How important is it to have a top tier starting quarterback in fantasy football? Depending on your scoring rules, it could be anywhere from moderately important to vital. How many of you won on the arm of Aaron Rodgers or Peyton Manning this past weekend? How many lost because Andrew Luck took the week off? As we recap Week 10, we’ll talk about the signal-callers along with everything else including another great week for the best rookie wide receiver class in quite some time. Ready, set, GO!

Cleveland @ Cincinnati

The Good: Cleveland got its rushing attack back on track last Thursday night, as THREE running backs scored TDs and reached double digits with respect to fantasy points. The Browns ran the ball 52 times with exactly half of those carries going to Terrance West. West appears to be the back to own at the moment, but the situation is fluid. Also, how will Josh Gordon impact the offense when he returns in a couple of weeks?

The Bad (and ugly): Andy Dalton. There’s no other way to put it. Ten completions for 86 yards, no TDs and 3 INTs likely sunk you if you had Dalton in the starting lineup. Or Jeremy Hill. Or A.J. Green. Or Mohamed Sanu. Take your pick. There hasn’t been a more inept performance by an offense all year long. Think your fantasy signal caller doesn’t matter? Think again.

Kansas City @ Buffalo

The Good: The numbers weren’t gaudy in this game, but it was nice to see two things: One, Dwayne Bowe consistently separating from cornerbacks and making difficult receptions. And, two: Bryce Brown showing flashes of what made him fantasy relevant for a short time in Philadelphia. Bowe (8 receptions, 93 yards) and Brown (13 touches, 100 yards) impressed enough that they should be on owners’ fantasy radars moving forward.

The Bad: The Bills have morphed into a full-blown committee at running back and even though Brown looked good, it’s hard to say how they will use their trio of backs moving forward. Also, Knile Davis is proving to only be valuable in games where the outcome is decided early. In close games, the Chiefs stick with Charles, making Davis a very risky flex play the next few weeks.

First Year Fireworks: Martavis Bryant has scored six touchdowns in his first four games as a rookie.

Pittsburgh @ NY Jets

The Good: He isn’t racking up a ton of receptions, but when Martavis Bryant catches the ball, big things happen (143 yards receiving, 1 TD on Sunday). It cannot be overstated just how good this rookie class of wide receivers is. Bryant is now a bona fide WR2…even in PPR formats and his ability to stretch the field will continue to make Ben Roethlisberger viable.

The Bad: Le’Veon Bell is losing touches (only 11 carries on Sunday) and becoming less and less of a reliable RB option for fantasy owners. In PPR leagues, his eight catches on Sunday did help, but in non-PPR leagues, his 56 combined rushing yards over the past two weeks is concerning. Also, Eric Decker is another player losing touches with the Jets trying hard to feed Percy Harvin the ball. He’s not even useful as a No.3 WR at the moment.

Dallas vs. Jacksonville (London)

The Good: That’s what Dez Bryant can do. He’s an “eruption” receiver. In other words, his stat line can be fairly docile and then, BOOM…there goes the dynamite. Jordy Nelson is that kind of guy, too along with Demaryius Thomas. Bryant’s big day (6 rec, 158 yards, 2 TDs) was really only one big quarter but it was enough to carry many a fantasy team to victory. Honorable mention goes to Denard Robinson (2 TDs) who continues to be a consistent fantasy force on a bad team.

The Bad: After some promising games to begin the season, Terrance Williams has disappeared of late. The past two weeks, Williams has only generated one fantasy point, making him too risky to put into a lineup anytime soon. Also, if you got your hopes up that Allen Hurns (1 rec, 9 yards) was going to follow-up his big Week 9 with another big week…well, you got burned.

Miami @ Detroit

The Good: He’s back! Calvin Johnson’s 113-yard, 1 TD performance on Sunday wasn’t a monster game by his standards, but it signaled the return of a player that could truly be a difference maker over the course of the next six weeks. And, Golden Tate didn’t exactly get ignored by way of Johnson’s return. Eleven catches for 100-plus yards is pretty salty.

The Bad: Much like Sammy Watkins for Buffalo, Lamar Miller gets a pass in this game as he clearly was trying to play at less than 100%. Still, if you had faith in Miller and stuck him in your lineup, you were clearly disappointed with the results (6 total yards). There’ll be better days for Miller, but I’m not sure he’s cut out for the role of “workhorse” back and the Dolphins know it.

Atlanta @ Tampa Bay

The Good: Take it with a grain of salt (because it came against the lowly Buccaneers), but Steven Jackson is flirting with RB2 status all of a sudden. In his last two games, SJax has produced 155 yards on the ground and 2 TDs. And, did I mention that this rookie wide receiver class is special? Exhibit C is another huge game from Mike Evans (7 rec, 125 yards, 1 TD). Apparently, it doesn’t matter who is throwing Evans the ball. He’s going to get his…

The Bad: For all those hoping that Matt Ryan was going to light up the Bucs like he did at home the first time around, it didn’t happen. It should have happened…but it didn’t. And, for those so desperate for a running back (I feel your pain) that you’re still looking to the Tampa Bay backfield for hope, it’s time to abandon that pursuit. Start Evans moving forward. Leave any and all Bucs’ running backs deep on the bench.

San Francisco @ New Orleans

The Good: It was a good day to be a running back owner in this game…namely a good day if you’ve got Frank Gore or Mark Ingram on your roster. When the 49ers say they’re going to get Gore more involved prior to a game, they usually do (23 carries, 81 yards, 1 TD). Ingram, meanwhile, ripped off another 120 yards on the ground against a tough run defense. Can’t keep him anywhere but in the starting lineup moving forward. Oh, and did I mention that Brandin Cooks (5-90-1) excelled on Sunday. As a rookie? Imagine that.

The Bad: What has happened to Vernon Davis? It’s like his fantasy value just fell off a cliff. The same could essentially be said of Michael Crabtree as other than a big catch late in the game, he had one reception for minimal yardage all day. And, while you’re talking wide receivers/tight ends who are falling off the radar, might as well throw in Marques Colston. Unless your WR in this game was named Cooks or Boldin, there wasn’t much food at the table.

Tennessee @ Baltimore

The Good: When Justin Forsett began filling in for the deported Ray Rice, he seemed like a nice enough stop-gap between the past and future. Now, he just seems like an ideal fit on an offense that is actually leaning on him to succeed (20 carries, 112 yards, 2 TDs). Few players in 2014 have been more surprising. Also, the Torrey Smith awakening continued in this game…

The Bad: It just goes from bad to worse for the Titans. The only fantasy-relevant player they’ve got (Delanie Walker) goes out with a significant concussion. From the quarterbacks to the running backs to the wide receivers, it’s been a fantasy flop in Tennessee this season. Oh, and also, the Steve Smith disappearing act continued in this game…

Denver @ Oakland

The Good: Julius Thomas has returned from his semi-brief hiatus from fantasy stardom. Thomas scored 2 TDs on Sunday to match the 2 more TDs for the suddenly end-zone addicted Emmanuel Sanders. Peyton Manning can basically turn anybody into a fantasy star. Ask C.J. Anderson about that. Manning’s overall impact on this offense means that a lot of championships are going to be won next month with Broncos in those lineups.

The Bad: Ronnie Hillman was in the same boat as Lamar Miller on Sunday, but that doesn’t make fantasy owners feel any better about his performance. The Denver backfield is suddenly a mess and a situation to avoid until further notice. As far as Oakland is concerned, unless you’re talking tight end Mychal Rivera, there’s nothing for you in Raider-land right now if you’re managing a fantasy team.

NY Giants @ Seattle

The Good: Beast Mode. It’s a state of being that Marshawn Lynch enters into when allowed to be heavily involved in the flow of the offense. 163 total yards and 4 touchdowns signify that Sunday was indeed a Beast Mode kind of day. It’s how Seattle wins games and it’s how fantasy owners are going to win fantasy playoff games in about a month. Seattle wants to win now and Lynch is their best bet to get that accomplished. Expect a heavy workload down the stretch.

The Bad: When Victor Cruz got hurt and Percy Harvin departed for the Big Apple, many predicted Rueben Randle and Doug Baldwin would take the next step forward in terms of fantasy production. It hasn’t happened. The two wide receivers combined for 6 fantasy points on Sunday leaving anyone counting on them feeling blue. Worth noting: The wide receiver to own in New York remains ROOKIE sensation Odell Beckham, Jr. (7 rec, 108 yards).

St. Louis @ Arizona

The Good: At this point, we’re absolutely, positively beating a dead horse, but rookie wide receiver John Brown is the next rookie wide receiver who made an impact on Sunday. Brown combined with veteran Larry Fitzgerald to net 195 receiving yards and a TD (Brown scored that). Jared Cook, meanwhile, had his best game since Week 1 of the 2013 season, but what tight end doesn’t do well against Arizona? (Answer: They all do well).

The Bad: Brown’s emergence and Fitzgerald’s re-birth continue to mean bad things for the virtually invisible Michael Floyd (1 rec, 11 yards). And, now with Carson Palmer out for the remainder of the season, Floyd’s prospects look stuck on irrelevant. You won’t find a bigger disappointment at the moment in fantasy football amongst guys who are truly healthy.

Chicago @ Green Bay

The Good: Aaron Rodgers is making the Green Bay offense look like a high school team facing off against a pee-wee team. Rodgers’ ridiculous night (6 TDs in the first half) could have been one for the record books had Mike McCarthy not pulled him after one series in the third quarter. Like Manning and Andrew Luck, the advantage of having Rodgers on your roster over the next month is going to be substantial. He’s playing other-worldly at the present time…

The Bad: The flip side of Rodgers has been Jay Cutler as aside from getting some garbage points late in games, Cutler has really cooled off. For the most part, Cutler has out-performed his draft spot over the first half of this season, but he’s now sinking back to what was predicted of him along with other marginal starting quarterbacks (Rivers, Ryan, Wilson, etc.). If you win a title with Cutler as your starter in December, you will have won it in spite of him…not because of him.

Carolina @ Philadelphia

The Good: Let the theme continue. Jordan Matthews is a rookie wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles. He collected 7 receptions on MNF for 138 yards and 2 TDs. That’s incredibly impressive. Mark Sanchez is proving to be quite the trigger man as well as his 332 yards and 2 TDs furthered his resurgence. On the losing side of the ball, Greg Olsen produced like the elite fantasy tight end that he has become. As for rookie wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin…2 more TDs. They count the same at garbage time in fantasy football as they do early on…

The Bad: Cam Newton was awful at times last night. So was LeSean McCoy from a fantasy standpoint. McCoy’s TD was a gift as Brent Celek got tackled a half yard short of the goal line giving McCoy a score to go along with his 19 rushing yards. Hard to know what to make of either player moving forward. They’ve gone from elite at their positions to disappointments to elite again and now this. Fantasy football can be maddening.

That’s a wrap for this week’s Buzz. What an amazing week for rookie wide receivers, elite NFL quarterbacks, and the man we call Beast Mode. Ten weeks down. Plenty to come. Catch your breath and we’ll bring it all to you again this time next week here at TMB!!