DFS Alerts
Cordarrelle Patterson expected to play Monday
Patterson (concussion) was able to practice Saturday and is expected to suit up for the Vikings’ Monday night game with the Bears. He’s averaged 5.3 receptions over the past three games and has a touchdown in each of the past two games. He’ll be on the GPP radar as a value option at receiver; the Bears haven’t had a strong pass defense this season.
As reported by: Chris Tomasson
Eddie Royal doubtful for Monday
Royal didn’t play in Week 7 and hasn’t practice all week, so it would appear that he won’t be playing Monday. Alshon Jeffery, Cameron Meredith, and Zach Miller will all pick up the slack. It will be Jay Cutler’s first start since Meredith entered the starting lineup, which means we’re unsure of their chemistry heading into their game with the Vikings. Generally speaking, we want to fade players when they go up against Minnesota’s defense, and this is no exception. There’s a good chance Cutler will struggle against an elite secondary, which takes him off the board and downgrades the receivers. At running back, Jordan Howard and Ka’Deem Carey may have a 50/50 timeshare. Carey has out-rushed Howard in consecutive games, and out-touched him in Week 7. It’s probably best to avoid Chicago’s offense this week.
As reported by: John Mullin DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller will play against special-teamer Sunday
With Darius Slay out Detroit is going to start Johnson Bademosi at cornerback. Bademosi was originally signed as a special teams guy, and it’ll be his first start in his five year NFL career. He’ll be tasked with defending DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller, one of the best receiving tandems in the league. This is definitely a situation to target. Detroit already had one of the worst pass defenses in the league, allowing a league-high 18 touchdowns through the air, and now they’ll play without their best corner. Houston does much better at home; Osweiler has thrown seven touchdowns at NRG stadium, and just one of the road. If Bademosi steps into the RCB postion for Slay, he’ll see Hopkins on roughly half of his snaps and Fuller on the other half. Both receivers are phenomenal targets this weekend, with Hopkins being the safer fantasy play of the two. He’s leading the team in targets, yards, and touchdowns, and he should do the same against the Lions. Of course, Fuller has big play potential, which makes him one of the best tournament plays at receiver. Per usual, you can roster him for less than Hopkins. Even Osweiler is on the fantasy map this weekend, he’s averaging 255.5 yards and 1.75 touchdowns in Houston this year, and the Lions are really going to struggle in the secondary. Football Outsiders ranks them dead last in pass DVOA. Plus, Lamar Miller is a bit banged up, which may entice the Texans to throw more than normal.
As reported by: Tim Twentyman Other tagged players: Will Fuller, Brock Osweiler Jerick McKinnon not expected to play Monday
McKinnon (ankle) had been in a walking boot Thursday, and even though he didn’t have it Friday, he didn’t practice. He missed practice again Saturday, and beat writer Andrew Krammer doesn’t expect him to play Monday night against the Bears. Matt Asiata will lead the backfield, and he’ll be another value option at running back this week. Asiata has only gained 3.3 yards per carry on the season, and Chicago is allowing just 3.9 ypc. The Bears have a banged up secondary, so teams often attack through the air more often than on the ground. Fortunately, Minnesota uses Asiata as a receiver, he had six receptions last week against the Eagles (and his reception totals have risen each week since Week 3). Asiata should definitely see a high volume of touches, and he’ll be the red zone/goal line back, but he may have trouble being efficient. Still, he’s very cheap across the industry and will definitely go under the radar as most of the attention has (rightfully) been on Devontae Booker, who’s in a similar price range.
As reported by: Andrew Krammer Other tagged players: Matt Asiata Martellus Bennett expected to play Sunday
Despite missing practice Friday, Bennett should be all set to take on the Bills tomorrow. He’ll be on the tournament radar, but is definitely to risky for cash games. Since scoring three touchdowns on eight targets against Cleveland in Week 5, Bennett has seen his volume decline to five targets in Week 6 and just two targets last week in Pittsburgh.
As reported by: Mike Reiss Lamar Miller may be limited Sunday
Miller injured his shoulder against the Broncos in Week 7, which left him with a reduced workload. He averaged 23.7 touches per game over the first six, but got the ball just 14 times against Denver. On Friday, Miller said, “I’m not really sure how much I will play right now, but hopefully I will be in there.” It’s not the most optimistic quote, although he later added that he was “hopeful” he could be a full-go. It’s not easy to figure out which way he’s actually leaning, and it’s important to note that his head coach, Bill O’Brien, spent five years in New England as Bill Belichick’s understudy. Belichick often uses injury reports as a strategical advantage, forcing an opponent to prepare for many different players and scenarios (look how many Patriots are listed on their reports this season, but always play). Two weeks ago, O’Brien had Will Fuller active without any intention of playing him. It’s also important to point out that Alfred Blue has been a pretty solid backup this year, averaging 5.4 yards per carry. Against Denver, he put up 63 yards on 11 rushing attempts. If Houston is concerned with Miller’s shoulder, they would probably be able to depend on Blue. It also helps that the Detroit Lions have a pretty bad defense, particularly against the pass. Despite Brock Osweiler’s recent troubles, O’Brien may go relatively pass-heavy with Miller banged up. It will certainly be a lot easier to pass the ball against Detroit at home than in Denver. At this point, it seems like Miller will probably play, but it’s very possible he’ll be on a snap count. With so many great options at running back this week he may not be worth the risk, even in a nice matchup.
As reported by: Hoston Chronicle Robert Woods expected to play Sunday
Beat writer Joe Buscaglia is expecting Robert Woods to play against the Patriots tomorrow. Woods has averaged 7.5 targets per game over the past four weeks, but he could see an uptick with Marquise Goodwin sidelined. Justin Hunter will start opposite Woods, and is an interesting GPP flier. LeSean McCoy probably won’t play, and the Bills are currently 6.5-point underdogs, so they should be throwing more than normal. Plus, it’s a revenge game for the Patriots as Buffalo shut them out at home in Week 4.
As reported by: Joe Buscaglia Other tagged players: Justin Hunter Donte Moncrief expected to play Sunday
He hasn’t played since he fractured his scapula in Week 2. Moncrief should immediately jump back into the number two role behind Hilton, but he remains a risky fantasy play coming off such a serious injury. Fortunately, he figures to see a lot of Chiefs’ cornerback Phillip Gaines, who has a low score of 43.7 from Pro Football Focus this season. Moncrief’s presence in the lineup should lower tight end Jack Doyle’s target share. Doyle remains a solid value option though as Luck seems to trust him a lot. Plus, he’s been pretty effective with his opportunities; he’s caught 87.9% of passes thrown his way and turned 13.7% of his receptions into touchdowns.
As reported by: Indy Star Other tagged players: Jack Doyle Quinten Rollins and Damrious Randall ruled out for Week 8
With Sam Shields on the IR, Green Bay will be without their three best cornerbacks this weekend. This is great news for Julio Jones, who should feast this weekend. Atlanta has had one of the best offenses, and Football Outsiders ranks them 3rd in offensive pass DVOA. In Week 8, they’ll be at home with an implied team total of 27.75 points. There’s going to be a lot of passing and a lot of scoring, and Jones should have no problem producing against the Packers’ decimated secondary. He’s currently projected as our top receiver, in terms of raw points, on both FanDuel and DraftKings.
As reported by: Michael Cohen Other tagged players: Green Bay Packers Kam Chancellor and Michael Bennett both ruled out for Week 8
This is definitely a boost to the Saints offense. Chancellor has missed the past two games with a groin injury. The Seahawks have allowed a 300-yard passer in each of those contests. This trend bodes well for Drew Brees, who always does better at home. Michael Bennett suffered a knee injury two weeks ago against the Falcons, but managed to play the following week against the Cardinals. After having some more discomfort after the Arizona game, he’ll need to rest in Week 8. He’ll be evaluated Monday, and surgery is possible. It will be the first game Bennett misses since joining the Seahawks in 2013.
As reported by: Bob Condotta Other tagged players: Drew Brees Russell Wilson removed from injury report
Normally, it’s a great idea to target quarterbacks in the Superdome, which is where Russell Wilson will play in Week 8. However, his normal rushing floor isn’t there due to a sprained MCL — he’s had three total rushing yards over the past four weeks — and he’s now dealing with a pectoral injury. Fortunately, he had a full practice Friday, and Vegas doesn’t seem to be too concerned with is injury. After opening as 3-point favorites, the Seahawks have only slipped half a point to 2.5-point favorites. The game total is still at 48 points. Of course, in New Orleans there’s always the chance this turns into a shootout. Regardless, he’s been priced up for the matchup and there are a lot of solid quarterbacks available at a lower price with less risk involved.
As reported by: Bob Condotta C.J. Anderson placed on IR
Anderson had surgery to repair a torn meniscus this week and will now miss the rest of the regular season. Devontae Booker is one of the best fantasy plays on the board this week as his price doesn’t reflect Anderson’s injury. Booker will be Denver’s workhorse back, and he’s been very effective running the ball. He’s also a solid receiver, which makes him a phenomenal option on full PPR sites. He’s by far our top points-per-dollar running back on DraftKings this week.
As reported by: Doug Kyed Other tagged players: Devontae Booker Devonta Freeman removed from injury report
Tevin Coleman is out, which leaves Freeman as the workhorse back for the first time this season. He’s put up solid fantasy numbers when splitting time with Coleman, so this could become a monster week for him. He definitely has more value on PPR sites though. Green Bay has a solid rushing defense — Football Outsiders ranks them second in rush DVOA — but their pass defense has been decimated by injuries. Sam Shields is on the IR, and both Damarious Randall and Quinten Rollins have been ruled out for Week 8. Combined, Coleman and Freeman are averaging 5.9 receptions per game, and it won’t be surprising to see Freeman hit six in this game. They’re also combining for 23.4 carries per game. Freeman should get a ton of touches in this one. Given his expected workload, he currently ranks 7th in our points-per-dollar projections on DraftKings.
As reported by: D. Orlando Ledbetter Ty Montgomery and Randall Cobb both listed as questionable for Week 8
As of now, we’re expecting both of them to play in Week 8. Montgomery is dealing with an undisclosed illness and Cobb has a hamstring injury. Green Bay visits Atlanta this weekend for a matchup with a total of 52.5, the highest on the board. It sets up really nicely for both players, if they’re healthy. Montgomery will be used a ton as a receiving running back, and Atlanta is one of the worst teams at defending those types of players. They allow 71.6 receiving yards to RBs per game, which is the most in the league. Cobb figures to benefit from being the second receiver in the offense as Atlanta’s best cornerback, Desmond Trufant, will likely focus on Jordy Nelson. This helped Tyrell Williams, San Diego’s number two receiver, last week. “The Gazelle” had 140 yards receiving on seven receptions against the Falcons, while Travis Benjamin, their number one, had 54 yards on four catches. If Cobb isn’t 100%, this could become another Davante Adams game. Adams had 13 receptions for 132 yards and two touchdowns last week.
As reported by: Michael Cohen Other tagged players: Randall Cobb, Davante Adams, Jordy Nelson Brandon Flowers removed from injury report, will play against the Broncos
Flowers has missed the past four games with a concussion. He’s the Chargers’ best available corner, and his presence should improve their defense immediately. San Diego is riding a two-game winning streak, with one of those Ws coming against the Broncos two weeks ago. They held quarterback Trevor Siemian to a 22.9 QBR in that one, according to ESPN. While it will be difficult to replicate that type of success in Denver, having Flowers in the lineup gives them a better chance to do so. The game has a low total (especially for a Chargers game) of 43.5 points.
As reported by: Michael Gehlken