“Are there too many IDP starting lineup decisions for you this week? Can’t decide which linebacker or edge rusher to start? Which safety gets the nod this week?”
This will not be the typical ‘obvious starters’ type of article. Always start your studs like Will Anderson, Ernest Jones, and Evan Williams. What needs to be shared is who we start and who we sit out of the not-so-obvious players. You will not see many of the top-10 players listed in these articles because we are all already familiar with starting these players.
The Byes are upon us. The Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are off this week. You probably have just five weeks left in your regular season. Let’s finish strong!
***Please note that all rankings are pulled from FantasyPros.com’s current weekly rankings for DL, LB, and DB.
Week 10 – DL/Edge Starters
Edge – Joshua Uche – Miami Dolphins
Uche has been on a tear over the past couple of weeks. He has faced the #20 and #24-ranked teams in points allowed to opposing edge players, and has scored a whopping 55 IDP points combined in the past two games. The points were achieved by Uche posting 9 tackles (8 solo), 2 tackles for a loss, 3 QB hits, 2 sacks, and 1 pass defended. As a matter of fact, the statistics were achieved on 83 defensive snaps, which was 70% of those snaps.
Uche and the Dolphins travel to Indianapolis to face the #26-ranked Colts in Week 10. The Colts seem to be in a free fall and going nowhere fast. For example, in the previous four games, the Colts have given up 20 or more points to six different edge rushers. The players who accomplished these high scores include Rashan Gary, Travon Walker, Josh Hines-Allen, Dallas Turner, Jake Martin, and Jermaine Johnson.
Uche is the #48-ranked DL for Week 10. It would be a shock if he weren’t in the top 10 this week. He is the #5-ranked DL over the past two weeks combined.
DT – Alim McNeill – Detroit Lions
McNeill is the #18-ranked defensive tackle in scoring this season. Accordingly, he has posted six double-digit scoring games in the eight he has played. He has played teams ranked from #4 to #31 this season. McNeill has produced a sack in each of the past two games against the #18-ranked Dolphins and #22-ranked Vikings. He also added 5 tackles (2 solo), 2 tackles for a loss, and 2 QB hits. It also helps his opportunity that he is out there for over 75% of the defensive snaps.
The Lions welcome the #20-ranked Patriots to town in Week 10. New England has been reeling in points allowed to defensive tackles over the past two games. For example, Karl Brooks scored 26 points last week with 2 solo tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, 3 QB hits, and 2 sacks. Zach Sieler had 6 tackles, 3 of them being solo. Jordan Phillips had 5 tackles, 3 of them being solo.
McNeill is ranked the #30 DL for Week 10. A Top-20 performance is on deck.
Week 10 – DL/Edge Sits
Edge – Josh Sweat – Arizona Cardinals
Sweat has scored 8 or fewer points in six of his nine games. In those six games combined, Sweat produced just 9 tackles (7 solo) and 1 tackle for a loss. That is it for his production across six games. Incredibly, you can not blame the snap count, as he is playing roughly 60% of the defensive snaps. 205 snaps during those six games produced one tackle for every 23 snaps he played.
The Cardinals welcome the Rams to town this week. They have the fourth toughest team for edge players to play against. They have only allowed three different edge players to score double-digit IDP points in five different games. In fact, zero of the Commanders’ edge players scored more than eight points last week.
Somehow, Sweat is the #44-ranked DL for Week 10, and that is probably too high.
Week 10 – LB Starts
LB – Devin Lloyd – Carolina Panthers
Lloyd has had a decent year this year, with double-digit IDP points scored in six of his seven games played. He is averaging nearly 19 IDP points per game played. Lloyd has played teams as high as the #2-ranked team in points allowed to opposing linebackers and as low as the #30-ranked team. His season-to-date numbers include 54 tackles (32 solo), 4 tackles for a loss, 5 QB hits, 2 sacks, 4 passes defensed, 2 interceptions, and 1 interception for a touchdown.
Lloyd will get his easiest matchup of the season this week when the Panthers travel to New Orleans to face the #31-ranked Saints. The Saints give up points to linebackers in big chunks every week. They gave up a 26-point effort to Patrick Queen and a 40-point effort to Carson Schwesinger in the last two games. Other linebackers that had huge games against the Saints include Harold Perkins (22 points), Nakobe Dean (28 points), and Derrick Barnes (21 points).
Lloyd is the #15-ranked LB for Week 10. His opponent will make sure he beats that number.
LB – Micah McFadden – New York Giants
McFadden got his opportunity two weeks ago when Tremaine Edmunds went on injured reserve with a chest injury. He has not disappointed. McFadden has posted a combined 19 tackles (15 solo), 3 tackles for a loss, 3 QB hits, 1 sack, and 1 fumble recovery. That was against the #6-ranked Texans and #23-ranked Eagles.
He gets an even easier matchup this week when the Commanders come to New Jersey. In fact, the Commanders are the sixth most generous team against opposing linebackers. They have given up double-digit points to both opposing linebackers in every game this season. They are a perfect 8-for-8. As a matter of fact, in the last meeting between these two teams, both Edmunds and Arvell Reese scored 20+ points.
McFadden is the #8-ranked linebacker for Week 10 and has a chance at the top score this week.
Week 10 – LB Sits
LB – Anthony Hill Jr. – Tennessee Titans
Hill has had a very nice rookie season, posting double-digits in seven of his eight games played. Half of his games have seen him produce double-digit tackles. His one single-digit scoring game came against the only team he faced that was ranked in the Top 10 this season. He produced just 5 tackles, with 3 being solo against the sixth toughest team in the NFL, the Texans.
Hill and the Titans welcome the fifth toughest matchup for linebackers this week in the Jaguars. The Jaguars only allowed 31 points combined to 4 different linebackers last week. In fact, they allow, on average, just 33 points given up to all opposing linebackers combined each week.
Hill is ranked as the #26 LB for Week 10, and expectations should be held to a minimum this week.
Week 10 – DB Starts
S – Andrew Wingard – Arizona Cardinals
Wingard has fit right in next to Budda Baker in his new home this year. In the five games he has played 100% of the snaps, he has averaged over 20 points per game. Wingard did miss three full games and most of the fourth game, starting in Week 4 with a knee injury. He returned two games ago and hasn’t missed a step. As a matter of fact, he is averaging over eight tackles per game. The last two games have him at a 10-tackle-per-game clip. He has faced the #9 to #28 ranked teams in points allowed to opposing safeties.
Los Angeles brings their third-easiest ranking for opposing safeties this week. The Rams will be the kindest matchup for Wingard this season. Los Angeles gave up 73 points to the Commanders’ safeties last week.
He is the #9-ranked DB for Week 10. In fact, both Cardinals’ safeties are ranked in the Top 10 for defensive backs.
CB – Josh Wallace – Los Angeles Rams
Wallace has four straight double-digit scoring weeks over his last four games. In fact, he has seven in his eight games played this season. He has played 100% of the defensive snaps in half of his games. His best game of the season was in Week 6 against the worst-ranked team against opposing cornerbacks. That week against the Cardinals, Wallace posted 8 tackles (5 solo), 1 tackle for a loss, and 2 passes defensed.
Wallace now gets his second go at the worst team in the NFL against opposing cornerbacks. The Rams travel to the desert to face the Cardinals and their rookie QB, Carson Beck, in his very first NFL start. A repeat of Week 4 is in the cards with Jaylen Watson on injured reserve and Trent McDuffie questionable after missing last week’s game due to an injured back.
Do not let this #76-ranked defensive back in Week 10 be found on your bench.
Week 10 DB Sits
S – Xavier Watts – Atlanta Falcons
Watts just lost his Batman when Jessie Bates got traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars. He has 58 tackles this season, but only 24 in his last 4 games combined. Most of his other stats in passes defensed, forced fumbles, and QB hits came in his first five games this year. Watts only faced one Top 10 team against opposing safeties in the past four weeks. The other three were ranked #20, #21, and then the worst-ranked team in the NFL, the Bears.
The road gets tougher this week as the Falcons welcome the Chiefs and their #6-ranked team to Atlanta. Kansas City has only allowed three safeties all year to break 20 points. Actually, they have only allowed one 20-point performance in the past four games. Watts will be missing Bates next to him, and going against the 6th toughest matchup does not spell an overwhelming performance this week.
Watts is ranked #33 for defensive backs this week, and honestly, do not rely on a Top-50 score this week.
Thank you for checking out my Weekly IDP Start/Sit Advice article! You can read all of my articles on my IDP+ author page. Be sure to follow me on X at @OldMan_FF and @IDP_Plus (we have offense, too), and please consider becoming a subscriber. Week 4 IDP Start Sit
