Scott Engel of www.rotoexperts.com each week previews every NFL matchup from a fantasy perspective.
Baltimore at Atlanta (Thursday Night Game)
The Falcons have been sturdy against the run overall this year, allowing 95.9 rushing yards per game. The Ravens still will find ways to get the ball into the hands of Ray Rice, and he should produce at least adequate combined numbers as a runner and receiver. Willis McGahee might have more difficulty churning out yardage and should be reserved. Joe Flacco should have enough time to chip away at the Atlanta pass defense, and look for him to throw at least two TD passes, one to Anquan Boldin, who is targeted regularly in the red zone and end zone. Derrick Mason will be Flacco's prime option when he is moving the chains, and the veteran WR remains a quality PPR starter. Todd Heap is not reliable for fantasy purposes.
The Atlanta offensive line is capable of keeping DT Haloti Ngata out of the backfield regularly, but Michael Turner will have to work hard to pile up yardage. The Ravens' front seven is physical and can handle Turner's style, so do not expect the ideal statistical performance from the Atlanta RB. Matt Ryan will have to throw often, and that could bring mixed results. Expect more than one TD pass -- and more than one interception. Roddy White takes on all comers and gets the job done, but his knee is an issue, so Tony Gonzalez should be heavily involved to take some pressure off, and Michael Jenkins should get some deep looks as well.
Tennessee at Miami
Look for the addition of Randy Moss to immediately impact the Tennessee offense. Moss will bring major defensive attention with him to the Titans, and although that means his yardage numbers might still frustrate you, Nate Washington gets an instant boost in appeal. Washington will benefit from the presence of Moss right away and is a good bye-week filler with upside going forward. Bo Scaife might also get open more often. Moss is a regular TD threat even if his other numbers are not up to expectations. Chris Johnson will now face fewer stacked fronts and might start busting loose for more frequent big gainers this week. The Tennessee front seven ouight to do a good job of keeping Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown in check. Chad Pennington will still be accurate, and that means you still have to roll the dice with Brandon Marshall if you can. Pennington might get the ball more consistently to Marshall than Chad Henne did. Davone Bess has become an every-week starter type as a WR3. Also: Pennington will look for the safe throws to his TE, so Anthony Fasano is a respectable plug-in option.
New York Jets at Cleveland
Start Braylon Edwards. Any time a player faces his former team, you must take notice, and the former Brown will certainly be primed to stick it to his old franchise and its fans. Chansi Stuckey also opposes his former ballclub and should be considered if you need a desperation option. The Browns have been looking sturdy against the run recently, and you should reserve LaDainian Tomlinson if you have another option with similar value. Keep Shonn Greene on the bench, as he does not figure to do much even with increased possible carries. Mark Sanchez will be forced into adverse passing situations with mixed results. Expect more than one TD pass and more than one interception. It is now advisable to start Santonio Holmes again, but Dustin Keller is unreliable. Peyton Hillis takes on all comers and remains a must-start, even against the formidable Jets run defense. Hillis will still find the end zone, even if the yardage numbers are not impressive.
Cincinnati at Indianapolis
Cedric Benson will play a key role in this game as the Bengals attempt to control the clock and win the time of possession battle. Benson is a solid RB2 start. Carson Palmer ought to be able to use play-action passes to connect with Terrell Owens, who now is must-start. Expect another fine performance from Owens, and do not start making up worries that he will start to fade. He ought to do well against the Colts, and he keeps himself in terrific shape, so there is no real downturn in sight. Chad Ochocinco must be reserved until he shows signs of coming out of his statistical funk. Palmer will throw at least two TD passes, and one might go to Jermaine Gresham, as he and Jordan Shipley can find some soft spots in the middle of the Colts' defense. Peyton manning clearly has to carry the Colts' offense, and he'll have to throw often against a potent Bengals team. Manning also is a good bet to throw more than two TD passes. Reggie Wayne will be a PPR standout, as he usually is, and Pierre Garcon will be targeted a few times for possible TDs. When it counts the most, near the goal line, Javarris James will get the call, and with the way Indianapolis moves the ball, he ought to get some short-yardage scoring opportunities again this week.
Minnesota at Chicago
The Bears have been tough against the run, but Adrian Peterson might be playing the best pure football of his career and will not be stopped. Brett Favre will throw frequently to Visanthe Shiancoe. The quarterbacks have high profiles in this matchup, but the Vikings will lean heavily on the running game and Favre might be ready to come down from the Week 9 statistical stratosphere. He'll hook up often with Shiancoe when it counts, but his other pass-catchers will mostly not be as trustworthy. The Vikings allow 96.3 rushing yards per game, which does not bode well for Matt Forte's outlook. Jay Cutler will have to carry the offense, and he will succeed at times, yet he also will absorb some sacks and big hits. Start Johnny Knox with confidence, and use Greg Olsen if you must. The Bears will move into scoring position, so Chester Taylor might see a few opportunities to score from short range.
Detroit at Buffalo
Shaun Hill is not afraid to fling the ball, and that approach could produce varied results against the Buffalo secondary. Hill is a good starting option, but he might throw more than one interception. Look for Calvin Johnson to rebound in a big way from last week's quiet statistical outing. Nate Burleson will continue to benefit from the defensive attention Johnson draws, and Brandon Pettigrew is now a consistent TD threat. Jahvid Best faces a vulnerable run defense, but he has not looked explosive in recent weeks and should not be used over a more dependable RB. The Lions allow 127.9 rushing yards per game, and Fred Jackson is a fine starting option. Ryan Fitzpatrick also has a gunslinger mentality and he certainly ought to throw more than one TD pass this week. Steve Johnson has emerged as a must-start WR, and Lee Evans should be used as a WR3 this week. These teams make the game worth watching for fantasy purposes, as there are quality choices on both sides.
Carolina at Tampa Bay
The Buccaneers have the worst run defense in the NFC, and Mike Goodson can make the most of an opportunity to log significant carries. Consider starting Goodson at a flex position, and he is also an ideal bye-week plugger. Jimmy Claussen's job will be to minimize mistakes, and that means limited throws to Steve Smith, who will post mediocre fantasy totals. The Panthers allow 124.8 rushing yards per game, and LeGarrette Blount is a strong RB2 start this week. No defense can seemingly contain rookie sensation Mike Williams, and he should be locked into all lineups every week at this point. Arrelious Benn will continue to benefit as Williams commands defensive respect, and Benn is a good bye-week option in larger leagues. Kellen Winslow, however, no longer is a top fantasy option, and you can do much better at TE in most leagues.
Houston at Jacksonville
This is the game that most seems to excite fantasy players this week. Two of the worst pass defenses in the NFL take the field in what is being billed as a possible fantasy feast. The Texans will continue to lean heavily on the run as they try to keep their defense off the field as much as possible. Foster is headed for another big day against a Jaguars defense that surrenders 119.1 rushing yards per game. Matt Schaub stillought to be effective when throwing, but do not overrate him this week based purely on matchup. Andre Johnson is a good bet to catch a TD pass, and Joel Dreessen is worth consideration if you need TE help this week. Houston can be tougher against the run than many choose to believe, but Maurice Jones-Drew ought to get some scoring opportunities and is a solid start. David Garrard faces the NFL's lowest-ranked pass defense and is one of the best QB starts of the week. His top targets are Mike Sims-Walker and Marcedes Lewis. Both are outstanding choices for possible TDs. Mike Thomas also is a nifty PPR choice.
Kansas City at Denver
Only the Bills have a run defense worse than the Broncos' -- Denver allows 154.6 rushing yards per game. Jamaal Charles can be counted on to pile up some huge chunks of yardage, and Thomas Jones could convert on some short-yardage scoring opportunities. Matt Cassel will not post outstanding numbers, as the Chiefs depend heavily on the run again, yet a sound ground attack means play-action passes to Tony Moeaki in the red zone always are possible, and Dwayne Bowe is a frequent threat near the goal line. The Chiefs do prepare well defensively under Romeo Crennel and will not surrender yardage easily to Kyle Orton, who could be in for an uneven performance. Brandon Lloyd will get a lot of defensive attention, yet he could perform well enough as these AFC West rivals slug it out. Knowshon Moreno will see some short-yardage scoring opportunities, but don't expect much in the way of yardage.
Dallas at New York Giants
Another mismatch that likely will work in the Giants favor from fantasy perspectives. New York could get rolling early again, and you can expect another big week from Eli Manning. Hakeem Nicks will find the end zone again, and Mario Manningham will be a quality bye-week fill-in. Ahmad Bradshaw ought to pad his rushing numbers nicely in the second half. Brandon Jacobs will also find an easy path to the end zone. The Dallas running game is non-existent right now, and Jon Kitna will instantly face a heavy pass rush. Expect the Dallas QB to make more than one turnover, and the Giants' defense obviously is one of the top starts of the week. Miles Austin could post pretty good numbers when the Cowboys play catch-up in the second half. Start Dez Bryant for the same reason, and Jason Witten is a respectable start for when Kitna cannot locate receivers downfield.
St. Louis at San Francisco
The 49ers do employ a respectable run defense, but Steven Jackson does not shy away from any matchup, especially against a divisional opponent. The Niners rank 20th in passing yards allowed, so Sam Bradford could post adequate numbers if you choose to use him. Daniel Fells will get some looks in the red zone and should be considered if you are desperate for TE help. The Rams allow 97.8 rushing yards per game, but there really is not much hope of containing Frank Gore. Troy Smith ought to move the Niners' offense better than Alex Smith did. He has already shown he is more of a sparkplug at QB. Smith knows who his playmakers are, and Vernon Davis is a top start at TE no matter who his QB is. Michael Crabtree also seems to have a bit more appeal with Smith throwing the ball.
Seattle at Arizona
Marshawn Lynch knows he must shoulder a significant load and keep pressure off Matt Hasselbeck, especially in an important divisional game. Lynch could deliver his best game yet as a Seahawk. The return of Hasselbeck also means Mike Williams likely will see an uptick in production as well. The Seahawks' run defense has started to slip, and Tim Hightower is a nifty flex option this week. Derek Anderson will have time to throw, and even if he is picked off more than once, he will deliver many strikes to Larry Fitzgerald, who can be expected to come through with a very good performance. Steve Breaston will benefit greatly as the Seahawks must account for Fitzgerald with extra defenders. Breaston is a quality start for Week 10 and could soar past the 100-yard mark.
New England at Pittsburgh
The Patriots have little hope of establishing a running game against the Steelers. Reserve BenJarvus Green-Ellis this week if you have another solid RB2 option. Danny Woodhead should certainly be reserved. Tom Brady will have to be the crux of the offense, and he has been disappointing recently. Do not expect a quality fantasy outing just because he might have to throw often. It could be an ugly week for the New England offense, and only TE Aaron Hernandez should be locked into lineups. Rashard Mendenhall has been a nearly unstoppable force and is a must-start regardless of opponent. Ben Roethlisberger will attack a secondary that simply cannot cope with the balance of the Steelers' passing game. Mike Wallace is arguably the most consistent pure deep threat in the game right now, and Hines Ward also will get frequent red-zone targets.
Philadelphia at Washington
The Redskins rank last in the NFC in passing yards per game allowed. Michael Vick will give the Washington pass defense fits, as will DeSean Jackson. Expect Vick to throw more than one TD pass, and a rushing TD, of course, is always possible. Jeremy Maclin should also be considered for WR3 usage this week. With Vick performing well, some running lanes will naturally open for LeSean McCoy, and expect the Philadelphia RB to come through with a strong all-around performance. The Redskins might have difficulty matching Philadelphia's offensive output. Donovan McNabb should not be started in most leagues right now, even when he is facing his former team. Santana Moss does have upside against the Philadelphia secondary, though. Chris Cooley is not producing as desired, though, and there are better options at TE for Week 10.
Scott Engel is a member of the inaugural class of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association's Hall of Fame. Join him in a live gameday chat every Sunday!
