It seems like just yesterday that the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs were kicking off the 2024 season. But here we are, in Week 10. The final stop is almost here – and for every fantasy manager which runs along Easy Street, there is another one which is on Desperation Drive.

And let me tell you, this is a bad part of town.

For teams at 4-5 or 3-6, there is very little margin for error – if at all. There were too many losses and not enough victories. Bad decisions. Bad beats. Injuries.

The fact is, it doesn’t matter how we got here (Yes, I said “we.” No, I don’t want to talk about it.). All that matters now is to reverse this trend. Stack up some wins. Make a push for the playoffs.

It can be done. I once won a championship with a team that was 3-7 after 10 weeks. He snuck in as a No. 6 seed, got hot in the playoffs and made a lot of people bitter with better records.

Of course, achieving these victories means scoring points. Address all possibilities on your list and in your starting lineup. And that means “after the fact” positions like team defense and kicker become that much more important. Plugging in the right defense can be the difference between winning and losing. And a Week 10 win could be the difference between the playoffs and a disappointing end to the season.

I don’t know if that puts more pressure on you or me, but whatever it is, let’s do it.

THE WITHOUT DOUBTS

Los Angeles Chargers (vs. Tennessee Titans)

The Los Angeles Chargers have been a pleasant surprise going 5-3 this season, and Khalil Mack, Derwin James and the NFL’s No. 1 defense have given up just 12.6 points per game. Chargers are also fourth among all defenses this season in fantasy points, the game is at SoFi Stadium and the Titans have visited more fantasy points per game to defenses this season than any team in the NFL. We didn’t start the season looking at the Bolts as starters every week on defense – but that’s essentially where we are.

Minnesota Vikings (vs. Jacksonville Jaguars)

After a down Week 8, the Vikings defense was back for fantasy managers against the Indianapolis Colts – three sacks, two putouts and only six points allowed to the Fighting Flaccos offense. On paper, this week the Vikings face a better attack in the Jaguars. But games aren’t played on paper, and the Jaguars have been a mess more often than not this season. The Jaguars are shorthanded at wide receiver, beat at running back and the team traded its starting left tackle to the, uh, Minnesota Vikings.

Chicago Bears (vs. New England Patriots)

The Bears are coming off a lopsided loss to the Cardinals in Arizona, but that had more to do with Caleb Williams and the offense than the Bears’ defense. I know, you are stunned. Only the Minnesota Vikings have scored more fantasy points among defenses this season than the Bears, and although Drake Maye has given the Patriots offense a boost, we’re still talking about a team that ranks outside of the top 20 in yards per game, 30th. in the league in points per game and fifth in fantasy points per game allowed to team defenses.

Buffalo Bills (at the Indianapolis Colts)

The Bills won in a shootout last week against the Miami Dolphins, but Buffalo has been decent defensively this season – eighth in the league in points allowed per game and 10th in the NFL in fantasy points. The Colts replaced Joe Flacco at quarterback last week, but it didn’t shake up the offense: They scored just six points against the Vikings and managed just 227 yards of offense. For the season, the Colts have given up the fifth-most fantasy points per game to defenses over the past two weeks.

San Francisco 49ers (vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

The 2024 season has been an eventful one for the 49ers, but the defense has been a relatively consistent presence – 10th in the league in yards per game allowed and seventh among all defenses in fantasy points. The Niners face Baker Mayfield and the struggling Buccaneers coming off the bye week, and with injuries increasing, Mayfield has insisted on action in the passing game. This raises the risk of errors, and that’s a good thing for opposing defenses. Mayfield’s nine interceptions this season are the second-most in the NFL.

Kansas City Chiefs (vs. Denver Broncos)

The Denver Broncos are an impossible team to understand. One week, it appears that the Broncos are making real progress offensively. Then, like last week’s beatdown in Baltimore, all that progress seems to evaporate in a cloud of chatter and Bo Nix reverts to being a rookie quarterback. It’s unlikely Denver will be able to throw the ball against Kansas City’s third-down run defense. This will force Nix to throw the ball – and that means passing opportunities and turnover chances.

Don’t miss the episodes of Fantasy Football Happy Hour with Matthew Berry And Rotoworld football fair throughout the season for the latest player news, waiver form help, starting/sitting tips and much more.

STEAMERS OF THE WORLD, UNITE!

Philadelphia Eagles (vs. Dallas Cowboys)

The Philadelphia Eagles have struggled defensively this season, especially against the pass. For the year, the Eagles ranked middle of the pack in fantasy points. But that has more to do with who the Eagles play than how they play. The Cowboys were already a favorable fantasy matchup for defenses – 11th in fantasy points per game allowed to defenses this season. Now, with Dak Prescott sidelined indefinitely with a hamstring injury, the Cowboys will trot Cooper Rush at quarterback.

New York Giants (at Carolina Panthers)

Who wants sausages and leather panties? Next week, the Giants face the Panthers in Germany, in a game that could set back international relations with that country for years. The Giants haven’t been a particularly good defense this year, but the team has more than a little talent on that side of the ball, especially in the front seven. The Panthers have been one of the worst offenses in the league this season – 30th in yards per game and 29th in points per game. The Panthers have also given up the third-most fantasy points per game to team defenses over the past month.

Atlanta Falcons (vs. New Orleans Saints)

The Falcons sit in first place in the NFC South, but the defense hasn’t done much for fantasy managers – Atlanta is 25th in the league in fantasy points among defenses. But this week’s game against the reeling Saints is very favorable: No team in the NFC has given up more fantasy points per game to defenses over the past month, and New Orleans has the quarterback back Derek Carr just in time to fire his head coach and lose his quarterback. No. 1 wide receiver. If there was ever a week for the Falcons to release a big stat line, this is it.

New England Patriots (vs. Chicago Bears)

It’s been a rough season for the New England Patriots, and last week’s loss to the Tennessee Titans hit a new low point. For the season, the Patriots are 26th in total defense and 29th in fantasy points among defenses. But the Pats have deeper league streaming appeal this week, largely because of their opponent. The Bears are a .500 team, but the offense has been all over the place. The last two weeks have been tough – the Bears are allowing double-digit points per game during that span, and Caleb Williams was hurt by last week’s loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

WARNING EMPTOR, PEOPLE

Pittsburgh Steelers (at Washington Commanders)

The Steelers come out of their bye week an impressive 6-2 for the season, thanks in large part to TJ Watt, Cameron Heyward and a Steelers defense that ranks ninth in yards per game allowed, second in points per game allowed and fifth among all fantasy defenses in points per game. However, the Steelers will have their hands full this week with Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders – Washington is third in the NFL in scoring and has given up the third fewest fantasy points per game to defenses in 2024.

Gary Davenport is a two-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association Football Writer of the Year. Follow him on @IDPSharks.