We’ve officially entered the bye-week gauntlet with four teams idle this week. Fantasy managers will be without Brock Bowers, DK Metcalf, Jayden Reed, and others as they prepare for Week 10. With several star players getting the week off, some fantasy managers will be forced to get creative with their lineup.
Flex Decisions: The Challenge of Bye Weeks
The hardest place to make lineup decisions can be at your Flex. There are few players who are clearly better talents or fantasy options, and it can feel like you’re just guessing which player is a better choice that week. The best thing you can do is consider available opportunity within an offense and analyze the player’s matchup so you can make an informed decision.
Week 10 Fantasy Football Rankings
Before diving into our Flex options, let’s not forget the rankings that can guide your decisions this week. Check out the latest updates for QBs, RBs, WRs, TEs, D/ST, and Kickers to ensure you’re making the most informed choices possible.
Flex Finder: Sleepers Who Can Pay Off
After combing through the rankings, we’ve identified five different players who you should consider moving into your Flex spot this week. If you have been going back and forth about any of these players, save yourself some time, and get them into your lineup.
Tyrone Tracy, RB, New York Giants
Tyrone Tracy disappointed fantasy managers in Week 9, scoring just 7.9 PPR points for an RB35 finish. However, this is not the time to get discouraged and demote Tracy to the bench; he could very easily be a player who wins your matchup this week. Why? The Giants face off against a hapless Carolina defense.
Before we get into the matchup, let’s first take a look at where Tracy stands within the New York offense. Tracy had seemingly supplanted Devin Singletary in recent weeks, but there were questions about his Week 9 workload as he was recovering from a concussion. Those questions were answered last Sunday, and Tracy remained in the driver’s seat in this backfield, playing a whopping 72 percent of the snaps while holding a 74-percent opportunity share. Nothing about this usage points to Singletary playing a meaningful role down the stretch this season.
Tracy has a tight grip on this backfield and should be able to run wild against the Panthers. Carolina ranks dead last in rushing yards allowed per game, rushing touchdowns allowed per game, and fantasy points allowed to running backs per game. They surrender a staggering 29.3 fantasy points per game to opposing running backs, the worst mark since at least 2015. If Tracy is on your roster, you’re starting him against this defense without a doubt.
Jaylen Warren, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Jaylen Warren returned to the field in Week 6, and the Pittsburgh backfield has since resembled what we saw in 2023—a near 50-50 split. Warren has played at least 40 percent of snaps in each of the last two weeks and has maintained his role as the passing-down back. In fact, Warren has run more routes than Najee Harris in each of the last two games, including a game with a 58-percent route participation in Week 7.
Looking ahead to this week, we could be in line for Warren’s strongest usage of the year. The Steelers could be in a trailing game script for the first time since Week 4, a game in which Warren did not play. Pittsburgh is three-point underdogs against Washington, but this could realistically turn into a blowout. Last season, when the Steelers were trailing by more than one possession, Warren held a 58-percent snap share and a 26-percent target share. If Pittsburgh is indeed playing catchup, we could see five or six targets come Warren’s way. If he can turn these into a handful of receptions and an explosive play or two, Warren will be more than a viable Flex option this week.
Rome Odunze, WR, Chicago Bears
Given the Bears’ depth at wide receiver, Rome Odunze hasn’t been able to put his full skill set on display. Odunze’s ability to win deep was one of his biggest draws as a prospect, but that’s about all he’s been asked to do this year. He has the highest aDOT of all receivers in Chicago and leads the team in air yards share despite ranking third in target share.
A matchup with the Patriots is a spot where Odunze could connect with Caleb Williams on some deep balls. Chicago’s offensive struggles stem from a number of issues; one of those key issues is the inability to protect Williams. He has been under pressure at the third-highest rate of any current starter. If Williams is constantly under siege in the pocket, it’s hard for him to find his deep threat in Odunze as plays can’t develop. Thankfully, the New England defense ranks 27th in quarterback pressure rate, which should allow Williams to have the cleanest pocket he’s seen this season. With more time to throw, Williams should be able to connect with Odunze for a deep strike or two.
The other factor that lifts Odunze’s outlook this week, and in the future, is the clear decline of Keenan Allen. He’s been highly inefficient since joining the Bears this season, ranking 71st in both yards per route run and yards per target among 76 WRs with at least 30 targets on the year. It’s only a matter of time before the coaching staff opts to heavily feature their top-10 draft pick over an ineffective veteran. That time could come as soon as this Sunday.
Noah Brown, WR, Washington Commanders
Noah Brown is a solid Flex option for teams that are in the bye-week blender or that have been ravaged by injuries at receiver. Across the last month, Brown has emerged as a significant player in the Washington offense, and he could also be a contributor to fantasy lineups.
In Brown’s last four games, he’s had a route participation of at least 70 percent three times. The only game where he did not hit 70 percent was in the dismantling of the Panthers in Week 7. In the three games where Brown has been a full-time player, he’s led the team in targets twice. It’s strange to say, but Brown seems to be the second-most talented receiving option on a team that has just two losses.
There isn’t anything particularly appealing about Brown’s matchup this week. The Pittsburgh defense has been rather strong as a whole and ranks 26th in fantasy points allowed to receivers. However, when a player is emerging as the No. 2 option in an offense as potent as Washington’s, there is fantasy appeal every week regardless of the matchup.
Parker Washington, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
With Christian Kirk out for the season, second-year receiver Parker Washington has been promoted into the WR2 slot role in Jacksonville. Last Sunday, Washington was second on the team in routes and actually out-targeted Brian Thomas Jr.
The most intriguing part of Washington’s outlook is actually Jacksonville’s matchup with the Vikings. Minnesota has regularly put their opponents into negative game scripts, forcing them to adopt a pass-heavy approach. The Vikings’ opponents rank 7th in pass rate over expectation across the full season.
When teams are slinging the ball all over the field, wide receivers tend to do well in fantasy football. As you might expect, Minnesota allows the second-most fantasy points per game to opposing receivers, trailing only the Baltimore Ravens. This could be a game where Trevor Lawrence cracks 40 pass attempts for the first time this season, allowing multiple offensive weapons to thrive in fantasy.
In this bye-week gauntlet, making the right Flex decisions can be the difference between victory and defeat. Embrace the challenge, trust your instincts, and let’s make Week 10 a winning one!
