DFS Alerts

Emmanuel Sanders ruled out for Week 8; DE Derek Wolfe will play

Bennie Fowler will remain in the starting role opposite Demaryius Thomas while Jordan Taylor. Isaiah McKenzie and Cody Latimer will be in line for more snaps. Thomas should receive a solid workload against tonight. It didn’t pan out that way in Week 7 as he struggled against Casey Hayward and the Chargers to a 2/6/9/0 line but he should have an easier matchup this time around as he should avoid Marcus Peters’ coverage most of the night. Thomas should primarily square off with Terrance Mitchell, PFF’s 81st-ranked cover corner. However, the Chiefs activated CB Steven Nelson for tonight’s game – he may jump into the starting lineup and man the outside in two-wide sets. Despite playing the eighth-most cover snaps last season, Nelson only allowed two touchdowns and he finished 39th in yards per cover snap (1.16). He mainly played slot corner where he posted the second-best cover snaps per reception rate (13.3), setting up a tough spot for Bennie Fowler, although it’s possible Nelson sees more outside snaps than normal in three-wide sets to help defend Thomas.

Jets CB Morris Claiborne didn't practice Monday, CB Buster Skrine limited

Claiborne was successfully shutting down Julio Jones in shadow coverage on Sunday until he went down with a foot injury in the third quarter. Naturally, Jones immediately reeled in a 53-yard grab as soon as Claiborne hobbled off. After further testing today, Claiborne was diagnosed with a “sore foot.” He’s got a short week to recover as the Jets host the Bills on Thursday night but coach Todd Bowles says there’s a chance he plays. Slot corner Buster Skrine was inactive Sunday with a concussion and he’s in danger of missing Week 9 as well as he remains in the protocol, potentially setting up a solid spot for Tyrod Taylor and his pass-catchers. Receivers Andre Holmes, Zay Jones, and Jordan Matthews all caught exactly three passes in Week 8. Matthews could benefit from Skrine’s absence inside but he hasn’t seen more than five targets in any game this season. Although the potential lack of Jets corners could help the Bills receivers’ effectiveness, the Raiders were also banged up in the secondary and LeSean McCoy led the team with seven targets. He continues to pace the team with 46 targets and 38 receptions. Since 2016, the running back has struggled to run the ball on the road though, averaging 63.2 rushing yards per game compared to 99.4 at home. Heading into Week 8, the Jets ranked 22nd in rush DVOA (per FO) and the Falcons picked up 140 yards on the ground on 32 carries. McCoy should remain active in the passing game, if he can overcome his road running splits, he’ll be in great shape.

Emmanuel Sanders not expected to play Week 8

Beat writer Nicki Jhabvala reported Sanders was doing a pre-game workout, indicating he’s “probably not going to play” tonight against the Chiefs. Sanders also said he believes he’s a week away and will play in Week 9 in Philadelphia. If he can’t go, Bennie Fowler would remain in the starting role opposite Demaryius Thomas while Isaiah McKenzie and Cody Latimer would be in line for more snaps – Latimer has missed the past three games but he’s on track to return. Thomas should receive a solid workload against the Chiefs in that scenario. It didn’t pan out that way in Week 7 as he struggled against Casey Hayward and the Chargers to a 2/6/9/0 line. He should have an easier matchup this time around as he should avoid Marcus Peters’ coverage most of the night and primarily square off with Terrance Mitchell, PFF’s 81st-ranked cover corner. However, the Chiefs activated CB Steven Nelson for tonight’s game – he may jump into the starting lineup and man the outside in two-wide sets. Despite playing the eighth-most cover snaps last season, Nelson only allowed two touchdowns and he finished 39th in yards per cover snap (1.16). He primarily played slot corner where he posted the second-best cover snaps per reception rate (13.3), setting up a tough spot for Bennie Fowler, although it’s possible Nelson sees more outside snaps than normal in three-wide sets to help defend Thomas.

Alex Collins expected to have larger role going forward

Per beat writer Jeff Zrebiec, coach John Harbaugh expects Collins to get more and more opportunities in the coming weeks. That would come at the expense of Buck Allen, who played a season-low 31 snaps in Week 8 to Collins’ 32. As we learned Thursday, Tony Romo is 100% positive Collins’ success is directly related to his passion for Irish dancing. Whether that’s true or not, the running back was impressive on his way to 113 rushing yards on 18 carries (6.3ypc) on a Miami defense that ranked seventh in adjusted line yards (per FO) heading into the week. He leads the league with 6.0 yards per carry and now he’s getting involved in the passing game, a role once monopolized by Allen. On Thursday, Collins successfully hauled in both of his targets for 30 yards, showing the coaching staff his versatility. He’ll battle the Titans this weekend, whose defense is allowing the ninth-fewest rushing yards per game to RBs (81.4) but they are giving the fourth-most receiving yards to the position. At $4.6 on DraftKings this week, Collins could turn out to be a bargain in his expanded role.

Joe Flacco has "good chance" to play Week 9

The quarterback suffered a concussion Thursday night but coach John Harbaugh is “very hopeful” he’ll be able to suit up against the Titans 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 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). They opened up with an unappealing implied total of 18.75 points this week. If there’s anyone worth targeting on this offense, it may be Alex Collins, who’s expected to see an increased role going forward.

Jordan Reed not expected to play Week 9

Reed exited 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. That could potentially leave Vernon Davis with a huge role in Seattle in Week 9. 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 averaging 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, they’ve 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. Washington will head into this contest with a banged-up offensive line that had three starters inactive Sunday and starting LG Shawn Lauvao exited early with a stinger. Seattle’s defense could be a popular fantasy option if they don’t get healthier up front.

Bills S Jordan Poyer will practice Monday; CB E.J. Gaines won't participate

Poyer (knee) and Gaines (hamstring) were both inactive Sunday. It looks like Poyer has a chance to play Thursday night against the Jets but it’s not a good start to the week for Gaines. If he can’t go, it would likely keep Shareece Wright on the outside. He allowed the seventh-most yards this past weekend (69) and if he had enough snaps to qualify, he would have the fourth-worst yards per cover snap (1.81 per PFF) and third-worst cover snaps per receptions (7.0). He’ll primarily battle Jermaine Kearse while Robby Anderson only runs 26% of his routes on the side Wright would be on. Anderson is coming off the best game of his season with 104 receiving yards and a touchdown. He’s going to see a lot of Tre’Davious White, who’s limited receivers to a 47% catch rate and earned the seventh-best cover grade from PFF. Anderson travels to the slot for 33% of his routes where he’ll see Leonard Johnson, who’s posted the third-worst cover snaps per reception rate (8.0) when inside. If Poyer, PFF’s third-ranked cover safety, returns, it could make it harder for Anderson to make big plays.

Chiefs activated CB Steven Nelson for Week 8

With Chiefs CBs Phillip Gaines and Terrance Mitchell earning PFF’s 114th and 85th grades, respectively, Nelson could return to a big role tonight against the Broncos. Despite playing the eighth-most cover snaps last season, Nelson only allowed two touchdowns and he finished 39th in yards per cover snap (1.16). He primarily played slot corner where he posted the second-best cover snaps per reception rate (13.3). He could replace Gaines tonight, setting up a tough spot for Bennie Fowler. Nelson could be the second corner in two-wide sets and potentially play more outside snaps than normal to help defend Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders if he plays. Sanders travels to the slot for 24% of his routes. Hopefully, we’ll learn more about Nelson’s role ahead of kickoff.

Broncos DE Shane Ray will play Week 8

Ray has been activated from the IR and he’ll get the start tonight against the Chiefs, whose offensive line ranks 16th in pass blocking efficiency (per PFF). In 2016, he finished as the 17th edge defender in pass rushing productivity. He’ll play opposite Von Miller when he’s on the field tonight. Miller is PFF’s fourth-ranked edge defender and he’s second in pass rushing productivity this season. Chiefs QB Alex Smith has been sacked the ninth-most this season (21) but despite being under pressure on 35.6% of his dropbacks, he hasn’t thrown a single interception. He leads the league with an 81.2% adjusted completion percentage, limiting Denver’s defense upside in fantasy. The Broncos are currently 25th in interceptions (4) and 18th in sacks (16).

Leonard Fournette and Dede Westbrook practiced Monday

Fournette is fully expected to return from a one-game absence due to an ankle injury following Jacksonville’s Week 8 bye. Westbrook was placed on the IR at the start of the season after undergoing core muscle surgery – he’s eligible to return to the active roster this week, although he probably won’t have a huge role right out of the gates. They face the Bengals in Week 9, whose defense ranked sixth in rush DVOA heading into the weekend but 26th in adjusted line yards (4.44). Old man Frank Gore averaged 5.1 yards per carry against them in Week 7 and Le’Veon Bell racked up 134 total rushing yards a week prior – although he posted 3.8 ypc. Before taking a week off, Fournette delivered the two best games of his career in Weeks 5 and 6, scoring three touchdowns while picking up 322 total yards. Jacksonville is running more than any other team in the league (53.1%) and they’ll likely continue to employ a run-heavy approach as much as they can. The Jaguars are early 4.0-point home favorites in this one with 89% of tickets coming in on their side of the spread (per VegasInsider).

Week 8 injury roundup

Zach Miller dislocated his knee while trying to reel in a touchdown Sunday. He underwent major surgery last night in an effort to save his leg. Dion Sims and rookie Adam Shaheen will pick up more snaps and touches going forward. It’s another major blow to Chicago’s passing game, they’ll continue to hand off the ball to Jordan Howard as much as game flow allows. Howard will face a Green Bay Packers rush defense in Week 9 that ranks 18th in DVOA (per FO) and is allowing the fourth-most PPR points to RBs.

Jordan Reed exited 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. That could potentially leave Vernon Davis with a huge role in Seattle in Week 9. 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, they’ve 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. Washington will head into this contest with a banged-up offensive line that had three starters inactive Sunday and starting LG Shawn Lauvao exited early with a stinger. Seattle’s defense could be a popular fantasy option if they don’t get healthier up front.

Cole Beasley has entered 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 try to employ a run-heavy approach. As seen yesterday when Bryant was chirping at coaches and quarterback Dak Prescott on the sidelines, this approached doesn’t seem to sit well with him. 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, leaving him with Terrance Mitchell, PFF’s 84th cover corner, the most.

Pierre Garcon suffered an apparent neck injury and didn’t end up playing much in the second half of Sunday’s game. Afterward, he said he expects to play in Week 9 but it’s worth keeping an eye on him. If he suits up, he could be shadowed by Patrick Peterson, setting up an advantage for Marquise Goodwin. If he misses, it would elevate Aldrick Robinson into the starting lineup.

Chris Hogan left Week 8 early with a shoulder injury and was seen sporting a sling after the game. The Patriots are on a bye this week and then head to Denver for a tough matchup in Week 10. If Hogan isn’t able to return, it could open up snaps for Danny Amendola and Phillip Dorsett.

49ers S Jimmie Ward has a fractured forearm and is out indefinitely. On top of that, the 49ers lost starting LT Joe Staley, who’s dealing with a fractured orbital bone, and backup RT Garry Gilliam, who was filling in for the injured Trent Brown, left early with a knee issue. Quarterback C.J. Beathard was sacked four times and threw two interceptions Sunday while facing pressure on 27 of his 45 dropbacks. Although Arizona’s defensive line is 29th in adjusted sack rate, they could find success against this banged-up 49ers unit. Solomon Thomas has been diagnosed with an MCL sprain and is expected to miss a couple games. With DE Arik Armstead already on the IR, the 49ers will be without their two starting edge defenders.

Jets CB Morris Claiborne was successfully shutting down Julio Jones in shadow coverage until he went down with a foot injury in the third quarter. Naturally, Jones immediately reeled in a 53-yard grab as soon as Claiborne hobbled off. Although an x-ray came back negative yesterday, he’ll undergo further testing today. He’s got a short week to recover as the Jets host the Bills on Thursday night. Slot corner Buster Skrine was inactive Sunday with a concussion and he’s in danger of missing Week 9 as well, setting up a better spot for Tyrod Taylor and his pass-catchers. Receivers Andre Holmes, Zay Jones, and Jordan Matthews all caught exactly three passes in Week 8. Matthews could benefit from Skrine’s absence in the slot but he hasn’t seen more than five targets in any game this season. LeSean McCoy continues to pace the Bills with 46 targets and 38 receptions.

Eagles CB Patrick Robinson entered the concussion protocol Sunday. He’s been terrific this season, earning PFF’s fourth-best corner grade. It’s possible CB Ronald Darby remains sidelined in Week 9, which would leave Philly’s pass defense very vulnerable against the Broncos. It’s not clear if Emmanuel Sanders will be able to play tonight against the Chiefs, but he should be back for Week 9 and he travels to the slot more than Demaryius Thomas – 24% of his routes.

Seahawks S Earl Thomas injured his hamstring Sunday and he’ll undergo an MRI today to figure out the extent of the injury. For what it’s worth, he’s confident he can play this weekend but it’s worth keeping an eye on PFF’s sixth-ranked cover safety this week. The Seahawks host the Redskins this weekend, Thomas’ potential absence could open up some downfield opportunities for quarterback Kirk Cousins.

Bengals DE Michael Johnson suffered a back injury in Week 8, opening up snaps for Jordan Willis. Although he’s seen a somewhat limited role this season, Willis has earned PFF’s 24th-best run defense grade among edge defenders. If Johnson isn’t able to go this weekend, Willis will try to help the team stop Leonard Fournette, who’s expected to return from an ankle injury this week. As a unit, the Bengals were sixth in rush DVOA heading into Week 8.

Texans DT Christian Covington suffered an elbow injury that will cost him the rest of the season. He picked up a major role due to injuries on Houston’s defense and earned PFF’s 28th-best interior defender grade this season. Over the past three weeks he played, he’s earned the eighth-best pass rushing productivity rate at his position (per PFF). It’s yet another huge blow to this defense that’s been decimated by injuries. The Texans host the Colts this weekend, setting up a decent spot for Jacoby Brissett who passed for 233 yards and two touchdowns against a tougher Bengals defense in Week 8.

Steelers S Mike Mitchell exited Sunday night’s game with an ankle injury, although he said he would be alright. PFF’s 32nd cover safety has played a big role in Pittsburgh’s success defending the pass. They were the epitome of a bend-but-don’t-break defense last night against the Lions. Despite allowing Matthew Stafford to throw for 423 yards and make several trips into the red zone, they didn’t allow a single touchdown and won the game by five points. Mitchell will have a Week 9 bye to get healthy.

DeVante Parker and Jay Cutler 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.

Golden Tate officially active

This was expected to be the case all day but we’ve finally received confirmation. With Kenny Golladay still out, Tate could push for double-digit targets but the Pittsburgh pass defense hasn’t shown many leaks to date. Marvin Jones’ appeal has dropped and T.J. Jones will once again be relegated to WR3 duties.

Redskins RT Morgan Moses and CB Josh Norman active for Week 8; CB Bashaud Breeland inactive

Washington will be without C Spencer long, LT Trent Williams, and RG Brandon Scherff. It’s not great timing considering Dallas’ defensive line is ninth in adjusted sack rate (per FO). They’re anchored by DeMarcus Lawrence, who has already amassed 9.5 sacks this season, the second-most in the league, and ranks fourth among edge defenders in pass-rushing productivity (per PFF). He’s capable of single-handedly destroying offenses as he did in Week 3 against the Cardinals when he recorded three sacks and 13 total pressures. He rushes from the left side of the defensive formation, so Moses is a very important piece of this game. After opening as 1-point favorites with an implied total of 26.0 points, the Redskins are now 3.0-point home dogs with an implied total of 21.5 points. Norman’s return is a downgrade for Dez Bryant and quarterback Dak Prescott. He’s PFF’s 39th-ranked corner this season while teammates Quinton Dunbar and Kendall Fuller have exceeded him, checking in at 20th and 10th, respectively. It appears Dunbar has surpassed Breeland (84th) as he out-snapped him the past two games and Breeland is inactive Sunday. As a team, the Redskins have allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks but the fourth-fewest to receivers as they funnel receiving production to tight ends (third-most) and running backs (eighth-most receptions per game, second-most receiving touchdowns). That sets up an interesting spot for old-man Jason Witten, for those that trust 15th-year skill players near the halfway mark, and Ezekiel Elliott. Although Washington has limited RBs to the third-fewest rushing yards per game, they’ve also seen the third-fewest attempts and their defensive line is 23rd in adjusted line yards (per FO). Dallas is running the ball the ninth-most in the league (45.2%) and their offensive line is sixth in adjusted line yards.

C.J. Prosise inactive for Week 8

He didn’t practice all week after suffering a setback with his ankle injury last Sunday. He exited Week 7’s game after playing just two snaps, providing a picture of what the Seahawks might do with their backfield against the Texans. While he was down, Thomas Rawls, Eddie Lacy, and J.D McKissic all saw the field between 21-30 times. They continue to have a full-blown committee without any of them standing out enough to earn more time. It’s probably best to avoid the group in Week 8.