DFS Alerts
Star WR Looks To Finish Season As Receiving Yards Leader
DeAndre Hopkins comes into the final week of the season sitting second in the league in receiving yards, 155 yards behind the inactive Antonio Brown. There is a strong chance he will finish the season as the receiving yards leader, despite spending about half the season with the likes of Tom Savage and T.J. Yates as his quarterback. Hopkins also leads the league in receiving touchdowns with 13, and despite being the most expensive wide receiver on both sites, he could be worth the money taking on a Colts passing defense that ranks 30th in passing yards allowed and 31st in yards per attempt allowed.
DeSean Jackson returns to practice Wednesday while Cameron Brate sits out
Jackson returned to practice on Wednesday but should be considered questionable for Week 17. In his absence, Chris Godwin posted a 3-98-0 mark last week and could become a decent source of salary relief in the season finale. Cameron Brate sat out practice on Wednesday with a bad back and also remains questionable to play this week. The potential absence of both Jackson and Brate could significantly increase the playing time for Godwin on Sunday.
This Old Man Can Still Ball
Fun Fact – Larry Fitzgerald actually found the fountain of youth a few years ago and has told no one. Even at his age, he is having one of the best seasons of his career. On the year, Fitzgerald has 101 receptions on 148 targets and has double digit targets in 5 of his last 7 games. We know that the volume is going to be there and with all the injuries to the Seattle secondary, this is actually a plus matchup for him (evident by his 10 catch 113 yard performance in early November vs. SEA). In a week where we are hard pressed to find players we can trust, there is no reason to doubt that Fitz will continue his dominance in this game even though the Cards are eliminated from playoff contention.
Joe Mixon not practicing on Wednesday
Mixon injured his ankle during the Bengals’ Week 16 win over the Lions and didn’t return. During the last few weeks, Mixon has battled injuries and once again should be considered questionable for Sunday’s matchup against the Ravens. Giovani Bernard has worked as the team’s featured back with Mixon sidelined but draws a tough matchup against the Ravens’ sixth-ranked defense in overall DVOA.
Other tagged players: Giovani Bernard Rex Burkhead and Mike Mike Gillislee not at practice on Wednesday
Gillislee was seen getting his knees iced during the Patriots’ Week 16 win over the Jets, and was not at practice on Wednesday in order to rest his knees. Rex Burkhead isn’t expected to suit up against Sunday against the Jets. With both James White and Burkhead inactive last week, the Patriots leaned heavily on Dion Lewis through both the ground and the air. Lewis became the must play in Week 16 as he piled up 24-129-1 on the ground and 5-24-1 through the air. Even if Gilislee is ready to go, Lewis will again be one of the strongest plays in Week 17 with the Patriots needing a win for the No. 1 seed.
Other tagged players: Mike Gillislee, Dion Lewis Jordy Nelson not at practice on Wednesday
Nelson was hurt in Saturday night’s loss to the Vikings, and much like his fellow teammate Davante Adams this former number one wide receiver is unlikely to play on Sunday. Randall Cobb and Geronimo Allison could work as the offense’s top-two receivers for their Week 17 matchup against the Lions, but the overall upside of the Packers offense is limited with Brett Hundley under center.
Julio Jones limited in practice on Wednesday
The Falcons star wide receiver was limited in practice on Wednesday as he is battling a nagging thumb injury. Jones is expected to play on Sunday in a must-win game for the Falcons. Even with his injury, Jones was able to post a 7 for 149 line in last week’s game vs the Saints.
Davante Adams remains in the concussion protocol
Adams has still not cleared the concussion protocol and should be considered questionable to play in the season finale. Even if he clears the protocol the Packers would most likely continue the trend of making conservative roster decisions over the final weeks of the season. With nothing to play for, the team should rest or limit players that are injured. From a DFS standpoint even if the players are healthy, the addition of Brett Hundley as quarterback drastically limits the upside of any one piece of the Packers offense.
Patrick Mahomes to start in Week 17
With both a playoff spot and seeding locked up prior to Week 17, the Chiefs confirmed that rookie quarterback Patrick Mahomes will make his NFL debut on Sunday. Mahomes will get the start vs the Broncos and the no-fly zone defense on Sunday, as the Chiefs want to get their future quarterback some reps in a game this season. Mahomes played well in the preseason and could be an interesting DFS option in Week 17.
As reported by: BJ Kissel Twitter Young WR Looks to Continue Rapport with New QB
The San Francisco passing offense has looked rejuvenated under Jimmy Garoppolo, and WR Marquise Goodwin came into last week’s difficult match-up against Jacksonville with a three-game streak totaling 33 targets, 24 catches, and 319 yards. Goodwin predictably struggled against Jaguars CB Jalen Ramsey, but the going gets easier this weekend against the Rams. Looking to end the season on a five-game winning streak that was unthinkable a month ago, San Francisco is a slight road favorite taking on the Rams, and despite the dud last week, Goodwin still comes into the final week of the season as the team leader in targets (101) and receiving yards (934).
A Bad Pass Offense Will Force the Ball Into His Hands
This year has been a disappointment for the Broncos, to say the least. They are out of playoff contention, but they are playing to get Anderson 1,000 rushing yards. He gets a matchup against KC, who will likely be resting their starters for most, if not all, of the game. They are already ranked 31st in DVOA vs. the run on the season and I can’t imagine it getting any better with nothing to play for this weekend. Anderson has been one of the top RBs over the past two weeks, and with the entire pass offense of the Broncos more or less injured, they will continue to rely heavily on Anderson in this spot. At just $6K on DK this weekend, Anderson is a steal.
Young WR Looks To End Season on High Note
Josh Doctson has had an inconsistent sophomore season with Washington, but he has come on strong recently and is currently the team leader in receiving touchdowns (6) and second in targets (68). He comes into the final week of the season looking to make a statement heading into next year, and comes off a week where he had 13 targets and a receiving touchdown against Denver, and a nice stretch of three receiving touchdowns in his last five games. This week he’ll be taking on a Giants defense that is one of the worst in the league, and priced at only $4,400 on DraftKings and $5,800 on FanDuel, Doctson is a potential point-per-dollar bargain this weekend.
Melvin Gordon is optimistic that he will play in Week 17
Perhaps the biggest piece of injury news for Week 17 is the availability of Chargers running back Melvin Gordon. Dealing with appeared to be a pretty nasty ankle injury that he suffered during the second half of last week’s game, Gordon is now optimistic that he can play in Sunday’s must-win game. The swelling is starting to go down and we should start to gain a true sense of Gordon’s chances of playing over the next few days. If Gordon is unable to suit up, Branden Oliver would likely work as the team’s featured back
As reported by: Ian Rapoport Twitter Other tagged players: Branden Oliver Veteran QB Could Be Point-Per-Dollar Bargain This Sunday
Joe Flacco and the Baltimore passing offense have been quietly effective over the past month of the season, with Flacco averaging over 265 passing yards and totaling nine passing touchdowns over the past four weeks. This week Baltimore takes on a Cincinnati defense that ranks 15th in the league in points per game allowed and 20th in total points allowed, and with the motivation of a playoff spot in front of them, the Ravens are sitting as 10-point favorites over the Bengals this weekend. Despite his recent success, Flacco ranks as only the 17th-most expensive quarterback on FanDuel at $7,300 and the 18th-most expensive on DraftKings at $5,700.
Evan Engram is questionable for Week 17
Engram is questionable for the Giant’s season finale vs the Redskins with bruised ribs. In a year plagued by injuries, this rookie tight end has emerged as the number one passing option for the Giants averaging almost 8 targets per game. Even if Engram is able to suit up he will draw a very tough matchup against the Redskins in a very meaningless game.