Let's take a look at five of the biggest fantasy football takeaways from Week 10 of the NFL season.
Julian Edelman out for season
After a killer season in which he was on pace for over 100 catches, nearly 1,300 yards and 14 touchdowns, Julian Edelman will be sidelined for at least 6-8 weeks after suffering a Jones fracture in his foot.
It's a shame for fantasy owners, mainly because Edelman was such a steal on draft day, regularly being selected as a back-end WR2 back in the summer. He obviously outproduced that draft slot, and he was carrying teams to the finish line as the fantasy playoffs approach. Edelman can safely be released in all leagues that run through Week 16.
So how do we replace such a high volume, bankable receiver like Edelman? We'll start in New England, where Danny Amendola should step into Edelman's role as the underneath receiver for Tom Brady. Amendola has been productive in the past, and his 10 receptions against the Giants on Sunday is a good indicator of what he's capable of. If he's out there, go get him. Amendola should be a valuable WR3/Flex option the rest of the year, and Brandon LaFell and Rob Gronkowski both receive bumps in their stock as well.
Chances are, you'll have to scramble and find a free agent if Amendola isn't available. Kamar Aiken is a great option as the clear top receiver in Baltimore. Same goes for Stevie Johnson in San Diego, who should see tons of targets for a Chargers team without Keenan Allen and Malcom Floyd.
Winter is coming, Peyton
Winter is upon us, and so might be evil Peyton Manning. After watching his arm nearly fall off last season late in the year, Manning was awful against the Chiefs, throwing four picks and ending up with a QB rating of 0.0.
Manning has already been ruled out for Week 11 with a foot injury, and it wouldn't be a terrible idea to cut bait in advance of the fantasy postseason. At the very least, you'll want to find at least one other reliable quarterback, as you just can't depend on Manning to be healthy and productive anymore. There's also the chance, slim as it may be, that Brock Osweiler plays well enough to keep Peyton on the bench.
So who are some quarterbacks to target? Osweilier may be worth a shot, as the Bears secondary can be exploited and Denver still has plenty of great weapons, including Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. Matt Hasselbeck is a relatively safe option, and Johnny Manziel's rushing ability could lead to some surprising fantasy performances. Just don't plan on having Peyton be your QB1 down the stretch.
Go away, Forte?
For the second straight week, Bears rookie running back Jeremy Langford was a Miidway monster, putting up huge stats both on the ground (20-73-1) and through the air (7-109-1). He's a versatile threat who does a nice job taking what defenses give him, and he has some real speed and explosiveness in the open field. The question is: how long can he keep this up?
A matchup against Denver isn't ideal, but neither was St. Louis. Langford is an RB1 candidate...just so long as Matt Forte remains out of the picture. Forte was inactive once again with an MCL injury, but he might not be far away from returning.
Here's the interesting decision for the Bears. Langford is clearly the future back in Chicago, both because he's young and talented, and because Matt Forte is set to become a free agent this offseason. Forte will be 30 next year, so it's very well possible Chicago plans on letting him walk without much of a fight.
If that's the case, you would think that the Bears would keep riding Langford the rest of the way, correct? Suddenly Chicago is back in the playoff hunt, which could mean they'll either get a proven star like Forte back into the mix, or ride the hot hand with Langford. It's tough to say which way John Fox will go, and he's not likely to give us any real hints. This could end up being a timeshare, which would almost be the worst-case scenario for all involved.
Go West, young man
While we're on the topic of young running backs coming out of nowhere, how about Charcandrick West? He was mostly shut down by a tough Broncos defense on the ground, but West still managed to score twice thanks to a 80-yard touchdown reception.
That's three straight games in which West has found the endzone, and three straight games with at least 24 touches. He's a true workhorse back in a league that lacks those guys, and while it may not feel right to consider him an RB1 the rest of the way, he absolutely is. On tap next? Two matchups against San Diego and one against Cleveland, which is basically running back heaven. Get on board.
Waiver Wire
QB: Tyrod Taylor, Matt Hasselbeck, Brock Osweiler, Mark Sanchez
RB: Jay Ajayi, Shaun Draughn, Denard Robinson, Spencer Ware, Trey Williams
WR: Danny Amendola, Doug Baldwin, Stevie Johnson, Chris Givens
TE: Crockett Gilmore, Eric Ebron, Clive Walford, Garrett Celek
D/ST: KC D, JAX D, ATL D
