DFS Alerts
Gurley in a Great Spot in Week 7
The Browns run defense has been a sieve so far this season, and things won’t get an easier for them this week with Todd Gurley and the Rams up in Week 7. Coming off of a Week 6 bye, Gurley has looked great in his previous two outings (he racked up over 300 yards combined on the ground against Green Bay and Arizona), and his price still doesn’t line up with his talent/opportunity. At $7,400 on FanDuel and $5,000 on DraftKings, Gurley is a great building block for cash games and is a viable play in any format.
Eddie Lacy Banged Up, Pack Will Ride Hot Hand
Sunday’s game against the Chargers looked like a great chance for Eddie Lacy to breakout after a dismal start to 2015, but that certainly did not play out. Lacy is reportedly still “beat up” despite not being listed on the injury report, and it was James Starks that ended up being the Packers most productive back. Starks looked far more agile and effective and will likely continue to push Lacy for carries once the Packers return from a Week 7 bye. Be wary of the Packers RBs in DFS until we get a clearer picture of how the workload will be distributed. At this point, neither back is an appealing target against Denver in Week 8.
As reported by: @PackerReport on Twitter Dion Lewis Affected by Abdomen Injury?
While he was one of the most highly touted RBs coming into Week 6, Dion Lewis had just seven touches against the Colts. Lewis still played over half the snaps, but was vastly out-touched by Legarrette Blount, who has continually had success against Indianapolis while wearing a Patriots uniform. Lewis found his way onto the injury report on Thursday and was listed as questionable from that point forward, so it’s plausible that the Patriots were just playing it safe. Mike Reiss noted that Lewis didn’t appear to have the same type of explosiveness on Sunday night. Due to his strong start to the season, Lewis’ price has risen to $6,500 on DraftKings (where he’s better utilized thanks to full-point PPR scoring), but it’s actually fallen $200 on FanDuel (he’s now at $7,000). Lewis isn’t in play for cash games this coming weekend, but his match-up with the Jets (who have allowed the fewest rushing yards per game to RBs) is more favorable than Blount’s.
As reported by: @MikeReiss on Twitter Sammy Watkins Doubtful for Week 7
Watkins wasn’t able to make it through the Bills Week 6 match-up unscathed, and he wasn’t even able to get back to the locker room without crutches. He was spotted in a walking boot when the Bills arrived in London this morning and it would be very surprising to see him suit up on Sunday. With Percy Harvin also out, Charles Clay should dominate the targets among Bills pass-catchers (he finished with 13 on Sunday, which he turned into a 9-62-0 line). Robert Woods and Chris Hogan also offer some deep GPP appeal, with Woods looking like the slightly better option of the two.
As reported by: @JoeBuscaglia on Twitter Big Ben Looking Doubtful for Week 7
We finally saw the Steelers have some success moving the ball through the air when Landry Jones took the reins at QB. Pittsburgh had very little success throwing the ball with Michael Vick, and at just $6K on FanDuel next week, Jones is a viable cash game punt play assuming he draws the start. The Chiefs have allowed the most receptions, receiving yards and FPs per game to opposing WRs, and have given up an average of over 20 FanDuel points per game to opposing QBs.
As reported by: @MarkKaboly_Trib on Twitter Dion Lewis Questionable for Sunday Night
While his status doesn’t really seem in doubt, the Patriots added Lewis to the injury report on Thursday and are still calling him questionable for Sunday’s game against the Colts. Lewis was limited in practice Thursday and Friday, but it’s always a challenge to read into the Patriots lengthy injury reports. We still expect Lewis to be a big factor against Indy, despite the fact that the Patriots have routinely beat the Colts with a power running approach. The Colts run defense has improved this season and this is a big time revenge spot for Tom Brady, so the Patriots passing game should have no problems producing. Both Lewis and Legarrette Blount are in play this weekend, with Lewis looking like the safer option of the two.
As reported by: @MikeReiss on Twitter Forsett Feeling Good, Hopeful for Sunday
Forsett said he feels “a lot better” than he did earlier this week, and is hopeful he’ll suit up against the 49ers on Sunday. He’s coming off of a monster fantasy performance against the Browns, where he ripped off over 170 total yards and a TD. San Francisco has allowed the 6th most FPs to opposing RBs this year, and game-flow shouldn’t be an issue for Forsett, who is involved regardless of the score (Baltimore is a 2-point favorite in a game with a pedestrian total of 43). In the event that Forsett sits, Buck Allen would become a very intriguing DFS punt play. He’s priced towards the minimum on FanDuel and DraftKings, and would see somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 touches with Lorenzo Taliaferro on IR.
As reported by: ESPN Bills Calling Tyrod Taylor a Game-Time Decision
While it’s looking likely that he sits out this week, the Bills are still calling Taylor a game-time decision. Rex Ryan has expressed some optimism in regards to Taylor’s progress since Sunday, but E.J. Manuel has taken the majority of the first team snaps in practice. Taylor looks to have less than a 50-50 shot at suiting up. The Bengals defense hasn’t performed as the DFS community expected through five weeks, although they could get going this weekend with Manuel at the helm. The Jets D/ST appears to be the top play of the weekend, but the Bengals D/ST is a nice tournament pivot in the event that Taylor sits.
As reported by: Buffalo News Julio Jones Iffy for Thursday Night
With Atlanta playing on a short week, Jones’ status actually may be in some doubt. Atlanta sits comfortably at 5-0 heading into this tilt, so it wouldn’t be terribly surprising to see them play it safe with their franchise player. In the event that Jones sits, Leonard Hankerson would be in a great spot to bounce back from a disappointing Week 5 performance. He’d likely see significant playing time opposite Roddy White, and it’s clear Hankerson is the preferred target for Matt Ryan this season. To this point in the year, Hankerson has 32 targets to White’s 17.
As reported by: AtlantaFalcons.com Tyrod Taylor Expected to Sit Out Week 6
Taylor was injured on a horse-collar tackle late in Sunday’s game, and it looks like he could potentially miss time beyond Week 6. E.J. Manuel will get the start at QB this week, which is a downgrade to all of Buffalo’s skill position players. Charles Clay may still be a contrarian punt play candidate at TE as Manuel’s safety valve, but the Bills offense is best left alone this week against Cincinnati.
As reported by: @JasonLaCanfora Charcandrick West Next Man Up In KC
While Knile Davis is the more notable name in the Chiefs backfield, Charcandrick West will be the first man up to replace Charles. Minnesota, the Chiefs Week 6 opponent, has been stout against the run since getting gashed by Carlos Hyde in Week 1, but West will be sitting at or near minimum price across the DFS industry. After the Charles injury, West played 18 snaps with Knile Davis seeing just 4, per PFF’s Nathan Janke.
As reported by: @PFF_NateJahnke MRI Confirms Torn ACL for Jamaal Charles
What a tough break for Charles and the Chiefs. Charles will miss the rest of the season due to the injury, which means the KC backfield will be led by Charcandrick West. Knile Davis will also act in a complementary role, and the Chiefs are actively looking to sign another RB to the roster. They had both Pierre Thomas and Ben Tate in for workouts.
As reported by: @AdamSchefter Pierre Thomas Working Out for KC
After Jamaal Charles’ ACL injury on Sunday, the Chiefs are down to Charcandrick West and Knile Davis in the backfield. West appears to have the upper hand as the go-to-guy going forward, but Thomas would add some depth as a 3rd down/change of pace back. The Chiefs are also hosting Ben Tate, who remains a free agent after an awful 2014 season in Cleveland and Pittsburgh.
As reported by: RotoWorld Antonio Gates Officially Reinstated
Philip Rivers will get one of his top targets back this week with Antonio Gates returning from a suspension. Considering injuries to Stevie Johnson and Malcolm Floyd, this is the perfect time for Gates to get back into the fold. Week 5 provides him with a great opportunity to get off on the right foot, as Pittsburgh has allowed the 2nd most receiving TDs to the TE position this season. They’ve also allowed some big games to opposing QBs dating back to last season, so we could see a vintage effort from Rivers and Gates on MNF. Gates is very affordable on both FanDuel ($5,500) and DraftKings ($4,200).
As reported by: Pro Football Talk Hillman Dealing With Tweaked Hammy
Hillman’s 4th quarter injury doesn’t really explain his dreadful DFS performance, but in the event that he missed any time going forward, C.J. Anderson’s DFS value would rise considerably. Anderson has looked like a different back this year compared to last, but without much competition behind he and Hillman, his projected workload would make him a nice contrarian play. Peyton Manning is clearly not the same player anymore, so the Broncos would really benefit from an improved running game as the season moves along. They’ll need to get Anderson or Hillman going sooner rather than later.
As reported by: RotoWorld