DFS Alerts
Kelvin Benjamin not at practice on Wednesday
Benjamin will continue the same practice pattern of the last few weeks. Due to his torn meniscus, Benjamin will tread lightly during the week in order to suit up on Sunday. With Andre Holmes now out for the year, the Bills will need all healthy bodies in a must-win game on in Week 17. Benjamin was not able to finish the last two games, making him a tough roster option in anything but a large field GPP.
Quarterback Looking to Add Final Touch to Free Agent Résumé
Week 17 can be unlike any other week in the NFL season, as teams have different motivations going into their final contests depending on where they sit in the standings. For teams that have fallen out of contention who are facing each other, I like to find players for my DFS lineups who are looking to make a statement for either a big contract or more playing time next season. Kirk Cousins is looking to land a massive contract this offseason, and being able to guide the 7-8 Redskins to a .500 record while adding some even more impressive passing numbers to his career totals would add to his free agent case. The Giants meanwhile, have descended into turmoil on defense, having allowed the most yards in the league and the fourth-most points, and could offer little resistance to the Washington passing offense.
Young Quarterback Looks to Continue Winning Streak This Week
Jimmy Garoppolo took over the quarterback position of a 1-10 San Francisco offense a month ago and has since rattled off four straight wins, including his most difficult test yet last week against Jacksonville. The top defense in the league still couldn’t stop Garoppolo as he accounted for three total touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) in the upset victory. This week the match-up gets at least a little bit easier, facing a Rams team that ranks sixth in the league in passing yards per game allowed and eight in yards per attempt allowed. The Rams have also wrapped up their division and could have limited motivation to expose their defensive starters to injury this week.
Playing in a Game that Matters
There isn’t a lot separating a bunch of the quarterback plays this week, so I will certainly be rostering a guy that has something to play for. That definitely applies to Newton, as the Panthers can still finish anywhere from the #2 seed to the #5 seed in the NFC. Newton has also rediscovered his rushing upside over the second half of the season, which is a great boost to his fantasy value. He has 28 rush attempts over the last two weeks, including a game-winning rushing touchdown a week ago. He rushed for 86 yards and a touchdown in the first meeting between these teams, and Newton is definitely a GPP target at the quarterback position in Week 17.
Value at Tight End
Perhaps the old man can still play. With Hunter Henry out for the year, Antonio Gates has resumed the role of #1 tight end in Los Angeles. He caught six passes on eight targets and parlayed those into 81 yards and a score in Week 16. This game still has playoff implications for the Chargers, and there’s no reason to “save” Gates for anything at this point. Fire him up as one of the better value to mid-range options at tight end in the season finale.
Upside While Fighting for a Playoff Berth
The Bills need some help, but they are still alive for an AFC playoff spot. As such, they will be one of about a dozen teams that will go all out to win in Week 17. They should continue to ride McCoy to heavy workloads, and he has averaged 26 touches per game over the last three weeks. The Dolphins have packed it in for the year, and the Bills should be able to control this game. McCoy is one of my favorite RB plays on the entire Week 17 slate, despite his elevated price point.
Time to Smash
This is the perfect storm. The game is meaningless for the Jaguars. The Titans control their own destiny for a playoff spot. DeMarco Murray is injured and will be out. We finally will get to see what Henry can do with a nearly full workload, and I am all in here. My bold call is a 200 yard, two touchdown day for the big man.
Andre Holmes out for the season
As almost a nonexistent piece of this offense, Holmes regularly worked behind each of Kelvin Benjamin, Deonte Thompson, and Zay Jones. This one time Raider only caught 13 passes this season and has an uncertain future with the team moving forward.
DeMarco Murray could possibly play in a limited role
In an interesting twist, Coach Mike Mularkey said Tuesday that DeMarco Murray is day-to-day with an LCL sprain. Originally the team feard the Murray was lost for the season, but the team now has hope that he can play a limited role in Week 17. Derrick Henry figures to work as the Titans’ feature back regardless of Murray’s game status in a must-win game at home against the Jags Sunday. The timeshare has not been pretty this season, and at times Henry has appeared to be the most explosive back on the Titans team. For fantasy purposes, the combination of Henry getting all the work and the game script of needing a win to have a chance at the playoffs, potentially makes this a great spot to attack in Week 17.
Other tagged players: Derrick Henry Detroit Lions plan on playing starters in Week 17
Lions coach Jim Caldwell announced on Tuesday that he has no plans to rest starters. With the team out of playoff contention, there was some speculation that star players like Matthew Stafford could see some rest in order to prevent injury. Caldwell could be coaching for his job thus making Stafford, Marvin Jones, and Golden Tate good fantasy options for the season finale against the Packers.
As reported by: Tim Twentyman Broncos plan to start Paxton Lynch in Week 17
The Broncos confirmed that Paxton Lynch will start Sunday’s game against the Chiefs. The offense could once again be without Emmanuel Sanders who is considered day-to-day with a bad ankle. 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.
Other tagged players: Emmanuel Sanders Jeremy Maclin could still play in the season finale
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.
Panthers place Damiere Byrd on IR
Damiere Bryd gained attention two weeks ago by catching two touchdowns in a crucial win vs the Packers. The Panthers announced today that Byrd will be placed on the IR with a knee injury. Kaelin Clay should now move into 3-WR sets with Devin Funchess and Russell Shepard.
Other tagged players: Devin Funchess, Russell Shepard Melvin Gordon headed towards a game time decision in Week 17
Gordon was seen wearing a walking boot on Sunday after a win vs the Jets. The injury could be severe enough to force Gordon out of a must-win game vs the Raiders on Sunday. If Gordon was unable to go then Brandon Oliver would serve as the teams feature back. The Chargers will have a great matchup this week, as Oakland ranks 26th in DVOA vs the run.
Early Inactives Roundup: Thomas, Perine, Brate, Gillislee, DeVante Parker all active; Hogan, White inactive
Michael Thomas, Samaje Perine, Cameron Brate, Mike Gillislee and DeVante Parker are all active, while Chris Hogan and James White are two of the most notable inactives from the early round of games. Gillislee hadn’t been part of the Patriots backfield recently with Burkhead/Lewis eating up early down work and James White funneling in on some passing downs, but the former Bill figures to work back into a meaningful early-down role. Dion Lewis is still the top target in the NE backfield and it’s highly unlikely that Gillislee gives you anything in the passing game, so that usage should fall to Lewis. Special teamer Brandon Bolden is also a possible option if the Pats want to make the backfield rotation deeper.
Other tagged players: Samaje Perine, Cameron Brate, Mike Gillislee, James White, Chris Hogan, DeVante Parker