DFS Alerts
Jeremy Langford returns to practice
The preseason darling of the Bears has returned to practice and should be back in the mix for their game against the Vikings on Monday night. With Jordan Howard and Ka’Deem Carey also vying for touches and a tough as they come match up, all three Bears RB’s can be safely avoided for DFS purposes.
As reported by: Brad Biggs on Twitter Other tagged players: Jordan Howard, Ka'Deem Carey
Arian Foster retires from football
Foster surprised everyone by retiring from football today, telling “Uninterrupted” that he’s “walking away in peace.” He’s been battling a hamstring injury since Week 2. Despite being active the past two weeks, he only averaged 4.5 touches since getting back in the lineup. A large part of his diminished workload is due to the success of Jay Ajayi, who has put together back-to-back weeks with more than 200 rushing yards. Ajayi will now be the clear number one back for the Dolphins and act as their workhorse.
As reported by: Uninterrupted Other tagged players: Jay Ajayi
Will Fuller officially active, DeMarcus Ware inactive
As expected, Fuller will be active this evening against the Broncos, but neither he or DeAndre Hopkins are in a good spot against a lockdown Denver secondary. Even in Thursday contests, it’s best to avoid those on the Houston side, even with the Broncos missing one of their best defenders (DeMarcus Ware).
As reported by: Jeff Legwold
Jay Cutler will start against the Vikings
Coach John Fox confirmed that Cutler will start for the Bears when they host the Vikings this weekend. It’s one of the worst matchups he could have as the Vikings have one of the best defenses in the league. Quarterbacks average a passer rating of just 63.7 against them. Alshon Jeffery and Cameron Meredith will be downgraded for this game, as the Vikings allow the third-fewest yards per game (198) and have only given up five touchdowns through the air. It’s also not clear if Cutler will favor one receiver over the other. He’s always had good chemistry with Alshon, but Meredith has done a lot with his opportunities. More than likely, Meredith’s production will decrease without Hoyer throwing to him. The Bears offense is one to fade in Week 8, but it’ll be worth keeping track of how Cutler distributes the ball.
As reported by: Chicago Tribune Other tagged players: Alshon Jeffery, Cameron Meredith Marquise Goodwin in concussion protocol, questionable for Week 8
Goodwin led the Bills in targets against the Dolphins with seven. Their number one receiver, Robert Woods, missed the game with a foot injury. It’s possible for Woods and Goodwin to both miss their Week 8 matchup with New England. In that scenario, Justin Hunter would likely be the number one receiver, but tight end Charles Clay would probably be Tyrod Taylor’s primary target. New England has been worse defending the pass than the rush, and the Bills are 6.5-point underdogs. Both Clay and Hunter would be worth tournament consideration in a game where the Bills will likely have to throw a lot.
As reported by: Mike Rodak Other tagged players: Justin Hunter, Charles Clay Cody Kessler is in concussion protocol, may be back for Week 8
Cleveland has started six different quarterbacks over their last seven games. They may start their seventh in eight games this weekend against the Jets. Kessler is in concussion protocol, but he’s hopeful he can play. Josh McCown (collarbone) has a chance to come back this week as well. If neither player ends up being available, Kevin Hogan would start for the Browns, which would make the Jets’ defense a very appealing target. Hogan struggled to throw the ball against the Bengals, only finding success on the ground. The Jets should be prepared to shut down that aspect of his game (it caught Cincinnati off guard at first), forcing him to pass. Cleveland claimed former Saints quarterback Joe Callahan today to back Hogan up. We probably won’t have a clearer picture of their Week 8 quarterback situation until later in the week.
As reported by: Cleveland Browns Other tagged players: Josh McCown LeSean McCoy will be questionable for Week 8
Buffalo decided to play McCoy against the Dolphins this past weekend instead of letting him rest his injured hamstring. He ended up exiting the game after re-aggravating the injury and will reportedly be questionable for Week 8’s game against the Patriots. It’s an important game for the Bills, so they’ll want McCoy to play, but it might make more sense to let him take a week off to heal. If he can’t go, Mike Gillislee would step up as the starter. It won’t be a great matchup for him as Football Outsiders ranks the Patriots 7th in rush DVOA, and they’ve allowed just three rushing touchdowns on the season.
As reported by: Adam Schefter Other tagged players: Mike Gillislee Kenneth Dixon expected to be more involved with Ravens' offense
Dixon has been limited since returning from a knee injury, averaging just three touches per game. After Baltimore rushed for six total yards as a team against the Jets, Coach John Harbaugh said he wants to get Dixon more playing time. At first, this will primarily cut into Terrance West’s fantasy value more than it would make Dixon a solid fantasy play. However, it’s certainly a situation to monitor. Dixon looked excellent in the preseason and the Ravens are very high on him. It’s possible he earns a starting role before the season is over.
As reported by: ESPN Delanie Walker, Tajae Sharpe would not have practiced Monday
The Titans didn’t actually practice today, but their projected practice report had both Delanie Walker and Tajae Sharpe listed as DNPs. This doesn’t mean much yet, but Sharpe does appear to have a decent shot at sitting out given his sprained knee and the short turnaround the Titans have (they play Thursday night). Delanie Walker is also questionable with a chest issue, but he appears to be the more likely of the two to suit up. We’ll continue to update the situation on both Sharpe and Walker as the week progresses.
As reported by: @Titans Other tagged players: Tajae Sharpe Tyler Eifert should see expanded role against Redskins
Eifert played 15 of the Bengals’ 61 snaps in Week 7. He only saw two targets in the game, hauling in one of them for nine yards. Mostly, the Bengals played him on third downs and in the red zone as they eased him back into the lineup. Based on his usage inside the 20, he always has touchdown upside, which makes him an interesting tournament flier in his limited role. Washington ranks 11th in pass DVOA and 12th against the tight end specifically, according to Football Outsiders. It will be a bit of a tough matchup for Eifert and the rest of the passing game.
As reported by: Geoff Hobson Ryan Fitzpatrick to reclaim Jets starting job in Week 8
The Jets would have had to decide between Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenburg otherwise, so it makes plenty of sense why they’re turning back to Fitzpatrick. This offense is pretty messy at the moment, but Fitzpatrick’s presence is good news for Brandon Marshall and Quincy Enunwa, both of whom were going to be a little tougher to target with Geno Smith under center. After back-to-back poor box scores for Marshall, he’s in a dream spot against a Cleveland secondary that was gashed by A.J. Green yesterday, and they’ve consistently proven weak against the league’s better receivers. Fitzpatrick is a potential GPP punt play in what sets up as a positive draw for QBs, but he’s certainly not the safest of options.
As reported by: @Jets Other tagged players: Brandon Marshall Redskins may reduce Matt Jones' workload
Jones was apart of three fumbles against the Lions Sunday. The first was within four yards of the end zone that Detroit recovered for a touchback. The other two were credited to Cousins as they came on handoffs, but one of them was definitely Jones’ fault. Coach Jay Gruden told reporters that his fumbling problem was a “tough deal” and may reduce his carries going forward. On top of the fumbling, he averaged 2.7 yards per carry in Week 7 while backup Chris Thompson averaged 6.1 ypc. Washington plays Cincinnati in London in Week 8. The Bengals have allowed the 9th-most rushing yards per game, but neither player is a safe option.
As reported by: Liz Clarke Other tagged players: Chris Thompson John Brown expected to play in Week 8
Brown missed Sunday night’s game against the Seahawks due to leg pain. Coach Bruce Arians told reporters he shouldn’t miss any additional time. With Jaron Brown done for the season and Michael Floyd looking pretty bad, he’ll be the clear number two receiver when Arizona visits Carolina this weekend. The last time the Cardinals traveled east for a 1 pm game they got worked by the Bills; Palmer threw four picks and zero touchdowns. Vegas has moved the line from a pick’em game to favoring the Panthers by three points, which is a bad sign. Either way, Brown should see a high volume of targets against a pass defense that Football Outsiders ranks 27th in DVOA.
As reported by: Darren Urban Tevin Coleman has hamstring injury, may miss Week 8
Coleman exited the Falcons’ Week 7 game in the third quarter after hurting his hamstring. These types of injuries can linger, forcing players to miss some time in an effort to prevent further damage. For example, LeSean McCoy would have been better off sitting in Week 7, but he didn’t and made his situation worse. There’s a good chance Coleman misses Atlanta’s Week 8 matchup with the Packers. In such a scenario, Devonta Freeman would take a solid upgrade as his usage would sharply increase. Green Bay has a tough run defense though, they’re currently allowing the fewest rushing yards per game (71.8).
As reported by: Sporting News Other tagged players: Devonta Freeman Jordan Reed will practice Wednesday
Reed is currently in the concussion protocol. He’s been cleared to resume practice, but will need to be given approval by an independent doctor to play in games. His status for Week 8 is questionable, although this is a positive sign. If Reed returns this week, he’ll face a Bengals defense that ranks 28th in DVOA against tight ends, according to Football Outsiders.
As reported by: ESPN