DFS Alerts
DeVante Parker officially inactive
With Parker out, Kenny Stills and Danny Amendola are two of the strongest value plays at the WR spot against a Titans pass defense that was far more vulnerable to the pass last season. Stills is better utilized as a GPP play given his propensity for the deep ball – Stills actually has more TDs of 20+ yards over the past two seasons than Julio Jones and A.J. Green COMBINED and Stills’ 12 TDs of 20+ ranks ahead of Antonio Brown (10) and DeAndre Hopkins (9). Amendola has a real shot to lead the team in catches today and is particularly appealing on full-point PPR sites like DraftKings, where he’s sitting at just $4,200.
Other tagged players: Danny Amendola, DeVante Parker
Marlon Mack INACTIVE vs Bengals
Colts RB Marlon Mack (hanstring) is officially inactive for their week 1 matchup vs the Bengals. Look for a combination of Jordan Wilkins and Nyheim Hines to lead the Colts backfield week 1.
Ronald Jones INACTIVE today
The Bucs have made their second round RB pick Ronald Jones inactive for their week 1 opener against the Saints as a healthy scratch. Look to Peyton Barber to lead the Bucs backfield, with Jacquizz Rodgers getting some touches as well.
As reported by: Ian Rappaport Sony Michel NOT expected to play Sunday
Patriots’ RB Sony Michel, who is questionable for the Pats opener against the Texans due to a knee injury, is not expected to play today. An always complicated backfield now becomes a bit more predictable, with Rex Burkhead and James White expected to be involved in both the rushing and passing attack out of the Patriots backfield. Both players are likely to be popular RB plays, as the Patriots are currently behind only the Saints for the highest Vegas-implied team total on the slate.
As reported by: Adam Schefter Xavier Rhodes Will Play vs 49ers
Vikings CB Xavier Rhodes, listed as questionable with a hamstring injury, will play today vs the 49ers. Rhodes is one of the best CBs in the NFL, and is a big part of why the Vikings pass defense ranked 4th in DVOA and 1st in yards allowed per pass last season. Consider any pieces of the 49ers passing attack risky plays at best on this week 1 slate.
As reported by: Ian Rappaport Devante Parker NOT Expected to Play Sunday
Devante Parker is not expected to take the field Sunday vs the Titans due to a finger injury. This isn’t surprising given the report from Dolphins camp that he is uncertain for the “first few” weeks of the season, and opens up opportunity for guys like Danny Amendola and Albert Wilson to get more targets. Kenny Stills becomes the defacto primary receiving option, and all of the Dolphins WR’s make for interesting cheap options for Week 1 against a middling Titans pass defense.
As reported by: Adam Schefter Will Fuller Unlikely to Play Sunday
Texans’ WR Will Fuller is unlikely to play today vs. the Patriots due to hamstring tightness, but is going to test it pregame first before making a final decision. Fuller’s absence will be a blow to Deshaun Watson, essentially leaving him with one proven receiving option in Deandre Hopkins. Given the Patriots’ history of trying to scheme out their opponents’ best player, Watson will have his work cut out for him to get the passing attack going with New England selling out to contain Hopkins. Look to Ryan Griffin as a cheap TE option who should soak up some of Fuller’s target share.
As reported by: Adam Schefter Greg Olsen Expected to Play Sunday
It appears the Panthers adding of TE Greg Olsen to the injury report Saturday with a back injury was only precautionary, as he is expected to go on Sunday vs the Cowboys. This is good news for Cam Newton, as Olsen is one of the most reliable options in what is otherwise a shaky receiving corps. Only 5 teams allowed more receptions to the TE last season than Dallas, making Olsen a respectable week 1 target.
As reported by: Ian Rappaport Leveon Bell Does Not Report for Week 1
Today’s 4 p.m. deadline came and went without Steelers’ RB Le’Veon Bell reporting to the team. As a result, he will miss Sunday’s game against Cleveland, and James Connor will step in as the lead RB. Connor will face the challenge of a stout Browns run-D and some ugly weather as well. That said, usage alone makes Connor a strong value play on the opening NFL slate especially on full-point PPR sites as he should have involvement in the pass game as well.
As reported by: Adam Schefter Will Fuller travels to New England
Will Fuller traveled with the team to New England, and Bill O’Brien mentioned that the team would see how the next couple of days would go for Fuller who has been dealing with a hamstring issue. If Fuller were to miss, look for Hopkins to be even more of a target magnet than usual, and also consider Ryan Griffin as a bargain bin TE who should be a lock for 5-7 targets.
Brent Grimes OUT vs Saints
Buccaneers CB Brent Grimes did not travel with the team to New Orleans and thus has been downgraded to “out” on the injury report. This only improves an already soft matchup for Drew Brees and the Saints passing attack, who are currently projected for a slate-high 29.5 points. The Drew Brees to Michael Thomas stack will be the most popular route, but consider other options in the Saints passing attack as GPP options as well in this matchup with a porous secondary.
As reported by: Scott Smith Panthers TE Greg Olsen (back) now listed as questionable vs. Cowboys, but expected to play
Olsen is a late add to the injury report, and his absence would certainly be a blow to the Panthers passing attack. If he does miss, Devin Funchess, DJ Moore, and Torrey Smith can all expect to see a slight bump in targets, with Funchess being the primary beneficiary. It’s worth noting he’s still expected to play, so it’s still wise to build lineups with the mindset that Olsen will play his normal allotment of snaps.
As reported by: Ian Rappaport TE Hayden Hurst is OUT for Sunday's game
TE Hayden Hurst will miss Sunday’s game against the Bills – this was expected. Plenty of TE value for Week 1 elsewhere, so we don’t necessarily need to target the Baltimore passing game here. Alex Collins looks like the top play on the Ravens side against a poor Bills run defense, especially considering game flow should be in his favor.
TE Vance McDonald is OUT for Week 1; Jesse James will start at tight end
TE Vance McDonald is OUT for the Browns game – Jesse James will start at tight end. McDonald was considered a solid sleeper due to the talent and matchup this week but that ship has sailed this week. Cleveland has been ravaged by TEs the last two seasons so Jesse James is in the mix for cheap TE options Week 1.
Dolphins WR DeVante Parker listed as doubtful against Titans on Sunday
Dolphins WR DeVante Parker listed as doubtful against Titans on Sunday. He made us sweat a little with some late week practicing, but it appears as though Parker is not going to play this week. That puts Kenny Stills and Danny Amendola on the radar for value at WR Sunday. Stills is one of the sneakier GPP plays at WR, although he may gain a little traction assuming Parker is ruled out.