DFS Alerts

Sammy Watkins could be shut down for several weeks

The Bills star WR does not have a broken foot but after fears that he might be out for the remainder of the season there is a strong likelihood that the team will do all they can to protect Watkins and shut him down for several weeks. If he does go down that would make Robert Woods the #1 with Greg Salas and Marquise Goodwin moving up the depth chart. Woods would be the only player of those three with value and Charles Clay would likely get a bump as well. Regardless it’s a grim outlook for the Bills passing game and Tyrod Taylor. We’ll update you on Watkins status over the course of the week as more news comes in.

C.J. Spiller a healthy scratch Sunday

It’ll be the Mark Ingram show in the Saints backfield. Spiller isn’t injured so he may have simply fallen out of favor with the coaching staff, although we’ll wait a few days to see if something may be lying underneath the surface.

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No Kyle Fuller for Bears, who will be very shorthanded at the CB spot

The Bears only proven defensive back is Tracy Porter. Today they’ll have to utilize Deoindre Hall, Bryce Callahan, and Cre’ven LeBlanc. The first tow of those were 2016 late round draft picks while LeBlanc is an undrafted free agent. This not only bodes well for DeAndre Hopkins but also Will Fuller and Braxton Miller.

Javorius Allen inactive on Sunday

Analysis coming soon.

Chris Ivory inactive for Week 1

Chris Ivory was admitted to the hospital last night (for reasons unrelated to his calf) and will therefore be inactive this afternoon against the Packers. It wasn’t a great draw for Ivory in the first place, but his absence does make T.J. Yeldon a much stronger value play. Yeldon should push for 20 total touches and is especially appealing on PPR sites. This tilt is expected to be one of the highest scoring of the weekend, and if Jacksonville can stay within striking distance late in the game, Yeldon should pay off his modest price tag around the industry. Denard Robinson will act as the complementary back behind Yeldon.

Jamaal Charles will not play Sunday

Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles will not play Sunday. This news was expected but provides certainty for Spencer Ware. At $4400 on DraftKings and $5400 on FanDuel Ware is a near must-play in cash games. He’ll face a Charges run defense that allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to RBs last season.

Saints WR Michael Thomas listed as questionable but should play

Saints’ rookie WR Michael Thomas is questionable for Sunday’s game with an ankle injury but reports inidcate that he should play. Be sure to check back when inactives are announced. If Thomas sits, it would open up more targets for Brandin Cooks, Willie Snead, and TE Coby Fleener. The Raiders at Saints game offers the highest over/under of the weekend at 52. An upgraded outlook for Cooks, Snead, and Fleener would certainly be welcome news for those looking for an option to stack with Drew Brees.

DeVante Parker (hamstring) will not play Sunday

Dolphins WR DeVante Parker is expected to miss Sunday’s game after tweaking his hamstring in practice. Parker was nothing more than a GPP shot-in-the-dark but he should definitely be removed from any lineup he is in. This news doesn’t really change the outlook for Leonte Carroo and Justin Hunter—who should be in line for more snaps now—if anything, this slightly upgrades the outlook for Seattle’s defense.

Jets WRs offer Upside in GPPs at Low Ownership

The Jets WRs are interesting GPP pivots this week. Eric Decker was expected to be matched up with Bengals’ slot corner Darqueze Dennard who is now doubtful. If Dennard sits, Decker will see an even better matchup against Josh Shaw. On the other side of the field, Brandon Marshall has Pro Football Focus’ highest advantage grade this week as Marshall grades out at 85.1 while Dre Kirkpatrick grades out at 39.6.

Both Marshall and Decker project to be under 10% owned and either one could offer GPP-winning upside.

Oakland/New Orleans should feature plenty of fantasy goodness

This tilt is expected to feature an ample amount of offense, something we usually see plenty of in contests that feature the Saints in the Superdome. New Orleans is a far more dangerous offense at home, which they showed last season by scoring an absurd 13.8 more points per game in the Superdome compared to on the road. That difference may be more evident with Drew Brees than with any other Saint, and as we’ll likely say quite a few times this year, he’s an elite target in any format. The nice thing about targeting Brees is that his defense constantly keeps him involved in shootouts – New Orleans allowed far and away the most FPPG to QBs last year – and that’s what makes David Carr an equally enticing play. The Saints weren’t equally as bad against RBs last year, but they were close. Latavius Murray eats up an enormous amount of the Raiders snaps at the halfback spot and figures to see upwards of 20 total touches on Sunday. Mark Ingram isn’t as strong of a play, but still holds GPP value of his own. Brees does spread the ball around so the trio of Saints receivers aren’t the safest of cash game plays, but Cooks’ big play ability makes him the strongest GPP target. Sprinkling in some exposure to Snead and Thomas is warranted (Thomas is questionable, Snead would become a strong play if he sat), but at this point it’s hard to have a ton of confidence in either guy. Coby Fleener is sure to be a popular target against an Oakland defense that has been continually ravaged by the TE spot, although it’s worrisome that he’s said he’s not totally comfortable in the Saints offense yet. He could end up having a very productive week, but he’s going to be very highly owned, making him a viable fade given the uncertainty around him and Brees’ willingness to spread the ball. On the Raiders side, Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree should both be targeted confidently. Cooper is the flashier of the two and while he’s my preferred play in a vacuum, Crabtree holds a lot of GPP value given his usage in the red-zone and match-up with P.J. Williams.

Michael Thomas limited on Friday, questionable for season opener

Thomas was added to the injury report yesterday and was also limited in practice today, so there is some doubt as to whether or not he’ll suit up Sunday. He still appears to be more likely to play than not – if he’s unable to go, Willie Snead becomes a very solid WR2 for New Orleans and should see the field for nearly all of the Saints offensive snaps. This is going to be a contest you’re going to want to target on Sunday.

Christine Michael to start Week 1

This was fully expected to be the case with Rawls on a snap count, so it doesn’t change much from a fantasy perspective. It’s still nice to have confirmation on Michael, who is a very solid mid-to-low salary punt play across the industry. He should push for 20 touches as a home favorite against a beatable Miami defense. Rawls isn’t likely to see more than ten touches.

Per Ian Rapoport, Shaun Hill expected to start for Vikings in Week 1

The Vikings players have reportedly been informed that Shaun Hill will start Week 1, although an official announcement from the team isn’t likely to come until Sunday. This doesn’t change much for the Vikings skill position players; the receivers are still very risky targets that are best left untouched, while Adrian Peterson should see a big workload even with the Titans likely to throw an extra defender in the box. Peterson is one of the better GPP targets at the RB spot given that most of the field will be focused on the high-end options priced below him, and some may be scared off by the Vikings low team total and the fact that Hill will be the starting QB.

Thomas Rawls returns to practice Friday; Christine Michael still expected to head the backfield

Rawls missed practice Thursday with an illness, but was back on the field today and should still play on Sunday. He’s going to be on a snap count and it’d be slightly surprising if he saw more than ten total touches, so expect a heavier workload for Christine Michael. Assuming this game goes according to script, Seattle should be leading late and will likely be pounding the rock in the second half. Twenty touches for Michael isn’t out of the question and if you were rostering Spencer Ware and are now nervous about his situation, Michael is a fine pivot.