DFS Alerts

Steve Smith Sr. officially inactive

Mike Wallace is expected to get an expanded role in Baltimore’s offense today, but the Giants have done well defending WR1s. Wallace will see a lot of Janoris Jenkins, who did very well defending Jordy Nelson a week ago.

Eddie Royal and Zach Miller both active for Bears

Jacksonville has been much better defending the pass than a season ago. They’re allowing just 199 yards per game through the air. However, they’ve also allowed eight touchdowns, so teams have been able to score on them. Eddie Royal has a really nice matchup in the slot with Davon House, one of the lowest-graded cornerbacks of the season. He’s a possible pivot off the more popular Cameron Meredith in tournaments.

Rashad Jennings officially active

Jennings may immediately step back into the workhorse role for the Giants. They had said previously that they didn’t want him back in the lineup until he could block and catch, which is a good indication he’ll stay in for passing downs. Jennings will have a tough time running the ball though. Football Outsiders ranks the Ravens 1st in rush DVOA.

Sammie Coates will play

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Sammie Coates will play Sunday. Coates was questionable with a broken index finger. He tested it out pregame though and he will play versus the Dolphins.

Randall Cobb could see "some" snaps at RB

Eddie Lacy is expected to be the only active Packers RB this week. According to Ian Rapoport, Randall Cobb could see some snaps at RB this week. Cobb saw 11 targets last week and the Cowboys have allowed decent scores to inferior options such as Jeremy Kerley, Sterling Shepard and Jamison Crowder. If Lacy is limited at all it will very likely lead to snaps at RB for Cobb or even more targets from the slot.

Arian Foster will play Sunday

He hasn’t played since injuring his groin in Week 2. Foster isn’t a strong fantasy option this week, although he will catch some passes. This eliminates Jay Ajayi from consideration. Miami’s backfield and offensive line have failed to produce this season, and the offense is more likely to attack Pittsburgh through the air.

LeSean McCoy checks every box this week.

According to Chris Gimino’s ownership projections the two highest-owned RBs are expected to be Le’Veon Bell and LeSean McCoy. Chris expects Bell to be owned 32% on FD and 33% on DK. McCoy will be about 24% on FD and 29.5% on DK. When a player is highly-owned it makes sense to see if you can build a compelling case for going a different direction. It’s hard to find a reason not to play LeSean McCoy this week. The 49ers have allowed a 100-yard rusher in four straight games. Vegas has McCoy’s rushing prop at 92.5 yards which is the highest of any RB posted.

Gary Bardnidge will play against the Titans

He was dealing with injuries to his forearm and hip this week, but he’s all set to play today. Barnidge has seen an increase in targets each week so far. Tennessee has a pretty strong pass defense though, they rank 8th in DVOA, according to Football Outsiders, and have only allowed four touchdowns through the air. Despite the tough matchup, Barnidge should see a solid number of targets as the Browns don’t have many other options.

Dez Bryant feels good enough to play, remains doubtful

It looks like Bryant will try to get on the field today, but it would be a surprise to see him get out there. There won’t be any official word until he gets to the stadium. Dallas plays at 4:25 pm ET, so he shouldn’t be in your lineups that lock at 1 pm.

RotoGrinders meteorologist Kevin Roth is expecting sustained winds of 20-25 mph in Seattle today with the potential for rain. In Buffalo, he’s predicting winds around 15-20 mph with gusts up to 25 mph. Oakland won’t be as rough as originally anticipated, with winds around 15 mph paired with some rain. Kickers in these games will take a downgrade due to the weather. In Seattle and Buffalo, it may be a little tougher for quarterbacks to throw deep balls. Check out our NFL weather page to see Roth’s complete forecast for every game.

Mike Wallace will have increased role today against the Giants

Ian Rapoport reported that Wallace is in line for a bigger workload with Steve Smith unlikely to play. He’ll have his work cut out for him in a matchup with Janoris Jenkins, who was very effective when defending Jorday Nelson in Week 5. The Giants rank 2nd in DVOA against WR1’s, according to Football Outsiders. Kamar Aiken will take Smith’s place in the slot. He’ll see a lot of Leon Hall as Eli Apple is unlikely to play. Hall hasn’t had a huge sample size yet, but Pro Football Focus grades him at 77 on the season.

Le'Veon Bell will get snaps at receiver against Dolphins

Markus Wheaton is out and Sammie Coates is a game time decision, so the Steelers are in need at receiver. They plan on putting Bell out there throughout the game. He lined up as a receiver several times against the Chiefs in Week 4, catching five passes for 37 yards in that game. Last week against the Jets, he caught nine passes for 88 yards. He should have a big fantasy day against one of the worst teams in football.

Sammie Coates will be a game time decision

Coates is dealing with a broken finger and has seven stitches for a laceration to his left hand. He’ll test it out while warming up to see how it feels. If he can’t go, Eli Rogers will pick up some extra targets in his first game back since Week 3.

Gronk, Blount, Edelman, and Bennett will all play against the Bengals

Gronk missed practice Friday after coming down with the stomach flu. Blount, Edelman, and Bennett were all listed as questionable, but are expected to start today. All four players are viable fantasy options in a game that’s expected to be a blowout. Blount will lose some snaps to James White with Brady under center. Edelman lead the team in targets last week; he’s a big breakout candidate this week. Gronk is still an elite play despite coming off the illness. Bennett is a nice way to get exposure on the New England passing game for the lowest cost. After scoring three touchdowns last week, it’s safe to say Brady trusts him in the red zone.

Dwayne Washington will not play Sunday

Per Adam Schefter, Dwayne Washington won’t play on Sunday against the Rams. With Theo Riddick also on the shelf, the backfield is left to an underwhelming duo of Zach Zenner and the newly-signed Justin Forsett. It’s possible that Forsett is eased in after just joining the team, but there were reports that he may be the starter even if Washington was going to be active, although if Washington was fully healthy that would probably not be the case. Zach Zenner is likely to see any goal-line work and should account for at least half the early-down work, with Forsett better off in the passing game. Both backs have really low floors, but it’s not out of the question to use one of them sparingly as a GPP punt. Zenner’s touchdown upside makes him the better ceiling play.