DFS Alerts
Zero Signs of Rust
Josh Gordon was one of the most athletic receivers when he entered the league. Many were questioning his stamina after sitting out for nearly three years, but he showed no signs of rust. In one of the most difficult matchups for a wide receiver, Gordon caught four of his 11 targets for 85 yards. DeShone Kizer missed him on a couple of deep balls and it’s worth noting that Gordon racked up 210 air yards, which was one of the highest marks of any receiver in the NFL this season. He draws a much better this matchup against the Packers.
Greg Olsen expected to play Sunday
The Panthers star TE will attempt to play for the third consecutive week after missing eight weeks of the season with a foot injury. Olsen has struggled in his return and this week’s matchup vs The Vikings is a lesson than desirable spot to target any player let alone one who is fighting an injury. Even though The Panthers claim that Olsen is not on a snap count, but its worth noting that Olsen has reaggravated his foot each of the last two weeks. Devin Funches should remain as a number one target for Cam Newton moving forward.
Charcandrick West returns to practice
West missed last week’s game vs the Jets for personal reasons, but he is back at practice this week and is expected to play vs The Raiders. In his absence, Kareem Hunt played a season-high 87 % of snaps last week. With West back in action this week we can expect Hunt to return back to his normal 75% of snaps played. At $6,500 on DraftKings his recent poor performances makes Hunt a GPP play only this week.
Other tagged players: Kareem Hunt Low Ownership on the Player with the Most Targets in the Red Zone this Season
The Seahawks have had no run game to speak of this season. While Mike Davis could be their answer, they will continue to lean heavily on Russell Wilson and the passing game. Jimmy Graham has been a redzone monster this season. He currently leads the entire NFL in redzone targets and in targets inside the ten yard line. The Jaguars have an elite defense, but they are particularly good against receivers. Their weakest position through the air is tight ends, which could funnel a few extra targets to Graham this week.
Good Week to Pay Down at Quarterback
Blaine Gabbert and safety may be an oxymoron, but I’m more willing than most to chase upside in my cash games. He’s coming off of a bad outing against the Rams, but that was to be expected. He played well in his previous two games against the Texans and Jaguars. This week, he draws his most favorable matchup to date, as he takes on a Titans’ defense that is ranked 25th in DVOA against the pass. Gabbert has plenty of weapons at his disposal and he’s rushed for at least 12 yards in each of his three starts this season.
Is This Guy Really Going To Go Overlooked?
How talented is Corey Coleman? He posted a 5-53-1 line on the Steelers in Week 1 on only six targets (the Steelers are a top six defense vs WRs). He posted a 6-80-0 line on the Jaguars on 11 targets (the Jaguars are the number one defense vs WRs). He posted a 3-64-0 line against the Bengals on eight targets (the Bengals are a top three defense vs WRs). With all the attention on Josh Gordon, Coleman is likely to go entirely overlooked in tourneys this week, and while his targets are “less guaranteed” with Gordon on the field, there is still a strong chance he sees seven or eight looks this week. At low ownership, in a good matchup, with monstrous talent-driven upside on that level of looks, Coleman is a fantastic salary-saver in tourneys, as a moderate-risk, massive-reward play.
The Lock Of The Week?
With Jeremy Hill on I.R., Giovani Bernard handled every running back snap in Week 13 after Joe Mixon went down with a concussion – and with Mixon looking likely to miss this week, Bernard sets up as one of the top plays on the slate. Bernard is averaging 1.13 DraftKings point per touch, and 0.98 FanDuel points per touch. He should easily see 20+ touches this week.
This Quarterback Could Blow Up Week 14
Who wants to play DeShone Kizer? Really, who? After the narratives surrounding both Kizer and the Browns this year, ownership should be low in this spot – but look at the matchups Kizer has had this year with Corey Coleman on the field (Steelers, Ravens, Jaguars, Bengals, Chargers; all five teams are in the top 12 in “fewest WR receptions allowed” and “fewest fantasy points allowed per game to QBs” – and four of those teams rank in the top seven in “fewest fantasy points allowed per game to QBs”). When Kizer did not have Coleman, his “receivers” were Kenny Britt, Ricardo Louis, and Rashard Higgins. This week, Kizer has a much better matchup (see NFL Edge), and he has both Coleman and Josh Gordon. This is a potential blowup spot for Kizer, making him one of my absolute favorite tourney plays on the slate.
Zach Ertz didn't practice Wednesday
Ertz is in the concussion protocol and he’s in danger of missing Week 14. Last time he missed a game, Brent Celek played 78% of the snaps and Trey Burton played 68%. They ran routes on 35% and 38% of their plays, respectively. They both saw four targets but Burton was the only one to find the end zone. They’ll have a tougher matchup for TEs this time around when they visit the Rams, whose defense is allowing the sixth-fewest PPR points to the position while ranking fourth in DVOA.
Texans "hopeful" Will Fuller can play Week 14
With Bruce Ellington and C.J. Fiedorowicz on the IR and Braxton Miller in the concussion protocol, Houston is in desperate need of pass catchers. With those three getting hurt last week and Fuller (ribs) sidelined, TE Stephen Anderson saw 12 targets and turned them into five catches for 79 yards and a score. Depending on what happens with Miller and Fuller, Anderson could be in line for another heavy workload against the 49ers this weekend. With all of their injury troubles at safety, San Francisco has struggled to defend the position recently, allowing the fifth-most PPR points to TEs over the past four weeks. Of course, DeAndre Hopkins will continue to pick up a massive workload no matter what – he saw 14 targets last game – and the 49ers are 26th in WR1 DVOA. They’re also 29th against WR2s and they’ve allowed the ninth-most passing TDs this season (21), setting up a nice spot for Fuller if he’s able to play without limitations.
Packers CB Kevin King placed on IR
He’s been battling a shoulder injury the past few weeks. They activated CB Demetri Goodson off the PUP list to take his spot but he wasn’t able to practice today. Neither was CB Davon House, so the Packers could be very thin in their secondary this weekend against the Browns. The injury situation could improve an already favorable spot for Josh Gordon, who saw 11 targets in his season debut last week. After the game, Casey Hayward, PFF’s top cover corner, said Gordon was his toughest assignment of the season and he’s faced the likes of Odell Beckham Jr., Dez Bryant, Brandin Cooks, and several other notable guys. Although Hayward held Gordon to four catches, the receiver was able to turn them into 85 yards. He’ll have a much better matchup for his second outing. As a unit, the Packers are allowing the fourth-most PPR points to WRs and rank 29th in WR1 DVOA. Considering Gordon is just $5.5k on DK, it’s not surprising he’s currently projected to carry the highest ownership this week (35%).
Other tagged players: Josh Gordon Mark Ingram, CB Marshon Lattimore, S Marcus Williams, and LT Terron Armstead questionable for Week 14
Ingram didn’t practice the past two days due to a toe injury. If he ends up sitting this one out, it would provide Alvin Kamara more snaps and touches. On paper, it’s one of the best spots for Kamara as the Falcons are allowing the most receptions (6.5/g) and third-most receiving TDs to RBs (0.33/g). The rookie sensation leads RBs in yards per route run by a wide margin (2.65, per PFF) and he’s third overall, trailing only Julio Jones Antonio Brown. He’s now caught 5+ passes for five straight weeks while scoring three receiving TDs during that stretch. Kamara has also been strong on the ground, averaging 7.0 yards per carry and 4.2 yards after contact, but he’s only picked up double-digit carries in three games. If Ingram misses time, it’ll be his first crack at a workhorse role. Fortunately for him, the Falcons are 21st in adjusted line yards (per FO). If Lattimore, PFF’s third cover corner, is able to play it would make things tougher for Julio Jones. Lattimore is allowing the fourth-fewest fantasy points per route among CBs playing in Week 14 (0.13, per PFF).
Other tagged players: Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints Donte Moncrief and CB Rashaan Melvin didn't practice Wednesday
Moncrief is dealing with an ankle injury ahead of a Week 14 matchup with the Colts. He’s been pretty quiet all season but he saw eight targets against the Jaguars last week. If he misses time, it could open up some extra looks for Chester Rogers, who could also benefit from Tre’Davious White’s absence. White, PFF’s fifth cover corner, is currently in the concussion protocol and he was limited at today’s practice. Melvin missed last week with a hand issue and he could be sidelined again this weekend. With Pierre Desir on the IR, Quincy Wilson and Kenny Moore could start on the outside – they would rank 90th and 106th in PFF coverage grades if they qualified. As a unit, they’re giving up the most yards per attempt (8.3) while allowing the eighth-most fantasy points to QBs. It’ll be a nice spot for Tyrod Taylor (knee) if he plays.
Other tagged players: Indianapolis Colts After Some Tough Matchups, This TE is Set To Explode
ASJ has had a few tough matchups recently, but he finally draws one that makes him a worthy target this week. His price was in the mid $5K range on DK not too long ago, but now we can get him at a great price due to his lack of production in those tough matchups. He’ll also be lower owned due to recency bias. ASJ faces a Broncos team that has allowed the third-most fantasy points to the TE position, which is unsurprising given how teams tend to funnel their targets away from the talented Broncos CBs. As a red-zone favorite of Josh McCown, don’t be surprised if the big guy sees a TD or two this Sunday. I will have 15 to 20 percent of him in my lineups this week.
Amari Cooper may return to practice Thursday
Cooper was working on the side today. Adam Caplan reports the receiver could participate tomorrow. Marcus Peters’ (suspension) absence will be an upgrade for Michael Crabtree and Cooper if he plays. Peters was the best corner on the team but he’s only earned PFF’s 35th-best coverage grade this season. As a unit, the Chiefs have played poorly. They’re allowing the second-most PPR points to receivers this season and rank 24th in pass DVOA. The rest of their corners have graded out as 82nd or worse in coverage with yards per route defended between 1.53-2.06. To put that in perspective, those ypcs rates would be between the sixth-most and most if they all qualified. If Cooper sits, Crabtree could see some extra targets in a terrific spot.
Other tagged players: Michael Crabtree