Setting a fantasy football lineup should be a little easier this week after two brutal sets of byes, but there are always challenges when it comes to picking the best players available.
The Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions, Indianapolis Colts and Oakland Raiders have the week off, which takes away some dynamic offenses, although the biggest issue might be deciding which active players to keep in your lineup. Expanding running back committees, changing receiver roles and unclear injury pictures create tough choices for just about every roster.
Here are the latest rankings to help you make those decisions as we head into Week 10.
Quarterbacks
There are a few tough matchups at the top, but it's not enough to see drastic changes in the rankings. With the way Tom Brady has played, he will be the best option for the rest of the year or until someone else proves otherwise.
Drew Brees also will have a tough time against the Denver Broncos defense, although it would be a mistake for anyone to bench him based on matchup alone. He is still a threat to throw multiple touchdowns each game.
A couple of players who continue to move up the boards are Marcus Mariota and Dak Prescott. Both have shown impressive consistency from a fantasy perspective and are quickly becoming weekly must-starts in fantasy lineups.
Prescott has been an ideal quarterback for the 7-1 Dallas Cowboys, beginning the year as a game manager before increasing his output in the box score in recent weeks. Now he has become a dual-threat star with four rushing touchdowns to go with his 12 passing touchdowns. Add in a healthy Dez Bryant, and this is someone you can count on in your league.
Mariota has also been on a tear with 13 touchdown passes and two rushing scores in his last five games. This run showed why he is especially dangerous near the red zone:
ESPN's Field Yates had high praise of the young quarterback:
Although three turnovers hurt the Tennessee Titans on the field, he is good enough to keep in your lineup regardless of matchup.
Running Backs
David Johnson is arguably the best running back in football this season, and it's scary to think about what he will do to the San Francisco 49ers defense.
The 49ers have allowed 193 rushing yards per game in 2016, by far the worst in football. This week, they set an NFL record by allowing a 100-yard rusher in seven straight games, per the Elias Sports Bureau (via SportsCenter).
"We've got to do a better job coaching these guys and putting them in better positions to make plays, to be honest with you," head coach Chip Kelly said, per Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Not only does Johnson have a chance to set some records of his own in Week 10, his backup Andre Ellington could be fantasy-relevant in this matchup.
Melvin Gordon and Jay Ajayi move up after big games, showcasing the type of consistency that few would have expected coming into the season. It's clear they are now RB1 players regardless of the matchup.
Chris Ivory also climbs the list after his best game of the season, totaling 107 rushing yards on 18 carries. Although he did fumble at the goal line, he was the clear top option in the backfield (T.J. Yeldon had seven carries for 33 yards), and new offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett remained committed to the run throughout the game.
If you dropped Ivory after his four-carry, six-yard Week 8 game, it's time to put him right back on the roster.
Wide Receivers
Is this an overreaction to one game from Mike Evans? Possibly, but it really was an excellent performance on national television.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver finished with 11 catches for 150 yards and two touchdowns, including a few catches that virtually no one in the world would be able to replicate. Beyond that, he was targeted 17 times in the game, marking the seventh time in a row he has reached double digits in this category.
Evans isn't going to carry your fantasy team every week, but he is a major part of the Buccaneers offense regardless of the score, and Jameis Winston is going to do whatever he can to get his top receiver the ball. This should equal big numbers more times than not, making him the top option in the latest rankings.
Allen Robinson also bounces back for similar reasons. The Jaguars star had seven catches for 76 yards Sunday, plus his first touchdown in over a month. The good news is Blake Bortles is looking his way with 26 targets over the last two games combined.
Even with Bortles' struggles, Robinson is good enough to turn these chances into fantasy points.
J.J. Nelson is another receiver on the rise after his eight catches for 79 yards and two touchdowns in Week 8. While you can consider this as more of a fluke compared to the others mentioned, his 12 targets and consistent red-zone looks imply he is becoming a bigger part of the offense. He also saw more snaps than any other receiver last game, including Larry Fitzgerald, per Pro-Football-Reference.com.
With a favorable matchup against the 49ers, Nelson should continue the recent upward trend and become a legitimate option for fantasy teams.
Tight Ends
In a week where many of the big names were on bye, Jason Witten stepped up to lead all tight ends with 19 fantasy points in standard leagues.
The veteran had by far his best game of the season with eight catches for 134 yards and a touchdown, finally getting on the same page with Prescott. While a lot of this had to do with the Cleveland Browns leaving him wide open all game, Witten looked as good as ever and should be able to build on his performance in Week 10.
At the same time, the poor Browns defense provides an encouraging matchup for Dennis Pitta, who still hasn't scored this season but remains a big part of the Baltimore Ravens offense. With the same opportunities, he could finally break out Thursday night.
Most of the top options remain the same, even with tough matchups for Rob Gronkowski, Greg Olsen and Jordan Reed. There are simply no better tight ends in the league with a comparable usage rate as these three, keeping the trio on top of the rankings.
Tyler Eifert is one player to watch after his huge showing in Week 8 before the bye. His upside is apparent, but there is still risk for a player who has missed so much of the season.
Defense/Special Teams
The top defenses in football for the first half of the season have seemed mortal over the past few weeks.
The Minnesota Vikings have struggled offensively the past three games, but the defense hasn't been much better. In the last two games, this unit has zero turnovers and just one sack. The Washington Redskins could provide some chances for fantasy points, but this group is no longer a guarantee.
Meanwhile, the Denver Broncos are off the list entirely after allowing 30 points to the Oakland Raiders with an upcoming matchup against the New Orleans Saints. Brees and company are simply too good offensively to trust this defense to rack up points.
Conversely, you can always count on opposing teams like the Browns, Jets or 49ers to help your fantasy defense.
Kickers
Consistency is the name of the game for kickers.
Matt Bryant helped a lot of fantasy owners last week with three field goals and four extra points, but he has been a useful player all year long. He has at least one made field goal in every game this season and has multiple field goals in all but two games.
Although he won't carry your fantasy team most weeks, he won't usually be a burden holding you back.
Caleb Sturgis has been another consistent option this season with at least two made field goals in every game, although the Eagles have had a harder time racking up touchdowns in recent weeks.
Kicker is usually an unpredictable position, but these players will help you more times than not.
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