Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 10: Making the Call on Fantasy Football Fringe Starters

Fantasy football managers can put in hours of research in a given week. They can look into advanced stats, read tons of advice columns and evaluate numerous sets of rankings. And yet, so much of the game just comes down to luck.

There are plenty of instances in which a fantasy manager makes the wrong decision with a fringe player, leaving a breakout star on the bench or starting somebody who ends up making little or no impact. It can be frustrating, but it's part of the game. However, the research can at least increase the odds that managers make the right choices.

So, who among these fringe players should be put into lineups and who should be left on the bench for Week 10? Here's some start/sit advice to help with those decisions.

As long as Clyde Edwards-Helaire doesn't return this week, Darrel Williams remains a worthwhile starting option for fantasy managers.

Even though rookie Derrick Gore's touches have increased in recent weeks, Williams is still the top Kansas City RB to put in your lineup.

The 26-year-old hasn't scored a touchdown over the past three weeks, but he's still put up solid numbers. He had 110 total yards in Week 8 and then rushed for 70 yards last week. He's due to get into the end zone again soon, and he has a solid Week 10 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders, which allow the fifth most rushing yards per game in the NFL (133.5).

This may be the last week that Williams is worthy of starting, as Edwards-Helaire should be returning from his knee injury in the near future.

And keep an eye on the news this week, because if the LSU product does come back, an alternative to Williams will need to be found.

Sam Darnold has been struggling of late, and that's had a negative impact on the Carolina Panthers' wide receivers. That includes DJ Moore, who hasn't scored a touchdown or had more than 73 receiving yards in a game since Week 4.

Now, Darnold has a right shoulder injury and P.J. Walker will be starting at QB, which isn't likely to help Moore and the rest of the receivers.

Last week, the 24-year-old had season lows in catches (three), targets (seven) and receiving yards (32), so things seem to be trending in the wrong direction for him. And things may not get any better for Carolina's passing attack in Week 10, when Walker will be at the helm as it takes on the Arizona Cardinals, which rank sixth best in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game this season (209.9).

Moore is a talented player and should be putting up better numbers than he has been. But until the Panthers' QB play improves, his fantasy value will remain low. Put him on the bench and find a WR on a better offense with a stronger matchup this week.

Many fantasy managers had been waiting for DeVonta Smith to break out and start living up to his potential. He hadn't been bad this season, but he didn't score a touchdown from Weeks 2-8 and had only one 100-yard game during that stretch.

In Week 9, the 22-year-old finally put up the big numbers people had been waiting for, as he had five catches for 116 yards and a touchdown in the Eagles' loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. He's been Philadelphia's No. 1 receiver and has been targeted plenty, and now he's starting to capitalize more on those opportunities.

It's possible Smith could be on the receiving end of some big plays again in Week 10, when the Eagles go on the road to face the Denver Broncos.

So, the Alabama product should be started this week, as his previous performance may be a sign of what to expect from him down the stretch.

Even though Tyler Higbee has been frequently involved in the Rams' offense, it hasn't led to big production. He was targeted a season-high 10 times last week against the Tennessee Titans but had only five catches for 51 yards. He nearly had a touchdown, but it was ruled that he stepped out of bounds and came back in prior to the grab.

Because of that, the 28-year-old still hasn't gotten into the end zone since Week 5, and he has only two touchdowns this season. From Weeks 2-8, he didn't have more than 46 receiving yards in any game. And he is unlikely to break through in Week 10 against the San Francisco 49ers, which allow only 9.65 fantasy points to tight ends per game, per NFL.com.

There's a decent chance that a strong streaming tight end such as Pat Freiermuth, Dan Arnold or Tyler Conklin is on your league's waiver wire. Pick up one of them and start him in place of Higbee this week, and potentially every week moving forward.