Here are the initial IDP suggestions for week 10. I will update the injury report on Saturday, since we all want to have the most recent practice reports to rely on in making lineup decisions.
Elevator Going Up
Linebackers
Bobby Wagner SEA
Pat Angerer IND
Jason Worilds PIT
Pat Worrilow ATL
Colin McCarthy TEN
Wagner returning to the Seahawk defense has been wonderful. Use him at home without question, but this week temper your enthusiasm. Angerer is finally paying off on my love for him, and you would do well to add him NOW. Worilds is a bit off the radar, but if he continues to get the most snaps, he is rosterable. Worrilow is a nice short term pick up, at least until Sean Weatherspoon returns to the Falcons' starting lineup. McCarthy is a real good pick up for the next few weeks, even if he cannot put up good numbers this week.
UPDATE: Clay Matthews (GB) is probable for Week 10. Although I don't expect him to be off the charts, if for some reason he was dropped in your league, now is the time to add him for the end of the season and fantasy playoffs. Aldon Smith (SF) is also reported to be active for Sunday's matchup against Carolina. I know I dropped him when he was suspended; he may be available and while his conditioning may not be at100%, he is still worth a bench spot this week.
Defensive Linemen
Akeem Hicks DE NO
Antonio Smith DE HOU
Cameron Heyward DE PIT
Jurell Casey DT DEN
Kyle Williams DT BUF
Hicks is a solid tackling machine, and you would do well to employ him as a DL2. Smith facing the Rams is due for a big game, I would wager if I bet. Heyward will look to build on his 2 sack performance from Week 9 and my suggestion would be to add him as a sneaky DL pick up. Casey also put up two sacks last week, together with 6 solo tackles and a forced fumble. Not too shabby, and if you don't grab him, someone else enamored with stats will. Williams getting to face the Steelers is written in stone somewhere, as a prophecy of big numbers. If only I could locate that site again.
Defensive Backs
Eric Weddle S SD
Eric Reid S SF
Will Hill S NYG
Aaron Williams S BUF
Shamarko Thomas S PIT
Dimitri Patterson CB MIA
Dwayne Gratz CB JAX
Weddle is back to being a top DB in the NFL. Grab him NOW. Reid should still be on your league's wire, and if you need DB help, go out and grab him. Hill is a solid tackle source, with other peripherals if you are lucky. Williams has replaced Da'Norris Searcy on the Bill's D, and he is a must add just for that fact. Thomas has a great first name, and has been putting up good numbers for the most part. If you need a safety, you could do far worse. Patterson is a guy I've been adding and holding past the 6 team bye weeks. Really like the fact he is picked on, as it leads to big numbers in fantasy. Gratz coming off his injury has been a nice surprise. Facing the Titans could prove interesting this week.
Escalator Going Down
Linebackers
Jarvis Jones PIT
Brooks Reed HOU
Thought Reed would be stepping it up with the opportunity, but alas, it has not been so. If he comes back this week, then grab him. Jones is not having rookie success and I would suggest he be benched or dropped soon
Defensive Linemen
Nothing here to see. Move along.
Defensive Backs
DaNorris Searcy S BUF
Janoris Jenkins CB StL
Ike Taylor CB PIT
Searcy was a player I recommended, but Carroll's dog house is not where I want to be. I can only hope that he starts seeing better time on the field. Jenkins is a forgotten guy in the St. Louis backfield and can be ignored at this point. Taylor is simply getting old and it is showing.
Ouch (My Aching Roster)
All the injury reports below need to be evaluated at kickoff. Teams are notoriously sketchy about injury reports, and we often do not know a player's status until just before game time. The list below is intended as a "heads up" as to what is going on early in the week, and should not be considered definitive.
Linebackers
David Hawthorne NO (toe)
Curtis Lofton NO (hamstring/ankle)
Stephen Nicholas ATL (thigh)
Daryl Smith BAL (thigh)
Manny Lawson BUF (non-injury related)
Lance Briggs CHI (shoulder)
Michael Boley CIN (hamstring)
Rey Maualuga CIN (knee)
Koa Misi MIA (knee)
Moise Fokou TEN (knee)
Defensive Linemen
Frostee Rucker DE ATL (calf)
Ziggy Ansah DE DET (ankle)
Cameron Jordan DE NO (ankle)
Tyrunn Walker DE NO (knee)
Ropati Pitoitua DE TEN (calf)
Jason Hatcher DT DAL (neck)
Jordan Hill DT SEA (biceps)
Justin Smith DT SF (shoulder)
Defensive Backs
Duke Ihenacho S DAN (ankle)
Roman Harper S NO (knee)
Tyvon Branch S OAK (ankle)
Aqib Talib CB NE (hip)
Corey Graham CB BAL (calf)
Jimmy Smith CB BAL (thigh)
James Dockery CB CAR (shoulder)
Champ Bailey CB DEN (foot)
Greg Toler CB IND (groin)
Corey Webster CB NYG (groin)
As ever, good luck and godspeed in your fantasy efforts. Make sure to read all of our great articles to help you win your fantasy match ups every week and ultimately bask in championship glory. If you have any fantasy football questions, especially about IDP leagues, I can be reached at ia@fantasyalarm.com.
Player News
Dolphins signed No. 13 overall pick DT Kenneth Grant to a four-year contract.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Grant will sign his contract today. The former Michigan defensive tackle is expected to fill a major void left by Christian Wilkins, who left for the Raiders in the 2024 offseason. Grant totaled 32 tackles, three sacks, and seven TFLs in his final season at Michigan and excelled at stopping the run while also generating 27 pressures in his final season, per PFF.
Beat reporter John Hendrix reports that free agent WR Donovan Peoples-Jones is among the 16 players that the Saints will host for their rookie minicamp.
Peoples-Jones last played regular season snaps with the Lions back in 2023, when he caught 13-of-24 targets for 155 yards. He is highly unlikely to return to fantasy relevance at this point but could perhaps sign on as a special teams contributor.
Titans signed fourth-round pick WR Elic Ayomanor to a four-year contract.
Ayomanor will now begin learning behind Calvin Ridley. Although Ayomanor is unlikely to find a meaningful role in year one, dynasty managers should note his status as training camp gets underway this summer. The former Stanford receiver flashed big-play ability in his two college seasons.
Buccaneers signed seventh-round pick WR Tez Johnson to a four-year contract.
Johnson will serve as a rotational deep-threat option for Baker Mayfield. His thin frame (5'10/154) simply does not lend itself to the repeated hits one incurs in a full-time role. Johnson did earn 100-plus targets in his two seasons at Oregon, though. His big-play style make him a better fit in best ball for now, pending any major on-field breakthroughs.
Giants waived DT Casey Rogers.
Rogers was a 2024 undrafted free agent and logged 33 defensive snaps for the Giants in his rookie season. He is credited with zero tackles and/or sacks. He may find his way onto another roster as a practice squad option.
Vikings signed third-round pick WR Tai Felton to a four-year contract.
Felton is quietly in play to challenge Vikings No. 3 WR Jalen Nailor in training camp. Nailor (5'11/190) caught 28-of-42 targets for 414 yards and six touchdowns in his first season as a starter last year, with the latter category buoying his fantasy productivity. Felton (6'1/183), meanwhile, caught 96-of-143 targets for 1,119 yards and nine touchdowns while averaging 2.32 yards per route run in his final college season. Fantasy managers should monitor Felton’s training camp reports this summer, as he could have a matchup-based WR5 role if everything falls into place.