The Rundown: Week 10

Nov 11, 2020

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The idea of sports and politics and their relationship is a complicated one. Obviously, with the recent election in the United States, sports have represented more of a haven than usual from what can be a divisive topic around dinner tables and (virtual) water coolers. Regardless of political affiliation or positions, football in particular has been a way for all of us to come together. So whether you are for or against the intersection of sports and politics or felt like you won or lost based on election results, remember that we are all in this together. Seeking our next fantasy championship.

Last week’s edition highlighted some nice trends including Zack Moss’ continued ascent in Buffalo and DeeJay Dallas’ short-term relevance for fantasy players. Marquez Valdes-Scantling did surprise with a pair of touchdowns on his only catches last Thursday, but it’s likely not a sign of things to come. A continued eye should be kept on Nick Mullens and who he targets going forward, including Week 9 breakout Richie James.

This article leverages the wide array of 4for4’s data library including snaps, touches, targets, fantasy scoring, and red zone information. Lucky for you, this article will put everything in one place in time for those weekly matchup decisions.

Quarterbacks Trending Up

Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins

Coming into the season, most were excited about this rookie quarterback class but outside of Joe Burrow, weren’t sure if they’d have Year 1 contributions in fantasy. Fast forward nine weeks and suddenly we could have three startable rookie signal callers. Tua’s Week 9 effort surpassed 20 fantasy points, which along with Jake Luton’s game, was the third and fourth rookie to eclipse that mark this season at the position.

Tua’s is likely more sustainable despite a rough first start the week before against the Rams. Against the Cardinals, he completed over 70% of his passes, including a pair of touchdowns, and showed off some rushing ability with 35 yards on the ground. The Chargers aren’t a bad matchup, ranking in the middle in most passing categories and have only forced four interceptions this season. He’s an easy start in superflex leagues and could be a bye week option for those looking to the waiver wire in single quarterback leagues.

Drew Lock, Denver Broncos

Like the weather lately, Drew Lock has been hot and cold in an instant. Do we trust the last two weeks, a pair of top-12 finishes, that account for 63% of his fantasy output in 2020, or the prior two weeks that left him outside the top-20 in fantasy scoring? The sudden reliance on Jerry Jeudy should help - he has 24 targets the last two weeks - and fellow rookie K.J. Hamler is taking on a bigger role as well. If the talent continues to develop, Lock could see a few more boom contests with the Raiders matchup a possible instance. They rank bottom 10 in yards allowed and have just three interceptions this year with no team worse in points per drive allowed this season.

Quarterbacks Trending Down

Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders

Lock’s opponent, Derek Carr, isn’t faring so well recently. As the near opposite of Lock, Carr has a pair of finishes outside the top-20 preceded by a pair inside the top-12. Part of it was matchups, with the Chiefs and Buccaneers providing more resistance to Carr than the Browns and Chargers. The other part continues to be a lack of consistent pass weapons outside of Darren Waller, as the team cycles through wide receiver options. The Broncos won’t be an easy test, they rank 10th in net pass yards per attempt and have the second-best red-zone touchdown rate allowed (48.3%) this season.

Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams

Carr’s former Californian neighbor has had the bye week to make some changes for the home stretch of the season. Goff has as many weeks outside the top-24 (three) as he has inside the top-12. This can partly be a result of a decline in volume - the Rams were third in pass attempts in 2019 compared to 16th in 2020 - but efficiency hasn’t improved either. The Seahawks represent a good matchup as they rank last in yards allowed in the passing game and are below average in most defensive measures. They have yet to hold an opponent to under 20 offensive points this year.