DFS Alerts
Despite likely high ownership, Spencer Ware is an almost must play this week
With news that it is unlikely Jamaal Charles will play in week 1, Spencer Ware is in line to get the bulk of the work for the Chiefs and at just $5400 on FanDuel and $4400 on DraftKings will likely usurp Latavius Murray as the highest owned RB. While there is always merit to fading high ownership players in GPP’s, this is one of those times where the risk in doing that is higher than the potential reward. The Chiefs’ opponent is the San Diego Chargers who were second to last in Run Defense DVOA last season and from all appearances will be among the worst in the league again this season. Add in a favorable game script (7 point home favorite) and it all adds up to an almost must play for Ware, or at least a higher share than the projected 20-25% ownership. Rostering Ware will allow access to higher priced players throughout the rest of your lineup. You can fade him but you might be significantly behind a quarter of the field if you do so.
There is merit to fading Dak Prescott in GPP's
With Tony Romo injured and coming off an excellent preseason, Dak Prescott is everyone’s week 1 darling. He faces a Giants defense that was bottom five in the league in pass defense DVOA last season and is minimum price – all factors that will lead to Prescott likely being the highest owned QB in GPP’s. While the value is there, and the threat of a running QB ala Tyrod Taylor is appealing, there are multitudes of reasons to fade Prescott or at least have a lower percentage of him than what the field is projected (guesstimates around the industry have him in the 20% range). People seem to forget two things when glowing about Prescott. One, he was good but not great in college. Two, preseason performance is not a guarantee of future success. Most NFL defenses in preseason are vanilla and not what Prescott will see in week 1. Just reading scouting reports on Prescott tell you he’s hyper aware of pressure and panics when he faces it. His accuracy on intermediate and deep throws are also in question. The Giants know this and will do what they can to rattle the rookie. Then there’s the whole Dallas game plan which will be to control the clock by running with Ezekiel Elliott. Prescott might be good to get you 15 fpts but that’s not going to win you GPP’s in most cases.
Carson Wentz expected to start Week 1
The Eagles had said they were going to start Wentz as soon as he was healthy, and they’ll stick to their word and roll him out in Week 1. He becomes an interesting GPP punt play at or near minimum price across the industry, as he can contribute fantasy points with his legs and while he doesn’t have a plethora of playmakers around him, the Eagles offense still possesses some big play ability. He’s certainly not a cash game play but can be targeted in large field GPPs.
Justin Forsett officially agrees to resign with Ravens
This was fully expected and he’s now expected to head the Ravens RBBC in Week 1 against a Bills defense that ranked 30th in DVOA last year against the run.
As reported by: Jason La Canfora Jimmy Graham's outlook not positive in Week 1
Even if Graham is able to suit up – which is a big if at the moment – it’s very unlikely that he’ll play a full allotment of snaps and isn’t a good bet as a DFS Week 1 target. Pete Carroll has made it sound like Graham is practicing fully which doesn’t seem to jive with Ian Rapoport stating that Graham “was no sure thing” to suit up, so this will be a situation to monitor over the week. Luke Willson will start if Graham isn’t able to go (Willson has no competition behind him), although that doesn’t necessarily make him a desirable DFS play considering the other available value at the position. Coby Fleener, Dwayne Allen and Jared Cook are all priced similarly to Willson ($4,800 on FD, $2,700 on DK) and possess a greater ceiling and floor. We’ll update Graham’s situation as the week unfolds.
As reported by: Seattle Times Other tagged players: Luke Willson Justin Forsett fully expected to re-sign, maintain role in the offense
It looks almost certain that the Ravens will bring back Justin Forsett, with the only difference being the contract attached to his name. The move opened up a roster spot for Baltimore and allowed them to hold off on placing two players in IR – one of them is now eligible to return. Assuming this comes to fruition, Terrance West and Javorius Allen will fall back to secondary roles in the Ravens RBBC with Forsett expected to head the committee as it appeared he would heading into the season. For cash game players in Week 1, this is a clear situation to avoid unless Forsett unexpectedly goes elsewhere and either West or Allen looks like the clear beneficiary. Forsett could be a decent underowned GPP target, but he’s unfortunately still priced as a starter on both major sites, although he’s a bit cheaper on DraftKings ($4,900), where his skill set is better utilized. The Bills ranked 30th in DVOA against RBs last season and Baltimore enters this contest as a small home favorite, both of which work in his favor.
Justin Forsett released by the Ravens
In a surprising move the Ravens announced they have released veteran RB Justin Forsett. This leaves Terrance West and Buck Allen as the two key backs in the Ravens offense. Allen was a fantasy darling last season but seems to have been passed by West as the team has featured West more prominently with the starters this preseason. Both are viable options in the opening week of NFL as the Ravens are three point home favorites going against a Buffalo Bills team that had the 30th ranked run DVOA last season. West is the preferred option of the two but Allen has some value on PPR sites like DraftKings as he’ll likely get some of the third down work.
As reported by: Adam Schefter on Twitter Other tagged players: Terrance West, Javorius Allen Sam Bradford dealt to Minnesota, Carson Wentz to start if healthy
Two divisions were shaken up this morning by a trade that sent Sam Bradford to the QB-needy Vikings in exchange for two draft picks, one of which is a 2017 first-rounder. The Vikings are going to want to get him into game action as soon as possible, but given that this trade happened a week before the start of the season, it wouldn’t be terribly surprising to see Minnesota give Shaun Hill – who has been with the team throughout camp – the start in Week 1. Bradford’s fantasy appeal takes a slight turn north now that he’ll have more playmakers surrounding him, but he’s still going to be a game-manager and doesn’t figure to offer much more upside in terms of his DFS viability. As for the Eagles, they will turn to #2 overall pick Carson Wentz when he’s healthy, which could be as soon as Week 1. He’s dealing with a rib issue and Philadelphia has no real incentive to rush him onto the field, so backup Chase Daniel could get the nod against Cleveland. Neither QB will be a recommended DFS option in Week 1, although Wentz could morph into a viable punt play over time if he’s able to accrue points with his legs on a regular basis. The biggest winner of this deal may be Adrian Peterson, as opposing defenses won’t be as prone to stack the box if Bradford is able to garner respect. Peterson and Stefon Diggs are surely enjoying the start of their Labor Day weekend.
Other tagged players: Carson Wentz, Chase Daniel, Shaun Hill Jamaal Charles to miss the season opener?
Speaking on SiriusXM radio, Chiefs beat Adam Teicher stated that he believes there is a chance Charles sits out Week 1. “If he plays, it won’t be a lot. He certainly won’t be the starter.” We’ve bumped Charles down considerably in our Week 1 projections with Spencer Ware getting the subsequent bump in value, as he appears to be the most likely candidate to eat up any workload Charles cedes. Charcandrick West will also be involved, but it’s been Ware who has been getting more of the first team reps in practice. Teicher had stated earlier in the week that Charles had not regained his role as the feature back, so there are tons of question marks on the perennial first-round pick in season-long leagues. He’s a player to avoid in Week 1 as far as DFS is concerned, with Ware being one of the better GPP punt plays at the RB spot. If Charles ends up sitting out, look for Ware to be one of the more popular value plays of the weekend, if not the most popular.
As reported by: @SiriusXMFantasy Other tagged players: Jamaal Charles, Charcandrick West Eli Rogers could offer solid value through the first few weeks of the season
Priced at just $4,200 on DraftKings and the minimum $4,500 on FanDuel in Week 1, Eli Rogers could be one of the sneakier punt plays of opening weekend at the WR spot. With Martavis Bryant suspended, Sammie Coats disappointing and Markus Wheaton starting on the outside, Rogers is expected to roam the slot in the early going and could very well end up as the 2nd most heavily targeted receiver on the Pittsburgh side. Jesse James is expected to play an integral role with Ladarius Green on the shelf, and while Antonio Brown will obviously continue to be the target monster here, Rogers should push for 6-8 targets and if the Steelers continue to roll out 3-WR sets with regularity (which they are fully expected to do). Another bonus working in his favor is that the Redskins outside corners (Norman and Breeland) are stout, which could lead to Big Ben looking to attack the middle of the field.
Jamaal Charles may not be Chiefs feature back to start the season
Chiefs ESPN reporter Adam Teicher is reporting that Charles has not fully regained his role as the feature back in Andy Reid’s offense, with Spencer Ware eating into the first team reps and Charcandrick West also seeing time with the starters. Charles is working his way back from yet another serious lower-body injury and his recovery isn’t exactly where Kansas City had hoped it would be at this time of the year, so it’s very possible that the Chiefs open the season with a running-back-by-committee approach. Ware and West won’t be playable in Week 1 unless Charles isn’t able to take the field, so this may be a situation to avoid in the early going until we get some clarity on how the reps will be divided. It’s worth noting that Ware, who was barely involved in the passing game last season, is getting more work in that regard this offseason. Considering that Charles is priced in the tier of elite RBs in Week 1 (Ezequiel Elliot, Lamar Miller and DeAngelo Williams are all cheaper – and in better positions to succeed – on FanDuel), he’s best utilized as a deep-GPP play in large-field tournaments. He’s absolutely not a cash game play at this point.
As reported by: Adam Teicher Other tagged players: Spencer Ware, Charcandrick West Jeff Janis is inactive for the Packers' preseason opener Friday night
Jeff Janis (hand) is inactive for the Packers’ preseason opener. The injury does not appear to be serious, but this is a significant setback for the third-year wide out as he fights to make the Packers 53-man roster. Look for Jared Abbrederis and Trevor Davis to see increased workloads with the absence of Janis in the receiving corps tonight versus the Cleveland Browns.
As reported by: Jason Wilde Verified Twitter Feed
NFL preseason HOF game is cancelled due to unsafe playing conditons
Get any Packers or Colts players out of your lineups now!!
David Johnson and John Brown active for Cardinals
As expected, David Johnson (toe) and John Brown (shoulder) are both active for the Cardinals as they host the Carolina Panthers in the NFC Championship game. Both players practiced this week and were expected to play today. Johnson has not been nearly as explosive in his last couple of games as he was in his first few starts, though he remains one of the only two running backs on this slate who have a defined role and path to carries in their offense. Depending on what side of the field John brown runs his routes on, he may be matched up with stud Carolina cornerback Josh Norman who has been dominant all season.
As reported by: Cardinals Other tagged players: John Brown
Larry Fitzgerald is a great option at WR
There are very few options on an NFL slate with only four games, but at WR Larry Fitzgerald is a top option despite a matchup with the Panthers. Much like last week’s situation with the Seahawks and Doug Baldwin, Josh Norman will not be covering Larry Fitzgerald in the slot. Norman only plays 2% of the game covering up the slot receiver, and that means a somewhat intimidating looking matchup for Fitz could lead to a big game. Last weekend Fitz didn’t do much in the first half, but exploded in the second half and overtime including a 75-yard catch and run to set up the game winning touchdown that he caught. Hopefully this week is a little more balanced and we don’t need overtime for a big performance from Fitz. He should see targets in the double digits again this weekend, as Michael Floyd and John Brown will be covered by Josh Norman and Robert McClain. Fitz is a great option on a very short slate and should be considered in your cash games as well as GPPs.
