DFS Alerts
Cody Kessler to start for Browns this week
According to sources, Josh McCown will miss this week with a shoulder injury making Cody Kessler the starting QB. He’s not a viable DFS option, even at minimum price, but the Dolphins DST has some appeak as they have a good pass rush with the likes of Suh, Wake, and Williams manning their D line.
As reported by: Adam Schefter on Twitter Other tagged players: Josh McCown
Ameer Abdullah going through tests for a foot sprain
X-rays for the Lions starting RB were negative but he is undergoing more tests for what the team believes is a foot sprain. If he is unable to go this week, Theo Riddick would see an increased workload and would be a great value option. Also be on the lookout for Dwayne Washington who has already been getting goal line carries. He could see more utilization on 1st down if Abdullah can not play. We’ll keep you updated on the status of Abdullah as the week progresses.
As reported by: Ian Rapaport on Twitter Other tagged players: Dwayne Washington, Theo Riddick Jonathan Stewart likely out for one to two weeks with a hamstring injury
Carolina Panthers Head Coach Ron Rivera stated this morning that their starting RB, Jonathan Stewart, will likely miss one to two weeks with an injured hamstring. Cameron Artis-Payne and Fozzy Whittaker would likely get the majority of the work if he is unable to go with Mike Tolbert coming into the picture as well. It’s a tough situation to read and one probably best avoided as Rivera does not seem committed to any one back.
As reported by: Max Henson on Twitter Other tagged players: Fozzy Whittaker, Cameron Artis-Payne DeMarco Murray Could Have Big Day With Lions Thin At LB
DeAndre Levy, the Lions OLB who played every snap last week, is out for Week 2. While this was expected as he’s been rehabbing a quad injury all week, it’s notable because his primary backups are also out. Rookie Antiwone Williams will start and Michael Rothstein reported that Brandon Copeland practiced with LBs this morning in case of an emergency. This is good news for DeMarco Murray as he’ll face a weakened front-seven. The Titans are 6.5 point underdogs, and even if game script goes according to plan DeMarco should see plenty of action as a receiver. He had 7 targets and 2 receiving touchdowns in Week 1 against a much stronger Vikings defense. Murray is just $5,700 this week on DraftKings where he’ll benefit from the full PPR format.
As reported by: The Detroit News
Nate Solder active for the Patriots. Bennett may not be asked to block as much
Patriots’ tackle Nate Solder is officially active. With Solder sidelined last week against Arizona, Martelus Bennett was asked to block on 28% of his snaps. Solder back in the lineup should allow Bennett to run more routes this week. There are certainly plenty of options at TE this week both cheap and expensive. That leaves Bennett as a GPP option but his outlook is certainly improved with Solder back.
As reported by: Rotoworld
Freeman to continue splitting work with Coleman
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Falcons still consider Devonta Freeman their starter but believe Tevin Coleman is “just as talented.” Last week Freeman and Coleman split snaps nearly evenly. The only positive for Freeman is that he is still getting the red zone work for now. Freeman is easy to avoid as long as this continues to be a 50/50 timeshare.
As reported by: Ian Rapoport Other tagged players: Tevin Coleman DeVante Parker and Jay Ajayi Active
The Dolphins will have listed both DeVante Parker and Jay Ajayi on the active roster against the Patriots today. while Damien Williams and Isaiah Pead are out. It’s very likely both Parker and Ajayi will be limited and are best left off fantasy rosters this week. Arian Foster will be the primary back with Kenyan Drake potentially getting some run, but the Phins will likely be playing from behind when they visit the Patriots as 5.5 point dogs. Per usual, Jarvis Landry should see tons of targets and Kenny Stills is a favorite deep ball target for Ryan Tannehill. Stills had a microscopic 1/16/0 line on five targets last week, but it could have been much bigger as he straight up dropped a long TD ball against the Seahawks.
As reported by: Adam Beasley Other tagged players: Jay Ajayi, Arian Foster, Jarvis Landry, Kenny Stills, Damien Williams Kevin Roth's NFL Forecast Updated
A few games around the NFL may get hit with some weather today. Most notably, there are overcast conditions with potential rainfall in the Meadowlands for the Saints-Giants contest. Check Kevin Roth’s article for complete details!
As reported by: Kevin Roth Jamaal Charles Out for Week 2
Jamaal Charles will take some more time to heal his knee and make his return in Week 3. This is good news for Spencer Ware who will see a lot of volume again this week. As noted earlier, Ware has seen a sharp increase in price and faces a Houston defense that is much stronger against the run than the Chargers (the team Ware tore apart in Week 1), which means he isn’t as strong a play as last week.
As reported by: Adam Schefter Other tagged players: Spencer Ware Markus Wheaton Ruled Out For Week 2
It looks like Markus Wheaton needs more time to rehab his ailing shoulder and will be inactive against the Bengals this week. Sammie Coates should continue to fill his role and while our projections give him a bump with Wheaton’s absence he garnered just three targets last week. Coates should be avoided in cash for that reason. Look for Eli Rogers to get a bunch of looks out of the slot. Both he and Jesse James had seven targets in Week 1 with Wheaton out, and both are in play with affordable price tags.
As reported by: Ian Rapoport Demaryius Thomas To Be Evaluated In Warmups, Likely Limited If He Plays
Reports from Denver this week indicated Demaryius Thomas was having trouble running routes and making cuts due to a hip injury. Although it seems like he’ll play this week, it may be as a decoy. This is extremely frustrating for fantasy players because Thomas is facing an ideal matchup against a very bad Colt’s defense that will be without Vontae Davis and several others. Unfortunately, it may be best to avoid Demaryius in this situation. If Thomas is limited Emmanuel Sanders figures to benefit the most in the passing game. With Siemian under center, and a game script that should see the Broncos take an early lead and keep it — they’re 6.5 favorites at home — they may not need to pass much anyway. C.J. Anderson was phenomenal against the Panthers last week and should be able to shred Indianapolis; he may be the best way to get exposure against the weak Colt’s defense.
As reported by: Adam Schefter Other tagged players: Emmanuel Sanders, C.J. Anderson Spencer Ware Not A Must-Play In Week 2
With Jamaal Charles officially ruled out this week, Spencer Ware will lead the Chiefs backfield against the Houston Texans. Last week Ware’s price in a very favorable matchup with the poor Chargers defense made him a must-play. This time around he’s facing a strong Texans defense and a sharp price hike. Last week, Houston held Jeremy Langford to just 57 yards on 17 carries. Despite Ware being an exceptionally talented back, fantasy players may be able to find better value in more affordable players. T.J. Yeldon is one example of a cheaper RB that will see a ton of volume this week against the very Chargers that Ware tore apart in Week 1. On DraftKings Yeldon will save DFS players $1,400.
Other tagged players: T.J. Yeldon Russell Wilson will play through high ankle sprain
Russell Wilson is expected to play after injuring his ankle last week. While this will limit Wilson’s mobility, the Seahawks feel that Wilson is doing fine. The main concern for DFS players is that Wilson is playing in this week’s lowest over/under. The total for Seahwaks-Rams is just 37.5. Wilson is priced in the upper tier of QBs which means we can safely avoid him in this matchup.
As reported by: Adam Schefter Josh Norman not expected to shadow Dez Bryant
Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Josh Norman is not expected to shadow Dez Bryant on Sunday. Norman played 89% of his snaps as the LCB and 11% of his snaps in the slot. He didn’t play a single snap at RCB as the Redskins are content allowing Bashaud Breelund to handle that side of the field. Last week, Dez Bryant lined up as LWR/SWR/RWR: 32%/28%/40% while Terrence Williams lined up 38%/19%/43% and Cole Beasley lined up 14%/83%/0%. Not facing Josh Norman on 100% of snaps is an upgrade for Dez Bryant but at the same time we have to downgrade Terrance Williams for the approximately 40% of snaps he’ll line up opposite Norman. This doesn’t change much for Cole Beasley who will primarily work against Kendall Fuller in the slot.
As reported by: Ian Rapoport Other tagged players: Cole Beasley, Terrance Williams Rob Gronkowski officially ruled out
According to Adam Schefter, Rob Gronkowski (hamstring) will not play Sunday. In Gronkowski’s absence last week, Martellus Bennett played 97% of the Patriots’ offensive snaps while A.J. Derby played just 28%. Bennett had a very disappointing fantasy game though. He was only able to haul in three catches on four targets for 14 yards. The reason Bennett had such a disappointing day is that he was asked to block on 28% of his offensive snaps due to the Patriots missing two offensive linemen. When inactives are announced this morning keep an eye on whether Nate Solder and Jonathan Cooper are active. The status of the Patriots offensive line directly affects Bennett’s fantasy production.
As reported by: Adam Schefter