Welcome back to the Talon’s weekly fantasy football picks. In week 9, there were some big upsets and some down-to-the-wire games. Keep reading to discern who will continue to rise up the fantasy ranks and who is just a fluke.

Waiver Wire QuarterBack: Sam Darnold (16.5% Rostered)
Sam Darnold is not a permanent player to have on your team. But, if your normal starting quarterback is on a bye week, injured, or playing the patriots, you’ll need to pick up someone for one or two weeks. Darnold actually has decent fantasy numbers, and his next matchup against the Giants will allow him to rack up fantasy points.
Waiver Wire Running Back: Kalen Ballage (8.8% Rostered)
The Dolphins finally won a game in week 9. Maybe, their season is gaining some traction. However, they traded away their starting running back, and now their replacement is suspended. Kalen Ballage is next in line for starting running back, so he is a great pick up for your team, especially if you are low on your waiver order and need a sleeper.
Waiver Wire Receiver: Randall Cobb (18.1% Rostered)
Cobb used to be a fantasy star when he was on the Packers, but he hasn’t seen the same success on the Cowboys. However, he has been targeted more and more by Dak Prescott, and this week he plays the Vikings in prime time, where the Vikings always disappoint. This means he’ll have plenty of opportunities to make plays.
Waiver Wire defense: Giants’ Defense (2.7% Rostered)
The Giants’ defense played surprisingly well in the first half against the Cowboys in week 9. They forced a couple turnovers, held the Cowboys to 13 points in the first half. While they collapsed in the second half, the Giants still showed that they could play some defense. The Giants face the Jets in week 10. The Jets lost to the Dolphins in week 9. The Giants will be able to defend for the whole game this time.

Must Starts
Lamar Jackson: Jackson played stellar football against the Patriots on Sunday. The Ravens handed the Patriots their first loss of the season. In week 10, the ravens play Bengals. This will be an easy matchup for the red hot Ravens. Start Jackson.
Derrick Henry: The Titans have not been very spectacular this season. Still, Henry has been able to produce consistent numbers. Even though the Chiefs looked really scary against the Vikings on Sunday, they are a very offense based team. The Chiefs’ defense is actually one of the worst in the league, so Henry will have a lot of room to run.
Nyheim Hines: Hines is a solid receiving back on the Colts, but he hasn’t seen very good fantasy numbers yet this season. The Dolphins are notorious for allowing all sorts of players rack up yards and touchdowns against them. Hines will finally opportunity to show his skills, especially as the Colts might lean towards short passes and runs with Brisset banged up and, most likely, a big lead.
Larry Fitzgerald: Fitzgerald is a weathered veteran who has had countless amazing fantasy seasons. Although he is not at the top of the ranks as he once was, Fitzgerald is a must start in week 10 against the Buccaneers, who have a terrible secondary and let Receivers have very big games.

Sit these players
Russel Wilson: Wilson is such a relented player, and often puts up high fantasy numbers. In week 10, he has to be benched. The 49ersk Defense is just too good. They are arguably the best defense in football, and will not allow Wilson to make the spectacular plays he usually makes. Sit Wilson.
Dalvin Cook: Behind Mccaffrey, Cook might be the best fantasy running back in the league this year. But, he isn’t exactly consistent. If you look at his stats, he has amazing games in most weeks, but most of the prime time games have lower yards. The Vikings are notorious for being bad in prime time, and couple that circumstance with a very strong Cowboys’ defense, and Cook might get shut out.
Odell Beckham: OBJ is a fantasy star, and although he has had a rough season, he is still consistent and should be started in most weeks. However, playing the Bills’ is no normal game. They have a stellar pass defense, and will be able to severely limit OBJ.

Matchup of the Week: Bengals Versus Ravens
After the Dolphins beat the Jets on Sunday, the Bengals were left as the only winless team in the league. On the other hand, the Ravens were the first steam to beat the Patriots this season. The Ravens are going to be way too much for the Bengals to handle. Start all Ravens players you have.

Sleeper Pick: Mason Rudolph
Mason Rudolph is playing in place of injured Ben Rothlinsburger, and he has actually done a nice job. He has a low ceiling, but he hasn’t had a terrible game yet. This is because the Steelers have the offensive line and weapons to support Rudolph. The Rams have been very inconsistent this season, suffering surprising loses, but also blowing out a few teams. When the Steelers meet the Rams, I think Rudolph’s ceiling will break. With the weapons of the Steelers coming off of an exciting win against the Colts, Rudolph might be able to take advantage of the inconsistency of the Rams.