DFS Alerts
Jared Goff and Todd Gurley won't play Week 17
Sean McVay announced today that the team will rest key players in the final week of the season. With playoff seeding locked up, the team will rest the dynamic duo of Todd Gurley and Jared Goff. Cooper Kupp did not practice today and remains questionable to suit up and play on Sunday. The lack of starting players on the Rams offensive unit will likely open up value for DFS purposes in week 17, but it remains to be seen whether or not the replacement players can sustain the productivity we are used to out of these superstars. Sean Mannion will replace Goff, and he has only thrown 16 passes in his NFL career. The team will most likely look to use a running back by committee to replace Gurley, with Tavon Austin being the most likely candidate to provide explosive plays out of the backfield.
As reported by: Andrew Siciliano Twitter Other tagged players: Todd Gurley, Tavon Austin, Sean Mannion
This Is One Of The Best Cheap RBs On The Slate
Since Ben McAdoo was fired, Wayne Gallman has been heavily featured in the Giants’ offense – taking 10 carries per game, and seeing 6.3 catches per game. This is not fluky. This usage has been consistent and reliable, and this week Gallman will face a Washington run defense that ranks 22nd in DVOA and 26th in yards allowed per carry. Washington also just got smashed by C.J. Anderson to the tune of seven receptions – making this a great spot to load up on the new “pass-catching back” for the Giants, who is somehow going wildly overlooked by the field.
Michael Thomas limited in practice on Wednesday
Thomas was clearly bothered by his hamstring tweak last week. He’ll likely end up playing again in Week 17 against the Buccaneers, but we’ll have to watch the health of his hammy closely. It would not be a surprise to see Thomas have a limited practice again on Thursday, but try to ramp up work on Friday.
Tom Brady did not practice on Wednesday
Normal pre-week rest for Brady. He should be fine to play on Sunday in a must-win game to ensure home-field throughout the playoffs.
Chris Godwin didn't practice Wednesday
The Buccaneers got DeSean Jackson back at practice today, but rookie Chris Godwin missed practice leaving many to wonder if he will play in Week 17. Godwin would look to benefit from time on the field, even in a matchup vs a very good Saints secondary. For now, Godwin should not be considered as a DFS play in week 17.
Giovani Bernard limited in practice on Wednesday
Joe Mixon is questionable for Sunday, so Bernard’s health is something of a concern as the week progresses. If healthy we can expect another huge workload from Bernard in a less than desirable matchup. With Mixon out or sidelined for most of the last three games, Bernard has gotten 30, 17 and 17 touches over the last three weeks. The price has risen drastically on Bernard, and he has a very tough matchup against a motivated Ravens team to finish the season.
Michael Crabtree injured his hamstring last week
Michael Crabtree’was a surprise no-show in the box score on Monday night. The Raiders leading wide receiver injured his hamstring during warmups on Sunday night and was only able to play in a limited fashion against the Eagles. As of Wednesday, it’s unclear whether Crabtree will attempt to play in a meaningless game against the Chargers in Week 17.
A RB in a Great Matchup
Drake disappointed last week, but that was mostly due to the game script not playing out well for him (the Dolphins were in a big hole most of the game). This week, he gets a matchup against a Buffalo team that ranks 30th in DVOA against the run and 19th in DVOA against receiving RBs. Drake just put up 23 points against this team two weeks ago and had three consecutive games of 23 or more DK points prior to last week. In addition, the Bills are only three=point favorites in this game, so we can expect it to stay close, which makes it likely that Miami will rely on Drake heavily.
Sterling Shepard not practicing on Wednesday
Shepard was knocked out of last week with this neck issue. With not much to play for and a chance to get the number 2 overall pick in next year’s draft, it would not come as a surprise to see both Shepard and Evan Engram sit in the season finale vs the Redskins.
A Receiver That Thrives Indoors
So far on the year, Hilton’s splits between indoor and outdoor are massive (645 YDs and 3 TDs indoor compared to 307 YDs and 1 TD outdoors). He gets a matchup in a dome against the Texans, who not only are one of the worst teams against slot WRs, but are also ranked 24th in DVOA vs. the pass and were already torched the Texans for 175 YDs and 2 TDs earlier this year (played in Houston’s dome). Hilton has been one of the most volatile WRs in the entire league throughout the course of the season, but it is easier to figure out the spots where he is going to thrive, and this matchup checks all the boxes.
Injuries Will Force The Ball into This Guy's Hands
I said it last week and it didn’t work out too well, but this week is an even better situation. The Bucs are still without Howard and will likely be without Jackson again, which means that targets will be focused on both Brate and Evans in this matchup. With Evans likely to be matched up with Lattimore, who is a shutdown CB that is even better against big physical receivers like Evans (see Julio Jones’ catch rate and the INTs Ryan threw in both games), Brate is in for a monstrous workload in this game (especially in the red zone). The Saints are ranked fifth in DVOA vs. the TE, but Brate is one of the best TEs in the league and is way too underpriced at just $3,300 over on DK. I don’t care if he burned me last week — I’m going right back to the well.
Melvin Gordon misses practice on Wednesday
As expected Gordon will rest his ankle that he injured on Sunday. The news came out earlier today that Gordon feels optimistic that he will play this week, but the team will evaluate on Friday the status of their star running back. If Gordon is ultimately unable to suit up, Branden Oliver would likely work as the team’s featured back in a must-win game this Sunday.
Emmanuel Sanders not at practice on Wednesday
The offense could once again be without Emmanuel Sanders who is considered day-to-day with a bad ankle. With another missed practice on Wedenesday, it looks like Demaryius Thomas will work as the team’s featured receiver if Sanders is not able to play. The prospect of targeting anyone one piece of this offense has been a scary proposition over the last few weeks, and with Lynch expected to start, we can expect more of the same in terms of inconsistent play.
Jeremy Maclin not at practice on Wednesday
Maclin didn’t suit up last week due to a knee injury and should be considered very questionable for the team’s last game of the season. If healthy Maclin should see between 4 to 8 targets in what should be a less than desirable matchup vs the Bengals passing defense.
A Volume Matchup for a Volume TE
Doyle already has over 100 targets on the season so far, and he is coming off a 10-target week. Houston is one of the best matchups for opposing TEs in the entire league – on the year, they rank 26th in DVOA vs. the TE and 25% of opposing team targets are to the TE (ranks top 5 in the league). The Colts may not be playing for anything in this matchup, but Brissett may be playing his last start for the Colts, and the team does have an opt out on Doyle’s contract, which will allow them to take no cap hit if they drop him after the season (this is unlikely with how he’s played this season). Overall you have a TE whose stats are largely dependent on volume and a matchup which will allow him just that.