Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 10: Smart Matchup Plays, Sleepers and More

The 2022 NFL regular season has reached its halfway point. We're through nine of the 18 weeks on the schedule, and playoff races are only going to heat up from here.

However, fantasy football leagues are already well past the midway point. Most have a 14-week regular season, so there are only a few weeks remaining for fantasy managers to try to guide their teams into the playoffs.

After six NFL teams were out of action in Week 9, byes won't be quite as much of a factor in Week 10. There will be only four teams not playing this week: the Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots, New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens.

Still, some fantasy managers will be without key players. So here's some early start/sit advice for Week 10 to help get a jump on any potential lineup decisions.

After missing four games because of a knee injury, Cordarrelle Patterson returned to the Falcons' backfield for their Week 9 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. The 31-year-old wasted no time getting back in the mix, either, as he ran for 44 yards and two touchdowns.

Patterson got the bulk of Atlanta's goal-line carries, and he's had a nose for the end zone all year, as he's scored five touchdowns in five games. So it seems he picked up right where he left off prior to the injury.

However, Patterson played only 39 percent of the Falcons' offensive snaps on Sunday. When he gets on the field more, his production should go up even more. And that could happen Thursday night during Atlanta's road matchup against the Carolina Panthers.

It's a great matchup for Patterson, considering the Panthers gave up 241 yards on the ground and five rushing touchdowns in their Week 9 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Carolina is allowing 139.3 rushing yards per game (fifth most in the NFL), so Patterson should fare quite well against that defense.

James Conner's return from a three-game absence because of a ribs injury wasn't too impactful. In the Cardinals' home loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, the 27-year-old running back had seven carries for 45 yards and five catches for 19 yards. And he still hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 1.

Arizona has been scuffling during its 3-6 start to the season, and Conner could eventually provide an offensive boost. But that seems unlikely to happen in Week 10 when the Cardinals are going on the road to face the NFC West rival Los Angeles Rams.

Conner is still trying to get reacclimated to game action, and the Rams have been strong against the run. Los Angeles is allowing only 98.4 rushing yards per game, the fourth fewest in the NFL.

So this isn't a great week to rely on Conner in fantasy lineups. If you have better RB/flex options, then leave him on the bench and wait for a better matchup in which he can get going again.

It was never likely that Chase Claypool would put up huge numbers in his Bears debut on Sunday. The 24-year-old wide receiver had just arrived in a deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier in the week (ahead of the trade deadline) and hadn't had long to learn Chicago's offense.

Claypool ended up recording only two catches for 13 yards and a four-yard rush in the Bears' Week 9 loss to the Miami Dolphins. But he was targeted six times, and he may have an even larger role in Chicago's offense in the weeks ahead.

Bears quarterback Justin Fields has been putting up big numbers in recent weeks, and that's boosting the fantasy value of the playmakers around him. Plus, he, Claypool and the rest of Chicago's offense have a great matchup in Week 10, when the Bears are hosting the NFC North rival Detroit Lions.

Expect Claypool to be much more productive against the Lions, who are giving up an NFL-high 417.3 total yards per game (including 268.5 through the air). That makes Claypool worthy of lineup consideration for fantasy managers this week.

The Vikings added a new offensive playmaker ahead of last week's trade deadline, acquiring tight end T.J. Hockenson in a deal with the Lions. But there are only so many targets to go around in Minnesota's offense, which is now even more loaded with talent.

That contributed to Adam Thielen being a bit less involved in the Vikings' Week 9 win over the Washington Commanders. The 32-year-old wide receiver had only three catches (matching his season low) and 67 yards, 36 of which came on one reception.

In Week 10, Minnesota is going on the road to face the Buffalo Bills, which isn't a great matchup for its offense. The Bills are giving up only 194.8 passing yards per game, so the Vikings may not put up huge numbers through the air.

Plus, it seems Hockenson could take away some of Thielen's work. So with an unfavorable matchup and an unclear role, Thielen should probably stay on fantasy benches this week, if managers have the depth to do so.