Week 10 Fantasy Football Stars Who Will Struggle: Breece Hall, DK Metcalf, and More

Last week's attempt to pick out weekly fantasy stars who would struggle was a successful endeavor, seeing 75% of the picks go the right way:

• Drake Maye continued to show that he is for real, racking up 259 yards on 8.9 per attempt against a Falcons team that had shut down every passing game. It wasn't a great fantasy showing, though, as Maye finished as QB16.
• Rico Dowdle put an end to the backfield timeshare in Carolina, gaining 130 rushing yards with two touchdowns and throwing in two catches for 11 yards.
• Courtland Sutton only caught one pass against a tough Houston defense…and it was a 30-yard touchdown. He had a slow game but snuck away for that one big gain.
• Travis Kelce caught four passes for 66 yards against the Bills. That's fine, but a modest performance like that was the reason he was listed here.

That's a good day. Dowdle went off, but everyone else was middling or worse from a fantasy perspective; that's what we're looking to accomplish here. Let's do it again and find four more weekly starters who will struggle to excel in Week 10. Most stats are from NFL.com.

Use FantasySP's defensive rankings to find the players with the toughest matchups each week who might be better left on your bench.

Quarterback

Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts vs. Atlanta Falcons

Jones and the Colts have both been revelations through the first half of the season, with the team tied for the best record in football entering Week 10 (7-2) and the quarterback playing at a quasi-MVP level.

No one will mistake him for Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen, but Jones is averaging 267.1 passing yards per game on 8.2 per attempt with 14 touchdowns and six interceptions; three of those picks came on a five-turnover day last week, when Jones also lost two fumbles. Other than Week 9, Jones is having a career year, though.

The matchup is the big problem here, as Atlanta has been one of the best pass defenses in football all season. They are allowing the eighth-fewest yards per pass attempt and the sixth-fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks.

Opposing teams are averaging just 174.8 passing yards per game against the Falcons with 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions. They also don't give up rushing production to QBs, allowing just 20.5 yards per game and one total touchdown. Jones used to run more, but it's not a huge part of his game anymore (five rushing TDs help his fantasy score).

We have a quarterback here who was a low-level player prior to this season but has played at such a high level in 2025 that it's impossible to ignore. Even as he is a top-10 fantasy quarterback, Jones still needs to be considered along with the matchup, and the matchup couldn't be much worse. Jones might be best left on the bench this week.

Running Back

Breece Hall, New York Jets vs. Cleveland Browns

There was worry that Hall would have too much work stolen from him to be a top fantasy player this year. Braelon Allen suffered an injury and is out for an extended period, though, and Hall has 100 more carries than any other RB on the team. That puts him under weekly fantasy consideration.

Hall is on pace for around 1,235 rushing yards and 380 receiving yards, though with just four or five touchdowns. Getting in the end zone would push him up a fantasy tier but getting the ball as much as he does puts him firmly in the RB2 range.

The matchup is the big problem here, as the Browns have given up the fourth-fewest yards per rush attempt and the second-fewest fantasy points per game to running backs. No individual running back has reached 100 rushing yards against Cleveland, and only two teams had 100 rushing yards total from their RBs.

They also don't allow passing production to backs: Cleveland has given up just 18 receiving yards per game to RBs with no touchdowns. There's no easy way for running backs to produce against the Browns, making Hall a risky fantasy player this week.

Wide Receiver

DK Metcalf, Pittsburgh Steelers @ Los Angeles Chargers

With Sam Darnold, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Seattle's passing game doing so well, I wonder if Metcalf could have helped raise it to even another level (which might not be possible given how efficient they have been). The only thing better than one great receiver is having a second very good one, right?

There has been consternation in his past, though, including Metcalf picking up unnecessary penalties too often and complaining when he didn't get the ball enough. We know of the stereotype prima donna wide receiver, and while I won't say Metcalf necessarily fits that, there could be a sense of calm with a lower-profile top guy in Smith-Njigba.

None of that takes away from Metcalf's talent. He reached 900 yards and five touchdowns in each of his first six seasons, and he is on the way to topping those numbers again this year (on pace for around 1,000 yards and 10 TDs). He is a good fantasy player who also has slow weeks.

This has a good chance of being one of those slower games. The Chargers have given up the fourth-fewest yards per pass attempt and the fourth-fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers. Courtland Sutton in Week 3 is the only receiver to reach 100 yards against LA, and WRs have scored just four touchdowns in nine games.

Metcalf is a good player, but the matchup is against him here. Pittsburgh has just an OK passing game, so it's tough to expect big things from anyone on that offense against a tough defensive team.

Tight End

George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams

As good as the Rams are on offense, it's their performance on defense that has them looking like a contender in the NFC. LA has allowed the second-fewest points per game; they have faced a few weak quarterbacks, but that also includes games against the Eagles, Colts, and 49ers.

Kittle is Kittle. He is one of the best players at his position, and he is generally a weekly fantasy starter who is matchup proof. This year has been a little different, as Kittle sustained an injury in Week 1 and missed the next five games, and he hasn't been a star in his return.

In Week 7, Kittle was shut out for the first time in his career, failing to record a catch on two targets. He has modest numbers in the past two games, catching four passes in each contest for 43 and 32 yards; a touchdown in Week 8 saved his fantasy score.

Kittle might not be at full speed given his lower production since returning, and now he faces a tough defense. Kittle missed the first game these teams played, but San Francisco averaged a very middling 7.0 yards per attempt, and that wouldn't be a surprise to see again here, even if Brock Purdy does return.

Some owners won't consider benching Kittle, but there is risk of another quiet game this week.