In a year in which we have seen many sporting firsts, Week 10 of the 2020 season is going to have a schedule of games like it has never seen before nor will it likely been seen after this season.
For the first time in the history of the NFL, games have gone head-to-head against the final day of The Masters golf tournament. A tradition unlike any other is a springtime event that typically comes off when football fans are doing deep dives on draft prospects, not the second weekend in November.
This conflict has created a scenario that could be detrimental to a lot of fantasy players. Because CBS carries The Masters, all games in the early 1 p.m. ET Sunday slate – whether AFC or NFC – will all be carried on FOX. The worse news is the number of games – just five.
In a typical NFL week, there are as many as 10 games going off in the early Sunday window. That means that fantasy owners know whether players listed as questionable are going to sit and which will be active and can often base decisions on questionable players with later start times because they have fewer of them.
This year, of the 14 games played in Week 10, eight of them are going to start at 4:05 p.m. ET or later, involving half the teams in the league. If you have a player who is game time decision, you may not know until 90 minutes before the game if he’s going to play. Typically, there are only five games played in the late Sunday window and in prime time. This week, that number takes a big jump, thanks to The Masters.
Of all the 2020 moments we never would have thought possible a year ago, fantasy football being impacted by the PGA was one I never saw coming.
Here is the Week 10 Fantasy Football Market Report:
Fantasy Football Risers
Will Fuller, WR, Texans
There was talk that Fuller might get traded before the deadline last week. Deshaun Watson was thrilled he wasn’t. In Week 1, Fuller caught eight passes for 112 yards before getting knocked out early in Week 2. In the six games since, he has scored a touchdown in each game and has topped 100 yards three times. He has made himself impossible to bench, which is a good thing as you start the regular season stretch run.
Kyler Murray, QB, Cardinals
Anyone who has him on their rosters is almost certainly starting him every week because he has earned that right. In his last six games, he has two or more touchdown passes in five of them, has thrown for 270 or more yards in four of them and has a rushing TD in five of the last six games.
Over the last three games, he has rushed 35 times for 247 yards and three TDs, while throwing for 831 yards and eight TDs. He isn’t getting MVP discussion, but he’s making his case as fantasy MVP.
James Robinson, RB, Jaguars
There isn’t much to be thankful for with the Jaguars, but Robinson is a gift that keeps on giving. He has 132 carries of the 139 Jaguars running backs have had this season. His only downside had been that he never got more than 17 carries in game.
Over the last three games, he has scored four touchdowns and, in his last two, he has rushed 47 times for 218 yards and two TDs, making it harder not to play him every week.
T.J. Hockenson, TE, Lions
The Lions have been waiting for Hockenson to live up to being a top-10 pick. He has started to show what he is capable of. Over the last five games, he has scored four touchdowns and has three of his four most targets in the last three games.
Jerry Jeudy, WR, Broncos
This is one that has come up quickly. The Broncos offense has had its struggles this season and, while Jeudy was a designated downfield threat, his biggest issue was not getting enough targets. It seems the Broncos have seen Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb show moments of dominance, but they need to be a focal point of the offense.
Over the last two games, Jeudy has 24 targets – his highest two weekly totals of his young career – catching 11 passes for 198 yards and one TD – perhaps a sign of the things to come.
Fantasy Football Fallers
T.Y. Hilton, WR, Colts
The best thing about Hilton last week was that he was inactive and didn’t hurt fantasy owners. Every other week he has been a pain for fantasy owners that thought he was a top 20-25 talent. He has averaged less 36 yards a game and has yet to score a touchdown. He’s been almost unplayable all season, yet we often see fantasy players still sliding him into their lineup.
Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Panthers
Granted, he has been without Christian McCaffrey most of the season, but he hasn’t had more than two touchdown passes in any game this season and, despite having the ability to run, he has just one game with more than 32 yards rushing. He has been a consistent point producer, but hasn’t had the kind of games that wins weeks for fantasy owners.
David Montgomery, RB, Bears
Big things were expected from Montgomery heading into 2020, but he has been a huge disappointment. He has been held under 50 yards rushing in five of nine games, has 30 or fewer receiving yards in seven games and has scored just two touchdowns. Like everything else with the Bears offense, expectations need to be refined (and lowered) as the season has gone on.
Robert Tonyan, TE, Packers
Few players were hotter out of the gate than Tonyan, who caught five touchdowns in his first four games. However, once everyone jumped on his bandwagon, it has fallen apart. He has 32 or fewer receiving yards in three of the last four games and hasn’t scored a touchdown during that stretch. He was on benches when he blew up and now has forced his way back there.
Henry Ruggs, WR, Raiders
Justin Jefferson has been a rookie star, while CeeDee Lamb and Jerry Jeudy have both had their moments and displayed the promise that made them first-round draft picks. Ruggs? It hasn’t happened yet. He has a 72-yard touchdown, but, aside from that, in six games, he has caught just nine passes for 148 yards – the kind of numbers that not only get you benched, they get you on the waiver wire.