So, about last week …

TMR: What the … ?

Jim Shields (Elsmere, Ky.): Matthew, thank you for your advice on drafting Doug Martin a round or two early. I did so and just received huge points two straight weeks. Love the advice and podcast … Take care and happy fantasy season.

TMR: Errr … Well, I … um … I mean … well … uh … you're welcome?

Gary Smith (wherever the Air Force sends me): This isn't an I told you so, but a thank you. You have been saying just go with your gut, etc., for the past few weeks, which I usually do anyway. This week you said you didn't like Doug Martin and my gut said to play him anyway. Just go with your gut -- so I did. Thanks for the fun articles, I've read you every week for a few years now. All my friends come to me for fantasy football advice because I tend to do pretty well in my leagues, I always tell 'em to go read what you say because, while I don't always agree with you, you have sound logic and are a fun read. I know you get tons of letters and mail from all over with stories about peoples teams, I just wanted to send a note and say that I appreciate the time and passion you put into fantasy football. Fantasy football is how I stay in touch with all of my closest buddies from college, we are all in the Air Force and most of us are pilots and thus literally scattered all over the globe. We love what we do, and fantasy football provides another way for us to stay in touch. Your passion and effort shows in your work and in your writing and from one guy who loves his job to another, I appreciate it. Keep up the great work Mr. Berry! Very Respectfully, Gary Smith.

TMR: Respectfully? Respectfully!?!? Dude, you risk your life serving and protecting our country. I write articles about a game about a game. How dare you! RESPECTFULLY??! I'm not out of order; you're out of order!! I refuse to take your respect, and in fact, I respect you! Yeah, that's right. I respect you and reject your respect of me. So there. How ya like them apples, Gary?

All right. Not great, but it's a start. Who's next?

DJ (San Marcos, Texas): I had the misfortune of playing against Doug Martin this week, and to make matters worse, my QB Tom Brady was on a bye. But thanks to your advice on Carson Palmer, I was able to make the key bye-week pickup that kept my winning streak alive. Thanks!

TMR: I have no idea what to do with this.

Brenna (Baltimore): I just wanted to thank you for your weekly articles. This is my first season of fantasy football and I have had more fun reading your stuff and playing every week. As a girl it was a little intimidating entering a male-dominated league but I found your articles extremely helpful and it gave me the confidence to go out on a limb sometimes with my starters. Anyways, thanks a bunch!!

TMR: I give up.

Time now for this week's Love/Hate. As always, please use my weekly rankings, updated throughout the week. Except for you, "Rick." You've been cursed. With a shoutout to John Parolin of ESPN Stats & Information for all his help, here we go.

Quarterbacks I love in Week 10

Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers: At home in front of a Monday night crowd against a defense that is 30th in total points allowed with an offensive coordinator who wants to run up the score on his former team. It's like a fantasy lunar eclipse. Doesn't come along often but when it does, you stop what you're doing and watch it unfold with your kids.

Matthew Stafford, Lions: Gets back to being Matthew Stafford this week against a Vikings defense that has given up six touchdowns in the past two games to Russell Wilson and Josh Freeman. He threw for 319 against them in Week 4 as well and played well last week (completing 67 percent of his passes).

Carson Palmer, Raiders: Well, I loved him all season so I'm certainly still on after last week. He's averaging just over 41 pass attempts a game, that's fourth-most in the NFL. And that's when they had some semblance of a run game. He's gonna turn it over once or twice here but the Ravens defense isn't what it used to be (22nd against the pass) and generally speaking, you throw that much against a middle-of-the-road defense, fantasy goodness happens.

If you're desperate: When Ryan Fitzpatrick faced the Patriots earlier this year, he threw for 350 yards and four scores. Well, and four picks, but who's nitpicking? It won't be pretty but at the end of the day he'll have solid numbers. With apologies to Chris Berman, nobody circles the junk time like Ryan Fitzpatrick. … Ryan Tannehill is the answer to this trivia question; considering no quarterback facing the Titans this year has ever scored fewer than 15 points, who faces them this week? … And making a triumphant return to the "if you're desperate" section is Russell Wilson, who has at least two touchdowns in three of his last four and the one game he didn't was against the 49ers. Not a great matchup, but not terrible either, and I like that they are at home and Sidney Rice is healthy.

Quarterbacks I hate in Week 10

Michael Vick, Eagles: His rushing will keep his numbers respectable, but that offensive line is in a shambles (seven sacks allowed to the Saints last week), so I expect Vick to spend a lot of the day having close personal interactions with DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer. For all the issues the Cowboys have (their run game, their late-game performance, their insecurity, the fact they work too much and have trouble expressing their emotions, etc.), the pass defense isn't one of them, as the secondary allows the fifth-fewest amount of passing yards per game this year.

Jay Cutler, Bears: Can't I just say that he faces the Texans? Has a league-worst 14 sacks and sixth-worst 52.4 completion percentage when facing at least five pass rushers? And Houston has the most aggressive defense in the league, sending five or more pass rushers on 44.9 percent of dropbacks?

Matt Schaub, Texans: It's not like playing the Bears is a cakewalk.

Joe Flacco, Ravens: Not unless your league gives points for handoffs. Even Cam Cameron can't ignore the game film of what Doug Martin just did to the Ravens' next opponent.

Running Backs I love in Week 10

Adrian Peterson, Vikings: I include him only because I want to share this stat, which I think is unbelievable: He has 515 yards after contact this year. If you took just his yards after contact, he'd be 19th in the NFL among running backs in total rushing yards. Still less than a year removed from ACL surgery. Ka-RAZY.

Reggie Bush, Dolphins: Insert running back playing Tennessee here.

Steven Ridley, Patriots: You know what's fun? Going Next Level. Seriously. Try it with me here. The Bills have allowed 5.6 yards per rush between the tackles this season, the highest rate in the NFL. And in Week 4 against the Bills, the Patriots had 33 rushes between the tackles, gaining 200 yards (6.1 yards per rush) and scoring twice. Ridley had 106 yards and two scores last time they played.

Mikel Leshoure, Lions: Remember when the Vikings run defense used to be good?

Doug Martin, Buccaneers: So here's another very reasonable email I got that I didn't include in the intro.

Jeff (El Dorado Hills, Calif.): Well, Berry, I get your Martin take last weekend. Now that he has erupted in Clinton Portis rookie fashion, do you think he and Freeman and his receivers are gold this second half? I guess what I'm asking is, can the Buccaneers be a fantasy powerhouse the remainder of the season? BTW: I benched Martin this weekend based on your analysis. I read Chris (Harris)'s also. I started Ryan Mathews and Alfred Morris over him. However, my opponent's AP, Brandon Marshall and San Diego Chargers D did so much damage, I still would have lost. Easier pill to swallow. I still believe in your analysis.

Thanks, Jeff. I appreciate that. So here's my take on Martin the rest of the year: Yes, he's clearly a No. 1 running back. But I'd still rather have guys like Arian Foster, Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson, and I think he's neck and neck with guys like LeSean McCoy, Matt Forte, Frank Gore, Trent Richardson and Alfred Morris.

He has benefited from a good schedule: Martin's average opponent this season has allowed 4.4 yards per rush, which would rank eighth-worst in the league as its own team. In fact, he has faced three of the seven worst teams in the league in yards per rush, and the best team he's faced statistically so far has been Dallas, which ranks 12th in the league with 4.1 yards allowed per rush. Martin had 19 rushes for 53 yards against the Cowboys, and that was with Carl Nicks.

So Sunday will be a true test: The Chargers defense is fifth-best in the NFL, allowing just 3.7 yards per rush and only 1.3 yards after contact per rush. Having said all that … he is in the love section because I obviously believe in his talent (hey, I even wrote that last week), and history is on his side. I asked the great Tristan H. Cockroft, who keeps a meticulous database of all this kind of stuff, to look up what running backs did the week after they had an insane game (47 fantasy points or more). See the chart below; not one ever had fewer than 17 points in their next game.

Follow-up To Best Running Back Fantasy Performances

Marcel Reece, Raiders: You already know I think they are going to throw it a ton. I expect Darren McFadden and Mike Goodson to miss this game, and Oakland doesn't trust Taiwan Jones yet. Reece is the superior pass blocker and pass catcher, so in a game in which they're throwing it at least 40 times, Reece stands to have a very nice flex-worthy day as a pass catcher, throwing in the occasional run.

If you're desperate: I am assuming Donald Brown does not play Thursday night, making Vick Ballard a top-20 play against Jacksonville's 27th-ranked run defense. … All the bad Buffalo Bills run defense stats apply to Shane Vereen as well, especially since Brandon Bolden is banged up. Could see the Ridley scraps being more than enough for Vereen to be flex-worthy. … Joique Bell continues to get work (27 touches the last two weeks) and the Vikings have allowed seven touchdowns to opposing running backs in just the past four games. …The whole "getting a decent amount of work and has a good matchup" thing also applies to Daniel Thomas this week. … Keep an eye on Lance Dunbar this weekend against Philly. Decent matchup, and that job is ripe for the taking until DeMarco Murray comes back.

Running Backs I hate in Week 10

Jamaal Charles, Chiefs: Top-10 talent that I have outside my top 10 and frankly, I still might be too high on him. Maybe by putting him in here I can reverse-jinx him. So, you know about the lack of touches. But even when he's touching the ball, here's a concern: He has just 17 yards after contact (1.0 yards after contact per rush) the past two games. In fact, his 2.5 yards per rush average is the worst of any Chiefs rusher, including Matt Cassel and Brady Quinn. And over the past four weeks, the Steelers are fourth-best in the NFL with a 3.7 yards per rush-allowed average. Oh, and I'm pretty sure the Chiefs are going to be down in this game, and you know how they like to bail on their run game. My guess is you don't have better options to start than him, but lower your expectations even lower, if you can.

Fred Jackson, Bills: Does not have the big-play ability that C.J. Spiller has, and New England has allowed just 3.5 yards per rush, secon- best in the league. In fact, they've allowed just one rush of at least 20 yards this year. You're hoping for yards in the receiving game here and I don't see him getting enough of them to warrant being anything other than a low-end flex.

Steven Jackson, Rams: Plays the 49ers. Just because it's obvious doesn't mean it's not true.

Jonathan Stewart, Panthers: So much for that whole "committing to one guy" thing. Sigh.

Shonn Green, Jets: Not on the road at Seattle. I don't care how good he's looked or how human Seattle has looked. Not feeling it.

Wide Receivers I love in Week 10

Wes Welker, Patriots: Say this for the Bills: they find a bunch of different ways to be bad. Did you know they have allowed a 78.7 completion percentage on passes targeting receivers lined up in the slot, the highest of any defense in the league? And, of course, Welker is third in the NFL in targets from the slot.

Vincent Jackson, Buccaneers: Think he's motivated against his former team? You know, the one he sat out almost a whole season with? The one he kept trying to leave? Yeah, me too.

Danny Amendola, Rams: Welcome back, Danny. More slot receiver stats: The 49ers defense has allowed 39 receptions to slot receivers this season; that's tied for second-most in the NFL. And even though Amendola has only played five games this year, he's tied for sixth with 35 targets out of the slot.

Brian Hartline, Dolphins: Only five teams have allowed more 20-plus yard completions than the Tennessee Titans. Coming off a 100-yard game and leading the Dolphins in targets, Hartline is a legit fantasy starter this week.

If you're desperate: The Colts secondary is really banged up, so in what should be a decently high-scoring game, it should be another productive week for Cecil Shorts. … Three scores in four games for Sidney Rice who, like Russell Wilson, had just the one bad game versus San Francisco. … With Antonio Brown out, I like Emmanuel Sanders more than Jerricho Cotchery in the run-up-the-score-against-KC sweepstakes. … If you just need something this week, there may not be a safer bet for 40 to 50 yards this week than Davone Bess against the Titans.

Wide Receivers I hate in Week 10

Steve Smith, Panthers: Champ Bailey continues to play like a shut-down corner this year (except against A.J. Green, but then again, Smith is no A.J. Green), and Cam has really struggled when playing good teams. In a great matchup last week, Smith finally scored his first touchdown of the year but still had only 41 yards. Hard to count on another score here.

Jeremy Maclin, Eagles: Single-digit fantasy points in three of the last four, he's just not connecting with Vick these days and as I said in the Vick post, I feel the passing game is under duress all game, making Maclin a flex play at best this week.

Tight Ends I love in Week 10

Heath Miller, Steelers: See Roethlisberger, Ben.

Greg Olsen, Panthers: The Broncos give up the third-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends, Olsen is second on the team in targets and Steve Smith is gonna have Champ Bailey all up in his bid-ness.

Brandon Myers, Raiders: So there are 33 tight ends with at least 25 targets this season, right? And no one has caught a higher percentage of his targets than Brandon Myers (79.6 percent). He has 39 catches, which ranks fifth in the league. I wouldn't count on the touchdowns from last week repeating but in a game where I don't expect a ton of running and lots of passing, Myers should continue to see enough targets to make him a high-end TE2/low-end TE1. The Ravens, incidentally, have allowed 21 receptions and 228 yards to opposing tight ends in their past three games.

Dwayne Allen, Colts: More fun with completion percentage: 22 tight ends have had at least 10 targets in the past three weeks. Dwayne Allen leads them with an 84.6 completion percentage (11 catches on 13 targets). Ten receptions for 131 yards in the past two games, Coby Fleener is out, and only Reggie Wayne has more targets inside an opponents' 10-yard line.

If you're desperate: Anthony Fasano plays for Miami, which, you may have heard, faces the Titans. … Joel Dreessen now has four touchdowns in his past six games, and the Panthers allow the 13th-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends.

Tight Ends I hate in Week 10