DFS Alerts

Giants TE Evan Engram May Miss Monday Night's Game Despite Earlier Reports Indicating he was Probable

Despite earlier reports indicating Engram was likely to make his return from injury, today’s initial practice reports are not positive regarding the star tight end. In full-slate contests, this is a situation to monitor.

Should Engram sit again, Rhett Ellison (if he plays) and Kaden Smith will be the top tight ends, while Golden Tate, Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton, and Saquon Barkley have the possibility to see additional targets. Backup QB Eli Manning should have to air it out plenty in a game where the Giants are nearly 10-point dogs vs. the Eagles and their beatable secondary.

Underpriced RB With Steady Usage

Devonta Freeman has found himself on my radar quite frequently this year, and while that has not always been a successful strategy, he has more often than not been given the opportunity to succeed. With Freeman receiving 65% of the team’s carries and being targeted on 10% of Atlanta’s passes this season, he is often in the mix considering he has had a cheap price tag all year. Now, he gets one of the better matchups for RBs this season in a home game against the Panthers, who just allowed Derrius Guice to run all over them on just 10 carries. The Panthers are dead last in DVOA against the run, and the Falcons have an implied total of 25 here and are favorites over Carolina.

Second Year WR Looking For Breakout Game

Corey Davis has found himself playing second fiddle to rookie wideout AJ Brown for the majority of this season, and with Ryan Tannehill seemingly re-invigorating this offense, I am looking to get a piece of this passing attack in a great matchup against the Raiders. The price difference is the key piece to the leaning Corey Davis over teammate AJ Brown, as Davis comes with a nice discount across all sites compared to his counterpart. The underlying numbers for Davis are not as good as Brown’s, but Davis does have a higher air yards market share, as he is seeing 24% of the team’s air yards along with 18% of targets. Davis surely comes with risk, but that is baked into the price here at just 3.9k on DraftKings and 5k on FanDuel.

RBBC Dwindling Around This Veteran RB

The RB committee that was around LeSean McCoy over the past few weeks has taken a hit, with both Damien and Darrell Williams already ruled out for the Week 14 matchup against the Pats, McCoy looks to be the lead back for the high powered KC offense. While the Chiefs still have Darwin Thompson and recently re-signed Spencer Ware, I expect McCoy to get the start here. The real concern for work being stolen away is Thompson, who saw 11 carries in last week’s blowout win. With an expected competitive game on the horizon, I am assuming McCoy will be the go-to guy here in this backfield, and he has a very cheap price across the industry.

Is This RB Getting Back To Workhorse Status?

With Dalton returning last week, it was a question worth asking if Mixon would continue seeing the type of usage as he was with Ryan Finley under center. If last week is an indicator, Mixon is still going to be used in a similar fashion as he has been the past few weeks. Over the last 5 weeks, Mixon has received 18 touches or more in each game, including three 20+ touch games and one 30+ touch game. Cleveland’s defense has been fairly solid this year, ranking 13th in overall defensive DVOA, but they have been 23rd against the run. Mixon has the luxury of being game script proof as they use him in the passing game as well, but the price point coupled with a very steady role in this offense is what makes him a good play here in Week 14.

Matchup Proof WR Being Overlooked

Michael Thomas enters week 14 projected for what seems like his lowest ownership all year. In a tough matchup against the 49ers at home, it appears the public is off Thomas, who has clearly been the best WR in football this season. Thomas is a matchup proof WR who is targeted often and catches nearly everything. The Saints offense is notoriously better at home, and this expected competitive atmosphere could bode well for fantasy purposes for MT.

Nick Folk Expected to Sign With the Patriots

Nick Folk is expected to sign with the Patriots Saturday and kick for them Sunday.

Dak Prescott Sprains Left Hand, Injures Right Index Finger, Still Expected to Play Next Week

Prescott picked up minor injuries to both hands during the Cowboys’ defeat Thursday night. However, he is still expected to play next week.

Gerald Everett (Knee) Ruled Out for Sunday

Everett has been ruled out for Sunday, giving Higbee another game as the clear top TE for the Rams.

Cedrick Wilson (Knee) Has Left Knee Sprain, Avoids Ligament Tear

Wilson injured his knee in the Cowboys’ game Thursday, but the results Friday revealed he avoided any ligament tears. This means the recovery time will be closer to 4-6 weeks instead of the significantly longer recovery associated with tears.

Julian Edelman (Shoulder), Mohamed Sanu (Ankle) Questionable; Tom Brady (Toe, Elbow) Will Play Sunday

Both Edelman and Sanu are officially questionable but considered likely to suit up Sunday. Brady appeared on the injury report Thursday but does not carry any injury designation. He will play Sunday as usual.

Golden Tate Clears Concussion Protocol

Tate cleared the concussion protocol Friday and will play for the Giants Monday. He missed the Giants’ last game, but he has been their top WR when healthy, catching 3 TDs over his past two games.

Luke Willson (Hamstring) Doubtful for Sunday

Willson is doubtful for Sunday. Even if he plays, he will be stuck behind Jacob Hollister, and would likely get a few targets at most.

Le'Veon Bell (Illness), Ryan Griffin (Illness), Demaryius Thomas (Hamstring) Questionable for Sunday

Thomas has been listed as questionable for each game in the past month and played every time. Both Bell and Griffin are at risk of being out Sunday, as their recovery from illness is difficult to predict.

Mike Williams (Knee) Will Play Sunday

Williams was working through a knee issue this week, but he has no injury designation for Sunday and will play. Williams has established himself as the Chargers big play receiver, averaging 28.5 yards per reception on 15 catches over the past five games. He has not caught a TD yet this season but has already surpassed his receiving total from last season.