DFS Alerts
Devonta Freeman Could Sit
Devonta Freeman left Week 1 versus Philadelphia with a knee injury and has had difficulty practicing this week. It looks more and more like Tevin Coleman could be the starter. He would be a high upside RB in a tough match-up
As reported by: David Chao Twitter
RGIII, Hayden Hurst, Mark Walton headline inactives for Thursday Night Football
None come as too much of a surprise, Hurst had even been scratched on Wednesday as he works back from a foot surgery. Walton is third on Cincinnati’s running back depth chart but could be fantasy relevant if anything happened to Joe Mixon or Giovanni Bernard.
As reported by: Michael Fabiano Other tagged players: Hayden Hurst, Mark Walton
WR Travis Benjamin misses practice again
Benjamin is dealing with a foot injury and had a walking boot on yesterday. If he misses Sunday’s game against Buffalo, Mike Williams would get a nice bump against a beatable secondary. The Clemson product played fewer snaps and ran fewer routes than Benjamin and Tyrell Williams last week, so any injury to the receiving corps would provide a boost in opportunity. Williams is reasonably on FanDuel, but his DraftKings cost of $3,700 might be a steal.
As reported by: Eric Williams Other tagged players: Mike Williams, Tyrell Williams Marquise Goodwin misses practice again on Thursday
Goodwin is still battling the deep thigh bruise he suffered on Sunday against Minnesota, with Friday’s injury report likely revealing the final verdict on his Week 2 status. George Kittle emerged as Jimmy Garoppolo’s preferred target when Goodwin went down and would likely be the main beneficiary if the wide receiver is held out. The matchup against Detroit is far more favorable than last week and Goodwin could be a sneaky option in lineups, provided owners pay attention to his health prior to the game.
As reported by: Eric Branch Other tagged players: Trent Taylor, George Kittle, Pierre Garcon Corey Davis limited at practice on Thursday.
Davis unexpectedly showed up on the injury report yesterday with a hamstring issue, but said he’s feeling good after limited participation today. Assuming he makes it through Friday’s practice unscathed Davis should be a nice value this weekend. At $5,100 on DraftKings, he’s priced around secondary receiving options like Will Fuller and Pierre Garcon, despite being the No.1 receiver for Tennessee. With the loss of Delanie Walker, Davis should earn significant volume moving forward and is a solid option against Houston as long as Marcus Mariota plays this week.
As reported by: Turron Davenport Other tagged players: Rishard Matthews, Marcus Mariota Rex Burkhead a limited participant in Thursday’s practice
Burkhead was a surprise absence from practice yesterday, but participation today bodes well for his status this weekend. He is still likely in the NFL’s concussion protocol and Friday’s practice will be an important one to monitor. The primary trio of New England running backs are priced within $400 of each other on DraftKings and each have their merits assuming they’re all active. Sony Michel is trending toward debuting this weekend and sits at $4,100, with Burkhead at $4,400 and James White at $4,500, all affordable costs for a share of the Patriots backfield.
As reported by: Mike Reiss Other tagged players: James White, Sony Michel Been Here Before
I feel like I have been here before, and it typically ends poorly, but Lamar Miller is way too cheap on DraftKings at $5,400. Last season the Titans’ defense was strong against the run ranking seventh in rush DVOA but struggled against RBs as pass catchers, ranking 32nd in DVOA. Volume > efficiency and Miller has a stranglehold on backfield touches for the Texans. Miller is a core play for me on DK and more of a secondary option on FanDuel. Injury situations may lead to Tevin Coleman and TJ Yeldon being strong alternatives to Miller.
Massive Workload
James Conner still isn’t priced appropriately for the massive workload he should continue to see. The Chargers running backs tore the Chiefs apart combining for 15 receptions, 182 yards and a touchdown. Conner won’t see that sort of usage in the passing game but his usage as a receiver still gives him a strong floor to pair with the 15-20 carries he should see. He’s a core play across the industry unless Big Ben is out, in which case he should still receive heavy volume but efficiency concerns could warrant looking elsewhere.
Ben Roethlisberger misses second straight practice
The Pittsburgh signal caller has been sidelined with a bruise to his throwing elbow for the past two days. Roethlisberger has expressed confidence he’ll be on the field against Kansas City on Sunday but did not commit to practicing Friday when asked by reporters. At $6,900, Big Ben is an expensive option this week coming in as the second-priciest QB on DraftKings, though a weak Chiefs secondary may allow him to return value.
As reported by: Jeremy Fowler Other tagged players: Joshua Dobbs Jaguars RB Leonard Fournette expects to be a game-time decision
Fournette said his injured right hamstring felt good on Thursday and he has resumed running. Doug Marrone indicated yesterday that Fournette is unlikely to practice this week, so it follows that his status will come down to Sunday. T.J. Yeldon would be the clear beneficiary if Fournette fails to take the field, as he saw 17 touches to a single carry for Corey Grant last week. Against a weak New England run defense, Yeldon should put up RB2 numbers and represents a great option for salary relief at the position.
As reported by: Michael DiRocco Other tagged players: T.J. Yeldon, Corey Grant David Johnson is expected to play
The star running back alarmed fantasy owners yesterday when a back injury showed up and he was listed as questionable. Urban mentioned Johnson was “hitting the blocking sled plenty hard,” so any concerns about his Week 2 status should be alleviated. Participation on Friday will ensure Johnson is good to go, but Wednesday’s limitations appear to have been only precautionary. Rookie Chase Edmonds managed eight touches in the opener against Washington, though that was likely due to the game being out of hand. Johnson faces a stout Rams defense on Sunday and expectations should be tempered even with elite volume guaranteed.
As reported by: Darren Urban Haley says Browns will start whoever gives best chance to win
Haley called questions about Josh Gordon starting last week “comical,” explaining there are so many packages that the starter designation is silly. Concerns last week about the wide receiver’s usage were quelled when he played 78 percent of Cleveland’s snaps and piled up 129 air yards. Tyrod Taylor’s struggles limited Gordon’s output, but perhaps more importantly, lack of playing time did not. Gordon draws a New Orleans defense that was torched by Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson last week, making him a viable WR2 or flex option on Sunday.
As reported by: Mary Kay Cabot Other tagged players: Antonio Callaway
DeSean Jackson returns to practice
The Buccaneers wide receiver is dealing with a concussion and a shoulder injury, with the former presenting the bigger issue. Jackson’s participation on Thursday is a solid step forward, though he may still be in the NFL’s concussion protocol. His absence on Sunday would lead to an increased role for Chris Godwin, and to a lesser extent Adam Humphries, but Friday’s practice should provide a clearer status.
As reported by: Rick Stroud Other tagged players: Chris Godwin, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Adam Humphries Davante Adams returns to practice, on track to play Sunday
Green Bay’s top wide receiver missed Wednesday’s practice with a shoulder issue but is back on the field today. Assuming Aaron Rodgers suits up this week, Adams remains firmly in the WR1 discussion. His return eliminates any potential value for rookie Marquez Valdes-Scantling and tempers the upside of Geronimo Allison, though he’s still an interesting play as the No.3 receiver in a Rodgers offense.
As reported by: Michael Cohen Other tagged players: Aaron Rodgers, Randall Cobb, Geronimo Allison, Marquez Valdes-Scantling Devonta Freeman misses practice again with knee injury
Freeman left in the fourth quarter of last Thursday’s opener against Philadelphia with the injury, but said on Monday he was “good to go” for this week’s meeting with Carolina. Friday’s practice will be key for Freeman’s availability on Sunday, and Tevin Coleman would be an elite option if his backfield mate is unable to play.
As reported by: Vaughn McClure Other tagged players: Tevin Coleman, Ito Smith