Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, November 10th, 2024, 1:00 ET
Location: Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
Network: FOX
New England Patriots
Quarterback
Drake Maye: Start, QB1
Drake Maye has looked like the real deal so far in his young NFL career. He has been a weapon on the ground and through the air, and he has done it with virtually no supporting cast at all. He has put up nearly 200 rushing yards in three full games this season while adding an additional 725 passing yards. He looks like a young Josh Allen with none of the help. In Week 10, he slides just inside the QB1 range against a Bears defense that is coming into this game banged up and underperformed in each of its last two games. I expect Maye to be on the hook for a turnover or two as he has been prone to those so far, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him eclipse 250+ total yards in this one, with at least 50 of those coming on the ground.
Running Back
Rhamondre Stevenson: Start, RB2
Rhamondre Stevenson has had back-to-back games inside the top 10 at the running back position. His usage has been ideal for fantasy managers seeing opportunities on the ground and through the air. I expect that to continue against Chicago in Week 10, which has been strong at times this season but lately has allowed running backs to run right through them. Stevenson comes in as my RB15 this week, and while I am not sure if he finds the end zone in this one, he should be able to find plenty of room to run while seeing 18-20 opportunities (averaging 19 across his last two games).
Wide Receiver
DeMario Douglas: Sit
DeMario Douglas has been fine this season. Nothing more, nothing less. Douglas profiles as a poor man’s Josh Downs. He should be an NFL team’s number 2 wide receiver, but with the struggles of the Patriots’ young pass catchers, he has had to fill the #1 role for this team. I don’t expect Douglas to do much against Jaylon Johnson and company this week, so let him sit on your bench, and in 12-person redraft leagues, he is probably droppable with the schedule he has remaining.
Tight End
Hunter Henry: Start, TE1
Hunter Henry has been the primary beneficiary of the switch to Dark Maye. In Games that Maye has started, Henry is averaging seven targets per game. In the five games before that, he was averaging four, and that was largely inflated by one 12-target performance. Since Maye has taken over, Henry has been a TE1 in all but one performance. In Week 10, Henry comes in as my TE5. The Bears are averaging 66 yards allowed to opposing tight ends in the last two weeks, a number I expect Henry to eclipse. It will be important to monitor the status of the Bears’ secondary and linebacking core, but Henry is the only Patriots pass catcher I am firing up this week.
Chicago Bears
Quarterback
Caleb Williams: Sit
It is not news. Caleb Williams has struggled this season. There are a lot of factors at play here when watching the Bears tape. The first is that their already subpar offensive line is being forced to play its backups. Williams is consistently working with below-league-average time to get rid of the ball. It also has not helped that Shane Waldron’s play call is borderline criminal behavior. Waldron is proving he still has no idea how to adapt to the players he has, and it has cost the Bears offense in key moments and left Williams vulnerable to pressure and sacks. That is the outside of his control parts of Williams down rookie season. When it comes to what Williams needs to take credit for, it is relying too often on his playmaking ability and flat-out missing receivers multiple times a game, DJ Moore is often on the other end of these arrant passes. In Week 10, Williams will face Christian Gonzalez and a Patriots defense that has slowed down more experienced quarterbacks, which means he should remain on your bench.
Running Back
D’Andre Swift: Start, RB1
D’Andre Swift has been one of the lone bright spots of this Bears offense in the last month. Since Week 4, Swift has not compiled less than 80 yards in any single game. He is averaging four receptions per game in that span while also racking up four touchdowns. It also doesn’t hurt that Swift is averaging 22 touches a game in that same span. In Week 10, Swift will face a Patriots offense allowing the 6th most points to opposing running backs, and he should remain the primary engine to this offense. He comes in as my RB12 on the week and a locked and loaded top-15 RB for at least the next couple of weeks.
Wide Receiver
DJ Moore: FLEX Option, WR3
Rome Odunze: FLEX Option, WR4
Keenan Allen: Sit
The Bears’ pass catchers are at the mercy of Shane Waldron and the offensive line, neither of which are good things for the talented trio. Moore has spent 5 weeks outside the top 30 at wide receiver, only taking advantage of some of the weaker defenses in the league. The floor is near rock bottom, but the target volume is there for both Moore and Odunze. Odunze has seen at least six targets in each of the last two games, racking up 145 receiving yards in that time. Keenan Allen, on the other hand, has been abysmal this season. In part, it is due to Caleb Williams and Shane Waldron, but he is not innocent of some egregious drops himself. The arrow is pointing down in 2024 for the Bears pass catchers.
Tight End
Cole Kmet: Start, TE1
Kmet has been an extremely volatile player this season. It is to be expected with a rookie quarterback and four other capable pass catchers on the roster. His production this season has been inflated by two weeks, and his target volume has plummeted in recent weeks. Kmet will have his weeks, but as long as the offensive line is struggling, he will be asked to block too often for him to be a premier option at the position. For Week 10, he gets a softer matchup in the Patriots, which should allow him to flirt with low-end TE1 production, but he still occupies a large tier that ranges from TE9 to TE15.