DFS Alerts

Paul Perkins dealing with bruised ribs

His X-Rays came back negative Monday, which means it’s now a pain-management issue. The Giants will have to see how he responds in practice this week – if he’s able to participate – before deciding his Week 5 game status. Even if he’s able to suit up, he’ll likely lose work to rookie Wayne Gallman. With Orleans Darkwa inactive Sunday, Gallman made his NFL debut and led the squad with 11 carries for 42 yards while Perkins struggled to 13 yards on nine carries before leaving with the injury. Considering how poorly the other three backs have played all season – none of them have picked up more than 28 yards in any game – the Giants have to give Gallman more work going forward. It’s still a backfield to avoid in fantasy though. Their offensive line has been bad and all four backs could compete for touches if they’re all active.

E.J. Gaines (groin) is considered day-to-day

Gaines suffered a groin injury Sunday and looks questionable for Week 5 against the Bengals. He’s currently PFF’s 18th-ranked cornerback and he’s limited opposing quarterbacks to a 41 passer rating after being targets 23 times (11/95/0 line with a pick). His absence would be great news for A.J. Green as he lines up on Gaines’ side for 50% of his routes but he’d still have to contend with Tre’Davious White during the game. White has earned the eight-best cover grade this season.

Panthers S Kurt Coleman (knee) expected to miss "some time"

Coleman is believed to have suffered a sprained MCL on Sunday and isn’t expected to play Week 5 against the Lions. The safety has been off to a poor start this season, currently ranking 66th by PFF among 81 safeties but his absence will still be a downgrade for Carolina’s defense.

C.J. Prosise (ankle) expected to play Week 5

Head coach Pete Carroll said he’d be “shocked’ if Prosise can’t play next Sunday against the Rams. He should be Seattle’s primary passing-down back in that matchup. Heading into Week 3, the Rams ranked 19th in receiving RB DVOA (per FO) and in Week 4, Ezekiel Elliott hauled in four catches for 54 yards and a score. Prosise was second in snaps among Seattle’s backs in Weeks 1 through 3 but never picked up more than 37% of the plays in any of those games. After McKissic scored twice on Sunday night, he may have earned some snaps going forward at Prosise’s expense. There could be a four-man committee on Sunday.

Chris Carson suffered a knee fracture and high-ankle sprain

The fracture is “just below his knee” and the Seahawks believe he’s also dealing with a high-ankle sprain. A recovery timetable hasn’t been set but he will be out for a significant period. Seattle’s backfield may be difficult to predict heading into Week 5 considering Thomas Rawls was a healthy scratch last night and C.J. Prosise was inactive with an ankle injury but may return this weekend. Eddie Lacy ended up with 52 yards on 11 carries against the Colts while J.D. McKissic scored twice – once on a 30-yard run and another on a 27-yard reception. If Prosise remains out, McKissic should take over as the passing-down back when the Seahawks visit the Rams next Sunday. It’s a great matchup for RBs; the Rams have allowed the most rushing touchdowns (7) and fourth-most yards per attempt (4.9). We should get a better sense of what the Seahawks plan to do with their backfield over the course of the week.

Mohamed Sanu (hamstring) will miss a few weeks

Sanu is expected to miss two-to-three weeks after suffering a hamstring injury Sunday. Atlanta has a bye in Week 5, so he may only end up missing one game – their Week 6 matchup with the Dolphins. Sanu is second on the team with 24 targets. His absence could open up more looks for Jones, who will be in a terrific spot. Heading into Week 4, Miami ranked 32nd in pass DVOA and 28th against WR1s specifically, then they allowed Michael Thomas to pick up an 8/89/1 line in London. Through four weeks, they’ve allowed the third-highest passer rating (112.4) and sixth-most passing yards per game (272). Jones is dealing with a hip flexor issue but he’s expected to play in Week 6.

Week 4 injury roundup

Dalvin Cook suffered a torn ACL on Sunday and he’s out for the season. His absence will elevate Latavius Murray into the starting role but he’ll likely lose passing-down work to Jerick McKinnon. However, McKinnon exited Week 4’s game with a hamstring injury, so it’s possible Minnesota will need to give Murray a huge workload this weekend against the Bears. It’s a solid spot for runners as the Bears rank 27th in adjusted line yards per carry (4.48, per FO) and Chicago will be giving their rookie Mitchell Trubisky his first start. If Trubisky struggles in his debut, game flow could turn in Murray’s favor. Still, Murray said his ankle isn’t 100% following surgery that held him out of training camp and most of the preseason and he hasn’t had a gain of more than five yards this season – he’s not looking like a great fantasy asset.

Chris Carson is dealing with a “significant” ankle injury and the Seahawks believe it’s broken. They’ll know for sure following his MRI later today. Seattle’s backfield may be difficult to predict heading into Week 5 considering Thomas Rawls was a healthy scratch last night and C.J. Prosise was inactive with an ankle injury. Eddie Lacy ended up with 52 yards on 11 carries against the Colts while J.D. McKissic scored twice – once on a 30-yard run and another on a 27-yard reception. If Prosise remains out, McKissic should take over as the passing-down back when the Seahawks visit the Rams next Sunday. It’s a great matchup for RBs; the Rams have allowed the most rushing touchdowns (7) and fourth-most yards per attempt (4.9). We should get a better sense of what the Seahawks plan to do with their backfield over the course of the week.

Marcus Mariota was forced from Week 4’s game with a hamstring injury. We’ll get a diagnosis later Monday after the quarterback undergoes an MRI. If he’s unable to play this weekend, Matt Cassel would get the start against the Dolphins. He’s an inaccurate passer with a career completion percentage of 58.8%. That was on display yesterday 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 (PFF) and the Dolphins defensive line currently ranks 28th 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).

Derek Carr left in the third quarter against Denver on Sunday with back spasms. Head coach Jack Del Rio believes it isn’t a serious concern and seems to think he’ll play in Week 5. Prior to his exit, Carr was struggling against the Denver defense and it won’t get much easier next Sunday when he faces the Ravens. Through four games, Baltimore has limited quarterbacks to the lowest passer rating (63.1) and they’ve grabbed a league-high nine interceptions.

Jordan Matthews will miss at least a month as he’ll need surgery to repair a thumb injury he suffered Sunday. His absence will leave Tyrod Taylor with rookie Zay Jones and Andre Holmes at receiver. Jones is off to a poor start, he’s caught just 4-of-17 targets so far, while Charles Clay and LeSean McCoy currently lead the team with 25 and 23 targets, respectively. The tight end and running back could pick up even more receiving work with Matthews sidelined. Next week they’ll visit the Bengals, who ranked tenth in pass DVOA prior to shutting down DeShone Kizer and the Browns in Week 4. Plus, they’re third in both passing yards per game (165) and yards per attempt (5.9). Even so, Clay and McCoy are interesting volume-based options who should be used quite a bit in scoring position. In McCoy’s case, he’ll face a rush defense that ranks 19th in adjusted line yards per carry (FO) and the Bills should go run-heavy.

Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu both left Sunday’s game early with injuries. Jones had a hip flexor issue that isn’t expected to hold him out of any games but the extent of Sanu’s hamstring problem hasn’t been released yet. Atlanta has a bye this week, which provides the receivers some extra time to rehab. Assuming Jones plays in Week 6, he’ll have an awesome matchup with the Dolphins.

Tyler Ervin tore his patellar tendon and is done for the season. He wasn’t a major part of Houston’s offense but his absence could provide Braxton Miller and Alfred Blue more playing time. Neither player will be viable fantasy options – Blue is the third running back and Miller is the fourth receiver.

Mitchell Trubisky will start for Bears in Week 5

Per Adam Schefter, the Bears are making a change under center; they’re giving the rookie Trubisky his first career start against the Vikings next Monday. It’s a tough spot for his debut and he’ll be working with a poor receiving corps. Chicago wants to be a run-first team but due to negative game flow, they often need to throw the ball more than they want to. In Week 5, they’ll likely try to establish their ground game first, against a defense that ranks 16th in adjusted line yards per carry (per FO). If Case Keenum gets another start, the Bears have a better chance of keeping the game close as they have a solid defensive group. Should they need to put the game on Trubisky’s shoulders, he may struggle to get the ball to his weak receivers against a tough secondary and instead rely on his running backs and tight ends. The rookie performed well in the preseason, posting a 106.2 passer rating, but he doesn’t have many playmakers available, which makes it tough to trust him in fantasy. If anything, it looks like the running backs should continue to pick up plenty of volume. After the Vikings, the Bears take on the Ravens and Panthers. Fortunately, their schedule eases up with the Saints and Packers after that. Despite a cheap price tag, it may be better to take a wait-and-see approach and take a look at him in those better spots when he’ll have a few games under his belt.

Doug Baldwin active, C.J. Prosise and Thomas Rawls inactive for SNF

As expected, Baldwin will suit up for Sunday night football with C.J. Prosise finding himself on the inactives list. Baldwin runs most of his routes out of the slot, so he’s likely to avoid Vontae Davis’ coverage for most of the night, setting him up as a fine target in prime-time formats. J.D. McKissic figures to take on the passing down work left by Prosise. Rawls absence should lead to a more secure role for Chris Carson.

Melvin Gordon (knee) officially active Sunday

Gordon was briefly questionable with a bone bruise on his knee earlier in the week but he will be active and presumably see his normal workload in the Los Angeles Chargers’ matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles this afternoon. Gordon always has a solid floor in daily fantasy formats given his involvement in the passing game and clear lead back role in this Los Angeles offense. However, this matchup is certainly far from ideal, as the Eagles have done a great job defending running backs out of the backfield through the first three games and typically funnel plays to the opponent’s passing game. This may be a situation to load up on Philip Rivers and the Chargers pass catchers instead of the possibly-hobbled Gordon in hopes he can overcome both the injury and difficult individual matchup.

Orleans Darkwa (back) inactive Sunday

Darkwa will not be available for the New York Giants matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this afternoon to a back injury he suffered in last week’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. This means that the Giants will primarily lean on the duo of Paul Perkins and Shane Vereen, both of whom have been relatively uninspiring running backs all season. Considering the timeshare and difficult spot against a Buccanneers defense that ranks 4th in rush-defense DVOA and funnels plays to the passing game, this still looks to be a situation to avoid unless looking for an ultra contrarian option on the abbreviated late slates across the daily fantasy industry Sunday afternoon.

Carlos Hyde (hip) officially active Sunday

Hyde is active and will play through a hip injury he suffered in last week’s matchup against the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night after previously being reported as likely to play. Hyde was limited in practice all week but that seemed to more of a maintenance approach by the San Francisco 49ers and their medical staff considering Hyde was able to play well through the injury in Week 3 and finish the game. The matchup with an Arizona Cardinals defense that has been extremely stingy to opposing running backs (8th in rush-defense DVOA) just further limits Hyde’s appeal on Sunday’s main slate. That said, Hyde is a true three-down workhorse for this San Francisco offense has already proven that he can perform in a difficult matchup when healthy.

Michael Crabtree (chest) officially ruled out of Sunday's game

Crabtree will not be available, as expected, for the Oakland Raiders’ matchup against the Denver Broncos this afternoon after previously being downgraded to doubtful with a chest injury. His unavailability will leave Amari Cooper as the unquestioned number one wide receiver in this Oakland offense, but he will receive the unenviable task of facing off with the daunting Broncos secondary that ranks 2nd in DVOA versus opposing WR1s thus far this season. Cooper’s opportunities will be abundant but still remains a fringe tournament option given the high degree of difficulty of this matchup and the fact the targets will likely be funneled to the middle of the field, making someone like Jared Cook a somewhat intriguing option for his low price tag across the industry.

Sammie Coates (hamstring) and DT Danny Shelton (calf) inactive Sunday

Coates will remain inactive for the Cleveland Browns’ matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals this afternoon after previously being listed on the injury report as questionable with a hamstring injury. His absence in conjunction with Corey Coleman’s should allow Kenny Britt to remain the number passing option on the outside after being peppered with 10 targets in last week’s game. That said, he was horribly inefficient with those targets and his day was salvaged by a late touchdown reception. The Bengals typically do an outstanding job of locking down the perimeter which makes Britt an overall unappealing target in a spot where his team’s implied total sits comfortably under the 20-point mark.

Will Tye a healthy scratch Sunday; Muhammad Wilkerson (shoulder) active

Tye is officially inactive for the New York Jets’ matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars this afternoon despite not appearing on the injury report. His absence really clears the way for Austin Sefarian-Jenkins to really take a stranglehold on the Jets starting tight end job and should allow him to see upwards of the of the 76 percent of snaps he played in his return from suspension in Week 3. With the Jaguars being a clear funnel defense to the middle of the field, the matchup for Sefarian-Jenkins shouldn’t be much of a concern and he should be expected to see his fair share of targets in this offense moving forward.