Case Keenum was one of the best quarterbacks in Week 10 when he threw four touchdown passes against the Washington Redskins.
Credit: @NBCSports
Week 10 is over in the NFL, and there are plenty of big headlines to talk about. There were some big offensive games on Sunday with four teams scoring at least 38 points. The New Orleans Saints kept winning while the New York Giants continued their terrible season with a loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Many elite fantasy football stars failed to have good games, but there were some surprises from some lesser-known players. Here are the best performances from this past weekend in fantasy football.
Mark Ingram, RB New Orleans Saints:
In a game where the Saints ran the ball a whopping 48 times, Mark Ingram received 21 of those carries which were the most out of the four running backs used. New Orleans did not need to rely on the passing game very much as they were up 17-3 at halftime and scored an additional 30 points in the second half alone. The Bills’ defense put up little resistance against the Saints’ offense as the team averaged a fantastic 6.2 yards per carry and scored six rushing touchdowns. Ingram accounted for three touchdowns of his own and now has a total of seven in his last five games. The touchdowns along with 131 rushing yards, gave the veteran a position leading 31 fantasy points in standard leagues on Sunday. Fantastic rookie running back Alvin Kamara contributed his first career 100-yard rushing game to go along with a touchdown of his own. The Saints have proven they are capable of giving fantasy owners two star running backs, and with an easy schedule the rest of the way, expect the run game to keep going strong. View Ingram as an RB1 down the stretch with Kamara also being valuable as an RB2.
Robert Woods, WR Los Angeles Rams:
The reinvented Rams’ offense kept scoring on Sunday when they crushed the Houston Texans 33-7. The passing attack was again in full effect, and wide receiver Robert Woods exploded for 171 yards and two touchdowns on eight catches. Over the last two games, Woods has a combined 12 catches, 241 yards, and four touchdowns. Los Angeles keeps making a strong case as to why they are the top team in the NFC West as they have scored at least 33 points in three straight games. Sophomore quarterback Jared Goff keeps improving his game by throwing for a career-high of 355 yards and is starting to generate a bit of MVP talk. With a young quarterback who isn’t afraid to throw the ball, Woods looks to be in good position to continue being a valuable fantasy asset for the rest of the season. The former Buffalo Bill started the year slow with no touchdowns in his first seven games but has been elite since the team’s Week 8 bye. As of now, Woods can be valued as a low-end WR2, but his fantasy arrow is pointing straight up going into a Week 11 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.
DeMarco Murray, RB Tennessee Titans:
It has been a disappointing season for Demarco Murray who seems to be on the downhill side of his career. The veteran running back was a second or third round pick in most leagues this season but has been averaging only 7.7 fantasy points in standard scoring coming into this
past weekend. Murray rewarded those who still had faith in him by scoring three total touchdowns on
18 touches resulting in a season-high 25.2 fantasy points. Second-year running back Derrick Henry has been a big factor in the offense so far this season as the two have split most of the carries. Murray has the slight edge over Henry in the carry category, but he has topped 14 rushes and 59 yards only once so far. Even with the workload being split between the two, Murray is the running back to own as he dominates in passing down work and has found the end zone almost twice as many times. The 29-year old veteran hasn’t lived up to draft day expectations but should still be valued as a low-end RB2 the rest of the way.
Case Keenum, QB Minnesota Vikings:
The Vikings haven’t been a great passing team for quite some time, but this season, quarterback Case Keenum is on pace for a nice 3,400 passing yard season. On Sunday against the Washington Redskins, Keenum threw for a career-high of four passing touchdowns along with his second 300-yard passing game of the season. The veteran’s solid performance resulted in 24 fantasy points in standard scoring and is the second week this season being a top-five quarterback. With great receiving options like Adam Thielen, Stefon Diggs, and Kyle Rudolph, the Vikings’ passing attack is more than capable of continuing this success as they fight for a playoff spot. It is never easy trusting the Minnesota pass offense, but Keenum could be a useful spot-start in the right matchups. The signal-caller is no more than a middle of the pack QB2, but the ability to have performances like he did on Sunday gives Keenum a high ceiling.
Austin Ekeler, RB Los Angeles Chargers:
In a tough loss for the Chargers, Austin Ekeler’s performance was one of the bright spots for the team on Sunday. The undrafted rookie out of Western State University ran the ball 10 times for 42 yards and caught five passes for 77 yards with two touchdowns. Ekeler entirely outperformed starter Melvin Gordon who touched the ball 21 times and produced only 42 yards. There is no chance the rookie takes the starting job from Gordon following a late-game fumble, but it was encouraging to see the kind of plays he is capable of making. If Ekeler can continue receiving around 10 carries a game going forward, fantasy owners will have a nice floor to work with on a weekly basis. The rookie is worth an add in most leagues especially for those who currently own Melvin Gordon.
