Fantasy football mailbag: RB handcuff hierarchy, planning ahead for the playoffs, and more
Read The Athletic’s fantasy football start/sit advice for Week 10.
Are you sitting down? If you’re not, hold onto something. We’re a mere five weeks away from the fantasy football playoffs.

It’s time to position yourself as best you can to either make the playoffs or prepare for them once you’re locked in. That’s where I come in. Thanks to everyone who submitted questions. If I didn’t answer yours in the article, drop it in the comments, and I’ll answer as many as possible. You can hit me up on Twitter/X @GMenJay as well.
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Can you rank rest of season RB handcuffs? — Matthew D.
Instead of ranking them, I’ll break them up into three categories and list them in order of preference.
Must roster (FLEX worthy, league winning upside):
Should be rostered (RB2ish value if the lead back):
Dont waste your time:
I am beginning to plan ahead for the first week of the playoffs. Any plan for who I should look at for Week 15? — Carson W
Now is the perfect time to start looking ahead to the playoffs if you’re on track to make it. Take advantage of those fighting for their playoff lives and need to win now. Drop the bye-week fill-ins and stash upside.
The Saints have a bye week coming up, and their defense could get dropped. If that happens, pick up/stash them. A Week 15 matchup with the Giants awaits, potentially with Tommy DeVito at quarterback.
Bijan Robinson gets the best matchup for running backs in Week 15 versus the Panthers and could be available from a disheartened manager ready to cut their losses. Seattle has a mouth-watering playoff schedule for wide receivers. If you can’t swing a trade for DK Metcalf or Tyler Lockett, check to see if Jaxon Smith-Njigba is floating out there on waivers. He’s available in 42% of Yahoo leagues.
Pay attention to players on your roster with bad matchups — there are a few with brutal playoff schedules. Two of Tua Tagovailoa’s three playoff matchups (NYJ, DAL, BAL) are in the bottom six for fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks. Not only could Saquon Barkley have DeVito as his quarterback, but playoff matchups with the Saints, Eagles, and Rams as well.
Should I continue to roll with Bijan Robinson or move on? I traded for him cheap this week, but he’s been… disappointing. — Edward S.
Disappointing is about the kindest way you could put Bijan Robinson’s rookie season, but it’s not his fault. The problem is fantasy football’s public enemy No. 1, Falcons head coach Arthur Smith. It’s truly baffling why Tyler Allgeier continues to lead the backfield while averaging nearly two fewer yards per carry (5.02 to 3.2).
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But there is reason for optimism. Bijan is producing when he gets the ball, averaging over 5.0 yards per carry and over 7.0 yards per catch. Excluding the Week 7 game versus Tampa Bay, where he only saw 11 snaps, Bijan averages over five targets a game. The only way I’d be benching or trading Bijan would be for a Top 5 caliber back, maybe Top 3. The upside is just too massive. Here’s hoping Smith shaving his mustache is a sign that he’s seen the error of his ways and feeds Bijan.
I have Gus Edwards on my bench. Start him next week over Tony Pollard or Raheem Mostert? — Tyler G
Since Miami is on a bye Week 10, yes, I’d start Edwards over Mostert.
Alright, now that I got that out of my system, let’s dig a little deeper into Edwards’ recent hot stretch. Yes, he’s averaging 26.7 PPR points per game over his past three games, but how Edwards has gotten his points is a bit fluky. I’m not one of those analysts who says, “Take away x play, and this guy is terrible,” but there are concerning signs.
Week 7 he had an 80 reception, which netted him an extra 9 points. But he’s not involved in the passing game. Edwards has one or fewer targets in six of eight games. in Week 8 he scored 3 touchdowns. Awesome, yes, but you can’t depend on that happening every week. In Week 9 he scored 2 touchdowns on 5 touches. 5 touches.
Looking at matchups for a potential tiebreaker, in Week 11 Edwards faces the Browns, who give up the fifth-fewest fantasy points to running backs. Mostert (LV) and Pollard (CAR) both have Top 5 matchups. In Week 12, all three backs have middling matchups (CIN, NYJ, WAS), so no help there.
With the fluky way Edwards has gotten his points over the past few weeks, as well as Ravens rookie running back Keaton Mitchell coming off a breakout game (likely earning more touches), keep the Gus Bus parked on your bench.
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I just lost Dallas Goedert. Any sleeper TEs. I’m in a 12-team league. — Andrew R.
Who do I pick up now that Dallas Goedert is out? … Jake Ferguson is already rostered, unfortunately. — Dominic L.
While he’s one of the most annoying players to see come on the field if you roster any other Saints, Taysom Hill is available in 35% of Yahoo leagues. He’s scored double-digit PPR points in each of the past four games, with back-to-back games of over 20. The floor is zero for Hill, but so is it for most other tight ends. It’s worth the risk for his upside.
Trey McBride is currently available in 37% of Yahoo leagues and that number could be on the rise. After a breakout 25.5 point performance against the Ravens, the second-year tight end came back down to earth with just three catches for 22 yards in Week 9. With Kyler Murray expected to return as the Cardinals’ starting quarterback this week, McBride is worth rostering, and most likely starting, if you’re looking for tight end help. McBride won’t have to deal with Clayton Tune under center.
Will you tell me it’s going to be okay? I dropped C.J. Stroud for Will Levis this week. Sat De’Von Achane in his 50-point game. Sat Justin Fields in his 50-point game. Let my wife pick my flex last week and lost because of that move… Higgins, Waddle, Kyren, Achane… Should I just quit? — Anonymous
You’ll be okay as long as you never tell your wife that you lost in fantasy football because of her.
That’s it for this go-round. Good luck in Week 10 and your push for the playoffs! Feel free to drop questions in the comments or hit me up on Twitter/ X @GMenJay — I’m happy to answer any questions there as well. See you on another time.
(Photo of Jaxon Smith-Njigba: Michael Owens/Getty Images)
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