Fantasy Football Rankings: 5 most polarizing players for Week 10

We have five Yahoo rankers every week, and this column will look at five of the buzziest names of the week. I’m looking for players where there is real disagreement, and I’m using a little something called “coefficient of variation” to help me find just that. These rankings will be tinkered all the way until kickoff, so please check back in on our weekly rankings pages and Sunday AM sit/start show for the absolute latest.

These blurbs are also in The Blueprint, which is my weekly rankings and analysis column. The RB version is out on Wednesdays, while the WR version and the QB/TE/K/DEF version are each out on Thursdays before Thursday Night Football.

Tyler Warren (vs. MIA) – 43.5 proj. yards

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Warren is about to be a major PPR scam without Keenan Allen and Josh Downs, and I’m not convinced Alec Pierce (heel) will play again. The Colts’ defense and OL are also a mess after the trade deadline, so all roads lead to short passes to protect the far less mobile Daniel Jones, who also can’t push the ball with arm strength right now. Warren can settle within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage for the rest of the year as Mr. Compiler.

The matchup is also clean against the Dolphins. They’ve allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to the position and feature rookies over the middle. Despite their struggles, the Colts project for 21.0 points, a sign that there will be yards available here.

Justin Jefferson (at GB) – 77.5 proj. receiving yards

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I wrote a ton about Kirk Cousins and Jefferson here.

As for the matchup, Jefferson had his best game of the year against the Packers back in Week 1, finishing as the WR3 with a 92-2 receiving line. Green Bay slowed down the Panthers duo, the Cowboys duo and Amon-Ra St. Brown this month, however. It’s a strong defense that is well coached and with the best safety group across the league. I do trust Kirk Cousins to figure it out, assuming he can start right away.

Omar Cooper Jr. (vs. BUF) – 37.5 proj. receiving yards/

Corey Kiner (at DET)

Rhamondre Stevenson (knee) is likely out a couple of weeks, and it’s unclear if TreVeyon Henderson (illness) is going to make the trip to Germany. This assumes Henderson plays, but Kiner is the favorite for carries around the goal line. Even before Henderson’s illness, Kiner was mixing in. He seems like the more obvious Stevenson replacement given his beef. The Patriots have averaged 18.2 expected half PPR points to their RB room this year (30th). It just depends if Kiner is going to get 50% or 75% of that work.

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The matchup is pretty tough. The Lions are an obvious pass funnel, allowing the 25th-most rushing YPG (94) versus the most passing YPG (277). Detroit is missing LB Jack Campbell right now, but Kiner is at risk of getting game scripted out given his complete nothingness as a receiver. The Patriots have a healthy 24.5-point team total (10th). He needs a touchdown.

Zay Flowers (vs. LAC) – 69.5 proj. receiving yards

It’s simply best to throw out the past two games with Joe Fagnano, as Jacoby Brissett is lightyears better. As a baseline, Flowers is averaging 12.3 half PPR points and 66 YPG in nine games since last year with Tyler Huntley, who probably is a full tier worse than Brissett himself. Flowers will struggle to get all the way back to the league-leading yards per route metrics that he had in September, but he can sneak back into the fantasy WR1 mix once Brissett gets his feet wet again. It’s helpful that the Ravens have first-round LG Vega Ioane and C Cam Jurgens in the lineup. I’m buying the dip.

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The matchup with the winless Chargers is strong. They’ve allowed the fifth-most points against fantasy WRs and were especially shredded by the Texans and Rams over the past two games with S Derwin James on IR. Los Angeles also traded away LB1 Daiyan Henley this week. The Ravens are 4.5-point home favorites with an implied team total of 21.5 points (17th).