DFS Alerts
Panthers C Ryan Kalil (neck) ruled out for Week 3
He hasn’t been able to practice all week after being sidelined Week 2 with a neck injury, Tyler Larsen will start in his place. Larsen has excelled in pass protection so far, earning an 80.2 PFF grade across his two appearances, the second-best mark among 32 qualifying centers. He struggled in run blocking though, scoring 57.4 (18th).
DeMarco Murray (hamstring) questionable for Week 3
He was dealing with hamstring tightness in Week 2’s victory over the Jaguars and it’s apparently lingering. After missing practice Wednesday and Thursday, the running back returned for a limited session Friday. He’s likely going to be a game-time decision. Murray hardly played in the second half of their game last Sunday. It paved the way for Derrick Henry to rack up 92 yards and a score on just 14 carries. If Murray ends up inactive in Week 3, Henry will be an interesting fantasy option. He’ll have a tough matchup against the Seahawks but they got worked by Carlos Hyde for 124 yards on 15 carries Sunday. If Murray plays, Tennessee may employ a timeshare.
Other tagged players: Derrick Henry Sam Bradford (knee) not expected to play Week 3
The quarterback’s knee didn’t respond well to practice and treatment this week. Minnesota is expected to be cautious with him and keep him sidelined in their Week 3 matchup with the Buccaneers. Bradford will be seeking a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews this week. 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.
Other tagged players: Case Keenum, Tampa Bay Buccaneers John Ross (knee) ruled out for Week 3
He’s missed practice two days in a row and won’t suit up this weekend against the Packers. They’re already going to be without Tyler Eifert, which should push A.J. Green’s market share very high. Of course, Green Bay will be expecting that and with the dearth of playmakers on Cincinnati’s offense, the Packers will probably throw a ton of double teams at Green. It’s going to be challenging for the receiver to be efficient with his opportunities but he should be involved all over the field, including in and around the end zone. His primary defender will be Damarious Randall, who’s allowed 0.48 fantasy points per route defended this season (per PFF), the second-most among starting CBs this week. Fellow starter Brandon LaFell could make some sense in fantasy; his market share should rise due to the injuries and he won’t draw the same type of attention Green will attract. He hasn’t topped 30 yards yet this season but he’s also faced two challenging defenses and the Bengals are hoping their new offensive coordinator, Bill Lazor, can spark some life into Andy Dalton and the rest of their offense.
Will Tye (illness) and DE Muhammad Wilkerson (shoulder) questionable for Week 3, Jordan Leggett (knee) doubtful, Eric Tomlinson (elbow) ruled out
Wilkerson will be a game-time decision Sunday. With all of three of their tight ends showing up on the injury report, with two unlikely to play, Austin Seferian-Jenkins should be active this weekend. Coach Todd Bowles implied he might keep the tight end inactive due to his fitness, but it doesn’t look like he’ll have a choice in the matter. Seferian-Jenkins is returning from a two-game suspension stemming from a violation of the NFL’s substance abuse policy. He reportedly made drastic changes with his health in the offseason, cut 20 pounds, and was very impressive at training camp.
Other tagged players: Austin Seferian-Jenkins Terrance West (calf) questionable for Week 3
The running back was originally dealing with a soft tissue injury to his thigh, which kept him limited in Week 2 – he only tallied 15 snaps to Buck Allen’s 42 – and he’s now rehabbing a calf issue. He wasn’t able to practice the past two days but he returned for a full session Friday. 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. There have been some rumblings that RB3 Alex Collins could pick up more work following his performance in Week 2, but Allen should still handle the bulk of the running back duties if West ends up sidelined.
Other tagged players: Michael Campanaro Browns expected to promote WR Jordan Leslie to active roster for Week 3
It’s a solid indication Sammie Coates (hamstring, doubtful) isn’t going to play this weekend. Leslie will be buried on the depth chart and may not see much action against the Colts on Sunday.
Bills LT Cordy Glenn (ankle) ruled out for Week 3
Buffalo’s starting left tackle said he won’t play against Denver this weekend. Glenn has struggled in run blocking this season, earning a 34.8 grade in the area but his backup, Dion Dawkins, has posted a 74.5 through 58 snaps. In pass blocking, Dawkins has permitted three hurries in across 31 passing plays, per PFF. They’ve been strong as a unit when passing, ranking fourth in pass blocking efficiency, but they’ve struggled on the ground, checking in at 31st in adjusted line yards per carry (FO). It’s a small sample though, and they faced a tough Carolina front seven last week that limited McCoy to nine rushing yards on 12 carries.
Sam Bradford (knee) isn't practicing Friday
Case Keenum and Kyle Sloter were the only QBs practicing for the Vikings during their session open to the media. Bradford was able to practice the past two days but he’s still considered day-to-day as he and the team monitor his body’s response to treatment. Although he had been trending in the right direction, his absence today indicates he could be a game-time decision again this weekend. 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.
Other tagged players: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Browns LB Jamie Collins (concussion) ruled out for Week 3, DE Myles Garrett (ankle) and Sammie Coates (hamstring) are doubtful
James Burgess will likely start in his place against the Colts this Sunday. Cleveland’s linebackers have gotten off to a poor start, particularly in pass coverage. Collins and Christian Kirksey are allowing a reception every 4.1 and 4.8 cover snaps, respectively, which is the worst and fourth-worst rates among linebackers with more than 12 cover snaps, per PFF. Combined with Joe Schobert, the trio has given up a combined 27/243/3 line after being targeted 33 times through two games. Over the same span, their cornerbacks and safeties have been targeted 29 times and given up a combined 20/223/1 line. Outside of Jamar Taylor, who’s allowed 11 catches on 12 targets, no cornerback or safety has allowed more than three receptions while each of their starting linebackers has accounted for at least five. It’s clear how teams will attack the Browns. Last week, Baltimore’s tight ends combined for 13 receptions for 121 yards and their running backs accumulated seven catches for 58 yards and a touchdown. A week prior, they held Le’Veon Bell in check – three receptions for 15 yards – but Jesse James scored on them twice while pulling down six of his eight targets for 41 yards. Although the Colts haven’t used their running backs in the passing game very much this season – Gore, Mack, and Turbin have combined for seven targets this year – quarterback Jacoby Brissett showed instant chemistry with Jack Doyle. The tight end hauled in all eight of his targets for 79 yards last week against the Cardinals. With Brissett still new to this offense, he’ll probably need to keep relying on Doyle as a safety valve and he has a great matchup to find success while doing so. Doyle remains cheap and checks in as our TE7 in points-per-dollar projections on DraftKings, TE9 on FanDuel. He could end up being a popular option in fantasy; we’re projecting him as third third-most popular TE on DK with ownership at 12.5% and he’s in a four-way tie for third on FD at 7.5%.
As reported by: ESPN Nolan Carroll (concussion) ruled out for Week 3
Dallas is pretty banged up at corner right now with Orlando Scandrick coming off surgery to repair a broken hand and his replacement Chidobe Awuzie dealing with a hamstring injury. Their corners got worked by Trevor Siemian in Week 2; after targeting the group 17 times, he racked up 13 completions for 151 yards and two scores. Carson Palmer will look to repeat that success in Week 3 with Larry Fitzgerald, Jaron Brown, and J.J. Nelson.
Bruce Ellington (concussion) will play Week 3
With Jaelen Strong off to Jacksonville and Will Fuller sidelined, running back Tyler Ervin may continue operating as the de facto WR3 out of the slot. In their first game this season, Ervin caught four of his five targets while Ellington failed to haul in his two looks. Ervin also out-snapped him 50 to 45. Ellington won’t be a viable fantasy option in this offense, especially considering his place on the targets totem pole.
Tyler Eifert (knee, back) ruled out for Week 3
His absence should push A.J. Green’s market share very high. Of course, Green Bay will be expecting that and with the dearth of playmakers on Cincinnati’s offense, the Packers will probably throw a ton of double teams at Green. It’s going to be challenging for the receiver to be efficient with his opportunities but he should be involved all over the field, including in and around the end zone. His primary defender will be Damarious Randall, who’s allowed 0.48 fantasy points per route defended this season (per PFF), the second-most among starting CBs this week. Fellow starter Brandon LaFell could make some sense in fantasy; his market share should rise due to the injuries and he won’t draw the same type of attention Green will attract. He hasn’t topped 30 yards yet this season but he’s also faced two challenging defenses and the Bengals are hoping their new offensive coordinator, Bill Lazor, can spark some life into Andy Dalton and the rest of their offense. Historically, Dalton has seen a decrease in production when Eifer is off the field; he’s averaged 21.57 PPR points in 38 games with him (254.76 yards, 1.71 touchdowns) and 18.49 in the 57 games without the tight end (226.6 yards, 1.35 touchdowns).
John Ross (knee) not expected to play Week 3
He’s missed practice two days in a row and isn’t expected to suit up this weekend against the Packers. They’re already likely going to be without Tyler Eifert, which should push A.J. Green’s market share very high. Of course, Green Bay will be expecting that and with the dearth of playmakers on Cincinnati’s offense, the Packers will probably throw a ton of double teams at Green. It’s going to be challenging for the receiver to be efficient with his opportunities but he should be involved all over the field, including in and around the end zone. His primary defender will be Damarious Randall, who’s allowed 0.48 fantasy points per route defended this season (per PFF), the second-most among starting CBs this week. Fellow starter Brandon LaFell could make some sense in fantasy; his market share should rise due to the injuries and he won’t draw the same type of attention Green will attract. He hasn’t topped 30 yards yet this season but he’s also faced two challenging defenses and the Bengals are hoping their new offensive coordinator, Bill Lazor, can spark some life into Andy Dalton and the rest of their offense.
As reported by: Paul Dehner Jr. Other tagged players: A.J. Green, Brandon LaFell Panthers C Ryan Kalil (neck) not expected to play Week 3
He hasn’t been able to practice all week after being sidelined Week 2 with a neck injury, Tyler Larsen will start in his place. Larsen has excelled in pass protection so far, earning an 80.2 PFF grade across his two appearances, the second-best mark among 32 qualifying centers. He struggled in run blocking though, scoring 57.4 (18th).
As reported by: Jourdan Rodrigue