DFS Alerts
Corey Davis expected to return Week 9; Delanie Walker didn't practice Wednesday
Davis hasn’t played since Week 2 due to a hamstring injury but he’s finally ready to get back on the field this weekend against the Ravens. It’s a tough spot for his first game back, the Ravens are holding receivers to the second-fewest PPR points this season. In the lone full game of his rookie campaign, Davis led the team with ten targets and pulled down six of them for 69 yards. Two of those looks were deep balls 20+ yards downfield. While the receiver clearly carries upside, he’s a risky bet this week coming off an injury against a stout secondary. Baltimore’s weak point may be against tight ends; they rank 32nd in DVOA and have allowed the 12th-most PPR points to the position, although that’s a bit inflated by Marcedes Lewis’ three-touchdown performance back in Week 3. Over the past four weeks, they’ve held tight ends to the 11th-fewest PPR points. Still, if Walker is able to overcome a bone bruise on his right ankle and suit up this weekend, he may be the most appealing pass-catcher on the Titans side, he currently leads the team with 49 targets and 32 receptions.
Other tagged players: Delanie Walker
Joe Flacco will play Week 9
The quarterback suffered a concussion Thursday night but he said he’s good to go against Tennessee this weekend. The Titans pass defense is allowing the 12th-most fantasy points to QBs this season and the eight-most touchdowns (1.86/g) but Flacco still doesn’t have much fantasy appeal. He’s only tossed multiple scores in one game and he’s only exceeded 200 yards in three of eight games (although he left early last week). As a team, the Ravens are last in the league in yards per drive and 28th in points per drive (per FO). Not surprisingly, they have an unappealing implied total of 18.75 points this week.
Kelvin Benjamin considered "50/50" for Week 9
That designation comes from Bills GM Brandon Beane when he addressed the receiver’s status on the team’s afternoon radio show. Considering he just arrived yesterday and hasn’t had much time to practice with the team or learn the playbook, it wouldn’t be surprising if he’s limited tomorrow should he suit up. When he’s on the field he may be shadowed by Jets CB Morris Claiborne, who is questionable himself with a foot injury. A lot is up in the air at this point but we should learn more tomorrow before lineups lock. If he’s active and is expected to see the field, it’s a downgrade for Jordan Matthews and Zay Jones. It’s possible Matthews is relegated to a true slot role and loses snaps in two-wide sets. Benjamin could also steal some looks from tight end Nick O’Leary and running back LeSean McCoy, who’s currently leading the team with 48.
Other tagged players: Jordan Matthews, Zay Jones, Nick O'Leary, LeSean McCoy Emmanuel Sanders is practicing Wednesday, expected to play Week 9
Sanders said he’ll be ready for Denver’s Week 9 game against the Eagles following a two-game absence with an ankle injury. He played seven games with Osweiler under center in 2015 (22+ attempts in each) and averaged 8.0 targets per game while Demaryius Thomas saw 10.5 per game. Whether Osweiler will continue to favor Thomas remains to be seen, but he appears to be the better bet, especially with Sanders coming off an injury. Sanders’ outlook will also change based on Ronald Darby’s health. If he can’t return, Sanders would match up with Rasul Douglas, who’s allowed the 14th-most yards per cover snap (1.36), and Jalen Mills, who’s allowed the fourth-most total yards (426) and fifth-most touchdowns (4). He would primarily see the latter.
This RB is Way Too Cheap
How? Really, how is Hyde only $5,200 on DraftKings? This is way too cheap of a price for a guy with the kind of talent that Hyde has. A lot of Hyde’s production has been stifled lately due to matchups in which the 49ers were down early and had to pass the ball a lot later on in the game. It should be different against this Cardinals team. As of right now, the spread on this game is less than three, so we can expect the game to be close, and with the Cards being ranked 22nd in DVOA vs. the run, the 49ers to actually have a chance to run the ball during this game. People may be worried by San Francisco’s “running back by committee” situation, but Hyde has been involved in 70% or more of the snaps for the team in three straight weeks, and he has also been heavily involved in the pass game (nine targets last week and 46 on the season, which is near the top of the league for RBs). Hyde already has two multi-TD games on the season, and this is a spot in which he could put up another one.
Jets CB Buster Skrine will play Week 9; CB Morris Claiborne questionable
DT Muhammad Wilkerson is questionable and RT Brandon Shell is doubtful. Skrine is dealing with a concussion but he returned to a full practice Wednesday and Andy Vasquez reports he will suit up tomorrow night against the Bills. He’ll battle Jordan Matthews in the slot. The receiver hasn’t pulled in more than five targets in a game this season and his quarterback Tyrod Taylor has struggled on the road. Since 2016, Taylor has averaged 182 passing yards and 0.7 touchdowns per game outside of Buffalo. Skrine is undoubtedly a favorable matchup, he’s allowed the second-most yards (323), the most touchdowns (3), and sixth-most receptions (22) out of the slot, but Matthews may not receive enough opportunities to exploit it. If Kelvin Benjamin plays Thursday night, he could be shadowed by Claiborne, who’s dealing with a sore foot. No decisions have been made on that front, but we’ll know by 7pm eastern tomorrow at the latest. His presence would be a downgrade for Matthews.
Other tagged players: Jordan Matthews, Kelvin Benjamin The Chalk RB of the Week, For Good Reason
Lamar Miller should be the chalk RB this weekend, and there are a lot of reasons why. The Texans get an amazing matchup against the Colts, who rank 30th in DVOA vs. the run and 32nd in DVOA against pass-catching backs. The Texans have a 31 implied team total and are 13-point favorites, meaning they will likely be ahead late in the game and will be running the ball often. Miller has been largely overlooked this season due to the success of Deshaun Watson, but he already has four TDs in seven games and is averaging nearly 100 yards from scrimmage per game. He has been heavily involved in the passing game too, with 18 receptions on 21 targets, and this is the worst defense and the best game script he should have on the season. Miller is a near lock to make value at his DK price of only $6,200, and he has a chance to be on of the top scoring RBs on the slate. Lock him in for cash and use him a good amount in tournaments as well.
Cole Beasley didn't practice Wednesday
Beasley is in the concussion protocol. He only played 48% of the team’s snaps over the past five games and he hasn’t topped 33 yards all season. Whether he plays or not, the Cowboys will probably try to employ a run-first approach with Darren McFadden and Alfred Morris. As seen Sunday when Bryant was chirping at coaches and quarterback Dak Prescott on the sidelines, the run-heavy approach doesn’t always sit well with the receiver. He hasn’t hit 100 receiving yards all season and he’s only topped 63 once. He had a tough matchup with Josh Norman and Quinton Dunbar this weekend though, and he’ll have a better one next Sunday against the Chiefs. He only runs 27% of his routes on Marcus Peters’ side, likely leaving him with Kenneth Acker, who replaced Terrance Mitchell this past weekend, for most of the game. Acker wasn’t great in his first start of the season, he allowed a 5/69/0 line on seven targets coming in at 11th on the week in yards per cover snap (1.68). Whether it’s Mitchell or Acker, Bryant should have the advantage on Sunday. Plus, as much as the Cowboys would prefer to control the game with their ground attack, if Ezekiel Elliott is officially suspended, they may need to go to the air more often than they have been which would open up more looks for Dez.
Other tagged players: Dez Bryant I'm in Store for a Huge Increase in Workload
Some people may think that the biggest beneficiary from the Zeke suspension is going to be Morris. Well, those people would be right, but Dez is a close second. With the Cowboys being without their main source of offense starting this week, Bryant is going to be in for a huge workload. Already on the season, Dez is averaging nearly 10 targets a game and is near the top of the league in red-zone targets, and he’s done all this with one of the hardest matchup schedules imaginable. This week he draws a matchup with the Chiefs, who rank 29th in DVOA vs. WR1s and 26th in pass DVOA. Marcus Peters, who will likely shadow Dez, in reality isn’t a bad CB, but for fantasy purposes he can be a goldmine. Peters is a guy that is known to be aggressive and gamble against opposing offenses, which oftentimes ends in an interception but can also result in big plays. In this favorable spot, and with the likely change in offensive scheme, I expect Bryant’s workload to be similar to that of his 2014 season, when he had 16 TDs and nearly 1,400 yards. Expect Dez to get 100 yards and a TD, at the minimum, in this matchup. (Update: with Zeke being in this week, Dez gets a slight downgrade, but is still a fantasic play on the weekend. He has a great matchup and even with Zeke in the game, he will receive a significant amount of targets.)
DeVante Parker and Jay Cutler practiced Wednesday, both expected to play Week 9
Parker is expected to return from a three-game absence due to an ankle injury. He should have Jay Cutler under center as coach Adam Gase stated the quarterback would be available to play this weekend and Matt Moore’s poor Thursday night performance kept Cutler’s starting job safe. The Dolphins will host the Raiders this weekend, whose defense allowed Tyrod Taylor to complete 74% of his passes in Week 8. The Dolphins have one of the worst offenses in football but they’ll be in a good spot to get it going against the 31st-ranked unit in pass DVOA. Parker averaged 9.0 targets in his three full games this season.
Other tagged players: Jay Cutler Jordan Reed, Jamison Crowder, and several Redskins linemen aren't practicing Wednesday
Jordan Reed isn’t expected to play Week 9 after exiting Sunday’s game with a hamstring issue. He hasn’t been fully healthy all season and fellow tight end Niles Paul is now in the concussion protocol and wasn’t at practice today. That could leave Vernon Davis with a huge role in Seattle this weekend. He saw five targets when Reed missed their Week 3 matchup with the Raiders and found the paint. Although he hasn’t attracted a ton of targets this season, he’s leading the league with 18.4 yards per reception. The Seahawks pass defense got worked by Deshaun Watson and company but only two of the quarterback’s passes went to his tight ends. Overall, Seattle has been pretty solid against the better TEs they’ve faced, limiting Jack Doyle, Martellus Bennett, and Delanie Walker to 43 scoreless yards or less each. Evan Engram did the most damage, finishing with a 6/60/1 line but he wasn’t particularly efficient considering he saw 12 targets in that contest. As a unit, Seattle ranked sixth in TE DVOA heading into Week 8. LT Trent Williams, RG Brandon Scherff, C Spencer Long, LG Shawn Lauvao are all sidelined today – four starters. Fortunately for this banged-up line, RT Morgan Moses is participating. Although Seattle is 18th in adjusted sack rate, if the Redskins head to Seattle without those linemen again, Kirk Cousins could be in trouble. He ended up being sacked four times and committed two turnovers against Dallas (eighth in adjusted sack rate) in Week 8. Cousins targeted Crowder 13 times in that contest and the receiver finally broke out for a big game with nine catches for 123 yards. Crowder is reportedly dealing with a hamstring issue, we’ll find out how serious it is as the week progresses. LB Zach Brown is also sidelined Wednesday.
Other tagged players: Jamison Crowder, Washington Commanders, Kirk Cousins, Seattle Seahawks This TE is Consistent With Huge Upside This Week
Brate is not a cheap play, and that will make him low owned despite a good matchup and incredible consistency. People will be afraid of O.J. Howard stealing volume and red-zone looks from Brate, especially after Brate had his season low in targets against the Panthers and their excellent LB, Luke Keuchly. He still put up a double-digit fantasy performance despite that – the sixth game in a row he’s done that. I don’t see that ending soon, as Jameis Winston loves to use his TEs, and in a week where we expect a potential season high in pass attempts for Tampa Bay, it is hard to ignore Brate. We can expect at least nine targets this week against a Saints defense that has been solid over the middle but aren’t a team we have to be afraid of. The potential game flow is what makes this play so appealing, as there are plenty of opportunities for a game like this to get out of hand. As a GPP player, that is exactly what I want to happen. I am considering playing two tight ends in GPP lineups on DK this week, considering I love Brate’s (and Doyle’s) upside and I’m not crazy about the cheap WR options.
He Rules. Enough Said.
If you fade this guy last week, you probably didn’t win a GPP, as he exploded for 12 catches, 121 yards, and a TD, with the Colts trying to come from behind against the Bengals. The situation this week should be similar, and while I don’t think he will duplicate what he did last week, he is the top tight end play in all formats given the spot he is in. He has had 32 targets over the past three games, and there is no reason to fade him this week, as he is facing a team that has struggled against TEs since J.J. Watt went out. The only reason to pivot off of Doyle is his potential ownership in GPPs, and even then you are asking for a lot from guys who won’t get Doyle’s volume. He is my number one tight end, but if you want to go contrarian, Jimmy Graham and my other recommended tight end (Brate) are good options.
Sterling Shepard is practicing Wednesday
Shepard is on track to play make his return this weekend following a two-game absence due to an ankle injury. It’ll be Shepard’s first game as the Giants top receiver. If he remains in the slot, he’ll have one of the tougher matchups against Rams CB Nickell Robey-Coleman. Although he’s 30th in PFF cover grades, he’s allowing the second-fewest yards per cover snap when lined up inside (0.47) and he’s posted the fifth-best cover snaps per reception rate (13.3). So far this season, quarterbacks have targeted his coverage just 14 times, the third-fewest among qualifying slot corners. Overall, the Rams are holding receivers to the seventh-fewest PPR points. It won’t get much easier for tight end Evan Engram as he’ll face a defensive unit giving up the fourth-fewest PPR points to his position. Based on fantasy production allowed, the Rams have become a major run-funnel unit. Only San Francisco is permitting more PPR points to RBs and they’re tied with the Colts for the most rushing touchdowns per game (1.0/g). Unfortunately, the Giants backfield is a bit murky. Last week Wayne Gallman led the group in snaps but logged just 22 while Orleans Darkwa (21) and Shane Vereen (16) were close behind and Darkwa out-touched Gallman 12 to 7. Darkwa should get the first crack to establish the hot hand but they’ll likely end up employing a committee, making it hard to trust this group in a very favorable spot. The Giants had several notables not practicing today: LB BJ Goodson (ankle), RT Justin Pugh (back), C Weston Richburg (concussion), DE Olivier Vernon (ankle), and DE Kerry Wynn (knee). Wynn has been filling in for Vernon for the past few games, if neither player can go this weekend the Giants would be thin on the edge.
Other tagged players: New York Giants, Orleans Darkwa, Evan Engram, Shane Vereen, Wayne Gallman Not For the Faint of Heart
I may be reaching here, as it is usually painful to take any piece of this Ravens offense, but this week may be the exception to the rule. I have no faith in the Titans pass defense, and whether Flacco plays or not, I think they can have success through the air. Maclin returned from a shoulder injury with a double-digit fantasy point outing his last game despite the game being a blowout. He has had between four to eight targets in every game this year and should have plenty of room for that kind of volume and even more against the awful Titans secondary. They are ranked 19th due to a soft WR schedule, but believe me they are one of the two worst pass defenses in the football. If you aren’t comfortable with this play, others I like include Adam Humphries, Willie Snead, and Sammy Watkins.