DFS Alerts
Bills S Micah Hyde (knee) and T Cordy Glenn (foot, ankle) questionable for Week 5
Hyde has picked off three passes this season and checks in as PFF’s 32nd-ranked safety.
Branden Oliver (hamstring) isn't practicing again Friday
Oliver appears to be on the doubtful side of things for Week 5.
Other tagged players: Melvin Gordon Seahawks LT Rees Odhiambo (sternum) questionable for Week 5
He’ll be a game-time decision this Sunday after spending last Sunday night in the hospital with breathing trouble following their game with the Colts. Odhiambo has been earned the lowest tackle grade from PFF this season (27.3) and his absence would provide Matt Tobin the start, who’s scored poor grades all four seasons he’s been in the league. Seattle currently ranks 30th in pass-blocking efficiency and they’ve allowed the fourth-most pressures (65), putting Russell Wilson under pressure on 41% of his dropbacks. Perhaps the most troublesome part of their poor offensive line play is that they’ve been terrible against some of the worst defensive line units in the game; three of their first four opponents rank 25th or worse in adjusted sack rate (per FO). It’ll be a different story this weekend against Aaron Donald – the top-ranked interior defender in pass-rush – and the Rams, whose defensive line ranks third in adjusted sack rate. When Seattle faced the fourth-ranked Green Bay Packers in Week 1, Wilson took three sacks and posted a 33.1 QBR, 51.9% completion rate, and 159 scoreless yards.
Other tagged players: Los Angeles Rams, Russell Wilson Jack Doyle (concussion) and CB Nate Hairston ruled out for Week 5, Marlon Mack will play
The tight end is in the concussion protocol and he was downgraded to a DNP for Friday’s practice. His absence will provide Darrell Daniels and Brandon Williams more snaps, both of whom have been targeted five or fewer times through four games and will have a tough draw against a 49ers defense that ranks first in TE DVOA. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett has displayed a real connection with Doyle, targeting him the second-most on the team, and the tight end’s absence may hurt Brissett’s chances of success against the 49ers. On paper, the matchup looks solid as San Francisco ranks 26th in pass DVOA and has allowed the tenth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks. However, it may be a tough matchup for Brissett’s personnel. Without Doyle, T.Y. Hilton should pick up more looks but the 49ers have allowed just 49.9 yards per game to WR1s this year (9th-fewest, per FO). SF ranks 29th in WR2 and other WR DVOA but Brissett has only completed 50% of his passes to Donte Moncrief across his three starts and 33% to Kamar Aiken for just 44 yards. The 49ers are also allowing the most passes to RBs this season (10.1) while the Colts have hardly used their backs in the passing game – Frank Gore, Robert Turbin, and Marlon Mack have combined for 2.5 receptions per game. Perhaps Hilton can overcome the 49ers’ trend against WR1s like Sammy Watkins did in Week 3 (6/106/2); he’ll get plenty of run against Rashard Robinson on the outside and K’Waun Williams in the slot. The former has allowed two scores and the latter has given up the fourth-most yards after catch (111). Both have allowed passer ratings of 97.5 or higher. On top of that, his market share should shoot through the roof as Doyle’s absence leaves 20.7% of the Colts’ targets unaccounted for.
Other tagged players: Indianapolis Colts, Marlon Mack Panthers DE Julius Peppers (shoulder) and LT Matt Kalil (groin) questionable for Week 5; Curtis Samuel and CB Daryl Worley will play
S Kurt Coleman and C Ryan Kalil have been officially ruled out, as expected. Peppers had a rest day Wednesday but remained sidelined Thursday with a shoulder issue that’s lingering from last week. Peppers hasn’t been great defending the run in his 12th season, earning a poor grade of 50.7 from PFF, but he’s still producing when rushing the passer. His 12.5 pass-rushing productivity rate is good for 15th among edge defenders and he’s racked up six sacks (third). His presence on the field could cause problems for Matthew Stafford in Week 5. The quarterback is playing behind one of the worst offensive lines in football, currently ranking 29th in pass-blocking efficiency. Tyler Larsen will start at center once again for Ryan Kalil. He’s been excellent so far, earning the eighth-best center grade from PFF.
Marcus Mariota (hamstring, questionable) will be a game-time decision Sunday
This was the expected outcome after a week of limited practices for the quarterback. If he can’t go, Matt Cassel would get the start. He’s an inaccurate passer with a career completion percentage of 58.8%. That was on display last Sunday when he went 4-for-10 with two picks. Although the Titans have a favorable matchup with a fantasy-friendly secondary, it’s going to be a little hard to trust the pass-catchers to produce with Cassel throwing the ball. At least he has a terrific offensive line protecting him that ranks second in pass-blocking efficiency (per PFF) and the Dolphins defensive line currently ranks 30th in adjusted sack rate (per FO). If Mariota can suit up, he’ll have a great outlook and so will his pass-catchers – Miami has allowed the third-highest passer rating (112.4) and sixth-most passing yards per game (272).
Browns DT Danny Shelton and Myles Garrett will play Week 5
It’s great news for a rush defense that already ranked sixth in rush DVOA. In 2016, Shelton ranked eighth among interior defenders with a 9.8% run-stop rate (per PFF) and he had even better rate this season after posting six run stops through 51 snaps (11.8%) prior to his injury. Garrett should boost their pass rush – which currently ranks 21st in adjusted sack rate (per FO) – against a Jets offensive line that’s been charged with the fifth-most sacks this year (nine, per PFF).
Matt Forte (toe) and DE Kony Ealy ruled out for Week 5; DL Muhammad Wilkerson (shoulder) questionable
With the starting RB sidelined in Week 4, Bilal Powell went off for 190 yards and a touchdown on 25 touches. Elijah McGuire got in on the fun too, racking up 138 yards and a score against a Jacksonville defense that now ranks 32nd in rush DVOA. They’ll have a tougher matchup this week with the Browns, whose defense has been surprisingly efficient against the rush, ranking sixth in DVOA and third in adjusted line yards per carry (2.93). Plus, DT Danyy Shelton and DE Myles Garrett will be there to bolster their line. Cleveland is setting up to be a pass-funnel defense as they’re 30th in pass DVOA and 25th against receiving running backs. Fortunately, Powell is plenty capable of producing through the air and he could still do some damage this weekend in the featured role. His price has jumped $1.6k on DraftKings but he’ll still have appeal on the full PPR site at $6.2k and should see reduced ownership in tournaments due to the price bump. On the defensive side of things, Ealy’s absence is a downgrade for New York’s defense. He currently ranks as PFF’s 15th-best edge defender in pass rush and he would’ve been useful against DeShone Kizer, who’s been sacked 11 times.
Other tagged players: Bilal Powell, Elijah McGuire John Ross (knee) and Tyler Eifert (back) ruled out for Week 5, as expected
That leaves quarterback Andy Dalton with Tyler Boyd as his third receiver, who’s picked up just three targets with Ross sidelined over the past two weeks. Instead of looking Boyd’s way, Dalton will likely provide A.J. Green a huge workload. Following Green’s monster game with 13 targets against the Packers in Week 3, he tallied seven looks against the Browns. The Bengals focused on their tight ends and running backs – 18 combined targets – as many teams do when playing Cleveland and they got out to an early lead, limiting them to 30 pass attempts. Their Week 5 game against Buffalo should be closer, it currently has a three-point spread favoring the Bengals at home. Green will have a tough matchup if corner E.J. Gaines suits up though – Gaines suffered a groin injury Sunday and looks questionable. He’s currently PFF’s 18th-ranked CB and he’s limited opposing quarterbacks to a 41.0 passer rating after being targets 23 times (11/95/0 line with a pick). Green lines up on Gaines’ side for roughly 50% of his routes and he’ll also have to contend with Tre’Davious White on the other side, who’s earned the eight-best cover grade this season. On top of that, this game has the second-lowest total of the week (39.5) and Green has averaged 5.5 fewer PPR points per game when playing at home over the course of his career.
Other tagged players: Tyler Eifert Seahawks CB Jeremy Lane (groin) not expected to play Week 5
Head coach Pete Carroll said they’ll give him a chance on Sunday but it seems unlikely that he’ll be able to suit up. If Lane is out, Shaquill Griffin will stay at right cornerback and Justin Coleman will move into the slot. Coleman has graded much higher than Lane so far this season – 80.0 cover grade to 45.5 (per PFF) – and he could cause some problems for Cooper Kupp. Through 47 coverage snaps in the slot, Coleman has limited opposing passers to a 27.9 passer rating and 50.0% completion percentage. Griffin will man his normal spot at RCB and primarily square off with Sammy Watkins. It may be an exploitable matchup for the Rams receiver as Griffin is allowing a 103.1 passer rating across 118 coverage snaps and 20 targets. His 8.4 cover snaps per reception represents the 11th-worst rate among corners this season.
Other tagged players: Cooper Kupp, Sammy Watkins Marqise Lee (ribs) and Jaelen Strong (hamstring) questionable for Week 5
Lee hasn’t found the end zone yet this season and he’s seen his targets decline each week since Allen Robinson’s injury, falling from 12 in Week 2 to three this past Sunday. Meanwhile, Allen Hurns picked up ten looks against the Jets and he’s caught two touchdown passes over the last three games. Unfortunately for Lee, he’s going to see a bunch of Artie Burns on the left side of the formation (if he plays), where he primarily runs his routes. Burns is currently third in yards per cover snap (0.39, per PFF) and despite being targeted 21 times (28th-most), he’s allowed just 61 yards (fourth-fewest). It won’t get much easier for Hurns in the slot; he’ll square off against Mike Hilton, who ranks fourth in yards per cover snap when in slot coverage (0.72). On the positive side, Burns doesn’t shadow, which means Lee would get some run against Joe Haden. The corner has been the weak link of the Pittsburgh secondary, allowing 13 receptions for 181 yards on 19 targets. It’s also worth considering Pittsburgh’s strength of schedule; they’ve faced the Browns, Bears, Ravens, and a Case Keenum-led Vikings squad – three of those teams rank 26th or worse in offense DVOA (per FO). It’s certainly possible, if not likely, that’s inflated their defense’s production and current standings in the top ten in both pass and rush DVOA. Even so, Jacksonville is currently passing on just 47.7% of their passing plays, the second-lowest rate in the league. If anyone is in a position to produce against this defense, it may be Fournette. Dalvin Cook was able to average 5.3 yards per carry in his limited workload – 12 carries as game flow worked against him – and the Jordan Howard-Tarik Cohen duo piled up 218 rushing yards on 25 attempts in Chicago’s overtime victory a week later. They added a combined 9/50/0 receiving line for good measure. This past weekend, Alex Collins produced another strong ypc rate (9.1) but had just nine attempts due to poor game script. If Jacksonville’s defense can keep the game competitive – which may be wishful thinking as it would require their rush defense drastically improve in a game against Le’Veon Bell – the Jaguars will likely continue to feed Fournette in what may be a better-than-it-looks matchup for runners.
Other tagged players: Jaelen Strong, Leonard Fournette, Allen Hurns Ravens CB Jimmy Smith (Achilles) will play Week 5
Smith’s absence from practice Wednesday and Thursday was planned and coach John Harbaugh said he’s “good to go” for Sunday. He’s the best cover corner in an elite secondary unit that’s held quarterbacks to the lowest passer rating (63.1) and second-lowest completion percentage (54.4%). Smith will make things tough for Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree, both of whom will have backup quarterback E.J. Manuel throwing to them. It looks like a good week to avoid the Raiders in fantasy and take a look at the Ravens D/ST.
Other tagged players: Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree, E.J. Manuel Sam Bradford expected to practice again Friday
It’s a good sign for the quarterback, who’s still rehabbing a bone bruise on his knee. The Vikings tested out Bradford’s knee in practice Thursday and it went well. If he’s able to return Monday night, he’ll have a decent spot against the Bears, whose pass defense is allowing the sixth-highest passer rating (103.8). It would be an obvious upgrade for Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen, and Kyle Rudolph. If he can’t go, Case Keenum will get another start. After a monster Week 3 performance against a weak Tampa Bay defense, he posted a poor 219-yard performance with a 53.3% completion rate and zero touchdowns against the Lions. While Chicago has had a worse pass defense than Detroit on paper, they’ve also had a stronger strength of schedule – all four of their opponents rank in the top 12 in offense DVOA (per FO). It would be hard to trust Keenum’s pass-catchers if he gets the nod.
Other tagged players: Case Keenum Latavius Murray expected to "play a great deal" on Sunday
The quote comes from offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur who added Jerick McKinnon will “be involved.” It sounds like Shurmur is confirming Murray will be the workhorse while McKinnon is relegated to the change-of-pace and passing-down role. The Vikings will take on a Bears defensive unit that’s been disappointing against the run this season. They currently rank 31st in adjusted line yards per carry (4.87, per FO) and 20th in rush DVOA. However, Murray hasn’t looked good this year, averaging 2.7 yards per carry as he deals with a lingering ankle injury that hasn’t fully healed since he underwent surgery to repair it. While he probably won’t be able to replicate Dalvin Cook’s production, he’ll get a ton of volume against a Chicago defense that’s allowing the 13th-most DraftKings points to running backs. Murray is just $4.5k on DK this week.
Other tagged players: Jerick McKinnon Kenny Britt (knee, groin) and Jamie Collins (concussion) doubtful for Week 5
Britt hasn’t practiced all week and the Browns want a reason to bench him this weekend. If he sits, the Jets could stick corner Morris Claiborne on Ricardo Louis. Claiborne has only been targeted 11 times this season and he’s permitting the seventh-fewest yards per cover snap among corners (0.52, per PFF). That would leave slot receiver Rashard Higgins with a comparative advantage in the slot against Buster Skrine, who’s allowing the tenth-most yards per cover snap when in slot coverage (1.14) and a 71.4% catch rate. Britt’s absence could also help Duke Johnson, the team’s leading receiver, and the Jets are allowing the ninth-most receiving yards to RBs (57.1, per FO). Still, it’s an ugly game to target with the second-lowest total on the slate (39.5 points). LB Collins has cleared concussion protocol but he’s not expected to make his return this weekend. Cleveland will get DT Danny Shelton and DE Myles Garrett back though, which could make things tough for the Jets’ offensive line.
Other tagged players: Ricardo Louis, New York Jets, Rashard Higgins, Duke Johnson