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Week 9 Injuries:

Ben Roethlisberger (QB, PIT) sustained a foot injury on an Aldon Smith sack, which ended up being a mid-foot sprain and will likely sideline him until after the Steelers’ week 11 bye. Initially, it was suspected that he may have sustained a LisFranc injury to his left foot, which could have ended his season. Big Ben is still trying to play in week 10, but we believe that the starter will be Landry Jones. Thankfully, Jones has shown that he is capable of running the offense to some degree (and unlike Michael Vick, he has been getting the football to Antonio Brown on a regular basis), but the Steelers have never wanted to start Jones and he doesn’t perform well under pressure (as evidenced by his start against Kansas City earlier this season).

Teddy Bridgewater (QB, MIN) was knocked unconscious in week 9 and sustained a concussion, but he appears on track to start in week 10 against the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders are giving up 18.9 points per game to opposing fantasy QBs, so things look good for Bridgewater assuming that he is in good health.

Andrew Luck (QB, IND) has a partial tear of an abdominal muscle and a lacerated kidney. Yikes! These injuries will keep Luck off the field for a few weeks at minimum and bring in veteran QB Matt Hasselbeck to start under center going forward. Not good news for the Colts at all. Hasselbeck was previously able to score a few TDs when he filled in for Luck earlier in the season, but to rely on him for any more than a game or 2 at a time will likely spell trouble for fantasy production in Indianapolis.

Dion Lewis (RB, NE) was a huge pickup off the waiver wire for many fantasy football teams, but unfortunately he suffered an ACL tear in week 9 which will sideline him until 2016. This reinforces LeGarrette Blount as the primary RB in New England, but we will definitely see a committee of James White and Brandon Bolden on the field sucking up the snaps that Dion Lewis handled previously. As far as predicting which, if any, RB besides Blount will now be fantasy relevant? Might as well flip a coin.

Latavius Murray (RB, OAK) suffered a concussion this past week, but looks to be on track to play in week 10 already. If he’s not able to suit up, some combination of Taiwan Jones, Roy Helu and Marcel Reece will be in line to handle Murray’s touches.

Eddie Lacy (RB, GB) was on the injury report with a groin injury from week 9. Only in his 3^rd year, we expected Lacy’s production to be similar to what it was in 2013 and 2014, but he’s currently only on pace to reach about 50% of that production this season. It’s hard to see James Starks carving out a permanent role as the lead RB for the Packers, but an underperforming Lacy is forcing that to happen. As of right now, Starks appears to be taking that job.

Allen Hurns (WR, JAX) was injured at the very end of the game in week 9 with a sprained left foot. Hurns has been great, turning in a touchdown in each of the last 6 games and as long as he can dress for week 10’s match-up against Baltimore, he should continue that trend. We’ll have to wait until later this week to see if Hurns has shed the walking boot and is able to practice.

Malcolm Floyd (WR, SD) suffered a torn labrum on Monday night and will likely be out for the remainder of the season and perhaps be done for his career. This points to Stevie Johnson, Antonio Gates and Danny Woodhead sucking up all of Rivers' passes for the rest of the season. Fantasy gold, Jerry! Especially in PPR leagues.

Previous Injury Updates:

Tony Romo (QB, DAL) is still expecting to return in week 11, against the Dolphins.

Matt Forte (RB, CHI) news is not forthcoming, but the current expectation is a return in week 11 against the Broncos.

Carlos Hyde (RB, SF) had a stress fracture and there are no new updates on his recovery, though he could very well be out for the rest of 2015.

Kendall Wright (WR, TEN) is still sidelined with a sprained MCL and won’t return this week unless he can get out on the practice field.

John Brown (WR, ARI) said he would ‘be healthy after the bye [week 9]’ and we expect him to be ready for the Seahawks in week 10.

Breshad Perriman (WR, BAL) has not yet been able to practice after sustaining a knee injury in training camp. With Steve Smith out for the season, the Ravens need him to return and provide a boost to the passing offense. As of now, we don’t expect him to play in week 10.

Well we couldn't get a Sunday Millions cash streak going last week so it's time to start a new streak starting with week 10! Spending high on a QB/WR stack in a matchup which should be hemorrhaging fantasy points, grabbing a couple highly productive RBs with amazing matchups and playing two WRs whose teams face head to head. Good luck gamblers!

QB  - Tom Brady, NE - $9,100 at NYG:  Spending high at the QB position this week mostly because I think there will be a ton of fantasy points coming out of the Patriots and Giants matchup. The Giants are also allowing opposing QBs to pass for 308 yards per game which is second worst in the league.

RB - DeAngelo Williams, PIT - $7,600 vs. CLE:  No brainer pick this week with Williams toting a cheapish price tag and playing against the league worst run defense in the Cleveland Browns.

RB - Mark Ingram, NO - $7,500 at WAS:  Ingram has been putting up consistent points this season and should continue to dominate touches after the loss of Khiry Robinson. He gets a plus matchup against the 4th worst run defense in the league.

WR - Julian Edelman, NE - $8,000 at NYG:  Playing Edelman as a combo to Brady this week, he should torch a paper thin Giants secondary.

WR - Golden Tate, DET - $6,300 at GB:  Calvin Johnson is shaping up to be a game time decision as he hasn't practiced all week with an ankle injury which means Tate should benefit with more looks in a game that Detroit will need to score a lot of points to win.

WR -Devante Adams, GB - $5,800 vs. DET:  Adams is back at the number two WR position after coming back from injury. Somewhat of a pairing play with Tate here as I'm betting on a lot of points being scored in the Green Bay/Detroit game.

TE - Tyler Eifert, CIN - $6,200 vs. HOU:  Eifert is coming off a three touchdown performance against the Browns last week. While I don't see him repeating, he's a great play with the red zone targets he gets and has also been lining up wide on plays this year.

K - Brandon McManus, DEN - $4,800 vs. KC:  Usually would default to Gostkowski but didn't want to pair a QB and kicker. Kicking in Denver always gives more opportunity for 50+ yard field goals too.

DEF - Panthers, CAR - $4,700 at TEN:  The ever consistent Panther defense gets a great matchup against a Titans team giving up the most fantasy points to opposing teams this year.

Week 10 is in the books and we’re now into the final week of teams being on bye. In Week 11, we won’t have the services of the Steelers, Giants, Saints and Browns. Those guys have played 10 weeks in a row, they deserved this break. It’s certainly a much more convenient break than in week 4.

This week we still like Kirk Cousins, despite his tough matchup vs the Panthers. Now, we’re not crazy, and only advocating him as a QB2. Cousins has a good rhythm with TE Jordan Reed and RB Matt Jones and just got DeSean Jackson back, who should be fully back into the offense this week. As far as QB2’s go, don’t drink the Mark Sanchez kool-aid. Remember, this is Mr. Butt Fumble, so don’t go chasing what you think the Eagles offense is supposed to be and remember that Sanchez is average at best.

Jonathan Stewart may be a smart sit for you this week. The Redskins are in the bottom half of the league giving up points to opposing RB’s, and Stewart hasn’t done much to impress this season, only going over 100 yards once. He’s a heaping pile of “OK”, getting 20+ touches each of the last 5 weeks and never going off with them. His 3.9 yards per attempt tells much of the story, as do his measly 8 receptions. Stewart is simply in Carolina to hold on to the ball and chew the clock. That being said, he’s a borderline RB2/3, so a flex play is still acceptable.

John Brown could be in for a big week if Michael Floyd is out. Brown needs to practice this week, but if he does and Floyd does not, he’s ready to go as a WR2. Carson Palmer throws the ball deep as much or more than any QB in the league, so Brown has a very high ceiling for a low end WR2. On the other hand, you have Davante Adams, who when given 21 targets in a game, still only puts up 7.9 fantasy points. Adams is averaging 10.1 yards per reception, lower than most TE’s and hasn’t scored a touchdown yet. Find someone else to start in place of Adams until he can get going with Rodgers, which seems less and less likely as the season goes on.

Week 11 byes include the Browns, Giants, Saints and Steelers. Thankfully it’s the last round of bye weeks for the season. Injuries continue to mount making the waiver wire your first chance at replacing or stashing the next man up. It’s never too early to start thinking playoffs either as we look ahead at the value the wire brings us for week 11 matchups.

Quarterbacks

Matt Hasselbeck, IND – Injuries continue to sideline Andrew Luck this season. Matt Hasselbeck will be forced back into the starting roll against Atlanta this Sunday. Hasselbeck’s numbers were not crazy from a fantasy stand point in his two previous starts, but he protected the football and was serviceable. The match up against Atlanta is favorable and looking ahead in week 12 he has a second favorable matchup against Tampa Bay, if he is called upon again. There is most likely better streaming options available in single QB leagues, but those brave enough for the 2 QB leagues are looking at Hasselbeck with some interest.

Brock Osweiler, DEN – Whether its protecting the legacy or truly a bad injury concern Peyton Manning is grabbing some bench in week 11 against the Bears. Enter Brock Osweiler, the backup we know very little about. We can’t judge too much on last week’s game as Osweiler and the Broncos were severely crippled by Peyton Manning before he left the game. Brock will have a full week of preparation on his side when playing the Bears. On top of that I expect to see the defense step up and potential create some very favorable situations for the second stringer.

Running Backs

Matt Jones, WAS – A minor injuries paved the way for Matt Jones to step in for Alfred Morris. Jones earned 187 yards on 11 rush attempts and 3 catches. Washington will continue to be a true committee situation but Jones is trending better than Morris in the last two games. This is a player you will want to capitalize on as the playoff edge closer. He has a very high ceiling with good match ups against Carolina, The New York Giants, and Dallas in the next few weeks. He’s only owned in 48% of leauges.

Andre Ellington, ARI – At this point of the year you might want to start making room for late season sleepers. Andre Ellington falls into that category in my opinion. He hasn’t earned nearly half of his production back but he is making the most of his carries. Last week he tallied 61 yards and a touchdown on just 5 touches. If you have the room for him on your bench and you expect to be in your leagues playoff he might be worth a stash. Production like his breeds more touches and Chris Johnson is no spring chicken.

Wide Receivers

Danny Amendola, NE - Our week 11 “next man up” is Danny Amendola. Julian Edelman just had surgery on his foot and Amendola will see an increased roll. He is probably the highest ranked waiver claim this week overall. Last week he had 10 receptions on 11 targets for 79 yards. He has always been a talented player, but he has struggled to stay healthy himself. Tom Brady has a lot of confidence in Amendola and the increased looks only makes him an immediate fantasy impact player.

Dwayne Harris, NYG – Another stash player heading into week 11 is Dwayne Harris. 3 of his last 4 games he has seen double digit fantasy numbers. Week 9 was a huge blemish on his fantasy value however. In weeks 8 and 10 he has 3 touchdowns total. Right now he is a risk, but showing signs of improved play and more confidence from Eli. The Giants are on bye in week 11 so only take the chance on him if your cruising in your leagues.

Tight Ends

Crockett Gillmore, BAL – This is the second week in a row Crockett Gillmore makes the waiver list. Usually I avoid doubling up on guys, but he proved himself last week and is only owned in 13% of leagues. Steve Smith Sr. going down caused a major void in the passing game and Crocket did his part to fill that void for Joe Flacco. He caught all 4 of his targets for 42 yards and a touchdown. I expect to see him continue to take on an expanded role for the Ravens.

Kickers

Cairo Santos, KC – A top 3 player at his position is only owned in 21% of the leagues. Cairo Santos has had his ups and downs to be honest, but his ups have been big. His future schedule is favorable with games against San Diego, Buffalo and Oakland in the next 3 weeks. Kansas City as a team continues to favor Santos too as he has 22 field goals on the season with 9 being 40 yards or more.

Defense/Special Teams

Kansas City Chiefs – They are a top 10 fantasy defense this season. In their last 5 games they have allowed less than 20 points to opponents too. Improved sack statistics have also complimented the KC defense. They have San Diego, Buffalo and Oakland the next three weeks and aren’t a bad options for those fantasy players streaming defenses all season.