DFS Alerts
Opportunity Awaits
The Redskins are a disaster now that they have been ravaged by injuries, but there should be plenty of opportunity for Vernon Davis to produce. Josh Johnson looked much better than Mark Sanchez last week, and Davis played on 79% of the snaps in a game where Jordan Reed left with an injury that might cost him the rest of the season. It took a while, but this is the devastating Reed injury that we have come to expect on an annual basis. While it’s a tough break for Reed, it makes Davis a logical value choice at tight end on a slate where we need some salary relief. Davis caught all four of his targets a week ago, and I expect him to get plenty of looks in a game against Jacksonville, where the Redskins will likely struggle to throw the ball to the outside.
Melvin Gordon gets in limited practice Tuesday; Austin Ekeler did not practice
Melvin Gordon gets in a limited practice Tuesday, which is a decent sign for his potential availability against Kansas City. It’s looking very much like Austin Ekeler is going to miss some time, which keeps Justin Jackson working in a complementary role to Gordon, although his skill set is more comparable to Gordon’s than Ekeler’s. In the event that Gordon can’t go, Jackson would become a really strong option in Showdown formats as he’d figure to take on a heavy workload with Detrez Newsome likely working in a complementary role. We’ll continue to update this one through Thursday.
Other tagged players: Austin Ekeler, Detrez Newsome
Eagles place Corey Clement on Injured Reserve, sign RB Boston Scott
The Eagles officially announced that they have placed Clement on Injured Reserve due to a knee injury, effectively ruling him out of Sunday night’s matchup against the Los Angeles Rams and ending his season. They also signed Boston Scott away from the Saints’ practice squad to take Clement’s place on the active roster, and he’ll be the third or fourth running back on the depth chart. This means that Josh Adams and Darren Sproles will be working as the definitive two-man backfield moving forward with Wendell Smallwood providing additional depth and possibly mixing into the running back rotation on occasion.
As reported by: Jeff McLane via Twitter Other tagged players: Boston Scott
WR Kelvin Benjamin expects to play Thursday night
Additionally, Offensive Coordinator Eric Bienemy shared that it would be “all hands on deck” for TNF. Benjamin should see some snaps in 3-WR sets against the Chargers on Thursday night, but it remains to be seen who will see the most of the WR2 duties behind Tyreek Hill with Chris Conley and Demarcus Robinson having moved up in the pecking order due to Sammy Watkins’ absence.
As reported by: Omar Ruiz Other tagged players: Chris Conley, Demarcus Robinson
RB Isaiah Crowell (foot) not practicing Tuesday
Crowell appears questionable at best for Saturday night’s game against the Texans after being sidelined for most of Week 14’s contest. RB Elijah McGuire will again take over lead duties if Crowell remains sidelined with Trenton Cannon mixing in. The Jets have an implied team total of less than 18 points however, so the offense is not set up well per usual.
As reported by: Rich Cimini Other tagged players: Elijah McGuire RB Spencer Ware not practicing Tuesday (considered day-to-day); WR Tyreek Hill will practice (expected to play Thursday)
Ware is now dealing with a hamstring injury on top a shoulder injury he suffered in Week 14 and appears questionable for Thursday night’s game. If Ware remains sidelined, Damien Williams would take over lead back duties after accounting for 2 touchdowns in his usual change-up role last Sunday. Hill’s foot injuries aren’t serious and the Chiefs expect him to suit up for TNF, however it won’t be surprising if the stud wideout remains limited in Tuesday’s practice making it possible he plays at less than 100% against a strong Chargers secondary on Thursday.
As reported by: B.J. Kissel Other tagged players: Tyreek Hill Corey Clement expected to miss some time
Corey Clement is expected to miss time and as a result the Eagles are signing a RB (Boston Scott) off the Saints practice squad. Scott isn’t much of a threat at this point, but it signals an even larger role for Josh Adams moving forward.
As reported by: Ian Rapoport Twitter
Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler not looking likely to play this week
The Chargers are not optimistic that running backs Melvin Gordon (knee) and Austin Ekeler (neck, concussion) will be ready for Thursday’s game at Kansas City. This is a game on a Showdown slate Thursday so Justin Jackson would be a very popular play. He is fade-able on a 1 game slate because the ownership will be through the roof. However, you may be able to get much lower ownership on the Thursday-Monday slate.
As reported by: Sam Wyche Twitter Ben Roethlisberger on track to play this week
Ben Roethlisberger could have gone back into the Oakland game sooner if Tomlin had wanted him to. He sounds as though he will be fine to play this weekend in a game the Steelers desperately need to win.
As reported by: Aditi Kinkhabwala Twitter Ravens RB Kenneth Dixon Expected to see Larger Role Moving Forward
“I’d definitely expect to see Kenneth’s role to grow based on the fact he’s doing well with what he’s been given so far,” John Harbaugh said regarding Kenneth Dixon. The Gus Edwards run of dominance may be coming to an end and Dixon could challenge for lead back in this system soon enough.
As reported by: Jamison Hensley Twitter Doug Baldwin officially inactive for MNF
Doug Baldwin officially inactive for MNF. He was looking very iffy, especially given that he was missing practices late in the week. His absence will afford Tyler Lockett more of an opportunity to run out of the slot, and should also up his target share in addition to making Jaron Brown a viable Showdown slate target. Brown will see an uptick in snaps and has actually been somewhat of a red-zone option for Seattle. David Moore is the more appealing play at WR, as his snap count figures to rise even further. He is coming off of a game where he had just one target, but prior to that had been a regular contributor.
Tyreek Hill (foot) expected to play Thursday night
Shortly after ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Hill’s foot injury isn’t believed to be serious and he’ll be considered day-to-day, head coach Andy Reid disclosed to reporters during his press conference that he expects Hill to be able to play in the matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night. Despite the injury, Hill still managed to post an 8-139 line on 14 targets versus the vaunted Baltimore Ravens defense, which should provide some confidence that he’ll at least be close to a full-go on the short week.
As reported by: Adam Teicher via Twitter TE Jordan Reed having "precautionary MRI" on Monday
While Reed’s foot spain isn’t believed to be serious, he reportedly may have played his last down of the season as the Redskins play if safe with their oft-injured tight end. This would elevate Vernon Davis into nearly an every-down role, one where the veteran tight end has excelled in the past. At just $3,200 on DraftKings, Davis should be a punt consideration at the tight end position this week if Reed is, in fact, sidelined.
As reported by: Ian Rapoport Other tagged players: Vernon Davis RB LeSean McCoy (hamstring) is day-to-day
The veteran back’s “availability will be watched closely throughout the week” after suffering a hamstring strain on Sunday and failing to return to the game. Buffalo is favored at home this week, setting up the run game fairly well. If McCoy is sidelined, look for Chris Ivory to benefit from the potential positive gamescript and Marcus Murphy to mix in on passing/third downs.
As reported by: Ian Rapoport Other tagged players: Chris Ivory, Marcus Murphy Bills RB LeSean McCoy will Have MRI on Hamstring
LeSean McCoy, who left yesterday’s game with a hamstring injury, will have an MRI to determined the severity of it. McCoy has been a major disappointment this year but his absence could potentially open up some value at the RB position next week.
As reported by: Ian Rapoport Twitter