DFS Alerts

Packers CB Quinten Rollins (Achilles) placed on IR

Rollins was carted off the field in the second quarter of Green Bay’s Week 6 game against the Vikings. The Packers are very thin in the secondary right now with CB Davon House, CB Kevin King, and S Morgan Burnett all inactive this past Sunday. The Saints head to town in Week 7. Drew Brees and his pass-catchers could be in a great spot if those defensive players can’t return.

Redskins DT Jonathan Allen dealing with Lisfranc sprain, out 3-4 weeks

Allen’s absence will be a downgrade to Washington’s pass rush. He’s earned the 24th-best grade in the area among interior defenders (per PFF) and he’s earned the fifth-best pass-rush productivity rating. They visit the Eagles next Monday night, which is already a challenge in the trenches with Philly’s offensive line earning the third-best pass-blocking efficiency score.

Emmanuel Sanders ruled out for Week 7

An MRI revealed Sanders has an ankle sprain, not a break. He’ll be sidelined for Denver’s Week 7 matchup with the Chargers along with Isaiah McKenzie, who also has an ankle sprain. Demaryius Thomas should pick up a sizable volume boost against the Chargers solid cornerback duo of Casey Hayward and Trevor Williams. The pair limited the Raiders receivers to a combined 3/7/37/1 line in Week 6.

Teddy Bridgewater expected to practice Wednesday

The Vikings are taking Bridgewater off the PUP list and plan to have him on the practice field this week. Per NFL rules, he’ll have three weeks to be activated. Case Keenum will remain the starter this weekend against the Ravens if Sam Bradford is unable to return. It’s a tough spot for Keenum as Baltimore is currently holding passers to the second-lowest completion percentage (53.6%), fourth-lowest rating (71.1), and fifth-fewest yards per game (190). If receiver Stefon Diggs is out, Keenum will continue to pepper Adam Thielen with targets. Thielen came down with nine receptions for 97 yards as Minnesota’s number one receiver against an injury-riddled Packers secondary. He may have a better matchup than it appears on paper against the Ravens as he’ll battle Ladarius Webb in the slot. When inside, Webb is allowing the second-most yards per cover snap (2.11, per PFF) and a 68% catch rate.

Golden Tate (shoulder) expected to miss a few weeks

Tate left Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury. He was having a great outing, hauling in a 7/96/1 line before leaving. Detroit has a bye in Week 7 but it looks like that won’t be enough time for Tate to rehab the injury. The Lions take on the Steelers and their tough pass defense in Week 8. If Tate is sidelined, Marvin Jones should see a nice boost in volume. Kenny Golladay should be back in the lineup after missing the past few games with a hamstring injury and could operate as the WR2.

Jameis Winston dealing with AC joint sprain in throwing shoulder

An MRI revealed the diagnosis Monday after the quarterback was forced from Tampa’s Week 6 game against the Cardinals. It’s possible he could play through it and Winston said he expects to play Sunday in Buffalo. If he can’t, Ryan Fitzpatrick would start under center. It’s a tough matchup for passers as Buffalo ranked fourth in pass DVOA (per FO) through five weeks and has limited quarterbacks to the second-lowest passer rating (66.5). Fitzpatrick tends to throw a bunch of interceptions – he had two in relief on Sunday – which presents an upgrade for the Bills D/ST. He was able to move the football and provided fantasy production for his pass-catchers, finishing with 290 passing yards and three scores, but that was against a struggling, Patrick Peterson-less secondary for a big chunk of the game. Winston had strung together three consecutive games with at least 324 passing yards heading into Week 6 but the injury to his throwing shoulder adds risk if he plays in addition to the difficult spot.

Week 6 injury roundup

Aaron Rodgers suffered a broken collarbone on Sunday, potentially ending his season. That will put Brett Hundley under center going forward and he may be stuck behind a depleted line.RT Bryan Bulaga, LT David Bakhtiari, and LG Lane Taylor all got banged up on Sunday. It’ll be a situation to follow heading into their matchup with the Saints in Week 7. New Orleans was able to exploit Detroit’s poor line for five sacks and Matt Stafford threw three interceptions and lost a pair of fumbles. They held Stafford to a 48% completion rate as CBs Marshon Lattimore and Ken Crawley limited receivers to a 42% catch rate (although Crawley was charged with two touchdowns, per PFF). Hundley struggled against the Vikings, finishing with one touchdown to three interceptions. He’ll be an obvious downgrade for the pass-catchers.

Jameis Winston will undergo an MRI on Monday after injuring his throwing shoulder on Sunday. He expects to play Week 7 against the Bills though. Winston had strung together three consecutive games with at least 324 passing yards but he’ll have a tough test against a Bills defense that ranked fourth in pass DVOA (per FO) through five weeks and has limited quarterbacks to the second-lowest passer rating (66.5).

Golden Tate left Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury. He was having a great outing, hauling in a 7/96/1 line before leaving. He’ll have a bye in Week 7 to rehab the injury ahead of their meeting with the Steelers. He’ll have a tougher matchup against Mike Hilton in the slot, who’s allowing the fourth-lowest passer rating among inside corners (58.3).

Emmanuel Sanders and Trevor Siemian were injured against the Giants Sunday night. Sanders was carted off with an ankle injury and he’ll have an MRI on Monday. It doesn’t look like he’ll be able to play in their Week 7 matchup against the Chargers, although Siemian should be able to play. He took a shot to his surgically-repaired, non-throwing shoulder but was able to return to the game. The QB should look for Demaryius Thomas a ton if Sanders is sidelined. The duo has pretty evenly combined for a 47.2% market share so far this season. Thomas turned 14 looks into a 10/133/0 line last night despite pairing up with Janoris Jenkins most of the night. Bennie Fowler also saw an uptick in targets, finishing with eight, although he only hauled in three for 21 scoreless yards.

Leonard Fournette tweaked his ankle against the Rams but he’s expected to play in Week 7. He finished with another strong performance after jumping out of the gates with a 75-yard touchdown run (21 carries, 130 yards total). He continued to give way to Chris Ivory in the passing game often on Sunday. Ivory finished with ten targets and a team-high nine receptions to Fournette’s two catches on two looks. That may impact his fantasy outlook against the Colts, who have limited RBs to the tenth-fewest rushing yards per game (79.8) while allowing the tenth-most receiving yards to the position (50.6). Even so, they haven’t been as efficient against the run as those numbers may suggest, they ranked 21st in rush DVOA heading into Week 6 and 18th in adjusted line yards (4.17). Fournette has picked up 20+ touches in all but one game this season.

Breshad Perriman and Maxx Williams both suffered concussions in Week 6. With Maclin out, Perriman was expected to jump into a larger role but he didn’t catch a single pass prior to his injury. Ben Watson ended up leading the team with eight targets but finished with just 28 yards. Mike Wallace only saw five passes and finished with a 3/30/0 line. The Ravens offense continues to be unappealing from a fantasy perspective and Perriman won’t be a strong option even if Maclin misses more time. He now has four catches on 17 targets through six games.

Cardinals CB Patrick Peterson was questionable heading into Week 6 with a quad injury and he re-aggravted the issue on Sunday, forcing him from the game. He was able to shut down Mike Evans while he was out there. The Bucs receiver failed to haul in any of his four targets under Peterson’s coverage – he went 3/4/95/1 elsewhere. Peterson should be able to play next weekend against the Rams but he’ll likely show up on the injury report during the week.

Other notables:

Dolphins C Mike Pouncey has entered the concussion protocol; Steelers RT Marcus Gilbert re-aggravated a hamstring injury that’s held him out since Week 2; 49ers DE Arik Armstead injured his hands against the Redskins; Texans LT Chris Clark left with a calf injury but he believes he’ll be ready to return following the Texans bye week; Lions FS Glover Quin suffered a concussion against the Saints and will have a bye week to clear the protocol.

Steelers LG Ramon Foster inactive for Week 6

His absence could cause problems for Ben Roethlisberger as Foster currently ranks as PFF’s seventh pass-blocking guard. The Steelers’ line has held strong so far this season, ranking seventh in pass-blocking efficiency (per PFF) and Foster has been a big part of that as he’s produced the 10th-best individual PBE among guards. Kansas City currently ranks eighth with 14 sacks and they’ll have a good shot build on that with Foster out. Plus, since 2015, Roethlisberger has averaged 1.12 interceptions on the road.

Albert Wilson inactive for Week 6; Demarcus Robinson will start in his place

With Chris Conley out, Wilson (knee, questionable) was going to step into the WR2 role but that will now fall to Robinson against the Steelers this afternoon. Robison has been pretty evenly dispersed across the formation this season but he may get more run on the outside today given the Chiefs’ injury situation. That means he’ll primarily see a combination of Joe Haden (98.8 passer rating, 1.07 yards per cover snap, per PFF) and Artie Burns (76.4 passer rating, 0.49 yards per cover snap). It would make sense for the Chiefs to work Tyreek Hill away from Burns’ coverage considering how well the CB has played this year – his yards/covers snap is the fifth-best rate – which could leave Robinson in a poor spot most of the afternoon. It’ll be hard to trust the receiver, who’s only seen three targets in his NFL career, to produce a strong performance. Kansas City’s offense will continue to flow through Hill, Travis Kelce, and Kareem Hunt. The Steelers have looked like a run-funnel defense so far as they rank 3rd in pass DVOA and 15th against the rush. In fantasy, they’re allowing the fourth-most PPR points to RBs and the second-fewest to QBs. It looks like a great spot for Hunt.

Mike Williams active for Week 6; Dontrelle Inman and Branden Oliver inactive

Williams will make his NFL debut after recovering from a back injury. He’s expected to come into a small role to start but he could carve out a larger workload in the coming weeks as he competes with current number two receiver Tyrell Williams and the inconsistent Travis Benjamin for looks. Keenan Allen will remain the number one wideout, he currently holds a 26.3% market share of the team’s targets and he’s third in the league with 51 passes thrown his way. He has a very nice matchup with Oakland CB T.J. Carrie in the slot this weekend. When inside, Carrie has allowed the 12th-most yards per cover snap (1.26, per PFF) and a fantasy-friendly 85.7% catch rate.

Rams LB Mark Barron active for Week 6; S Lamarcus Joyner inactive

Joyner hasn’t played since exiting Week 3 with a hamstring injury but he was questionable heading into Sunday. Barron was also questionable after being limited Friday with a knee issue. Barron is PFF’s 33rd LB this season and he’s graded well in coverage (14th) despite allowing the ninth-most receiving yards among linebackers. It appears like a matchup Leonard Fournette could still take advantage; the running back has been very active in the passing game, racking up the third-most receptions, targets, and yards on the team. Fournette should also find success on the ground against a defensive line that’s better at pass-rushing than run defense – they’re currently 21st in adjusted line yards (4.28) and seventh in adjusted sack rate (per FO). That sets up a favorable matchup for the run-first Jaguars who are passing at the lowest rate in the NFL (44.8%). Overall, the Rams have allowed the second-most PPR points to RBs – workhorse Fournette is in a great spot.

Marcus Mariota will play Week 6

Paul Kuharsky reports Mariota will start tomorrow night. He was originally expected to be a game-time decision. He’ll have a fantasy-friendly matchup with the Colts, whose defense is third-worst in both passing yards per game (294) and yards per attempt (8.3). He’ll certainly carry some risk though given his injury, and his rushing upside could be limited. Indy has been very poor against tight ends. They rank 29th in TE DVOA and they’ve permitted the seventh-most PPR points to the position. Rookie George Kittle went off for a 7/9/83/1 line against them this past weekend and Delanie Walker will be in a great spot to exceed that production with Mariota under center.

Buccaneers LB Lavonte David and S T.J. Ward active for Week 6

LB Kwon Alexander and S Keith Tandy are inactive, as expected. Both David and Ward were inactive last week but they’re ready to make their return this afternoon when the Bucs visit the Cardinals. David’s presence would help shore up the middle of the field and the Bucs receiving RB coverage which was picked apart by Tom Brady last week through a mix of Chris Hogan and Danny Amendola in the slot and James White out of the backfield. White posted a 7/57/0 line while Hogan and Amendola combined for a 15/132/1 line when lined up in the slot. With Alexander still sidelined, Carson Palmer may be encouraged to try a similar approach with Larry Fitzgerald and Andre Ellington. Palmer should also pick on Vernon Hargreaves, PFF’s 101st cover corner, on the outside. He’ll see John Brown and Jaron Brown the most, which sets up a great matchup for the receivers. Hargreaves has allowed the fifth-highest passer rating (127.6), second-most receiving yards (354), and fourth-most yards per cover snap (2.02). John is getting healthier and he supplanted Jaron as the number two receiver again in Week 5, out-snapping him 48 to 36. He was only able to haul in two of his seven targets, but one was for a touchdown. He’ll look to build on that against the Bucs on Sunday.

Jaelen Strong inactive for Week 6

The receiver was trending towards making his debut this week but he won’t be out there against the Rams this afternoon. Marqise Lee and Allen Hurns will continue to be the primary receivers. Neither are particularly appealing fantasy targets due to Jacksonville’s playcalling. They’re only passing on 44.8% of their plays, the lowest rate in the league, and they’ll likely continue to employ that approach for as long as possible this afternoon. With the Rams defensive front generating a ton of pressure on quarterbacks and ranking seventh in adjusted sack rate (per FO), the Jaguars have even more incentive to limit the amount Blake Bortles drops back. That said, if game flow forces them to the air, Lee appears to have the better matchup with Trumaine Johnson, who’s allowed the 11th-most yards (292). Slot corner Nickell Robey-Coleman has allowed the second-fewest yards out of the slot and he should see Hurns inside quite a bit.

Bears will start Tre McBride and Tanner Gentry at receiver against Ravens in Week 6

It looks like Chicago likes the chemistry between QB Mitch Trubisky and these receivers; they’re going to give them the start ahead of Kendall Wright this afternoon. This doesn’t mean they’ll become strong fantasy targets. They have a terrible spot on the road against one of the best secondaries in the game and have a rookie under center in his second start. Trubisky put plenty of faith in his tight end, Zach Miller, last Monday, looking his way a team-high seven times, and connecting with him for a 20-yard touchdown. Miller may be the best fantasy target in their passing game as he presents a safety valve for the rookie quarterback and the Ravens rank 32nd in TE DVOA. Chicago will likely lean on Jordan Howard as long as they can though, limiting the volume and upside for Miller and the pass-catchers.