DFS Alerts
5 Cheap WR's to target on DraftKings
We previously talked about San Diego WR’s Travis Benjamin and Tyrell Williams as value options at the WR position on DraftKings but where else can you look for salary relief at WR? Here are five names, all priced under $4,200 on DraftKings that are worthy of consideration for your lineups.
Vincent Jackson, $4000 – Jackson put up a dud last week but with Patrick Peterson likely in shadow coverage on Mike Evans, he’s in line to see the ball in more favorable situations this week.
Terrelle Pryor, $3500 – we have no idea if Josh McCown will target Pryor like RGIII did but the upside is certainly there for Pryor in a match up against a Baltimore team that struggled against the pass last season. High risk and chance of putting up a dud though so limit your exposure.
Jeremy Kerley, $3000 – he’ll probably be higher owned than he should after leading the 49ers in targets last week against the Rams but he’s minimum priced and should get plenty of balls thrown his way in a Chip Kelly fast-paced (albeit bad) offense. TD upside is limited but volume isn’t – a better cash game option than GPP play.
Tajae Sharpe, $4100 – this is a tough one as Sharpe is the clear #1 currently on the Titans. The problem is he’s likely going to be shadowed by Darius Slay who is a tough cover CB. Like Kerley, his TD upside is limited and he’s a better cash game option than GPP play.
Will Fuller, $4200 – of the five WRs listed in this alert, Fuller is probably the best option of the five. He has the upside of a Terrelle Pryor and gets the volume of a Sharpe/Kerley. Kansas City will likely spend more time focusing their best defenders on DeAndre Hopkins which should keep things open for Fuller.
Other tagged players: Tajae Sharpe, Jeremy Kerley, Terrelle Pryor, Vincent Jackson
Larry Fitzgerald limited on Wednesday
He appeared to be fine on Sunday while torching the Patriots defense. It’s likely nothing but some reprieve for the 33-year-old Fitzgerald, who will be GPP-playable against the Buccaneers at home. Carson Palmer is going to spread the ball around and it’s going to be tough to peg which of the receivers will explode on a given week – it could very well be Michael Floyd or John Brown in Week 2.
As reported by: Darren Urban
Arian Foster sits out Wednesday's practice
It doesn’t sound like anything serious and could just be a day of rest for the veteran running back. Foster has taken quite a bit of contact in his NFL career and maintenance days early in the week aren’t concerning. This is something to keep an eye on over the next few days, but at this point we should fully expect Foster to suit up against a tough New England defense.
As reported by: Ian Rapoport Kendall Wright gets in limited practice, still unlikely to play vs. Lions
Wright was on the field and in uniform during the open portion of practice, although the Titans staff seems to think he’ll need at least another week to recover. He’s a good bet to sit in Week 2 against a Lions defense that was just torched by the Colts, so look for Tajae Sharpe to once again be heavily involved as the team’s leading receiver. We should also expect Delanie Walker to have a stronger performance against Detroit after Mike Mularkey stated that they should have made more of an effort to get him involved in the opening loss to Minnesota.
As reported by: Jim Wyatt Other tagged players: Tajae Sharpe, Delanie Walker Sam Bradford gets first-team practice reps, looks likely to start in Week 2
Bradford appears ready to take the reins of the Vikings offense after observing as the backup in Week 1. Shaun Hill didn’t play poorly against Tennessee, but he didn’t play particularly well either – he didn’t turn the ball over but also didn’t account for any touchdowns. The Vikings gave up plenty to acquire Bradford’s services, so they clearly weren’t content with Hill under center for any prolonged period of time. This news figures to benefit the skill position players to an extent, but it doesn’t appear that any one of them (the pass catchers, at least) will benefit enough to make them highly recommended DFS plays this week. Stefon Diggs is coming off of a strong season debut and is certainly an option in prime-time formats. Adrian Peterson should have some extra room to roam as well.
As reported by: Charley Walters Other tagged players: Shaun Hill, Stefon Diggs, Adrian Peterson Rob Gronkowski limited in practice Wednesday
His status for Week 2 is still very much up in the air, although he appears to be on the right track to return to action given that he was able to practice at all. Gronk isn’t a guy that necessarily needs more than a day or two of full practice in order to play, but his status over the next two days should go a long way in determining whether or not he’ll be on the field this Sunday. He’ll have a nice draw with the Dolphins defense if he’s active, but he’s still very expensive and is dealing with a relative unknown at the QB spot, so paying up for him in cash games probably isn’t wise. He has arguably the highest ceiling at his position, however, so he’s always going to be a tournament option when active.
As reported by: Christopher Price Thomas Rawls to start for Seahawks in Week 2
It took just one week for Rawls to regain his role as the lead back despite being outplayed by Christine Michael in the season opener. Pete Carroll clearly saw enough from Rawls to feel confident giving him the lion’s share of the work, although Michael will still retain a role, albeit one where he won’t be a playable DFS option. Rawls has a great Week 2 draw with a Rams defense that allowed three rushing scores to the 49ers, and it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see the Seahawks match or exceed that total given that they’re sizable favorites. Michael’s presence does make it a bit harder to fully trust Rawls in cash games, but he’s a fine tournament target.
As reported by: Gregg Bell Other tagged players: Christine Michael Tyrell Williams could be a better option than Travis Benjamin this week
With Keenan Allen going down, Travis Benjamin will take over the #1 WR role for the San Diego Chargers and as such is likely going to be a highly owned player in their match up this week with the Jaguars. He’s an excellent play for sure but one that comes with some risk as he has typically been a boom-or-bust type of player capable of breaking a big play but also prone to getting shutdown if he is unable to do so. Tyrell Williams is an interesting pivot off of Benjamin, coming in at a lower price and a similar projection in terms of production (not to mention likely lower ownership).
Other tagged players: Travis Benjamin Demaryius Thomas practices today
The Broncos #1 wide receiver took part in practice today. It’s a good sign that he will play this weekend after there was some preliminary concern that he might not be able to go. It’s a great match up for the Broncos as they face the horrific Colts defense. That said, the Broncos passing game is hard to trust as they rely on their run game and defense to control the tempo.
As reported by: Cameron Wolfe on Twitter Breshad Perriman misses practice with calf injury
The talented Ravens WR missed practice today with minor calf issues – something to be on the lookout for heading into the weekend. Perriman wasn’t going to be much of a DFS option regardless as Steve Smith, Mike Wallace, Kamar Aiken, and Dennis Pitta hog the targets for the Ravens anyway. We’ll keep you updated on Perriman’s status regardless as more news becomes available.
As reported by: Adam Schefter on Twitter Jamaal Charles practicing (with scout team), Spencer Ware isn't (hurt toe)
The Chiefs RB situation, much like last week, is unsettled. Even more so today as Spencer Ware did not practice due to a injured toe and Jamaal Charles practiced (albeit with the scout team). Head Coach Andy Reid remained vague when talking to media about whether Charles would play this week or not and it doesn’t appear like the injury to Ware is anything serious. Ware isn’t as chalky a play this week due to a tougher match up against the Texans, an increase in price, and a split workload with Charcandrick West but he’ll still be in play (especially in GPP’s) if Charles sits again. We’ll update you on the status of these two whenever news comes in.
As reported by: Bob Fescoe on Twitter Other tagged players: Spencer Ware T.J. Yeldon could be even better play in Week 2 than he was in Week 1
When news of Chris Ivory being hospitalized broke on Sunday, many players in DFS pivoted to T.J. Yeldon in what was believed to be a plus match up against the Packers. While he did find the end zone, he was limited to less than two yards per carry and didn’t quite meet the expectations of many. With Chris Ivory’s status still up in the air for this week, the opportunity for Yeldon against a porous Chargers run defense is a good one. He’s still moderately priced ($6,500 on FanDuel, $4,700 on DraftKings) and if he can get anywhere near the 25 touches he received in game 1 should be a lock to hit value with some upside. The Chargers last season were one of the bottom 10 teams in the league in terms of fantasy points allowed per game to RB’s. Keep an eye on Ivory’s status – if he sits again, Yeldon is a great cash game play as well as being viable in GPP’s.
Other tagged players: Chris Ivory Sammy Watkins and Charles Clay questionable for Thursday's game
The Bills released their injury report for their Thursday game against the Jets and their starting WR and TE are both listed as questionable after being limited in practice today. Both are expected to play but their ability to be in question will be in doubt. In a tough match up against the Jets, it’s a situation probably best avoided (as is the Thursday game in general). We’ll update the status of these two if anything changes.
As reported by: Mike Rodak on Twitter Other tagged players: Charles Clay Rob Gronkowski to return to practice today
After missing last week’s game, the star Patriots TE has told local media that he will return to practice today. It’s a good sign and a step in the right direction for Gronk to take the field this week in a relatively good match up against the Dolphins. We’ll update you throughout the week on Gronk’s status.
As reported by: Courtney Fallon on Twitter Be wary of the Saints on the road
All the hype in NFL DFS Week 2 is centered on the New Orleans-New York Giants match up and rightfully so given that the game has the highest total, the Saints are coming off a prolific Week 1 outing, and the last time these two teams met they put up the third highest scoring game in NFL history. That game, however, was at New Orleans and the Saints typically under perform when not playing at home. In 8 home games last season, Brees threw for 2,853 yards and 23 TDs. In 7 road games, he managed only 2,017 yards and 9 TDs. It’s not a total reason to fade the Saints as the upside is definitely there, but with ownership likely high on the core Saints players there is an argument for looking elsewhere given there away tendencies (that and the Giants, while still bad on defense, are not nearly as bad as they were last season).