Fantasy Football Week 10 WR Rankings and Picks feat. Justin Jefferson, Deebo Samuel Sr., and more
The wide receiver landscape has been the most challenging position to manage in recent times for fantasy football managers. Even the most experienced fantasy football managers have been tested weekly with injuries to their star fantasy wideouts.
This article divides all available receivers for Week 10 into three fantasy categories: WR1s, WR2s, and WR3s, and we highlight the best matchups for your DFS decisions over the weekend.
Fantasy Football WR Rankings for Week 10
Fantasy Football Best WR Matchups for Week 10
1] Justin Jefferson vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville pass defense is one of our favorite units to target this season, and it just so happens they face an elite fantasy football wide receiver in Justin Jefferson. It was a given that Jefferson was most likely to be featured here, even with a full-strength Jacksonville team. Now that Trevor Lawrence is trending not to be available this weekend, all the Minnesota weapons get a boost, which sends Jefferson into another stratosphere.
Only the Baltimore pass defense is ranked as the worst defense in fantasy football (as I'm writing this, Ja'Marr Chase is destroying the Ravens, so that won't surprise you). Jacksonville has allowed the most receiving touchdowns (19), the second-most yards receiving yards (2,502), the second-most yards per target (7.7), and the third-highest catch rate (66.4%).
Jefferson moves all over the field but plays the left side of the formation at 37% of his 253 routes this season. That would line him up with Jacksonville's right cornerback Tyson Campbell, who plays 98.3% of his defensive snaps as the right cornerback. Campbell missed four games this season while recovering from a hamstring issue that landed him on the injured reserve.
And that's the best corner Jacksonville has regarding routes per route covered. The other options to target will be Jarrian Jones (1.08 YPRC) and Ronald Darby (1.47). You don't need us to tell you to start Jettas, but he needs to be highlighted as our featured player this week in this elite matchup.
2] Deebo Samuel vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Unfortunately, fantasy managers will never see the San Francisco offense with its full arsenal this season. But this weekend will be the closest we'll come to seeing the 49ers at near full strength.
Fantasy superstar Christian McCaffrey is trending toward being active for the first time all season and just in time to face one of the best fantasy matchups in the Tampa Bay defense.
McCaffrey will get all the attention in Week 10, but we shouldn't forget that Deebo Samuel Sr. is primed for a significant fantasy day. Only Baltimore and Jacksonville have given up more yards to wide receivers than Tampa Bay, which has permitted 2,482 heading into this weekend. It has also allowed the most receptions per game (25.9), the second-most receiving touchdowns (18), and the seventh-highest catch rate (63.8%).
How the Buccaneers' secondary will guard this San Francisco passing attack is no mystery. Rookie Josh Hayes has lined up 100% of his 59 defensive snaps at right cornerback, while Tykee Smith mans the slot (99.2%), and Zyon McCollum covers the left cornerback position (98.8%).
Samuel has played most of the offensive snaps as the slot receiver (40.7%) and the right wide receiver (35.3%) this season and should face a lot of Smith and McCollum. This unit was torched by DeAndre Hopkins for eight catches for 86 yards and two touchdowns last week.
All three don't threaten a player like Samuel's ability. The first-team All-Pro is 11th in the league in yards per route run (2.26) and 11th in yards after the catch (203) despite missing time with calf, ribs, flu, and oblique injuries.
But the 49ers are coming off the bye, and we're banking on Samuel being rested and ready for this enticing matchup. Tampa Bay will be coming into this game on a short week, so it's time to fire up all your San Francisco pass catchers in Week 10.
3] Amon-Ra St. Brown vs. Houston Texans
The Sun God is on an impressive run in fantasy football, scoring a touchdown in six consecutive games. He'll look to keep it going this week with a banged-up Houston squad still trying to recover from losing some of its biggest stars on offense.
The Texans lost Stefon Diggs for the season, and Nico Collins isn't guaranteed to be active this weekend. And it will need every player against one of the hottest teams in the NFL in the Detroit Lions.
Amon-Ra St. Brown will be locked in with Houston's slot cover, Jalen Pitre, who has lined up 100% of his snaps against slot receivers. Pitre comes into Week 10 as the worst-rated cornerback in the Texans' secondary regarding yards per route covered (1.16).
St. Brown is eighth among slot receivers in yards per route run (2.08), 9th in Fantasy points per game (18.9), and third in the league in catch rate (81.4%). The only worry is Detroit has had low passing yards in negative game scripts. But St. Brown remains one of the best options this weekend against Houston.