DFS Alerts
Pass-Catching Running Back in a Great Spot
If you weren’t a listener of the Morning Grind last season for Week 1, you missed one of the best calls we’ve ever had. Yes, that was Theo Riddick against the Colts, and I absolutely love him again this weekend against the Falcons. Theo is out-snapping Abdullah on passing downs, and I fully expect the Lions to be throwing the ball a lot in the second half of this game. The Falcons offense is so good, and they shouldn’t have any trouble putting up points Week 3. In 2014, the Lions exploited this matchup with Theo, as he finished with eight catches for 74 yards and a touchdown. I’m not looking too much into a 2014 matchup, but I think it’s a good idea of what kind of upside he could offer up in this matchup. Atlanta has allowed 71.5 yards per game to pass catching running backs, and we saw what Chicago did with Tarik Cohen and what Green Bay did with Ty Montgomery over the first couple weeks of the season.
Sam Bradford (knee) is practicing Wednesday
The Vikings QB is still considered day-to-day. He and the team have said his Week 3 playing status will depend on how his knee responds to rehab this week. His presence at practice indicates he’s trending in the right direction but we’ll have to see how he does Thursday and Friday.
Mobile Quarterback with Massive Upside
Kizer struggled a lot against the Baltimore defense last weekend, but that shouldn’t have shocked anyone after what they did to Andy Dalton in Week 1. That’s not going to be the case this weekend against the Colts, who have allowed 300+ passing yards in each of the first two games this season and rank 23rd in DVOA against the pass. Vontae Davis is expected to practice in a limited capacity this week as he tries to work himself back, but he is still very questionable this weekend, and that will be a huge boost for Kizer if he’s out. Let’s get into the real reason I am interested in Kizer this weekend. He is averaging five rushes per game, and he already has three red zone carries, which is second most of any quarterback. With Coleman out, I totally expect Kizer to use his legs more Week 3, and I think he has a ton of upside in this matchup.
Alfred Blue (ankle) returned to practice Wednesday
He’s missed the first two games of the season and will likely be buried on the depth chart going forward.
Jordan Reed (chest) isn't practicing Wednesday
The tight end suffered a chest contusion in Week 2. Reed is dealing with a lingering toe issue on top of the chest injury and he’s averaged a 5.5/7/42/0.0 line through two games. It could potentially be a good spot for him this Sunday as Oakland allowed Delanie Walker to lead the Titans in receptions (7) and yards (76) in Week 1, but he’ll need to get healthy first.
As reported by: ESPN Browns LB Jamie Collins (concussion) isn't practicing Wednesday
Collins is in the concussion protocol this week. He hasn’t gotten off to a great start this season, checking in as PFF’s 65th linebacker among 78 qualifiers.
Rob Kelley (ribs) and Mason Foster (shoulder) are practicing Wednesday
Kelley is dealing with bruised ribs and Foster dislocated his shoulder Sunday. Following Kelley’s early exit against the Rams, Chris Thompson exploded for 116 yards and two scores. 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 in Week 3, a team that’s allowed 4.8 yards per carry over two games, the seventh-highest rate in the league. Reports this morning indicated Foster was doubtful for Sunday but he was in full pads Wednesday, which is a good sign. The linebacker led the team with 124 tackles last season – 15th in the league – and he’s currently second on the Redskins with 15 this season. His absence would be an upgrade for Marshawn Lynch as Foster is 20th among linebackers in run-stop rate (7.5%), although the team’s leader in the metric is Zach Brown (12.5%, ninth). Foster has been solid as a pass-rusher as well, forcing three pressures and earning a 16.1 pass rushing productivity rating from PFF (10th). Oakland has had the best offensive line in football this year, permitting just four total pressures and one sack; without Foster, the Redskins would be less of a threat to get after Derek Carr. The Redskins-Raiders matchup has the highest total of the week, currently set at 54 points, and it’s one of two matchups above 47.5 points – offensive players from both sides will be popular in fantasy.
Other tagged players: Washington Commanders, Marshawn Lynch, Derek Carr John Brown and LT D.J. Humphries aren't practicing Wednesday, Jermaine Gresham and LG Mike Iupati returned
Brown is still banged up and his chances of suiting up for their Week 3 matchup with the Cowboys aren’t looking good. While Brown was sidelined for their Week 2 matchup with the Colts, J.J. Nelson broke out for 120 yards and a score. It was Jaron Brown who led the team in targets though; he received 11 to Nelson’s 7. Although Jaron only finished with four receptions, his lack of efficiency is a little misleading as he was only tossed four catchable balls from Carson Palmer. Without John Brown and David Johnson, Jaron Brown and Nelson will continue to see an uptick in targets. They face the Cowboys in Week 3, a team that allowed Trevor Siemian to throw four touchdown passes Sunday. If cornerback Orlando Scandrick (hand) remains sidelined, rookie Chidobe Awuzie would likely get another start at right cornerback and line up across from Jaron Brown the most. It looks like a good spot as outside receivers Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders combined for a 12/133/2 line against Dallas in Week 2. Jaron’s aDOT of 16.6 yards (all in Week 2) is good for 12th this season and he accounted for 40.2% of Arizona’s air yards, which was eighth in Week 2, per Next Gen Stats. Jaron is a sneaky GPP option as most of the attention will go to Nelson.
Other tagged players: Jaron Brown, J.J. Nelson Buccaneers LB Kwon Alexander (hamstring) isn't practicing Wednesday
Alexander suffered a hamstring injury against the Bears on Sunday, which forced him out of the game. His Week 3 status is up in the air. Last season, Alexander finished eighth with 58 tackles while defending the rush and eighth in run stops (35), per PFF. He struggled in pass coverage though, allowing a 73.4% catch rate and the seventh-most receptions among linebackers (58). Teams seemed to throw his way a bunch as he was targeted once every 6.8 cover snaps, the 16th-highest rate among LBs. Fortunately for Tampa Bay, all of their 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 if Alexander is sidelined, is fourth (87.0), per PFF. Depending on how Sam Bradford’s knee responds to treatment this week, the Bucs could have the pleasure of playing a Case Keenum-led Vikings team.
As reported by: Greg Auman Saints CB Sterling Moore (pectoral) expected to miss at least a few weeks
The Saints are optimistic the issue will only keep him sidelined for a few games. Following their loss to Sam Bradford and the Vikings in Week 1, New Orleans promoted Moore to their third cornerback spot ahead of De’Vante Harris. Although Moore wasn’t great across his 32 snaps against the Patriots, earning a 48.1 pass coverage grade from PFF, he was better than Harris, who’s currently dead last among 103 qualifiers with a 33.9. It’s an upgrade for Devin Funchess, who should see him the most this Sunday when in three-wide sets.
As reported by: Ian Rapoport Other tagged players: Devin Funchess Will This WR Be Heavily Targeted Once Again?
I said it last week, and I’ll say it again: Allen is one of my favorite plays on the board for Week 3. After a drastic underpricing in Week 2, Allen got a bump up to $7,200 this week on DK, while his price stayed the same on FanDuel ($7,200). I do not expect him to go highly owned this week considering his matchup with Marcus Peters, who owns a 51.10 CB rating. Thing is, Allen is essentially matchup proof due to Philip Rivers’ love for him and the high volume of targets he receives on a week-to-week basis (10 targets in both Weeks 1 and 2). The one half of football that Allen actually played last year, he was matched up with Peters and posted a stat line of six receptions on seven targets for 63 yards. Peters was also beaten consistently by Alshon Jeffery in Week 2 and generally has not fared too well versus number one receivers in the past (KC ranked 24th in DOVA vs #1 WRs in 2017). If Allen does in fact come in at low ownership this week, he is my top WR in the high-priced range.
Jarvis Landry isn't practicing Wednesday
It’s not clear if it’s due to the knee issue he was dealing with last week. He was able to play through the injury last week and amassed 13 receptions while DeVante Parker battled Casey Hayward. The slot receiver had a very low 3.2 average air yards per target though and currently owns the lowest mark in the league. On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, Parker is fifth with 18.3 air yards per target and he accounted for 47.66% of the team’s total air yards (second). A popular breakout candidate, Parker has a beautiful matchup with the terrible Jets secondary this weekend. Last week, Cutler aimed for Landry a ton due to Parker’s tough draw; this time around, he’ll be looking for Parker. Most importantly, he’ll be looking for him deep downfield. Parker could be in for a massive game and he’ll almost certainly draw high ownership in fantasy.
Other tagged players: DeVante Parker A High-Ceiling RB with a Low Price
Generally I like to target cheap RBs that see a high number of touches each week, but that’s hard to find Week 3. What I do see in C.J. Anderson is a running back that has played 104 of 148 total snaps for his team and someone who has received 20+ carries and at least three targets in each of the first two weeks. People will look at the fact that the Bills have been strong against the run so far, but that mostly has to do with their favorable rushing matchups against the Panthers and the Jets. Anderson was the highest scoring RB last week and has been a workhorse through Denver’s two games, averaging 4.4 YPC (which is slightly below his 4.6 career mark). This game is not expected to be high scoring, with only a 40 O/U, but the Broncos are three-point favorites, and I expect them to pound the ball fairly often as they look to control the tempo once again. Anderson should see high enough volume in this matchup, whether it’s on the ground or through the air, to more than justify his price.
Terrance West (thigh), Michael Campanaro (ankle), and DT Brandon Williams (foot) aren't practicing Wednesday
Tight end Maxx Williams (foot, ankle) is also sidelined for the Ravens today. Buck Allen out-snapped West 43 to 15 Sunday and West’s soft-tissue injury may explain that distribution. 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 – 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. Against the Browns, he was second on the team with six targets and found paint through the air. 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 is sidelined.
Other tagged players: Javorius Allen, Alex Collins Tyler Eifert (knee, back) isn't practicing Wednesday
The tight end is looking very questionable for Week 3 as he battles a pair of injuries. It’s bad news for a Bengals offense that has been struggling so far the season. Eifert’s production has been poor as a result; through two games, the tight end has only caught four passes for 46 scoreless yards. His absence could cause Andy Dalton even more trouble. Over the course of his career, Dalton has averaged 21.85 fantasy points (255.89 yards, 1.76 touchdowns) across the 37 games with Eifert and 18.49 (226.6 yards, 1.35 touchdowns) in the 67 without him, per RotoViz. In turn, A.J. Green has also seen a slight decrease in production when Eifert is out; he’s averaged 18.55 PPR points in 34 games with him (6/9.97/88.32/0.62) and 16.91 in the 52 games without him (5.42/9.15/80.88/0.54). Green should be able to post a big game against the Packers, but it’s a little hard to trust this offense at the moment. Dalton has been woeful – although he’s played a pair of tough defenses, to be fair – and after the team failed to score a touchdown through two games, they fired their offensive coordinator. Eifert is a major presence in the red zone and they could certainly use his help to turn things around. His absence would allow the Packers to hone in on Green, potentially hurting his efficiency and ability to create space near the end zone. Even so, Green Bay’s secondary will be a welcome reprieve from their tough opening schedule and Green appears to be a solid target this week with or without Eifert. He’ll match up with Damarious Randall the most, who’s allowed 0.48 fantasy points per route defended since 2016 (per PFF), the third-most among starting CBs.
As reported by: Paul Dehner Jr.