This week is typically designated in most leagues as trade deadline week. Make sure you fill any holes in your lineup. If you’re in need of a wide receiver and have an extra running back, seek out the team that’s in the reverse situation and see if you can’t strike a deal. Don’t forget to read Larry Vannozzi’s weekly weather report to make sure you’re prepared for last minute alerts about mother nature’s plans in NFL cities across the country. Also, check out Brian Shade’s projection model to help you predict and prepare for this week’s slate of fantasy football!

First, a few housekeeping notes..

Q’s Quick Pick Total Record: 39-45, -11.72u

Week 1: 3-12, -8.96u; Week 2: 6-5, +0.3u; Week 3: 7-7, +0.88u; Week 4: 8-5, +1.6u; Week 5: 5-6, -4.65u; Weeks 6-8: N/A; Week 9: 4-4, -1.57u; Week 10: 6-6, +0.68

Picks: Odds are from DraftKings. Picks are for entertainment purposes only. Check out the Wager Pass for legit gambling talk.

Start Sit Decisions: Start your studs. Otherwise, these are yours and yours alone to make. Hopefully my previews help provide context to assist you in making an informed, matchup winning decision.

Scoring and League Format: The main focus is 1QB leagues, but I do make superflex references at times. The assumption is most folks play in 12 team leagues, and I use half point PPR rankings and stats when sifting through the madness. I don’t usually find a huge difference between half and full point PPR, but your volume receivers and tight ends receive a slight bump moving from half to full. Standard leagues could be a bit different, so be sure to hop into our discord or join one of our live shows either on Thursday’s at 5pm or Sunday’s at 10:30am to have your questioned answered in real time.

Week 10 Positional Rankings: QB’s courtesy of Jon Mosales, RB’s courtesy of Brandon Furtado, WR’s courtesy of Robert Szolosi, TE’s courtesy of Max Silveira, and DST’s courtesy of Brandon Furtado

Bye Weeks: Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Matchup: Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears

Location: Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois

Date: Sunday, November 17, 2024 at 1:00p EST

Q’s Quick Pick: Tucker Kraft ANYTIME Touchdown (+230)

The Quarterbacks: (GB) In his first full season as the starter, Jordan Love finished as the QB5 last season. Expectations were sky high in Wisconsin, but they haven’t been fully met. Sitting at just QB20 on the year, albeit thanks in part to missing spurts with injuries, is definitely displeasing. Managers can take solace knowing that when Love does take the field and remains on it for the whole game, he’s averaging the tenth most fantasy points. The Bears are arguably the best pass defenses in football, but are missing what is arguably their best defender in defensive back Jaquan Brisker (concussion). That’ll make things a bit easier for Love and the passing offense as a whole, but still, you don’t become the top defensive teams against quarterbacks because of one person. Downgrade Love this week to a fringe starter that could go either way. Helpful, I know. That’s what I like to call #analysis.. (CHI) Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears hit rock bottom last week, scoring a season low three points against the New England Patriots – a team widely regarded as a bottom five team in the league. Williams had his fewest passing yards (120) since his rookie debut in week one (93). He’s gone three straight games without throwing a touchdown pass, and three games with less than ten fantasy points. The Packers give up an average of 14.8 fantasy points to QBs. They’ve held quarterbacks to under 150 passing yards twice over the past four weeks, including a stifling 86 yards allowed to CJ Stroud. On the plus side, Williams plays much better at home than he does on the road, throwing for a 7:1 TD:INT ration at Soldier Field and 2:4 on the road. It’s no coincidence that his two best games of the year (23.5 and 28.6) in Chicago, albeit against two of the worst pass defenses in football. Green Bays premier cornerback, Jaire Alexander (knee) is questionable to make his return to the lineup and would only make it more difficult for Williams if he did. Consider the first overall pick in the 2024 draft a safe bet to remain on waivers, and someone you would like to avoid in superflex league if given the opportunity. Remember, if you have other really good offensive players, they can, at times, be better than a second quarterback. Choose wisely.

The Running Backs: (GB) Josh Jacobs faces a Bears run defense that’s almost as bad at defending the run as it is good at defending the pass. I was surprised when I saw Jacobs has only played 75% of the teams snaps once this season, especially considering there isn’t another guy behind him that’s emerged as even a name to monitor outside of a flash in the pan performance out of Emanuel Wilson. If we are being honest though, Jacobs has been closer to good than great this year. He has two top ten finishes and a ton of borderline RB2/3 finishes with five games between RB21-26. I like him to finish a bit better than that this week and closer to the top ten than the RB24.. (CHI) D’Andre Swift had a fun stretch of four top ten performances between week four through eight. He’s come back down to earth the past two weeks finishing as more of a flex play than a starting running back. Green Bay is giving up less than 20 points to running backs as a whole this year, which isn’t a great look for Swift this week, but it’s not terrible because he generally gets all of the running back touches, save anywhere from 2-5 for Roschon Johnson over the past three weeks. Swift is a starting caliber player this week on an offense that’s been bereft of them most of the year. Johnson is a waiver wire type of player.

The Wide Receivers: (GB) Jayden Reed, who currently inside WR1 this season, hasn’t really popped since week four when he scored 23 points. Love has played every game since his comeback in week 4, save for when he left early on against Jacksonville in week 8. Reed has been good, not great, during that span. The other three guys have stepped up at various points throughout the Packers past five games, with Romeo Doubs sitting right behind Reed WR25 during that span at WR27. He has, however, gotten progressively worse going from 18 points down to just four in their last game (week 9). Christian Watson and Dontayvion Wicks have both had a plus game over the past month and a half as well. If we break it all down, Reed is the safest, most reliable player in this room. After that, you just have to pick your poison and hope you didn’t get the toxic one. It might be difficult to confidently rely on anyone outside of Reed without running the risk of a dud this week against a very good Bears secondary, but the odds are someone should produce some fantasy relevance.. (CHI) Seeing as the team hasn’t gotten more than 226 passing yards in four weeks and three plus mouths to feed through the air, production is hard to come by. At this point, there’s no real discernible way to differentiate between DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, and  Keenan Allen. They all kind of stink for fantasy football, and I don’t know that firing the offensive coordinator changes anything. If you want to get cute and start someone if you think that will make a difference, It’s probably DJ Moore as the leader in targets per game and receiving touchdowns, but I low-key like Odunze as a field stretcher who leads this team in yards per catch and receiving yards. The Packers are tied for 12th most in yards per reception allowed and within 0.4 yards from being top seven. He could break loose against a team that has allowed a near league average 27 plays of 20+ yards. It’s more of a deep leagues upside flex play, but it’s something to try and feel positive about in an otherwise negative situation.

The Tight Ends: (GB) The fact that the Packers have a productive, trustworthy tight end in Tucker Kraft makes it even more difficult to figure out this passing attack. He has four top ten finishes over the past six games, and that’s good enough to stay in the flames and roll him out there once again, especially against a Bears defense that’s average at best manning up tight ends.. (CHI) Cole Kmet has been losing his luster since his TE1 finish in week six, having five total targets in two games played after. There are a lot of mouths to feed in Chicago, and quite frankly, none of them are really getting fed. Green Bay’s borderline top ten tight end points allowed offers beacon of light for Kmet to once again become a playable asset, but it’s not for the faint of heart.

Matchup: Jacksonville Jaguars at Detroit Lions

Location: Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan

Date: Sunday, November 17, 2024 at 1:00p EST

Q’s Quick Pick: Jared Goff Over 1.5 Passing Touchdowns (-135)

The Quarterbacks: (JAX) Mac Jones is set to make another start after a less than inspiring first performance in Jacksonville. Detroit has improved their pass defenses over the past four weeks and has at least one interception in every game this year. I’m not expecting anything more than a fringe QB2 performance and am happy if I get more.. (DET) Hopefully Jared Goff got all his interceptions out last week, because the Jaguars defense is coming off a three INT game of their own and are salivating at the thought of another five. That’s extremely unlikely to happen, but the Jacksonville defense does have four in the past three games. Goff has thrown four more touchdowns away from Ford Field than in it, but with the Duval defense allow the fourth most passing touchdowns in football. I like Goff to come close to evening that number out in a bounce back performance from the Lions offense as a whole against a Jaguars defense that hasn’t been good, ensuring Goff is firmly in QB1 territory.

The Running Backs: (JAX) Tank Bigsby (ankle) has been ruled out this weekend. Travis Etienne hasn’t played more than 72% of snaps all season, and hasn’t eclipsed 70% since week two, and the fantasy numbers reflect that. Etienne, having eight top twelve performances last season, hasn’t finished better than RB20 all year long. The Lions aren’t going to allow him to get his first, either.. (DET) Polar opposite over here in Detroit when it comes to running backs. Both Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery continue to get it done together. They have similar carry and target totals, proving they are interchangeable. That makes it tough for defenses to know what’s going on pending who’s on the field. The Jaguars are bad all around, and both these running backs are set to feast yet again. Start them both with confidence.

The Wide Receivers: (JAX) Maybe we were too quick to crown Brian Thomas a must start. Then again, the downgrade in quarterback after dealing with an injury hasn’t been ideal for him. This is the world we live in now, though. Thomas went from a must start guy to someone who you might be able to get by with as a flex option. He’s been outside the top 50 at the position the last two weeks, and it might stay that way despite the friendly matchup. Gabe Davis is who he is at this point in his career. You’re only considering him if you need a moonshot, and he’s only provided one of those since coming to Jacksonville this season.. (DET) Amon-Ra St. Brown has been a fringe WR1 all season, sitting between WR 10-15 in five of nine games. His season highlight is WR1 coming back in week seven against the Vikings, and there’s a chance he can do it against against a Jacksonville defense that is one of only three teams to give up more than  2,700 passing yards to date. Overall, his season has been a slight letdown from last season, which saw him finish inside the top thirteen on ten different occasions, with eleven of them coming inside the top ten. This season, he has two WR10 finishes to go with his week seven performance. The difference between 2023 and 2024 has been the amount of targets ARSB has not gotten this time around compared to last. In 2023, he had eight or more targets in thirteen of sixteen game and never less than six. The current campaign has the stud receiver with just four of nine games at eight or more targets, with two at four or less. His seven straight games with a touchdown have been largely propping up his value so far rather than his above average reception quantity, and that’s another category the Jaguars defense struggles with. He should finish inside the top 12. Jameson Williams had twenty targets in the first two weeks of the season, and has had a total of fifteen since. Volume has never been his game, and he’s been able to put up three games of over 50 receiving yards despite minimal usage. Jacksonville has had trouble limiting big plays in the passing game, allowing the second most receptions of 20+ yards (42) and 40+ yards (7). Look for him to have another big play, or two, in your flex position.

The Tight Ends: (JAX) Evan Engram went from an automatic TE1 last year to an automatic TE2 this year. The offense as a whole has stepped back, even when Lawrence was healthy and playing. If you have a better option to roll with, feel free, but the talent and role Engram plays on this offense could very well be the best you’ve got.. (DET) Sam LaPorta (shoulder) has been ruled out. Brock Wright has been ruled out of my lineups.

Matchup: Minnesota Vikings at Tennessee Titans

Location: Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee

Date: Sunday, November 17, 2024 at 1:00p EST

Q’s Quick Pick: Calvin Ridley OVER 58.5 Receiving Yards (-115)

The Quarterbacks: (MIN) Sam Darnold (right hand) came back down to earth last week in a smash matchup with his second worst fantasy output of 2024.  He’s cooled off a bit since the Vikings week s I bye, only having one game inside the top ten after having three such outings in the first five weeks. I’m hopeful he can get back to top tier performances, but cautious in 1QB leagues. I’m not ruling out playing him, but am much more comfortable in superflex leagues with Darnold as a top tier QB2.. (TEN) Will Levis came back from injury and had his best game of the season, finding his way into the top ten for the first time since his NFL debut last season. Mason Rudolph was able to put up some quality starts, and maybe cutting out DHop has simplified things for the quarterbacks in Tennessee. I know that sounds crazy, but sometimes when you go to a restaurant and the menu has too many options, you seem to make a silly choice sometimes because you’re overwhelmed. Anyway, it’s a theory. Long story short, Levis is a low end QB2ish option in case of emergency.

The Running Backs: (MIN) Aaron Jones (ribs) opened the week as a limited participant in practice after suffering a rib injury in last weeks game. After briefly leaving the game for some medical attention, he was able to come back and finish strong. Those two things bring some optimism to his availability this weekend, but his status is worth monitoring until game day. Cam Akers saw a bump last week and is the player to grab should Jones be limited or unable to play. Jones, presumably available, remains a strong starting option.. (TEN) Tony Pollard has been reliable all season, only having one week that has been truly week busting. The Vikings have given up the fewest rush yards on the season, and nearly doubling down for rushing touchdowns. Pollard is a low end RB2. Tyjae Spears isn’t someone I’m considering this week, either.

The Wide Receivers: (MIN) Justin Jefferson is a stud, and therefore must be started on a weekly basis. No if, and’s, or but’s about it. Jordan Addison, on the other hand, is not there yet. Outside of finishing as the Wr4 in week four, he’s teetered between “eh” and unplayable. He’s playing a lot of snaps, going for 85% or better in four straight before last week saw that come down to 74%. Hockenson, though playing a different position, may be playing a factor in how much they need to utilize Addison. Either way, he’s hardly someone we can be excited to start and is better off left on your fantasy bench.. (TEN) Calvin Ridley has seen eight or more targets in every game since week six. Unfortunately, only two of them have led to good weeks. Fortunately, both of those good weeks were really good and had him in the top ten – matchup be damned. Ridley is a fine flex play against a Vikings defense that is five passing yards away from being inside the top ten for most allowed in football.

The Tight Ends: (MIN) And just like that, TJ Hockenson is back, baby. After taking a week to get his sea legs under him, Hock was back top five finishes. Last season, he was the overall TE4 despite missing the past two games with that torn ACL that caused him to miss the first two months of this year. He tied Justin Jefferson with a team leading nine targets, and led all Vikings players in receiving yards. It’s looking a lot like the 8th year veteran is returning to must start form once again.. (TE) Chig Okonkwo and Josh Whyle are one in the same. Okonkwo has the triple crown in production from the tight end duo, leading Whyle in targets, receptions, and yards. They combined have one touchdown on the year, making it another check in the Okonkwo stat column. Combined, they may be streamable. As two separate entities, they are unplayable.

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