DFS Alerts
Chris Johnson placed on injured reserve (IR)
Chris Johnson suffered a groin injury this past week and has been placed on the injured reserve list by the Cardinals. David Johnson was already the bellcow of this backfield – it’ll be Andre Ellington who spells him now.
As reported by: Adam Schefter on Twitter
Eli Rogers to remain out this week
Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin stated this morning that Eli Rogers would remain out. Markus Wheaton remains the #2 WR but Sammie Coates and Darrius Heyward-Bey will receive more opportunities with Rogers not playing. Both found the end zone last week and are high-risk, high-reward GPP options.
As reported by: Ed Bouchette on Twitter Other tagged players: Sammie Coates, Darrius Heyward-Bey Justin Forsett has been released by the Ravens
With the emergence of Terrance West this past week and Kenneth Dixon returning from injury, Justin Forsett’s run with the Baltimore Ravens has come to an end as the team has informed him they will be releasing him. West will be the back to own in DFS this week but keep an eye on Dixon as he could take a strangle hold on the job soon.
As reported by: Jeff Zrebiec on Twitter Other tagged players: Terrance West, Kenneth Dixon Charles Sims misses practice
The current Buccaneers starting RB missed practice today with a bruised knee he suffered this past weekend, but it was a “bonus” practice with the long week for the team so there’s no reason for massive concern yet. Doug Martin also missed practice – he seems likely to at least miss another week. Jacquizz Rodgers is the backup to Sims if for some reason there is a legitimate injury concern. We’ll keep you updated on the Bucs RB situation as the week progresses.
As reported by: Greg Auman on Twitter Raiders blocking tight end Lee Smith out for season
Smith broke his leg on a one-yard reception against the Ravens Sunday. After he went down, Oakland struggled to maintain drives, only having two of nine go for more than three plays and four ending in a loss of yards. Smith, who is possibly the best blocking tight end in the NFL, has been instrumental in the Raiders offensive success this year. With him, Oakland had the most efficient offense in the league in terms of DVOA, the highest adjusted rushing yards per carry, and the second best pass protection, boasting a 2% adjusted sack rate. His absence will be felt all around. Carr will see more pressure and the running game will take a hit; the Raiders had performed best running off the left end for an incredible 8.84 adjusted yards per carry. Oakland plays a Chargers defense this weekend that’s second in the league in interceptions and 9th in rushing yards allowed. You’ll probably want to avoid the Oakland backfield; on top of Smith’s injury, they haven’t had a single rusher with more than ten carries in a game since week one when Latavius Murray had 14.
As reported by: Jerry McDonald Other tagged players: Latavius Murray, DeAndre Washington, Derek Carr
Rashad Jennings, Eli Apple officially inactive, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie active
This news was fully expected. With Jennings out, Orleans Darkwa will take on most of the early-down work with Bobby Rainey filling in on passing downs. Paul Perkins is also in the mix and could see 5-7 touches as a complementary option. Sam Bradford should benefit slightly from Apple’s absence and the fact that DRC is banged up, but he’ll still have to deal with Janoris Jenkins, who is expected to shadow Stefon Diggs. If you are playing the prime-time slate (Mon-Thurs), the Thursday game seems more friendly from a fantasy perspective. The Vikings defense is probably the top target in this one.
As reported by: Art Stapleton Other tagged players: Orleans Darkwa
Terrance West not guaranteed featured role, despite big game against Raiders
Terrance West delivered for fantasy owners that made last minute swaps Sunday after Justin Forsett was scratched, scoring 20.3 DraftKings points and 17.3 on FanDuel. Baltimore needed a spark in the run game after failing to rush for 100 yards as a team in a single game. West managed 113 on his own against the Raiders. Coach John Harbaugh hasn’t committed to West though, as rookie Kenneth Dixon is returning this week from a knee injury. Dixon was the most impressive runner on the Ravens in the preseason, averaging 4.9 yards per carry. In terms of daily fantasy, we should be able to get at least one more solid week from West as Dixon is eased back in. Baltimore hosts Washington and the league’s worst rushing defense that’s allowed the most touchdowns on the ground (8). Isaiah Crowell tore them up for 112 yards and a touchdown on just 15 carries this past weekend. Despite Harbaugh being non-committal we expect West to be the lead back again. Even though Dixon may cut into his workload he should be able to provide solid fantasy production against the Redskins.
As reported by: ESPN Other tagged players: Kenneth Dixon Donte Moncrief still week-to-week
The Colts haven’t given a concrete timetable for Moncrief’s return, but he’s expected to miss at least another 2-3 games. Phillip Dorsett and Chester Rogers will continue to pick up the slack on the outside, but T.Y. Hilton is the main beneficiary as he’s seen at least 10 targets in each one of the Colts regular season games. He’ll step into yet another plus draw with the Bears at home on Sunday, making him playable in any format. Dorsett and Rogers aren’t recommended DFS options at this point unless one of them takes the reins.
As reported by: George Bremer Other tagged players: T.Y. Hilton Cardinals optimistic Carson Palmer will play against the 49ers Thursday
Palmer was removed in the fourth quarter against the Rams Sunday after suffering a concussion. Since they have a short week — they play San Francisco Thursday night — it was originally doubtful that he could play the next game. However, Coach Bruce Arians said his quarterback is day to day, proposing that there’s a chance Palmer could suit up. We won’t know more until Wednesday so if you’re playing a Monday-Thursday lock slate, don’t use him. If it doesn’t lock, make sure you’re okay with starting Blaine Gabbert against a tough Arizona defense or Drew Stanton. Although Gabbert has only eclipsed 200 yards passing once this season, he’s averaging 4 points per game rushing.
As reported by: Kent Somers Other tagged players: Blaine Gabbert Tom Brady gets dream matchup with Browns in his return
Brady couldn’t have asked for a much better opponent in his first game of the season. The Browns have allowed 10 passing touchdowns, good for third most in the league. Their fifth-worst adjusted sack rate of 3.4% signals severe issues getting pressure on quarterbacks. A fully rested Tom Brady should be able pick them apart. Best of all, they rank 22nd against tight ends, allowing 8.4 receptions, 81.3 yards, and 0.5 touchdowns per game to the position. Although Gronk has been extremely quiet in his limited playing time — 1 reception for 11 yards so far — there’s a good chance the Pats were holding him back as a precautionary measure due to his hamstring injury. If Belichick turns Gronk loose in this one, a Brady-Gronkowski stack may be the best available. Due to the uncertainty regarding his health, you’ll be able to get a discount on the tight end. You’ll have to pay up for Brady though; he’s the second most expensive QB on DraftKings and FanDuel.
Other tagged players: Rob Gronkowski Jared Cook already ruled out for Week 5
Cook has already been ruled out for the Packers Week 5 tilt with the Giants. The New York linebackers are well worth picking on with opposing TEs, and while this does free up more time for Richard Rodgers, he’s still hard to trust outside of deep GPPs. Cook is dealing with a high-ankle sprain and was on crutches today, so it’s very possible that he misses a few weeks beyond the NYG match-up. Treat Richard Rodgers as an upside punt play at or near minimum price across the industry.
As reported by: Rob Demovsky Other tagged players: Richard Rodgers Tevin Coleman expected to play in Denver
Falcons coach Dan Quinn told the media today that as of now, Coleman will suit up and play despite health concerns over his sickle cell trait. More than likely, he’ll see a decrease from his normal workload and fantasy value. Devonta Freeman will pick up the extra slack against a Denver Broncos team that’s been poor against the rush, ranking 30th in DVOA. They’ve allowed five touchdowns on the ground, fifth-most in the league, and hold an adjusted yards per carry rate of 4.41, which is the third-worst in the NFL. Freeman is averaging 5.9 yards per carry, but Coleman has scored 4 of the team’s five rushing touchdowns. Both backs roughly average three receptions per game. If Freeman picks up extra goal line work and passing plays, he could be a PPR monster. Although Denver’s pass defense is much better, they surprisingly rank 25th against running backs in the passing game.
As reported by: D. Orlando Ledbetter Other tagged players: Devonta Freeman Golden Tate benched for most of second half against Bears
There are some serious chemistry issues between quarterback Matthew Stafford and Golden Tate. After the receiver missed a signal from Stafford late in the second half he ran an incorrect route, leading to a Bears interception. Stafford was heated and Andre Roberts started the second half while Tate rode the pine. Roberts had just one snap in the first half, but was on the field for 26 in the second. Tate saw just five plays after the interception. Many expected Golden to become the number one receiver after Calvin Johnson left the team, but it hasn’t panned out whatsoever. He’s fifth on the team in receptions and averages 6.8 yards per catch. Detroit isn’t using him down the field at all, instead using Marvin Jones for most of the deep work and tight end Eric Ebron working the second level. Five different players have caught a touchdown, but Tate has zero. Not only has he not had a 100-yard receiving day, he hasn’t eclipsed 100 yards on the season. Whether these issues can be smoothed out or not remains to be seen, but as of now Tate holds little fantasy value. This weekend the Lions take on the Eagles who rank 2nd in overall defense DVOA and their pass defense ranks third.
As reported by: Detroit Free Press Darrelle Revis dealing with hamstring strain, iffy for Week 5; Decker also questionable
Todd Bowles basically stated that it’s too early to tell whether Revis or Decker will be able to take the field in Week 5. The Jets have struggled mightily over the last two weeks and will face another tough draw in Pittsburgh, and without Revis they’d have a tough time slowing down Antonio Brown and the Steelers passing game. If Decker isn’t able to go again, Quincy Enunwa should see an extra target or two with Robby Anderson likely to take on a bigger role as an outside receiver. We’ll update the status on these two as the week rolls along.
As reported by: @Jets Other tagged players: Eric Decker Dwyane Washington dealing with sprained ankle, foot, but hopeful to play in Week 5
Washington recorded just three touches before leaving Sunday’s game with the Bears, which afforded extra opportunity to Theo Riddick and Zach Zenner. Neither back did much with the added touches, and this backfield will be very tough to target against a stout Philadelphia front seven. Assuming Washington is able to play, we’ll likely continue to see a committee of sorts featuring mainly Riddick and Washington.
As reported by: Dave Birkett