DFS Alerts
Zach Ertz not practicing Wednesday
Ertz didn’t practice at all last week and the Eagles have a short week coming off of a Monday night game, so there is a very real chance that he’s unable to play against the Steelers on Sunday. Trey Burton ended up tied for second on the team in targets with seven, which he converted into five catches for 49 yards and a touchdown. He’d likely see a similar workload Sunday if Ertz isn’t able to go, as the Steelers have been picked on quite a bit with opposing TEs (although for a marginal level of success). Brent Celek would still be the starter, but Burton would be the main pass-catcher.
As reported by: Delaware County Daily Times Other tagged players: Trey Burton, Brent Celek
Doug Baldwin, Thomas Rawls, Tyler Lockett all looking likely for Sunday
Baldwin and Lockett appear to be near-locks to play on Sunday, with Rawls being a bigger question mark. Rawls was banged up for the entire preseason and didn’t see a ton of action in Week 1, and wasn’t able to complete a full game as the starter this past week. Christine Michael would take on a fairly big workload if Rawls isn’t able to suit up, but it’ll likely be back to a committee assuming Rawls does indeed play. The 49ers stifled the Rams rushing attack in Week 1, but they were up big early and ended up allowing 131 yards to Fozzy Whitaker last week on just 19 touches, so this defense is still vulnerable.
As reported by: Bob Condotta Other tagged players: Thomas Rawls, Tyler Lockett Marshall, Decker miss Wednesday's practice; Forte limited
Marshall and Decker are still expected to play Sunday, but neither was a participant in Wednesday’s practice. Decker appears to be the healthier of the two receivers and at this point he’s looking like the slightly safer DFS play, although both should benefit from the long week of rest. Forte’s absence doesn’t appear to be anything more than a veteran maintenance day.
As reported by: Kimberley Martin Other tagged players: Eric Decker, Matt Forte Jay Cutler not practicing
The Bears starting QB will likely miss this weeks game and sat out practice today with a brace protecting his injured thumb. If he is unable to go, Brian Hoyer will get the start and is an intriguing GPP value option ($6K on FanDuel, $5K on DraftKings) going against the slow-paced Cowboys.
As reported by: Adam Jahns on Twitter Other tagged players: Brian Hoyer
Virgil Green not practicing today
The Broncos TE is battling a minor calf injury and is sitting out today’s practice. He’s not expected to miss this weekends game against the Bengals but is not a viable DFS option even if he does suit up given a less than average QB manning the helm for the team in Trevor Siemian and a tough defense like the Bengals. We’ll update Green’s status as more news becomes available.
As reported by: Cameron Wolfe on Twitter Is Theo Riddick a trap this week with Ameer Abdullah out?
We know that Ameer Abdullah will not play this week. We know that Theo Riddick will and there will be a lot of DFS hype revolving around Riddick as there usually is when a backup RB is given more opportunities. Is this really the week to target Riddick though? An argument can be made against it certainly as the Packers have been strong against the run (#1 in the NFL the first two weeks and have only allowed 283 yards on 101 rushes by RB’s in their last five games). They’ve also been surprisingly effective against RB’s in the passing department with only 26 receptions for 213 yards in those same five games. Add in the fact that the Lions will likely utilize Dwayne Washington as their first down and goal line back and there is merit to fading Riddick, especially in GPP’s (he’s certainly a viable option in cash games on PPR sites like DraftKings).
Other tagged players: Dwayne Washington Marquise Goodwin out of concussion protocol
Bills WR Marquise Goodwin is out of the NFL concussion protocol and can officially return to action. Goodwin has explosive speed (as evidenced by his 84 yard TD last week) but is too inconsistent and not targeted enough to be utilized in DFS. Add in a tough match up against the Cardinals and he’s an easy fade this week.
As reported by: Vic Carucci on Twitter Donte Moncrief out 4-6 weeks with fractured scapula
Colts Head Coach Chuck Pagano told media this morning that Donte Moncrief has a fractured scapula and will be out for 4-6 weeks. Phillip Dorsett will presumably take over the #2 WR spot for the team and with T.Y. Hilton likely being shadowed by elite shutdown Chargers CB Jason Verrett makes for an excellent value DFS option this weekend.
As reported by: George Bremer on Twitter Other tagged players: Phillip Dorsett Tyler Eifert to practice for first time since having ankle surgery
It’ll be limited, but Bengals TE Tyler Eifert will take the practice field today for the first time since having ankle surgery. He likely won’t play this week but this is a positive sign for him returning to game action soon. Tyler Kroft and C.J. Uzomah will continue to get the work in his absence. We’ll continue to keep you updated on Eifert as he is one of the better TE options in DFS when he is healthy due to his red zone usage.
As reported by: Paul Dehner Jr. on Twitter Adrian Peterson to have surgery; expected to miss several weeks (or more)
The Vikings RB told Josina Anderson that he would be having surgery this Thursday to repair his torn meniscus. It means he’ll certainly miss this weeks game against the Panthers and should miss several more afterwards with some possibility of an extended (even season long) absence. Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata will split the Vikings RB workload with McKinnon expected to get about 2/3 of the work and Asiata being the preferred red zone option. While both have some upside, it’s a tough match up against the Panthers this week and one that should be avoided for the most part.
As reported by: Adam Schefter on Twitter Other tagged players: Jerick McKinnon, Matt Asiata Chris Ivory to return to practice (limited basis)
Chris Ivory will return to practice today, albeit limited, as he makes progress towards returning to action. If he is able to play, it’s a big hit on the already limited value of T.J. Yeldon (who has been a disappointment in two games with full workload). The Jaguars RB situation is probably one to avoid for now. We’ll update you on Ivory’s status through the rest of the week as more information becomes available.
As reported by: Adam Schefter on Twitter Other tagged players: T.J. Yeldon Ameer Abdullah placed on injured reserve; can return in 6 weeks
As expected, Ameer Abdullah won’t play this week and now will not play for at least the next six weeks as the Lions have placed him on injured reserve. Theo Riddick and Dwayne Washington will split the workload with Riddick being the better option of the two, especially this week against a Packers team that has been stingy against the run.
As reported by: Paula Pasche on Twitter Other tagged players: Theo Riddick, Dwayne Washington Paying Up At Running Back May Be Your Best Bet This Week
With so much uncertainty around the league at RB this week, it may be worth finding value at WR and hedging your risk by paying up for predictable, high-volume backs. As mentioned earlier, there were a litany of injuries this weekend, and many backfields are in question heading into Week 3. Even if the starters in places like Miami, Carolina, and Minnesota can’t go, there aren’t clear favorites to take on the workload alone; we’ll likely see several committees with unpredictable red-zone and goaline usage. Plus, teams like Jacksonville and Kansas City may get their starters back for the first time. It might be best to avoid the situations in question altogether, especially in cash. DeAngelo Williams, David Johnson, C.J. Anderson, Melvin Gordon, and several others at the top should be the easiest to predict in terms of volume and performance; they should all have solid floors. Minimizing risk at RB requires you take take on a little more at other positions like WR, but this is a good week for value plays. Earlier today we highlighted receivers DeVante Parker and Tajae Sharpe. Phillip Dorsett may be an option if Donte Moncreif can’t go. Eddie Royal, who has at least 15.2 DraftKing points and 6 targets through the first two weeks, costs just $3,500 on DK. Travis Benjamin, Stefon Diggs, and Mike Wallace are all $5,200 or less on there. WR prices on FanDuel are closer together, but there are certainly ways to save with a similar set of players. Even in a GPP format this could prove a lucrative strategy as many DFS players may search for value at RB instead. Although it seems chaotic, weeks like this can be a lot of fun, and more importantly, profitable, if one successfully stays on top of all of the information as it comes out.
Tajae Sharpe ready to break out against the Raiders
We all remember that fantastic Saints-Raiders game that was everything the Saints-Giants contest wasn’t. The latter game destroyed many lineups in Week 2 with just 1 passing touchdown, while on the other coast the Raiders got torched by Matt Ryan for 389 yards, 3 tds, and a 97.5 QBR. Although many expected Oakland to improve their defense this season, they may be the best team to pick on. Similar to the Saints of ’15, their offense can put up a lot of point,s which creates the perfect recipe for shootouts.The Tennessee Titans now have the privelege of taking on the league’s worst pass defense (in both yards and touchdowns allowed) at home. Despite the low scores of the first two Titans games this year, Vegas has set the O/U at a generous 47 points, with the spread favoring Tennessee by just 1.5. This game should have a lot of yards and touchdowns in store, and Tajae Sharpe may benefit the most. Sharpe has accounted for 50% of the touches by Titan WRs; in fact, only 3 WRs have caught a pass for the Titans this entire season. Facing a severely underperforming Raiders secondary in Week 3, Sharpe could deliver a monster game. He’ll of course compete with Delanie Walker for targets, but if the Raiders’ start to the season is any indication, there should be plenty of opportunity for them to both eat this week. Tajae is a mouth-watering $4,700 on DraftKings this week and $5,800 on FanDuel, while Delanie is $5,000 and $6,900, respectively. Both are great options with very high ceilings. Keep in mind people may overreact to Tajae Sharpe’s underwhelming performance in Week 2 even though he had an incredibly difficult matchup with Darius Slay, so his ownership may be lower than it should be.
Jimmy Garoppolo listed as limited practice participant
Garoppolo almost certainly won’t play on Thursday, but the Patriots are sure trying to make it seem like he has a chance to suit up. We’re fully expecting Jacoby Brissett to be under center in Week 3 with Garoppolo potentially returning in Week 4, although initial reports made it sound like he’d miss at least a few games. We’ll update his status as the week rolls on, but it appears very doubtful that he’ll be able to return on a very short week.
As reported by: Ben Volin Other tagged players: Jacoby Brissett