DFS Alerts
You have to consider this WR's expected volume and upside, especially at his cheap price on Yahoo.
If I’m considering playing Sam Darnold this week then the obvious pairing is deep threat Robby Anderson. He averaging close to 8 targets per game over his last 6 games and appears to be growing a real connection with Darnold, as evidenced by his 11 targets he got last week with Quincy Enunwa on the shelf, which should set up well for him again this week with Enunwa already being announced out. The matchup is not easy, but either were the Texans last week. I’ll bet on the expected volume and the Packers laying down in this one.
I may have found my cheap QB.
Man this feels gross, but this looks like a let down spot for the Packers, who have absolutely nothing to play for and are coming off a tough game against the Bears. The Jets played well last week and Darnold threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for 35 yards. The Jets are currently without a workhorse running back and both McGuire and Cannon work well in the passing game, so we should see plenty of pass attempts in this one. The Packers do have a good pass rush, which is scary for a guy like Darnold with a very suspect offensive line, but I’m willing to risk it with the cheap price. The Jets are looking to build momentum towards next year, playing at home, and Darnold looks to be developing a connection with weapons Robby Anderson and Chris Herndon. The Packers are ranked 24th in DVOA vs. the pass, 28th in DVOA vs. the RB-PA, and 22nd in DVOA vs. the WR-1, setting up well for Darnold in the passing game at a cheap price and low ownership. If he can come through in this spot, the cheap price should go a long way fitting in your for preferred studs on a site like Yahoo this weekend.
Sneaky tight end play I'm considering this week.
If you are looking for a low-owned tight end play, Brate should be in consideration even after a terrible game last week. People will immediately look at the matchup and think that the Cowboys have just completely stopped Zach Ertz and Eric Ebron, but they also have used Byron Jones on tight ends in very tough matchups. I don’t see Brate commanding that kind of attention and the Bucs passing game should be healthier this week with the return of Desean Jackson. The Cowboys are vulnerable in the middle of the field and have allowed 79 receptions, 815 yards, and 6 touchdowns to tight ends on the season. Brate has plenty of red zone equity and is a risky, but very sneaky play this weekend.
Even considering ownership, this is one player I do not want to fade.
The formula for most weeks has typically been to pay up at RB and not at WR, but the guy sticking out to me at this point in the week is DeAndre Hopkins, who’s the heart and soul of the Texans offense. Coming off a monster game last week he gets a great matchup in a game where both teams are still in the playoff race. The Eagles secondary is definitely exploitable and with Lamar Miller a bit banged up, I just don’t see how Hopkins doesn’t get peppered with targets against the Eagles zone coverage schemes. We all saw what Amari Cooper did to this team a couple weeks ago and you have to think it’s certainly in the range of outcomes to see a similar performance from Hopkins, who’s seen double-digit targets in each of this last three games. There is a lot of uncertainty for this week’s slate, but Hopkins has the floor and ceiling to work well in both cash and GPP formats this week.
This volume running back may get overlooked in great matchup.
We have no shortage of cheaper running backs with good expected workloads on Yahoo in addition to the high-end studs like Ezekiel Elliott. One guy who may get lost in the shuffle is Carson this week in the late night hammer that we only get access to as part of the main slates on Yahoo and FantasyDraft. The one thing we know is that Pete Carroll and the Seahawks are committed to the run and Carson has 22 carries in each of the last two games, but more importantly got 6 targets last week, which bodes well in this matchup with a high powered Chiefs offense. Kansas City ranks 32nd in DVOA vs. the Run and 27th in DVOA vs. the RB-PA and they allow the most yards per carry to opposing running backs, which sets up very nicely for Carson, who’s found the end zone in each of his last two games against tough rushing defenses.
JuJu Smith-Schuster suffered a groin injury in practice Thursday
Smith-Schuster was forced to leave Thursday’s practice because of a groin injury, and he’ll be classified as a limited participant on the Steelers’ injury report. This is obviously a new injury for Smith-Schuster, so his status will be important to monitor as the week progresses. If the injury is significant enough to keep him sidelined for Sunday’s matchup against the New Orleans Saints, it would open up a significant amount of snaps for James Washington and Eli Rogers, who was active for the first time all season and ran 84.2% of his routes from the slot in last Sunday’s win. On top of that, the slot has been one of the most efficient places to attack this Saints defense with P.J. Williams primarily patrolling that area of the field, and he is PFF’s 107th-ranked cornerback in coverage out of 116 qualifiers on the year.
As reported by: Ray Fittipaldo via Twitter
Keenan Allen (hip) questionable for Saturday; Austin Ekeler (neck) doubtful
Allen was limited in practice on Thursday and is officially listed as questionable for Saturday’s matchup against the Baltimore Ravens due to a hip injury, while Austin Ekeler is listed as doubtful with a neck injury despite head coach Anthony Lynn confirming with reporters that he would not play. Despite the questionable tag, ESPN’s Adam Schefter has already reported that Allen’s hip injury isn’t considered serious, and he is fully expected to suit in Week 16, though his matchup with Baltimore’s defense is far from ideal and makes him difficult to trust in daily fantasy formats given the uncertainty surrounding his health status and possible effectiveness.
As reported by: Gilbert Manzano via Twitter Other tagged players: Austin Ekeler Josh Gordon Suspended
It is official that Josh Gordon has been suspended and his season is over. This means more targets floated around to guys like Julian Edelman and Chris Hogan as well as a bump to James White and Gronkowski. The Patriots are known for their game specific offensive plans , so the absence of Gordon will have a different affect each game.
As reported by: Jeff Howe Twitter
LeSean McCoy Planning on Playing
LeSean McCoy: “I’m good. I’ll be out there [on Sunday].” There you have it. McCoy should be fine to plug in a a cheap option on the Sunday slate.
As reported by: Mike Rodak Twitter Key Chargers all Practicing
Austin Ekeler, Keenan Allen and Melvin Gordon all practicing on Thursday for Chargers. Light practice with no helmets. It’s a good sign that the Chargers will be close to full strength for a key game Saturday. Due to the injury scare, we may even be able to get Gordon and Allen at lower than expected ownership.
As reported by: Eric Williams Twitter No Practice for Tajae Sharpe
No practice for Tajae Sharpe on Thursday leaving his status for Saturday in doubt. It’s a short 2 game slate on Saturday so all these injuries are going to have a major affect on the slate.
As reported by: Jim Wyatt Twitter Joe Mixon Pops Up on Injury Report
Joe Mixon popped up on the injury report 2 days in a row with different ailments each time. He was also limited in practice today. This would be an interesting turn of events if Mixon couldn’t play. We will know soon enough.
As reported by: Jay MorrisonTwitter Jordan Reed out, Vernon Davis questionable
Jordan Reed is officially out this week for Saturdays 2 game DFS slate. The bigger news is Vernon Davis popping up questionable. Check back for inactives closer to kickoff on Saturday.
As reported by: Pro Football Talk Quincy Enunwa (ankle) won't play Sunday
Enunwa hasn’t practiced all week and has officially been ruled out of Sunday’s matchup against the Green Bay Packers due to an ankle injury that’s now forced him to miss two consecutive games. His absence will continue to free up targets for Robby Anderson and Chris Herndon, who actually ranks third on the Jets in target over the last six games, making him a viable punt option at tight end versus a Packers defense that ranks 22nd in DVOA against the position.
As reported by: Ralph Vacchiano via Twitter Cheap Receiver with Upside
There are a lot of reasons to like Josh Reynolds this week. We’ll start with the fact that the Rams are still motivated to win, which is always important to keep in mind this time of year. Todd Gurley is a bit banged up, which could lead to the Rams limiting his workload. If we give a slight boost to the passing game, that certainly helps Reynolds, who has quietly seen 32 targets over the last four games. I highly doubt the Cardinals will use Patrick Peterson to cover a team’s third best wide receiver. Peterson will likely shadow Brandin Cooks and/or Robert Woods in this game. Reynolds could easily end up with double-digit targets here and he has always been a trusted weapon in the redzone.
