Fantasy Football position previews: Week 10
BOSTON -- The midway point of the NFL season has come and gone, which means your fantasy football season is really starting to heat up. Now is the time to rack up wins with the playoffs approaching faster than Tyreek Hill racing down the field.
Whether you're in good shape or in desperate need of a win, everyone could use a little bit of help. For some assistance with your lineup for Week 10, we turn to CBS Sports fantasy football expert Chris Towers and his position rankings, which brings you the top plays at each of the big spots on the field.
Quarterbacks
1. Josh Allen vs. Denver (Monday night)
2. Lamar Jackson vs. Cleveland
3. Justin Herbert vs. Detroit
4. Joe Burrow vs. Houston
5. Jared Goff @ L.A. Chargers
Indianapolis' Gardner Minshew is the No. 13 quarterback against the Patriots in Germany, while Mac Jones ranks No. 21 in his matchup against the Indy defense.
If you're interested in Arizona's Kyler Murray as he (likely) returns from a torn ACL, Towers says to stay away and offers up a few other suggestions at quarterback.
"For Week 10, I'm ranking Murray as my QB17. I'd rather go pick up Will Levis and start him against the Buccaneers, or even Joshua Dobbs against the Saints – I expect similar passing production but more running from Dobbs than Murray in his first game back," writes Towers. "Murray is a decent QB2 for this week, but I also expect him to get better as he gets more reps, especially as a runner."
Check out Chris Towers' full quarterback rankings for Week 10
Running backs
1. Christian McCaffrey @ Jacksonville
2. Austin Ekeler vs. Detroit
3. Alvin Kamara @ Minnesota
4. Travis Etienne vs. San Francisco
5. Jonathan Taylor @ New England (in Germany)
The Patriots' defense just gave up 124 yards to the Washington Commanders (including a 24-yard scamper by quarterback Sam Howell on a third-and-23) last week, and Taylor has torched them in the past. His last time out against New England in 2021, Taylor racked up 170 yards on his 29 carries, including a 67-yard touchdown run back.
Arizona's James Connor and Chicago's David Montgomery are both coming back from injuries in Week 10, and Towers ranks them at No. 15 and No. 17, respectively. Both are ahead of New England's Rhamondre Stevenson this week, who checks in as the No. 18 running back. Indy backup Zack Moss is ranked at No. 33, while Ezekiel Elliott is at No. 36 for their Week 10 tilt in Germany.
Check out Chris Towers' full running back rankings for Week 10
Wide receivers
Wide receiver has been one of the most difficult positions to figure out this fantasy season, and it's not just because of injuries to some big names. It also has a lot to do with all the quarterback struggles throughout the league, as Towers notes in his wide receiver rankings for Week 10.
"Nine different teams in Week 10 are down to their backup QB, and that's not even counting situations like Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Carolina, Green Bay, and New England, where Plan A looks pretty hapless much of the time," he writes. "I don't know if it's a league-wide crisis, but it's definitely a gigantic problem for the wide receiver position, with so many teams looking, frankly, hopeless in the passing game right now. "
If you have any of these five, you're in pretty good shape though:
1. Ja'Marr Chase vs. Houston
2. Stefon Diggs vs. Denver (Monday night)
3. Amon-Ra St. Brown @ Los Angeles Chargers
4. CeeDee Lamb vs. New York Giants
5. Keenan Allen vs. Detroit
If you were hoping to play someone early Sunday from the New England-Indianapolis game, it's slim pickings at receiver. Indy's Michael Pittman checks in at No. 16, while the Patriots don't have a receiver hit the rankings until much, much further down the list. Rookie Demario Douglas sits at No. 40 for Week 10, while JuJu Smith-Schuster is at No. 55 -- out of 60!
Check out Chris Towers' full wide receiver rankings for Week 10
Tight ends
1. Mark Andrews vs. Cleveland
2. Sam LaPorta @ L.A. Chargers
3. T.J. Hockenson vs. New Orleans
4. Evan Engram vs. San Francisco
5. Dalton Kincaid vs. Denver (Monday night)
New England's Hunter Henry sits at No. 16 this week, while Indianapolis' Kylen Granson is at No. 22 on the tight end rankings.
