Between bye weeks and underperformance, wide receiver looks unexpectedly shallow this week. Looking at our expert rankings, you've got Stefon Diggs as a top-12 wide receiver across the board — the same Stefon Diggs who plays for a team that would prefer not to have to throw the ball at all and had just one catch in Week 9. Devante Parker — no, there isn't a different one — is a top-16 option across the board. It's a little bleak.
But that doesn't mean there's a shortage of usable options. You just might have to get creative, and maybe have a bigger appetite for risk than normal. There's still plenty of upside available at the position — that's why Diggs is so highly ranked, after all — you just probably don't have as many obvious must-start options as usual.
We'll help you sort through it all, with Jamey Eisenberg's Start 'Em & Sit 'Em calls here, as well as Heath Cummings' wide receiver preview, with projections, matchup notes, and more. With our help, you'll find everything you need, even in an ugly week.
START 'EM & SIT 'EM
Wide Receivers
Start 'Em
In two games with the 49ers, Sanders has 11 catches for 137 yards and two touchdowns on 14 targets. He should continue to be a focal part of San Francisco's passing game, especially this week against Seattle. The Seahawks have allowed eight receivers to score at least 11 PPR points in their past five games, and I expect Sanders to stay hot this week.
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Parker continues to play well, and he should see a boost in production with Preston Williams (ACL) now out. Parker has at least 11 PPR points in five games in a row, and he's scored a touchdown in four of those outings. He has 24 targets in his past three games, and that number could rise without Williams, who was averaging eight targets per game as well over that span. The Colts secondary is tough, but volume should help Parker here, making him at least a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all leagues.
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Pascal was solid in Week 9 at Pittsburgh with T.Y. Hilton (calf) out, finishing with five catches for 76 yards and a touchdown on six targets. He now has at least 11 PPR points in three of his past five games, and he has at least six targets in each of those outings. I'm not sure how much the Colts will throw against the Dolphins in Week 10, but Pascal is worth starting as a No. 2 receiver with Hilton out. For the season, Miami allows the sixth-most Fantasy points to opposing receivers.
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It's been a strange season for Williams so far. After scoring 10 touchdowns in 2018, he has yet to score this year. But his production has been solid of late, with at least 12 PPR points in three of his past five games. He just had his first game with at least 100 receiving yards, and he has a great matchup against the Raiders this week. Oakland is No. 2 in Fantasy points allowed to receivers, and five receivers in the past three games against the Raiders have scored or gained at least 100 receiving yards. Williams and Keenan Allen should have the chance for a big game Thursday night.
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Kirk struggled in Week 9 against San Francisco, but that was a tough matchup. He only had two catches for 8 yards on five targets, but I'm expecting a breakout game this week. Tampa Bay allows the most Fantasy points to opposing receivers, and Kirk and possibly Larry Fitzgerald have the chance to post quality stats in Week 10. Kirk scored at least 15 PPR points in three of his past five games, but he hasn't scored a touchdown yet. In their past five games, the Buccaneers have allowed 10 touchdowns to receivers, as well as five receivers to go over 100 receiving yards.
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Sleepers
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Crowder played great against Miami last week with eight catches for 83 yards and a touchdown on nine targets. He now has three games this season with more than six targets, and he's scored at least 15 PPR points in each of those outings. This is a great matchup against the Giants, who allow the fourth-most Fantasy points to opposing receivers, and I like Crowder as a starting option in PPR in Week 10.
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We'll see if Patrick Mahomes (knee) can play in Week 10 at the Titans, but Watkins has actually done well the past two weeks with Matt Moore. He has 18 targets over that span against Green Bay and Minnesota with 12 catches for 108 yards. He hasn't scored since Week 1, but the Titans are now down cornerback Malcolm Butler (wrist), which will hurt their secondary. Watkins is worth using as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver this week in PPR.
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Beasley has scored a touchdown in three games in a row, and he now has at least 10 PPR points in five of eight games this year. He has five games with at least six targets, and he could be a sneaky play this week in all leagues. Cleveland has struggled with slot receivers this year, including Cooper Kupp in Week 3 (33 PPR points), Tyler Lockett in Week 6 (12 PPR points) and Julian Edelman in Week 8 (27 PPR points). Those players are on a different level than Beasley, but he's worth using as a No. 3 receiver in PPR this week.
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With Evan Engram (foot) and Sterling Shepard (concussion) likely out this week against the Jets, we could see Slayton in a bigger role as the second receiver behind Golden Tate. He had a rough game in Week 9 against Dallas with one catch for 6 yards on four targets, but he scored twice in Week 8 at Detroit. The Jets have allowed six touchdowns to receivers in the past two games.
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Ginn is worth using as a No. 3 receiver this week with a home matchup against the Falcons. He's scored in his past two games against Atlanta, and the Falcons secondary has given up plenty of big plays this year. With Drew Brees back and the Saints coming off a bye, I can see Ginn connecting on a long touchdown at home.
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Sit 'Em
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Beckham deserves some credit for his performance against Chris Harris and the Broncos in Week 9. That's not an easy matchup, and Beckham managed five catches for 87 yards on six targets. In PPR, you'll take the 13 points, but he's now scored in single digits in non-PPR leagues in all but two games this season. And he still has just one touchdown. This week, he gets another tough matchup against a Bills secondary led by standout cornerback Tre'Davious White. Only two receivers have scored against the Bills this year, and Beckham should be considered a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues this week.
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We'll find out if A.J. Green (ankle) is able to return this week, but I'm avoiding Boyd whether Green plays or not. He only has one touchdown on the season, and he's averaging just 8.0 PPR points in his past three games. Now, with Ryan Finley starting in place of Andy Dalton, it could be tough for the Bengals receivers, especially in a tough matchup with the Ravens. Boyd is just a No. 3 receiver in most leagues, with his value slightly higher in PPR.
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I'm hopeful that Woods will get a boost in targets and production if Brandin Cooks (concussion) is out as expected, but I don't like this matchup against the Steelers. Woods has yet to catch a touchdown this season, and he's been in single digits in PPR in three of his past four games. The Steelers have a tough secondary and pass rush, so Woods could have another rough outing this week. Pascal's 76 receiving yards last week is the most against Pittsburgh since Week 2. I'm only using Woods as a No. 3 receiver in PPR this week.
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Metcalf has been great the past two weeks with nine catches for 136 yards and three touchdowns on 14 targets. But there are two things of concern this week against the 49ers. For starters, we don't know if Josh Gordon is going to make his Seattle debut, which could take away targets from Metcalf. You also have the tough matchup against San Francisco, and the 49ers are the lone defense yet to allow 1,000 receiving yards on the season. Only two receivers have scored against the 49ers since Week 3, and Metcalf should be considered a risky No. 3 Fantasy receiver this week.
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I usually like the revenge game narrative, but I'm going against that this week for Williams against his former team. He's proven this season that he's touchdown or bust, and we saw what happened in Week 9 against Detroit when he didn't find the end zone, finishing with three catches for 48 yards on four targets. He's now finished with less than 50 receiving yards in five of his last six games, but thankfully he's scored in his first five outings this year. This week, he's facing a Chargers defense that has done well against Allen Robinson (11 PPR points in Week 8) and Davante Adams (11 PPR points in Week 9) in the past two weeks, which coincides with Melvin Ingram coming back to help the pass rush. The Chargers have allowed seven touchdowns to receivers this season, but only Kenny Golladay in Week 2 has gone over 100 yards. I'll consider Williams more of a bust alert than an out-right sit candidate, but he's just a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in most leagues this week.
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Bust Alert
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Smith-Schuster has a tough matchup this week against the Rams, and he could see a lot of standout cornerback Jalen Ramsey. He also has just one game with more than four PPR points in his past three outings, which was Week 8 against the Dolphins. We'll see if Mason Rudolph will feed the ball to Smith-Schuster in a tough matchup, but I'm concerned about his production this week, even at home. I would only use Smith-Schuster as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in most leagues.
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