DFS Alerts
Lamar Miller and Will Fuller both limited in Wednesday's practice
Miller (shoulder) is expected to be fine to play this weekend, while Fuller (hamstring) is considered day-to-day and will be a game time decision. The Texans visit the Jaguars this weekend, and are currently favored to win by 1.5 points in a low scoring game, the total is currently set to 42.5. Fuller hasn’t been good as of late, due to his injury and quarterback Brock Osweiler’s struggles. Osweiler is even worse on the road, and the Jaguars rank 12th in pass DVOA, according to Football Outsiders. Fortunately for Miller, they rank 27th in rush DVOA. While the Texan’s offense isn’t particularly attractive this week, especially with several other games having high totals, Miller is probably the best fantasy option on the team.
As reported by: Aaron Wilson Other tagged players: Will Fuller
Both Tyrell Williams and Travis Benjamin missed practice Wednesday
Williams and Benjamin are both dealing with knee injuries, with Benjamin’s being more serious of the two. He only played seven snaps in Week 9, while Williams caught six passes for 65 yards and a touchdown. Dontrelle Inman tied with Antonio Gates for a team-high nine targets, he picked up six receptions and 56 yards with them. With Hunter Henry also dealing with a knee injury, it would seem the Chargers will once again utilize Williams, Inman, and Gates the most in Week 10 against the Dolphins. Although Miami’s secondary is generally perceived to be poor, Football Outsiders ranks them ninth in pass DVOA, they’re eight in passing yards allowed per game (227), and their top three corners have all earned a 73.4 grade or above from Pro Football Focus. It could end up being a tougher matchup than expected.
As reported by: Michael Gehlken Other tagged players: Tyrell Williams Jets unsure if Ryan Fitzpatrick can play Sunday
Fitzpatrick has a sprained MCL, and Coach Todd Bowles told the media he doesn’t know whether he can play on it or not. The Jets’ quarterback was limited in practice Wednesday. If he ends up sitting, Bryce Petty would get the start. Petty has only attempted two passes in his career. It would be a good spot to target the Rams DST. They’re ninth in turnovers per driver, according to Football Outsiders, and the game total has dropped to 39.5 points.
As reported by: Andy Vasquez Other tagged players: Bryce Petty Kenneth Dixon listed as questionable for Thursday
Dixon (chest) is still expected to play the Browns tomorrow. He hasn’t had much of an impact yet this season though. He’s averaging 1.5 yards per carry on 15 rushing attempts. Baltimore is starting to get him a bit more involved, providing the rookie running back with 11 touches last week against the Steelers. However, Dixon only managed to pick up 13 total yards in the game. At this point, he’s more of a threat to cut into Terrance West’s workload than become a fantasy option himself. On the bright side, he has shown promise and the Ravens like him a lot, but it’s more of a wait-and-see approach right now.
As reported by: ESPN Terrelle Pryor removed from injury report
Pryor (hamstring) is all set to play tomorrow night. He draws a nice matchup with Will Davis. Despite Davis grading well (Pro Football Focus gives him a 70.1), he’s giving up 0.46 points per route run, the second-highest number among cornerbacks. Corey Coleman figures to cut into his target share, but there should be plenty of volume for both receivers. The Browns are 10-point underdogs, and Baltimore boasts one of the best rush defenses in the league; Football Outsiders ranks them first in rush DVOA. It helps that Coach Hue Jackson wants quarterback Cody Kessler to start throwing downfield more, because they’ll likley be throwing a lot. Pryor definitely has some tournament appeal this week.
Jacquizz Rodgers continues to miss practice; unlikely to play
The Bucs RB is out of his protective boot but is still not practicing making him unlikely to play this week when Tampa Bay faces the Bears. It looks as if Doug Martin will return this week anyway so Rodgers role would have been reduced anyway.
As reported by: Greg Auman on Twitter
Allen Hurns remains in concussion protocol
The Jaguars #2 WR was working on the side today at practice but remains in the NFL concussion protocol. He could possibly clear the protocol in time for Sunday’s game against the Texans but would not be a viable DFS option regardless going against a Texans team that is top 8 in both Pass DVOA and WR2 DVOA.
As reported by: Ryan O'Halloran on Twitter Doug Martin returns to practice
Martin has been out for most of the season but has returned to the field in full pads and could be in line to play this week against the Chicago Bears. It’s probably best to take a wait and see approach with Martin, especially the first week back from a prolonged absence. The Bears are 19th in RB Rush DVOA so if we get news that Martin might handle a significant workload he could become someone to look at. We’ll continue to keep you updated with news on the Buccaneers RB as the week progresses.
As reported by: Jenna Laine on Twitter Jeremy Maclin misses practice; looks unlikely to play this week
Maclin looks unlikely to play this week after missing practice today with a groin injury. Albert Wilson, Chris Conley, and Tyreek Hill will all see increased roles in the Chiefs offense going against a Panthers defense that is 27th in Pass DVOA. One (or more) of those three should be able to have success against an inexperienced Panthers secondary but figuring out which one is the hard part. Hill has the most upside, Wilson is the safest, and Conley is somewhere in between those two.
As reported by: BJ Kissel on Twitter Other tagged players: Albert Wilson, Chris Conley, Tyreek Hill James Starks and Jared Cook could return to action for Packers this week
Both players are returning from long absences due to injury and will practice in a limited fashion today. Head Coach Mike McCarthy said there is a chance they could play this week against the Titans. Starks would have the biggest impact in terms of DFS relevance as he’d be a hit on the value of Ty Montgomery and would himself be of some interest. We’ll keep an eye on these two and update you when more news comes in.
As reported by: Rod Demovsky on Twitter Other tagged players: Jared Cook Spencer Ware clears concussion protocol
Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid stated that Ware has cleared the concussion protocol and is “good to go” for their game this week against the Panthers. While it certainly improves the Chiefs RB situation, the Panthers are a top defense (5th in RB DVOA) against the run so rostering Ware comes with some risk – there are better options out there around his price point.
As reported by: Pete Sweeney on Twitter Jonathan Stewart does not practice
The veteran Panthers RB often misses a practice or two so there’s no reason to be too concerned yet about his playing status for this week. It’s a solid match up for him this week going against a Chiefs defense that is 23rd in Rush DVOA but top 8 in Pass DVOA.
As reported by: Joe Person on Twitter Mike Evans remains in concussion protocol
The star Tampa Bay WR is expected to be cleared and play this week but it’s definitely a situation we’ll have to keep a close eye on especially considering that he might be the top WR option on the slate this week facing a Bears team that is 31st in WR DvP. We’ll continue to monitor Evans’s status throughout the week and update you when we learn more.
As reported by: Greg Auman on Twitter Le'Veon Bell's matchup with Cowboys is better than it seems
According to Football Outsiders’ Scott Kacsmar, Dallas has allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to running backs this season. However, he also highlighted that they haven’t faced very tough RBs so far (click the link below for Kacsmar’s complete list with stats). Le’Veon Bell will be the first elite running back they’re tasked with stopping. He’s had over 100 total yards in each game he’s played besides one. Last week, the Ravens held him to 70 yards. Bell still picked up six receptions against them though, which speaks to one of his strengths. Over his first five games, he’s averaging 7.2 receptions and 56.6 receiving yards per game. Dallas, on the other hand, struggles to defend receiving running backs. They’ve allowed the third-most passes per game to RBs (8.4), and rank 15th in pass DVOA to the position. Of course, Dallas plays slow. They have the fourth slowest pace, and they’re second in time of possession (32:14). However, Vegas has this game at a 50-point total, which is the highest of the week. This indicates it could be a pace-up game for the Cowboys in Week 10. Le’Veon Bell surprisingly hasn’t found the end zone yet this season, but it’s only a matter of time, and he has a good chance to get in on the scoring this week. While a matchup with Dallas and recency bias will scare people off Bell, it may actually be a nice spot to target him. Dallas’ success against the run is a little misleading, and the game is expected to feature plenty of points. As a nice bonus, Bell’s price has dropped over the past few weeks, so he can be rostered for a bit of a discount.
As reported by: Scott Kacsmar Coach Hue Jackson believes Corey Coleman will play much better in Week 10
Coleman posted a 3/41/0 line on seven targets against Dallas in Week 9. Coach Jackson expects those numbers to go up on Thursday when the Browns visit the Ravens. In their previous matchup this season, which was in Cleveland, Coleman caught five receptions for 104 yards and two touchdowns. Josh McCown was throwing to him that day, and he’ll have Cody Kessler at quarterback this time around. Fortunately, Jackson also said he wanted Kessler to start throwing the ball down field more. This is great news for both Coleman and his counterpart, Terrelle Pryor, but it gives a bigger boost to Coleman. In college, the speedy receiver excelled at making big plays and scoring. There is no doubt he can stretch the field; he ran a 4.37 40-yard dash at Baylor’s pro day, which would have been the second fastest WR time at the combine (only behind Will Fuller, who ran a 4.32). The largest question mark is Kessler’s ability to hit him deep, he had one of the weaker arms in 2016’s draft class. At this point in the season, the Browns don’t have much to lose. Jackson, who’s fully aware of this, told the media to not be “surprised” by what we see on Thursday, because he’s ready to “try anything.” These are good quotes for fantasy players; Coleman is shaping up as an exciting tournament option.
As reported by: Mary Kay Cabot