Atlanta Falcons TE Kyle Pitts (hamstring) @ New Orleans Saints
Date/Time: Sunday, 1:00 pm Eastern
Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts appeared as a limited participant on the Week 10 Wednesday injury report with his fourth recorded hamstring strain, marking his second hamstring injury of 2024. He remained limited on Thursday as well. Pitts suffered a well-known PCL and MCL injury in November 2022. The location(s) of his recurring hamstring issues are unknown but it would not be surprising if the hamstring’s gracilis and semitendinosus tendons are implicated given their proximity to the MCL.
As long as Pitts can practice, fantasy managers should start the volatile TE1 although recurring hamstring issues could make him an ideal sell-high candidate after a strong performance. He faces a somewhat fantasy-unfriendly schedule in Weeks 11-14 (at Denver Broncos, bye week, vs. Los Angeles Chargers and at Minnesota) before reaching a softer season-ending stretch (at Las Vegas Raiders, vs. New York Giants and at Washington Commanders).
With No. 1 wide receiver Drake London (hip) also working through his own injury, No. 2 wide receiver Darnell Mooney should be rostered everywhere and started against a weakened New Orleans Saints cornerback corps.
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Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott (hamstring tendon) & WR CeeDee Lamb vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Date/Time: Sunday, 4:25 pm Eastern
Per NFL Network’s Jane Slater, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has been diagnosed with a partial avulsion injury, in which part of the hamstring tendon is torn off of its anchor point against the bone(s). Whether he also suffered an avulsion fracture remains unclear, but there may be more to learn about this injury. The tendon’s specific anchor point has also been left unreported; it could be similar to what is discussed in the Pitts section above. Per Slater, the requisite recovery timeline is typically more than four weeks, meaning fantasy managers should drop Prescott across all re-draft leagues.
Dallas’ No. 1 wide receiver CeeDee Lamb suffered a Week 9 AC joint sprain. He has a chance to suit up in Week 10, though the injury can be aggravated simply by landing on it. Aside from saving coaching staff jobs, the 3-5 Cowboys have no reason to rush Lamb back, especially with backup quarterback Cooper Rush now under center.
Lamb’s late-season prospects are threatened by errant-armed No. 3 quarterback Trey Lance, who could get a chance to audition for the starting role or be showcased as a potential trade target. Prescott signed a monstrous contract extension this offseason and the weighty dead money sums are somewhat offset by the potential savings. He could be playing elsewhere in 2025. If fantasy managers can sell Lamb for WR1 value, they should do so.
In the short term, Rush can play well enough to keep Lamb on the WR1/2 borderline. Among 60 NFL quarterbacks with at least 235 dropbacks over the last three seasons, Rush ranks 55th in yards per passing attempt (6.0) and 57th in completion rate (59.6 percent). His 23rd-ranked average depth of target (aDOT, 8.6) and 25th-ranked past-the-sticks throwing rate (40.4 percent) coupled with the second-best average time to throw (2.38) suggests he at least attempts to push the ball downfield while getting the ball out quickly, even if he struggles to do so.
Carolina Panthers TE Ja’Tavion Sanders (wrist/ankle) vs. New York Giants
Date/Time: Sunday, 9:30 am Eastern
Carolina Panthers tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders appeared on Week 10’s Thursday injury report as a limited participant, listed with both a wrist and an ankle injury. Sanders was previously listed on the Week 8 injury report with wrist and groin injuries, practicing twice in a limited capacity before being upgraded to a Full Participant practice designation on Friday. He was active for the contest but recorded just one target, one reception and seven receiving yards.
No. 1 wide receiver Xavier Legette is not listed on the injury report but did tell reporters that he aggravated a pre-existing wrist injury in Week 9 and experienced difficulty in gripping the football. He acknowledged offseason surgery may be necessary.
Both players should be in starting lineups, if active. The New York Giants’ abysmal tight end-coverage unit allows the eighth-most yards per coverage snap (8.92) and the highest catch rate (94.4 percent) to the position. Sanders has finished in the points-per-reception (PPR) TE9-14 range in three of the last four games. Despite the Week 8 flop, Sanders’ 2.43 yards per route run (YPRR) in Weeks 6-9 ranks fourth among 32 NFL tight ends with at least 70 receiving snaps during that span.
New York’s perimeter cornerback corps allows the 11th-highest explosive pass play rate (5.3 percent), the seventh-most yards per coverage snap (2.42) and the fourth-highest catch rate (68.8 percent), increasing Legette’s odds of producing multiple explosive gains.
Carolina slot receiver Jalen Coker gets a bounce-back opportunity against New York slot cornerback Andru Phillips, who has cooled off after a hot start, allowing a 100.0 percent catch rate in four straight games. Coker is flex-viable entering the matchup and would garner WR3 consideration if Sanders and/or Legette were ruled out.
Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence (non-throwing shoulder) vs. Minnesota Vikings
Date/Time: Sunday, 1:00 pm Eastern
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence is reportedly not expected to play against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 10, having recently injured his left, non-throwing shoulder. Doctor of Physical (DPT) Jeff Mueller wonders if Lawrence is dealing labral tear due to multiple reports indicating a surgical fix may be required.
Jacksonville evidently prioritizes obfuscation with their injury reports, consistently listing both mildly and moderately injured players with Limited Participation designations each week. The same is true for Lawrence in Week 10 so fantasy managers should fully ignore Lawrence’s practice participation at this time and instead rely on actionable reporting.
No. 1 wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. remains flex-viable against Minnesota’s blitz-happy defense, with backup quarterback Mac Jones under center. Minnesota’s defensive tactics return volatile results; their 7.93 yards allowed per wide receiver-coverage snap rank 15th among NFL teams but their 22.2 percent explosive pass play rate allowed to opposing wide receivers ranks seventh-highest and their 44 explosive pass plays allowed to the position ranks second-highest.
Tight end Evan Engram is a low-floor/high-ceiling TE1.
All remaining skill position players can be left on fantasy football benches.
San Francisco 49ers RBs Christian McCaffrey (bilateral Achilles tendonitis/calf) and Jordan Mason (AC joint sprain) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Date/Time: Sunday, 1:00 pm Eastern
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey remained limited through two Week 10 practices as he tentatively trends toward his 2024 debut, though full practice participation on Friday would assuage concerns over his readiness. No. 2 running back Jordan Mason (AC joint sprain) was downgraded to a limited participant on Thursday after practicing in full on Wednesday. While this is potentially a red flag, it is worth noting all four injured skill position starters (wide receivers Deebo Samuel (rib/oblique) and Jauan Jennings (hip)) practiced in a limited capacity on Thursday, which could indicate this is part of a workload management plan.
Regardless, explosive No. 3 running back Isaac Guerendo needs to be rostered everywhere; he averages 6.1 yards per rushing attempt, the third-most among 61 NFL running backs with at least 35 rushing attempts.
As DPT Edwin Porras explains in the Week 10 Injury [Pro]ne Fantasy Football Podcast, workload management is key when managing tendon-related issues. The team needs to gradually increase his workload over a multi-week span to reduce McCaffrey’s re-injury risk.
San Francisco is currently a 6.5-point road favorite and Tampa Bay allows the sixth-most expected points added (EPA) per run play (-0.024) and the fourth-deepest average depth of tackle (4.77).
Tampa Bay’s passing offense is also badly banged up.
San Francisco should be able to control this game with a committee-based rushing attack, keeping all three players flex-viable.
