DFS Alerts
Giants CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie expected to be suspended by team
DRC left work early Wednesday without permission. That’s apparently why he wasn’t practicing this morning and coach Ben McAdoo said he intends to suspend Rodgers-Cromartie for leaving the team’s facility under his own accord. The length of the punishment hasn’t been released yet but it’ll help the Broncos this weekend. There’s apparently a lot of discontent among their secondary as Eli Apple was angry at his demotion from the starting lineup this past weekend and Janoris Jenkins reportedly left the field before the game ended. Apple will return to the starting lineup, setting up a nice spot for outside receivers Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. The second-year corner has allowed the most touchdowns (4), fourth-most receptions (25), and the fourth-highest passer rating (128.8). Sanders will get more run than Thomas in the slot against Ross Cockrell, DRC’s expected replacement.
As reported by: Ian Rapoport
Kenny Britt (knee, groin) and LB Jamie Collins (concussion) are practicing Wednesday
Coach Hue Jackson might let Britt play this weekend but it’ll be tough to trust him in fantasy. If he does play, he’ll likely start but he’s performed poorly since joining the Browns, catching a laughable 8-of-23 targets over four games. Perhaps he’ll come out motivated this Sunday or maybe Kevin Hogan under center will help his bottom line, but he’s far from reliable at this point. Collins has cleared the concussion protocol and he should be able to return for their Week 6 matchup with the Texans.
Other tagged players: Cleveland Browns Sterling Shepard (ankle) not expected to play Week 6
Beat writer Art Stapleton confidently stated Shepard “is not playing against the Broncos” this weekend, although the team hasn’t ruled him out yet. New York will visit Denver on Sunday with a decimated receiving corps, seemingly without their top four receivers. That would leave Roger Lewis in the WR1 role with Travis Rudolph and Tavarres King behind him. It should force tight end Evan Engram into a larger role and he has a decent spot against Denver, whose defense ranks 22nd in TE DVOA and has allowed the sixth-most PPR points to the position. However, the Giants offense may simply struggle to move the ball downfield and get themselves in scoring position against one of the best defenses in the game, limiting Engram’s upside. New York’s implied total has slid to 13.75 points.
As reported by: Art Stapleton Rob Kelley (ankle), LB Zach Brown, and LT Trent Williams (knee) aren't practicing Wednesday
Kelley suffered an ankle injury in Week 4 against the Chiefs but he was originally expected to play Week 6 against the 49ers after having a bye week to heal. His absence Wednesday doesn’t bode well for his return, we’ll have to see if he can get back out there tomorrow. San Francisco has been better against the run than the pass but they got worked by Marlon Mack for 91 rushing yards and a touchdown on nine carries. Chris Carson and Toddy Gurley posted 93 and 113 rushing yards, respectively. If Kelley plays, he would continue to lose passing-down snaps to Chris Thompson though – his volume could be shaky, especially in this matchup considering how effective receiving backs have been against this defense. The 49ers have allowed the sixth-most receptions to RBs (7.0 per game) and fourth-most yards (60.0). If Kelley is out, Samaje Perine would work into the early-down role and Chris Thompson could pick up some extra touches in a favorable spot.
Other tagged players: Washington Commanders, Chris Thompson, Samaje Perine Matt Forte (toe) present at Wednesday's practice; Bilal Powell (calf) isn't participating
Forte is warming up with the team and it remains to be seen if he’ll participate in practice today. The running back has been sidelined for the past two games with turf toe and is considered week-to-week. If he’s able to get in a limited session today, he could be ready for a Week 6 return. That would demote Bilal Powell if he plays and Elijah McGuire. Powell is dealing with a calf strain that forced him from Sunday’s game with the Browns. If both Powell and Forte are ultimately ruled out, McGuire would become a strong fantasy option against the Patriots in a workhorse role.
Other tagged players: Bilal Powell, Elijah McGuire Terrance West, Breshad Perriman, DT Brandon Williams, and CB Jimmy Smith aren't practicing Wednesday
West is expected to miss some time after he re-aggravated a calf injury this past weekend. He’s essentially the third running back behind Javorius Allen and Alex Collins but his absence should provide a slight snap boost for the other two. Allen has now played 62.6% of the snaps and he’s out-carried Collins 66 to 37. However, Collins has been a much more effective back on the ground; his 7.1 ypc has him leading the team with 261 rushing yards to Allen’s 232. Collins hasn’t even been targeted once in the passing game though and Allen is second on the team with 24 looks. Volume should be on Allen’s side again when they take on the Bears in Week 6. He’ll continue to have more appeal in full PPR formats as he’s averaged 5.0 receptions per game over the past four weeks. Williams has been inactive for the past few weeks and still isn’t ready to return, which is a boost for Jordan Howard this weekend. Smith missed practice last week with an Achilles injury and still played on Sunday. He could be following a similar pattern this week.
Other tagged players: Breshad Perriman, Baltimore Ravens Rob Gronkowski will play Week 6
Gronkowski was a surprise inactive last Thursday but he was able to practice Tuesday and appears to be on track to return this weekend. If he plays, he’ll face a Jets defense that’s limited opposing tight ends to the ninth-fewest PPR points per game. However, they haven’t really been tested over the past three weeks. Last Sunday they did give up a score to David Njoku, who finished with three catches for 48 yards and in Week 1, Charles Clay managed a 4/53/1 line against them. Partially due to an easy tight end schedule, the Jets rank second in TE DVOA (per FO). If Gronk is a go, he’ll naturally come with a high raw projection but he’ll also carry a hefty price tag and compete with all of the other weapons Tom Brady has at his disposal. So far this season, he’s managed 7.8 targets per game in the crowded offense.
As reported by: Jeff Howe Travis Kelce and Albert Wilson won't practice Wednesday
Also out for the Chiefs today: RG Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, C Mitch Morse, and LB Justin Houston. Kelce is in concussion protocol after suffering a head injury in Week 5 that prevented him from playing in the second half. With Chris Conley out for the year, Wilson is expected to step into the WR2 role behind Tyreek Hill.
Other tagged players: Albert Wilson, Kansas City Chiefs Julio Jones and LB Vic Beasley are practicing Wednesday; Mohamed Sanu isn't participating
Jones is expected to play this weekend while Sanu is not and Beasley, who’s been out since suffering a slight hamstring tear in Week 2, is questionable. The Falcons host the Dolphins on Sunday as monster -11.5 favorites with an implied total of 29.25 points. Although game flow may not work in Jones’ favor, he could do plenty of damage early against Dolphins CB Xavien Howard. Prior to playing a Titans team with Matt Cassel under center, Howard had the fifth-worst cover snaps per reception rate (6.8). As a unit, Miami ranks 29th in both pass and WR1 DVOA (per FO). Plus, if Sanu misses the game, Jones’ market share should increase. In that scenario, Taylor Gabriel would be elevated to the WR2 role and should receive a larger workload as well.
Other tagged players: Mohamed Sanu, Taylor Gabriel Jonathan Stewart removed from injury report; C Ryan Kalil ruled out
The running back missed practice Monday but was a full participant Wednesday and is all set for their Thursday night showdown with the Eagles. He’s eighth in the league with four carries inside the five-yard line and 11th with 11 attempts in the red zone. Considering Christian McCaffrey has only attempted three carries inside the 20 and hasn’t run the ball once inside the five, it’s clear who Carolina prefers in running situations when in scoring position. McCaffrey is the passing-down guy though; he’s received five RZ targets and scored his first touchdown last week against the Lions. He’s also out-snapping Stewart by a wide margin each game and leads the team with 36 total targets. He’ll have a favorable matchup with an Eagles defense that ranks 19th in receiving RB DVOA. Kalil will be sidelined for his fifth-straight game. His backup Tyler Larsen has been excellent though, currently ranking ninth among centers by PFF grading.
Tom Brady (non-throwing shoulder) is practicing Wednesday; LT Nate Solder and CB Eric Rowe aren't participating
Rob Gronkowski and Rex Burkhead are also practicing Wednesday. Brady wasn’t able to practice Tuesday after re-aggravating a left shoulder injury he originally suffered in Week 4 but he said he’ll be out there on Sunday against the Jets. New York currently sits at 18th in pass DVOA (per FO) and 12th in passing yards allowed per game (210) despite having a very friendly strength of schedule in terms of opposing offenses – three of their opponents – the Bills, Dolphins, and Browns – are 23rd or lower in offense DVOA. Meanwhile, the Patriots are second in the metric and lead the league with 419.4 yards per game. Not surprisingly, the Patriots are second on the board with an implied total of 28.5 points. Brady should be able to do plenty of damage for as long as the game is relatively close.
Other tagged players: Rob Gronkowski, Rex Burkhead, New England Patriots Sterling Shepard (ankle) and Paul Perkins (ribs) aren't practicing Thursday
Also out for the Giants today: DE Olivier Vernon, CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, C Weston Richburg, LB Jonathan Casillas, and S Landon Collins. New York will visit Denver on Sunday with a decimated receiving corps. Three of their top four receivers are out for the season and Shepard is questionable. That would leave Roger Lewis in the WR1 role with Travis Rudolph and Tavarres King behind him. It should force tight end Evan Engram into a larger role and he has a decent spot against Denver, whose defense ranks 22nd in TE DVOA and has allowed the sixth-most PPR points to the position. However, the Giants offense may simply struggle to move the ball downfield and get themselves in scoring position against one of the best defenses in the game, limiting Engram’s upside. New York’s implied total has slid to 13.75 points.
Cowboys LB Sean Lee (hamstring) is practicing Wednesday; LT Tyron Smith (back) isn't participating
Lee has been absent for the past two games and Dallas has been crushed by opposing running attacks. Both Todd Gurley and Aaron Jones rushed for at least 121 rushing yards and 5.3 yards per carry. While Lee can’t fix all of their problems single-handedly, he’d be a huge boost for their run defense. Prior to his injury, he was second among all linebackers with a 16.4% run-stop percentage (per PFF). Dallas has a bye this week and they’ll take on the 49ers in Week 7. Smith was able to play every snap Sunday after missing practice during the week due to back tightness. His presence would be helpful for Dak Prescott as he’s PFF’s 12th tackle in pass blocking.
Wendell Smallwood and Eagles DT Fletcher Cox (calf) questionable for Week 6; RT Lane Johnson (concussion) ruled out
Smallwood hasn’t been able to practice but coach Doug Pederson said he could be a game-time decision tomorrow. If Smallwood can’t go against the Panthers, the Eagles could go with a three-man committee at running back again. Against the Cardinals, LeGarrette Blount only played 26-of-67 snaps while Corey Clement picked up 23 and newly-signed Kenjon Barner received 17. Blount will still be the favorite to score and get work near the end zone – he’s sixth in the league with six attempts inside the five-yard line. Johnson is in the concussion protocol won’t be able to suit up Thursday night. He’s a huge loss as he currently ranks among the top eight tackles in both pass and run blocking (per PFF). On the defensive side of things, Fletcher Cox has missed the past two weeks but appears on track to return. His presence would provide a boost for their pass-rush – Cox has earned PFF’s tenth-best grade in the area among interior defenders and was 14th in pass-rushing productivity prior to his injury.
Other tagged players: Philadelphia Eagles Panthers CBs Daryl Worley and James Bradberry will play Week 6
Bradberry will see some Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith, which presents a decent matchup for the receivers. Bradberry’s numbers are towards the middle of the pack: 33rd in passer rating (86.8), 43rd in yards per cover snap (1.11), and 42nd in cover snaps per reception (11.2, per PFF). They may have a tougher time in Worley’s coverage, who’s limiting receivers to 0.79 yards per cover snap (17th).