seahawks took advantage of the Rams in the running game, rushing the ball 32 times for 190 yards. Russell Wilson only threw the ball 21 times in the contest. Running back Chris Carson is trending towards being a game-time decision with hip and thigh injuries. If he were to miss this game, it would severely hamper the Seahawks’ efforts to pull off the upset. Even if he does play, I’m not sure how realistic those odds are. The Rams are simply too powerful on offense for Seattle to keep pace for 60 minutes. Depending on the options you have at your disposal, the Rams are a solid Week 10 survivor pool choice.
Chicago Bears v. Detroit Lions
I mentioned concern last week at the potential message being sent last week by the Detroit Lions’ brass with the trade of longtime receiver Golden Tate. If last week’s game was any indication, Detroit’s players did not take that message very well. They were soundly defeated by Minnesota 24-9 last week, and their offense was a mess. Quarterback Matthew Stafford was sacked an incredible ten times. They totaled just 209 yards of offense and also allowed a fumble recovery to be returned for a touchdown. Things do not figure to get any better when Detroit goes to Soldier Field to face the Chicago Bears and their dominant defense.
Chicago’s defense scored more points than it allowed in last week’s 41-9 decimation of the Buffalo Bills. Facing Nathan Peterman certainly did not hurt, but Chicago was impenetrable. LeSean McCoy was held to 10 yards rushing and Peterman averaged just 3.8 yards per pass attempt. The Bears also forced four turnovers. Given the difficulty Detroit has had in stopping the run, I expect this to be a game the Bears control on the ground. If Chicago can jump out in front early, they can pin their ears back defensively and tee off on Stafford. Chicago is another team you can absolutely make a case for as your Week 10 survivor pool favorite. Since I have already selected them, they end up in this section for me.
New England Patriots at Tennessee Titans
I do not claim to know a lot, but the chatter following Week 3 that then 1-2 New England was ripe for the picking was utterly laughable. The Patriots have predictably not lost since and are as good a bet as anyone to enter the playoffs with home-field advantage in the AFC. That does not figure to change when they travel to Tennessee to take on the Titans.
Tennessee opened some eyes with Monday night’s road win in Dallas, but they cannot hang with the Patriots. Prior to last week’s 28-point explosion, Tennessee had not eclipsed 20 points during regulation in any of its previous seven games. They had also reached the end zone in just two of their last five games heading into Week 9. Their primary offensive weapon is former Patriot Dion Lewis. While Lewis is a threat to hit New England where they are susceptible, I think Bill Belichick will pull out all the stops to stymie his former player. Since I have already used New England myself, I was forced to go in another direction this week. But selecting the Patriots in a format such as this is never a bad idea. They should defeat the Titans and keep their winning streak alive.
Favorites Who Should Win
Atlanta Falcons at Cleveland Browns
This is a game where the point spread seems a little fishy to me. Cleveland has lost four straight, three of which have come by at least 15 points. Atlanta, meanwhile, enters this game on a three-game winning streak, including last week’s dominant road win over division-leading Washington. Yet Atlanta is just a four-point favorite in this matchup. If this is a trap game, I am probably falling into it.
Atlanta hung nearly 500 yards of total offense on Washington last week. Cleveland has allowed at least 421 yards in four consecutive games. I do not think they will be able to contend with the Falcons’ potent offense. They should be able to stay in it for a while, as Atlanta’s defense certainly leaves plenty to be desired. But ultimately I expect the Falcons to pull away and earn their fourth straight victory. I am fairly confident that Atlanta wins this game and came quite close to making them my de facto Week 10 survivor pool selection. As it stands, I do believe they will get the best of the Browns in this game.
Indianapolis Colts v. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars head into their Week 10 matchup with identical 3-5 records. But the two AFC South foes were trending in opposite directions prior to their Week 9 byes. The Jaguars limped into the open date, losers of four straight games. Blake Bortles has been inconsistent and Leonard Fournette has spent most of the season shelved due to injury. They are hoping the bye week will prove to be a welcomed respite. Fournette is expected back this week to give the offense a much-needed boost. Jacksonville has scored just 46 points over its four consecutive losses.
The Colts, meanwhile, have had no such struggles recently. Indianapolis scored 79 points in its last two games. Running back Marlon Mack, wide receiver T.Y. Hilton, and tight end Jack Doyle have all returned from recent injuries to give Andrew Luck a full complement of weapons. But the real MVPs are the Colts’ offensive line. This unit was considered a liability heading into the season but has been anything but. The Colts’ offensive line ranks sixth overall according to Pro Football Focus and ranks only behind the Rams in Football Outsiders’ Adjusted Line Yards metric. They are also sixth in adjusted sack rate. Jacksonville’s defense has been an issue during their losing streak, and I think the Colts will maintain enough balance offensively to win this game, especially if cornerback A.J. Bouye is sidelined. I expect the Colts to win this game, keeping both teams’ current streaks intact.
Pittsburgh Steelers v. Carolina Panthers
Week 10 gets started with this matchup of contenders who are each flying a bit under the radar despite entering the week red-hot. Both teams begin play with just two losses on the year, and both ride impressive winning streaks into this matchup. This should be a really good game with potential playoff implications for both sides.
Despite having a 6-2 record, the Panthers are just 1-2 on the road. That gives me a bit of pause and has me leaning towards Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh’s defense is also much improved of late. They are now tied for fourth in the NFL in both sacks and passing yards allowed per attempt. For survivor pool purposes, I tend to avoid games like these where two quality opponents are playing each other. There are certainly better teams to try to attack than the Panthers and Steelers. I would find another game to target. But in the interest of making a pick, I would take the Steelers to win this game.
New York Jets v. Buffalo Bills
Both the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills are freefalling towards potential top-five NFL draft picks in next year’s draft. Buffalo was briefly boosted by the insertion of rookie quarterback Josh Allen. The Bills went 2-2 in the four games Allen both started and completed. Though his numbers were largely unimpressive, Allen was at least competent. The same cannot be said for his replacements, Nathan Peterman and Derek Anderson. The duo has “led” Buffalo to 20 points combined over their last three games. Allen has a chance to return in Week 10, which would bode well for Buffalo heading into a matchup with the New York Jets.
The Jets have had their own struggles of late centering around the quarterback situation. Rookie Sam Darnold has thrown an NFL-high 14 interceptions in just nine games. Darnold will miss this game after suffering a foot sprain. Oddly enough, this probably works out in New York’s favor. Darnold has been a mess lately. New York has scored just 33 points during its last three games. Veteran Josh McCown will get the start on Sunday. Though he has gotten no work this season, McCown is likely the best quarterback on either team at this moment in time, which is why I do believe the Jets will win. But with both teams so limited offensively, this is a game I would try to stay away from if possible. I do not want my Week 10 survivor pool entry hinging on either one of these anemic offenses.
It’s a Trap!
New Orleans Saints at Cincinnati Bengals
This game reminds me a little bit of the Atlanta-Cleveland affair. New Orleans enters this game on fire, having won six straight. Cincinnati has sputtered of late, losing two of its last three with the lone win in that stretch coming at home against Tampa Bay. They will also be missing star wide receiver A.J. Green, who is expected to miss the next couple of games with a toe injury. But I think this is a major trap game for the Saints.
New Orleans toppled the mighty Los Angeles Rams last week and is currently the hottest team in the sport. They recently signed wide receiver Dez Bryant and are flying high in the NFC. But I think this may lead to them taking their foot off the gas a bit, especially with a matchup looming with the Eagles next week. I also think Carolina will fall to Pittsburgh on Thursday night, which may cause the Saints to subliminally let down a little bit. Their offensive line is also a bit banged up. If any of them were to sit out, it would likely increase the chances of an upset. I suspect the Saints will be a pretty popular Week 10 survivor pool selection this week, but my radar is going off. I would shy away from New Orleans this week.
Washington Redskins at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Prior to last week, many were questioning the validity of Washington’s 5-2 record. Those concerns were legitimized as they went on to get trounced at home by the Atlanta Falcons. Washington will look to dust itself off and get back on the winning track when they head down to Tampa Bay to face the Buccaneers.
I realize that Washington may be more pretender than contender, but I was still a bit surprised to see Tampa bumped up to a three-point favorite following last week’s action. It is not as if Tampa did anything extraordinary last week. Far from it, in fact. The Bucs lost 42-28 to the Carolina Panthers, allowing 35 points in the first half. Tampa’s defense is historically atrocious. They have given up an unheard of 275 points through eight games. They should not be favored against a team leading its division, no matter how vulnerable that team may be. I have little confidence in Washington, but I have zero confidence in Tampa Bay. There is no way I would ever rely on a defense as abysmal as Tampa Bay’s in a survivor pool environment.
New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers
These once proud NFL franchises have seen quite a downturn in their fortunes in recent years. The San Francisco 49ers are on their third starting quarterback, the previously incognito Nick Mullens. Mullens burst onto the scene with a historic debut in the 49ers’ Week 9 victory against the Oakland Raiders. He hopes to keep that spark going on Monday night against the Giants.
The Giants are not on their third starting quarterback. But perhaps they should be. Eli Manning looks washed up. He has thrown just eight touchdowns in eight games so far this season. Ironically, amongst calls for his job, Manning is averaging more yards per game and per attempt than in any year since 2011. Welcome to passing offense in the NFL in 2018, folks. Manning has a very short leash and cannot be trusted. Personally, I would avoid this game altogether. Mullens is easy to root for, but if you lose your Week 10 survivor pool entry because you backed Nick Mullens or Eli Manning, you kind of deserve what you get. Find a better spot. There are plenty of solid options this week.
Week 10 Sleepers: Quarterbacks | Running Backs | Wide Receivers | Tight Ends
Mick Ciallela has been writing for FantraxHQ since July 2017. He has also written for Bleacher Report. He is a lifelong sports fan and has been an avid fantasy sports player for many years. Mick was the Overall Champion of both the 2016 Football Challenge – Roto and 2017 Play 3 Football contests hosted by CDM Sports. Mick was born and raised in Mount Vernon, New York and currently resides in New London, Connecticut.
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