DFS Alerts
Sammie Coates and DE Myles Garrett inactive Sunday
LB Jamie Collins was ruled out earlier this week with a concussion. Newly-promoted Jordan Leslie will take Coates’ place on the active roster at receiver against the Colts this afternoon.
Other tagged players: Jordan Leslie
Buccaneers LB Kwon Alexander and CB Brent Grimes inactive Sunday, DT Gerald McCoy active
Alexander wasn’t able to practice this week after suffering a hamstring injury against the Bears on Sunday, which forced him out of the game. Fortunately for Tampa Bay, their other linebackers played well Sunday. Most notably, Lavonte David is now the top-graded linebacker (91.3) and Kendell Beckwith, who’s expected to move to MLB with Alexander is sidelined, is fourth (87.0), per PFF. They’ve got a great matchup with a Case Keenum-led Vikings team and will look to keep bringing the heat. They forced 19 pressures in Week 2, the fourth-most, per PFF. They finished with a great fantasy line: one sack, four turnovers, and a touchdown. Grimes didn’t play well, allowing seven receptions for 92 yards on seven targets. If he plays, he should see a bunch of Stefon Diggs, but it’ll be hard to trust the receiver given his quarterback. If DT McCoy had enough snaps to qualify, he would currently be the top-graded interior defender by PFF (91.8).
Jordan Howard active Sunday, RG Josh Sitton inactive
Benny Cunningham, Markus Wheaton, CB Prince Amukamara, and LG Kyle Long are all active, as expected. Howard has been playing through a shoulder injury and we now have more details, it’s a sprained AC joint, per Ian Rapoport. It could explain why he’s been off to a slow start this season. Howard has averaged just 2.7 yards per carry on 22 attempts. Tarik Cohen is the clear beneficiary of Howard’s injury as it’ll hinder Howard’s ability to be an effective pass blocker, which will keep Cohen on for more receiving opportunities. The rookie has hauled in eight catches in each of his first two games and he should continue to have favorable game flow as the Bears are currently 7.5-point underdogs against the Steelers today.
Sam Bradford officially inactive Sunday
The quarterback’s knee didn’t respond well to practice and treatment this week. Minnesota will be cautious with him and keep him sidelined in their Week 3 matchup with the Buccaneers. Backup QB Case Keenum was predictably poor against the Steelers in Week 2, logging a 24.7 QBR. As long as he’s the quarterback, it’s a downgrade for their skill players and an upgrade for opposing defenses. They’ll face a Tampa Bay defense that got off to a hot start against Mike Glennon and the Bears; they sacked the QB once, forced four turnovers, and added a touchdown for good measure.
Gronkowski, Amendola, Hogan, and Dorsett active Sunday, Matt Slater and LB Dont'a Hightower inactive
Rex Burkhead is inactive, as expected. At cornerback, Stephen Gilmore is playing while Eric Rowe is inactive. Gronk had a monster game against the Saints in Week 2, catching 6-of-9 targets for 127 yards and a touchdown prior to exiting early. He’ll have a tougher opponent this time around in the Houston Texans. In Cincinnati, they were able to limit Tyler Eifert to three catches and 42 yards on four targets. Tom Brady has a ton of options to throw to, especially with Danny Amendola returning, and Texans strong safety Corey Moore hasn’t allowed a reception yet this year. Gronkowski could have success if he gets some mismatches with their linebackers. Through two games, Houston’s LB group has been targeted 13 times and allowed ten receptions, per PFF. Game flow is also a concern. The Patriots are 14-point favorites and Gronk may have to do his damage early on like he did in their game against the Saints, as his opportunities could decline in the second half. At receiver, Amendola appears to have the best matchup with Kareem Jackson in the slot. Jackson has allowed a 69% catch rate and 0.31 fantasy points per route defended, per PFF. Jonathan Joseph and Marcus Burley have both held receivers to catch rates below 60% and 0.26 fpts per route or fewer.
Eagles S Rodney McLeod (hamstring) inactive Sunday
Analysis coming soon.
Broncos LT Garett Bolles (ankle) active Sunday
Bolles was able to practice this week after suffering a high ankle sprain in Week 2 and he’ll play today. Bolles has been off to a solid start in his rookie season, checking in as PFF’s 24th-best tackle in run blocking out of 66 qualifiers and 36th in pass blocking. Buffalo’s right defensive end, Jerry Hughes, has already picked up two sacks this season and he checks in as PFF’s 20th-best edge defender out of 88 qualifiers. Denver is currently 25th in pass blocking efficiency (per PFF), which may spell trouble against this group. On the ground, the Bills defensive line has limited opposing running backs to 2.57 adjusted yards per carry, the fifth-best rate in the league, per FO. Although Denver’s offensive line ranks fifth in the metric as well, their first two opponents are 18th and 23rd.
Giants CB Janoris Jenkins will play Sunday
Jenkins is “a go” according to reporter Kimberly Jones. It’s a big downgrade for Eagles receiver Alshon Jeffery. Jenkins was able to handle Dez Bryant in Week 1 – the Cowboys receiver finished with a 2/43/0 line after receiving nine targets, including four in the end zone. In turn, it’s an upgrade for tight end Zach Ertz, who’s averaged 9.0 targets per game this year. New York continues to struggle against his position; they allowed Jason Witten and Eric Ebron to combine for 12/14/101/2 line in the first two weeks.
Other tagged players: Alshon Jeffery, Zach Ertz Giants CB Janoris Jenkins (ankle) on track to play Sunday
Per Sal Paolantonio, Jenkins looked good in Saturday’s walkthrough and he appears on track to suit up this afternoon against the Eagles. He’ll still test it out in pregame warmups and be a game-time call though. If he does play, it’s a big downgrade for Eagles receiver Alshon Jeffery. Jenkins was able to handle Dez Bryant in Week 1 – the Cowboys receiver finished with a 2/43/0 line after receiving nine targets, including four in the end zone. In turn, it’s an upgrade for tight end Zach Ertz, who’s averaged 9.0 targets per game this year. New York continues to struggle against his position; they allowed Jason Witten and Eric Ebron to combine for 12/14/101/2 line in the first two weeks.
Other tagged players: Alshon Jeffery, Zach Ertz Jordan Howard dealing with a sprained AC joint
The running back has been playing through a shoulder injury and we now have more details, it’s a sprained AC joint, per Ian Rapoport. It could explain why he’s been off to a slow start this season. Howard has averaged just 2.7 yards per carry on 22 attempts. Tarik Cohen is the clear beneficiary of Howard’s injury as it’ll hinder Howard’s ability to be an effective pass blocker, which will keep Cohen on for more receiving opportunities. The rookie has hauled in eight catches in each of his first two games and he should continue to have favorable game flow as the Bears are currently 7.5-point underdogs against the Steelers today.
Other tagged players: Tarik Cohen Buck Allen expected to start for Ravens Sunday
Terrance West only tallied 15 snaps to Buck Allen’s 42 last week as West dealt with a soft tissue injury and he’s now rehabbing a calf issue. Baltimore is expected to start Allen at running back in London and he should lead the backfield again. Allen racked up 101 yards and a score on 19 touches against the Browns in Week 2. He’ll face a stout Jaguars defense today but they showed some vulnerabilities against the rush this past weekend when they allowed Derrick Henry to pick up 94 rushes and a touchdown on just 14 carries. Although Henry wasn’t used in the passing game, a week prior, Jacksonville allowed running backs Lamar Miller and Tyler Ervin to combine for six receptions and 49 receiving yards. That bodes well for Allen, who will be tasked with an active role in the passing game. Considering how tough the Jaguars secondary has been, Flacco could send a sizeable workload to Allen through the air. Against the Browns, he was second on the team with six targets and caught a touchdown.
Jordy Nelson (quad) and RT Bryan Bulaga (ankle) expected to play Sunday,
With Randall Cobb doubtful, Jordy Nelson is expected to slip into the slot quite a bit this afternoon against the Bengals. Nelson smashed last season without Cobb on the field, averaging 22.8 PPR points with a 6.33/8.67/104.67/1.0 line across the three games Cobb missed, 4.5 points more than when Cobb played. On top of that, he’d be defended by Darqueze Dennard in the slot, who’s allowed a 77% catch rate and 0.33 fantasy points per route defended, per PFF. Green Bay is expected to be without LT David Bakhtiari, so the fact that Bulaga is expected to play today is welcome news. The tackle had the fourth-best PFF pass blocking grade among 76 qualifying players and his 34 pressures allowed across 679 passing snaps provided him the 14th-best pass blocking efficiency at his position.
Other tagged players: Aaron Rodgers Rob Kelley (ribs) not expected to play Sunday, Jordan Reed looks closer to doubtful
Both players were able to practice this week, but their chances of suiting up today aren’t looking great. Kelley isn’t expected to play and Reed is more likely to sit than be active, per Adam Schefter. Chris Thompson exploded for 116 yards and two scores last Sunday when Kelley exited early. He’s better suited for full PPR formats as he picked up seven targets while Samaje Perine took the lion’s share of the carries, racking up 21 for 67 yards to Thompson’s three. They play Oakland on Sunday, a team that currently ranks 25th in adjusted line yards per carry (FO). Perine’s upside is limited due to his lack of involvement in the passing game but he should get work near the end zone. If Reed sits, Vernon Davis would become a potential value option. In four games without Reed last season, Davis averaged 9.7 PPR points with a 3.5/4.5/46.75/0.25 line. Although the Raiders weren’t really tested by the position against the Jets, they allowed Delanie Walker to be the Titans’ leader in receptions (7) and receiving yards (76) in Week 1. Unfortunately, the Redskins have the primetime game tonight, so we won’t have official word until later on.
Other tagged players: Jordan Reed, Vernon Davis, Samaje Perine, Chris Thompson Jaguars CB Jalen Ramsey (ankle) active Sunday, T.J. Yeldon inactive
Despite being banged up in Week 2, Ramsey provided lockdown coverage; he didn’t give up a single reception and was only targeted once. On the season, he’s allowed a 37.5% catch rate and 0.07 PPR points per cover snap, per PFF. Simply put, when considering WR/CB matchups, he looks like a corner to avoid. He’ll see a combination of Mike Wallace and Breshad Perriman today while Jeremy Maclin works out of the slot against Aaron Colvin. Across a two-game sample this year, Colvin has allowed a 66.7% catch rate and 0.21 PPR points per cover snap. Tight end Delanie Walker was the most productive player in Tennessee’s passing game last week, leading the team in receptions (4) and yards (61). In Baltimore, 36-year-old Ben Watson led his squad in the same categories, pulling down 8-of-8 targets for 91 yards. Buck Allen was second in both areas, posting a 5/35/1 line and the Jaguars currently rank 20th in receiving RB DVOA, per FO. With a tough cornerback group working on Flacco’s receivers, the quarterback may need to look towards Watson and Allen again this weekend.
Other tagged players: Mike Wallace, Breshad Perriman, Jeremy Maclin Terrance West (calf) active Sunday
DT Brandon Williams (foot) and TE Maxx Williams are both inactive, as expected. West only tallied 15 snaps to Buck Allen’s 42 last week as West dealt with a soft tissue injury and he’s now rehabbing a calf issue. As long as West is banged up, it’ll be a boost for Allen, who racked up 101 yards and a score on 19 touches against the Browns in Week 2. He’ll face a stout Jaguars defense in Week 3 but they showed some vulnerabilities against the rush this past weekend when they allowed Derrick Henry to pick up 94 rushes and a touchdown on just 14 carries. Although Henry wasn’t used in the passing game, a week prior, Jacksonville allowed running backs Lamar Miller and Tyler Ervin to combine for six receptions and 49 receiving yards. That bodes well for Allen, who will be tasked with running the football and have an active role in the passing game. Considering how tough the Jaguars secondary has been, he could see a sizeable volume of touches through the air. Against the Browns, he was second on the team with six targets and caught a touchdown. DT Williams didn’t make the trip to London to battle Leonard Fournette and the Jaguars, which is definitely a boost for the RB. Williams has earned PFF’s eight-highest grade among 120 qualifying interior defenders (85.4) and he’s 17th in rushing defense specifically (82.2). Given Baltimore’s strong secondary that’s already tallied a ridiculous eight interceptions through two games, Jacksonville will likely try to keep the ball out of Blake Bortles’ hands as much as possible. Fournette should get the ball early and often and if game flow allows, they’ll keep feeding him. So far this season, Jacksonville has the ninth-most adjusted line yards per carry (4.39) while Baltimore’s defense has ranked eighth (3.05). The Ravens had Williams for most of that stretch and they’ll be worse off without the DT. Tight end Maxx Williams has averaged 22.5 snaps per game, which will now go to Ben Watson and Nick Boyle. With a tough cornerback group defending Joe Flacco’s receivers, he may need to rely on Watson through the air – he caught all eight of his targets against the Browns in Week 2 for 91 yards.
Other tagged players: Javorius Allen, Benjamin Watson