Sunday Six Pack: Week Ten

Noah Ballweg Posted On November 10, 2019

Every week brings us great storylines in dynasty leagues. There isn’t a Sunday that passes without a significant injury, an unexpected performance or something else that puts the dynasty community on its ear. As always, we bring you the Sunday Six Pack, an article that previews six of the biggest storylines of the day.

1. Who owns the Arizona Cardinals backfield?

Chase Edmonds is out for the Cardinals week ten matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, David Johnson appears ready to go this week, providing an intriguing dilemma for owners of the Cardinals backfield. In week nine, newly acquired running back Kenyan Drake set a season-high in almost every statistical category and looked to be the running back to own for the remainder of the season. With the return of Johnson this week, it remains to be seen what type of snap-split these two capable running backs will receive. Before his injury in Week 7, Johnson was the RB7, but has yet to see the field since a concerning ankle injury.

Drake’s value is on the rise, as is his ADP, jumping to 106.8 in November according to our own Ryan McDowell. In a favorable matchup against the Buccaneers, I still think Johnson owns the backfield in this one, but his time as the Cardinals RB1 may be nearing its end.

2. What will a finally healthy Saints team look like?

Fresh off a week nine bye, the New Orleans Saints will have a healthy Drew Brees, Alvin Kamara, Jared Cook, and Tre’Quan Smith as they again pursue the top spot in the NFC against the Atlanta Falcons in week ten. It is without question that this team will return to a full-fire offense this week with Brees back under center once again. In the two full games Brees has appeared in, the Saints have averaged 510 total offensive yards, while in the six games that he missed, the offense only averaged 330 total yards per game.

Despite only playing in six games thus far, Kamara (2.50 ADP) is still the RB17 on the year and should easily climb back into the top ten of running backs despite sharing the load with Latavius Murray.

3. A case of confidence boosters in New York

In week ten, the New York Giants led by Daniel Jones (QB22) will face off against the lackluster New York Jets and Sam Darnold (QB33). While this matchup has no playoff implications as both teams have little to no chance of advancing past the regular season, it does carry a certain weight for each quarterback’s confidence. In a combined 13 starts between Darnold and Jones, the two have accounted for just 17 touchdowns breaking even with 17 interceptions. Not to mention the combined nine fumbles already lost (eight (!) on behalf of Jones).

To say the least, the seasons for both quarterbacks have been disappointing, especially on Darnold’s end, since he was poised in the preseason to take some major steps. In the end, we can only hope for two good, dare I say great performances from these quarterbacks as they battle it out. Not just for the sake of the fans, but for the sake of the psyche and confidence of these two young gunslingers.

4. How will knee injury affect mobility of Patrick Mahomes?

Will Mahomes be playing in week ten is one of the biggest storyline questions that every fan and fantasy owner needs to know. He was able to log full practices throughout the week, but as of this writing reports still suggest that the Chiefs could send Matt Moore out for another start in week ten. Given the Chiefs first-place standing in the AFC West, there is no rush to bring Mahomes back at least until week eleven. (Eds. note: Mahomes is starting.)

One thing to watch is his mobility on the ground. In 2018 alone, Mahomes threw for 1,155 yards when he was outside of the pocket, which has been where he has found a majority of his success. With a banged-up knee, we need to see that same speed and elusiveness if Mahomes is to remain the clear QB1 in dynasty.

5. Snap percentages to monitor in Cleveland

It has been almost one calendar year since Kareem Hunt last saw the field of an NFL game. While serving an eight-game suspension, Hunt has had a lot of time to think about his actions – we hope. Now it is time for him to resume his football career with the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. In the past year, Hunt saw his ADP plummet from 21.75 to 93.25, but he is now in a position to resurrect his career as well as the Browns offensive woes. Starting running back Nick Chubb has been having a decent year on the ground.

Currently the RB6 with 803 yards and six touchdowns, Chubb has only failed to surpass 75+ yards on the ground in two games this year. However, the Browns have failed to find the end zone offensively and he has been shutout in five of the Browns eight games thus far.

Hunt should quickly find a role as the third-down back as his pass-catching ability is far superior to Chubb’s. Both having played two seasons, Chubb has caught 45 passes for 310 yards, while Hunt has caught 79 passes for 833 yards. Keep an eye on the snap percentages for both players. Chubb is certainly the RB1 of the Browns and in no danger of losing his job, but Hunt will play a bigger factor in the passing game.

6. Will Josh Gordon be an impact on Monday Night Football?

Gordon is a household name that the Seahawks picked up off waivers last week. It is unforeseen whether he will play in week 10 against the 49er’s, but all dynasty eyes will be on Gordon if he does suit up. Playing alongside MVP candidate Russell Wilson and ROY candidate DK Metcalf, Gordon is an immediate boost to an already highly effective and efficient offense. His ADP in October was 90.5 (late seventh) and given he is healthy his rankings should continue to rise.

I certainly wouldn’t expect huge PPR numbers out of Gordon as the Seahawks rank as one of the lowest in attempted passes, but as we have seen with Metcalf – a big physical receiver – Wilson will put the ball where no one else but his receivers can get it, giving Gordon a huge advantage.