Diving in on this 10th Monday morning of the NFL season, here are the most notable fantasy storylines for each Sunday game:
Browns vs. Texans -- Nick Chubb was sitting on an 18-67-1 line before his late 59-yard run to seal the win. Fantasy managers will love or hate his decision to run out of bounds instead of take the touchdown, but it was a selfless and heroic decision--a lot like when Brian Westbrook did it something like 15 years ago. With Chubb back and healthy, he and Kareem Hunt will be among the few weekly-starting backfield duos in recent history. And Duke Johnson fared decently, but not well enough. Don't be surprised if Houston adds another back with the long-ago-declined David Johnson out at least another two weeks.
Lions vs. Washington -- Matthew Stafford will get x-rays on his thumb. And the biggest draft push-back I received was picking D'Andre Swift in the sixth round (after Michael Thomas, Davante Adams, David Johnson, Dak Prescott, and Keenan Allen). I saw Swift as a bellcow-capable rookie and Detroit's most talented RB rusher and pass-catcher. Through 10 weeks he's the 12th highest scoring fantasy RB. As I've said many times, low-floor / high-upside RBs are worth the investment. And for Washington, Antonio Gibson is 0.2 points ahead of Swift. In fairness, I never anticipated he's come close to this level in his rookie season.
Packers vs. Jaguars -- Aaron Jones out-touched Jamaal Williams 18-11. That's too close for those expecting Jones to be fed like a top-6 RB. And Jake Luton took a step back. His upcoming matchups against Pittsburgh and Cleveland could dictate whether he'll be under center the rest of the season.
Giants vs. Eagles -- Give it up for Daniel Jones, who's been decent-to-good in three out of four games since struggling the previous five games. He has a favorable schedule after the bye and will be a great deep-league streamer down the stretch. And Carson Wentz has hit rock-bottom. I misread his abilities. Her's clinging to the starting job.
Panthers vs. Buccaneers -- Teddy Bridgewater injured his knee. If he misses time, P.J. Walker or Will Grier would take over. Grier would be a disaster. Walker would be fascinating. And how many of you were anxious when Cameron Brate got the first score? Somehow most Bucs receivers salvaged solid days, though they won't always face the anemic Panthers. And how about Ronald Jones leaping past Leonard Fournette? Head coach Bruce Arians added not only Tom Brady this offseason, but also Bill Belichick's propensity to rotate lead backs.
Raiders vs. Broncos -- Josh Jacobs dominated, and so did Devontae Booker. Booker remains the most intriguing fantasy story on this team--a potential title-winning back if Jacobs goes down, and someone who's available in most leagues. For Denver, Drew Lock has been as horrendous as expected. We could blame his poor play on Courtland Sutton's absence. But really, this offense is going nowhere with Lock and Melvin Gordon leading the charge, and all other fantasy assets are suffering as a result.
Dolphins vs. Chargers -- Salvon Ahmed threw another wrench in Miami's backfield. Sure, Myles Gaskin could re-assume his bellcow role. But Gaskin isn't owed anything when he returns, and Ahmed looks more than capable. And Kalen Ballage is somehow still the Chargers' starter. Those who grabbed him will get the Jets next week before we see the real (RB4/5) Ballage.
Cardinals vs. Bills -- Kyler Murray was held mostly in check until the final few minutes, and he ended up proving me wrong with another monster performance. Most interestingly, Kenyan Drake looked surprisingly strong, while Chase Edmonds looked just as good playing second fiddle. Clearly Drake will remain the lead back until/unless he flops again. And the suddenly highly targeted John Brown hurt his ankle, so we'll see whether that's serious enough to hold him out after Buffalo's Week 11 bye.
Rams vs. Seahawks -- A very impressive win for the Rams. Cam Akers out-touched Darrell Henderson, reinforcing my prior warnings that Henderson was one of the biggest sell-high RBs around. This is simply too crowded a backfield to lean on Henderson as a weekly starter. And Alex Collins seems to be the new #3 RB in Seattle, which matters only if Chris Carson or Carlos Hyde remain out.
Saints vs. 49ers -- As of writing this, it's unclear why Michael Thomas was useless, and why New Orleans wideouts caught only seven passes combined. Drew Brees' rib injury is a likely culprit. But wow. These next few days could mark the ramp-up of Jameis Winston and (I believe) a more explosive passing game if Brees is forced to sit. And Jerick McKinnon flopped in what could be his final start of the year.
Steelers vs. Bengals -- The "Big Three" in Pittsburgh's receiver corps are simply impressive. On the downside, James Conner continues to wilt: three straight games under 50 rushing yards. For Cincy, Tee Higgins has hit double-digits in seven straight contests. He's an exceptional dynasty hold.
Patriots vs. Ravens -- Damien Harris was trusted with 22 carries, which says a lot about how much Belichick trusts him. And although Mark Ingram's weak return could be blamed on a month-long layoff, he wasn't a high-volume guy pre-injury and might not be the lead back the rest of the season. This is why I steered clear of Baltimore RBs on draft day.