Fantasy Focus Football – Week 10 Madness: These Players Are IMPOSSIBLE to Rank 🤯

ESPN (Field Yates, Stephania Bell, Mike Clay, Daniel Dopp)
Episode Date: November 5, 2025

Episode Overview

The Fantasy Focus Football crew—Field Yates, Mike Clay, and Daniel Dopp—tackle a wild Week 10 after a trade deadline that shook up fantasy football rosters. They break down the fantasy implications of major deals, share their takes on “impossible to rank” players, debate notable flex options, and play “name games” to help you make week-winning calls. Injury news, depth chart shakeups, and difficult matchups add to the challenge for fantasy managers searching for an edge down the stretch.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. NFL Trade Deadline Fantasy Fallout

(Starts ~02:00)

• Seattle Seahawks acquire Rashid Shaheed from the Saints:

  • Moves immediately into WR2 role opposite DK Metcalf.
  • Reunites with OC Clint Kubiak, boosting upside.
  • "Rashid Shaheed goes to Seattle and immediately becomes the number two wide receiver in this offense." —Field (03:01)
  • Sam Darnold gets a minor boost; Shaheed moves from fringe/deep flex to 12-team flex territory.
  • “He’s never had a top 40 fantasy season... so let’s not get too carried away here.” —Mike (03:27)

• Saints WR ripple:

  • Chris Olave remains unaffected; tough upcoming schedule.
  • “No, I mean, we’re not... This is a rebuilding Saints team. No.” —Mike (04:56)

• Jaguars acquire Jacobi Myers from Raiders:

  • Immediate increase in snaps/targets, especially with injuries to Travis Hunter and Brian Thomas Jr.
  • Mike: “He wanted out of [Las Vegas], and a struggling offense. So his upside is not what it was... but it’s a guy that could hang maybe on the wide receiver three or flex radar until everyone’s healthy.” (07:12)
  • Raiders WRs = “Brock Bowers eats... there’s a non-zero chance that for the rest of this season Brock Bowers is the fantasy football MVP.” —Field (09:54)

• Jets trade Sauce Gardner, Quinn and Williams:

  • Openings for new WR talent (Adonai Mitchell), but “not picking him up in 10- or 12-team leagues.” —Mike (15:24)

• QB Change in Arizona:

  • Jacoby Brissett takes over; Mike: “He has raised the floor for these guys. Marvin Harrison’s best game all around... good QBs just know how to get the ball in the hands of these playmakers.” (17:07)

2. Hardest Players to Rank for Week 10

(Starts ~19:07) Players discussed for fantasy volatility and challenge to rank:

• Baker Mayfield (QB, Bucs)

  • Hot start as a rusher, but past three games: under 20 FPTS, under 20 rushing yds, receivers banged up, faces tough Patriots D.
  • “His receivers are being promoted from the UFL every week.” —Field (20:33)
  • Consensus: mid-to-low QB2 this week.

• DK Metcalf (WR, Seahawks)

  • Extremely boom-bust; bad when shadowed, good when not. Facing tough Chargers defense this week.
  • “When the matchups have been fine and he’s not shadowed, he’s been really good... when he’s been shadowed or the Seattle game, he’s been bad.” —Mike (24:04)

• Colston Loveland (TE, Bears)

  • Big week, but only one game of production; uncertainty with Cole Kmet.
  • “I would not want to start Colston Loveland just yet. I’m not there yet.” —Mike (27:01)

• Stefon Diggs (WR, Patriots)

  • Saw 3+ catches in 3 of last 4; very talented but on a crowded offense with variable usage.
  • “He could definitely get there. But he could also go 3 for 27 on Sunday.” —Field (31:48)

• Breece Hall (RB, Jets)

  • Huge Week 8 vs Cincinnati, but otherwise 4 straight games under 10 points; now faces Browns’ elite run D.
  • “I just don’t think he has much of a ceiling in this matchup.” —Mike (33:51)

• Dalton Kincaid (TE, Bills)

  • Hasn’t topped six targets all season but manages big fantasy lines; extremely boom-bust.
  • “You’re hopeful that he’s out there when they’re passing the football and you hope he scores a touchdown. Because when he hasn’t, it has been bad.” —Mike (39:45)

3. Flex & Waiver Name Games

(~41:05+)

The crew runs through a “name game” for rest-of-season and short-term value, comparing fringe starters/waiver pickups:

Rico Dowdle (RB, Cowboys)

• Legitimate RB1/early RB2 territory. “Rico Dowdle is somewhere between like RB8 and RB12." —Field (42:38)
• Preferred over Josh Jacobs, Bucky Irving, Jalen Warren, Derrick Henry by multiple hosts.

Brian Thomas Jr. (WR, Jaguars)

• Under 12 FPTS in 7 of 8 games; brutal matchup vs. Derek Stingley (Texans).
• "The worst." —Daniel (43:34)
• Preference list: Chargers WRs > Brian Thomas Jr., but slightly over Jameson Williams, Troy Franklin (close calls).

Jameson Williams (WR, Lions)

• Extremely boom-or-bust, but draws the Commanders' porous secondary this week.
• “Low-volume boom/bust player meets the second-best matchup in the game—boy, how do I decide?" —Daniel (44:57)

Ameka Egbuka (WR, Saints)

• Trending down due to injury; comparisons: slightly ahead of Zay Flowers, Michael Pittman Jr., Nico Collins.

Tyrone Tracy Jr. (RB, Texans)

• Unclear role; compared vs. Ken Walker, Kamara, Manngaai. Lean Tracy over Manngaai if Swift plays.

RJ Harvey (RB, UCF)

• Five TDs in three weeks, but barely cracks top 30 RB consideration due to low touches. "He hasn’t had more than 8 touches since... I’ll fade that all day long.” —Mike (50:06)

4. Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “There’s a non-zero chance that for the rest of this season Brock Bowers is the fantasy football MVP.” – Field (09:54)
• “His receivers are being promoted from the UFL every week.” – Field, on Baker Mayfield's depleted WR corps (20:33)
• “Don’t be surprised if Marvin Harrison Jr. gets hot, because Jacoby Brissett is the starter now.” – Field (50:26)
• “Dalton Kincaid... I guess it doesn’t hurt to have a second option [at TE], but I just play him and I just deal with the good and the bad.” – Field (39:36)

5. Rapid Fire: “Field in the Blank” Prompts & Predictions

(50:09–55:44)

• Don’t be surprised if...

  • "Marvin Harrison Jr. gets hot down the stretch." –Field
  • "KJ McCarthy/Besh (Vikings) with easiest ROS schedule." –Mike
  • "Chase Brown, great playoff RB matchups." –Daniel

• Has work cut out for him ROS:

  • "Deebo Samuel." –Field
  • "Sam Darnold." –Mike
  • "Baker Mayfield." –Daniel

• Was close to a bigger Week 9 (bounce-back hopes):

  • "Travis Etienne." –Field
  • "Ken Walker III." –Mike
  • "Rome Odunze." –Daniel

• Left meat on the bone (cautious Week 10):

  • "Tyrone Tracy Jr." –Field & Mike
  • "Bam Knight." –Daniel

• Coming out of the bye, I predict...

  • "Saquon Barkley will have a huge Week 10." –Field
  • "Jerry Jeudy... chance for a flex play." –Mike

6. Start of the Week Results & Punishment Wheel

(~59:04)

• Sam Darnold, DJ Moore, Colston Loveland all big hits.
• Punishment wheel lands on:
  • Mike Clay must write and read a fantasy football haiku.

Notable Timestamps

• Trade Deadline Fallout – 02:00–18:00
• Hard-To-Rank Players – 19:07–40:00
• TE & Flex Name Games – 40:00–48:00
• Field in the Blank/Prognostications – 50:09–55:44
• Starts of the Week/Results – 59:04–end

Episode Tone & Final Takeaways

• The show is fast-paced, fun, and conversational, balancing analysis, sharp stats, and banter. There’s a recurring sense of fantasy “madness” as they grapple with a topsy-turvy waiver wire, unpredictable usage, and shifting post-trade value.
• Field, Mike, and Daniel each bring their nuanced process for ranking, pointing out “impossible” players, and using historical/statistical context to guide risk/reward moves.
• All three stress the importance of adapting as depth charts and QB situations continue to evolve, and the value of stashing upside breakouts for a late-season run.

Memorable moment:
“There’s a non-zero chance that for the rest of this season Brock Bowers is the fantasy football MVP.” —Field (09:54)
“His receivers are being promoted from the UFL every week.” —Field, on Baker Mayfield (20:33)

Bottom line:
If you’re struggling to set a confident lineup for Week 10, you are not alone. This episode provides clarity on the “grey area” players, acknowledges the pain points in roster construction, and points toward the waiver wire winners and trade targets that could put you over the top in the stretch run.