DFS Alerts
Josh Doctson active Sunday
The receiver was limited in practice this week due to tightness in his hamstring and he’s expected to be on a snap count this afternoon. After playing just 20 in Week 1, Doctson isn’t on the fantasy radar yet. Washington played Ryan Grant ahead of him as their WR3, providing him 37 snaps. He attracted six targets, catching four of them for 61 yards. Until Doctson gets healthy, he’ll probably have a similar role in the rotation and Kirk Cousins will continue to look for Terrelle Pryor downfield. The newcomer led the squad with 11 targets but he only caught six for 66 yards. There may have been some chemistry issues between him and Cousins or early-season jitters as they narrowly missed on several big plays, including a 50-yard bomb Pryor dropped in the end zone. Although he didn’t turn in a massive fantasy score, Pryor demonstrated his massive upside. Not only was he ninth in the league in average air yards per target (16.3) – and topped all receivers who were targeted more than seven times – he accounted for a whopping 45.18% of his team’s total air yards, which ranked fourth, per Next Gen Stats. He has a difficult matchup with Trumaine Johnson this week, so it may not be the best time to target him, but he should still pick up plenty of air yards and is always a threat for a big touchdown play
Jeremy Kerley active Sunday
Kerley was originally expected to be inactive today, so this is a bit of a surprise. He signed with the team less than two weeks ago and was a healthy scratch in Week 1. It’s possible he’s limited in some capacity in his 2017 debut. Even if he wasn’t, he isn’t a very appealing target considering how poor the Jets offense is and his place on the depth chart.
Raiders CB Sean Smith inactive Sunday
Smith returned to practice Friday after sitting out Thursday’s session. He was great in Week 1, earning PFF’s fifth-best corner grade (86.3) and his absence will help Jermaine Kearse, whom he was expected to guard the most. Kearse was the top-targeted receiver on the Jets side in their first game (10) and he finished with seven catches for 59 yards. The Jets receiver has some GPP appeal based on his expected volume but he doesn’t appear to be a strong option, even with Smith sidelined. Currently, the Jets are implied to score 14.75 points, the second-fewest in Week 2.
Other tagged players: Jermaine Kearse Jarvis Landry active Sunday, LB Lawrence Timmons inactive
The receiver was questionable heading into Week 2’s matchup with the Chargers after being added to the injury report Friday. He already looked like the top receiving option on Miami in his matchup with Trevor Williams in the slot before Jason Verrett was ruled out with a knee injury. Now Williams will slide to the outside while the Chargers dig into their bench to man the slot. With Casey Hayward potentially shadowing DeVante Parker – scoring a -1.52 in our WR/CB model – the breakout candidate could struggle to get open. While no one would be surprised if quarterback Jay Cutler forces balls into Parker anyway, the smart play would be to look for Landry and Kenny Stills, who gets a nice upgrade without Verrett covering him. For comparison, Hayward has limited receivers to a 57% catch rate and 0.23 fantasy points per route defended since 2016 while Williams has allowed a 62% catch rate and 0.31 fantasy points per route run, per PFF. Meanwhile, Landry may line up across from a rookie, Desmond King, making his NFL debut. He should see an increased market share given his comparative advantage and could see an uptick in usage near the end zone – and scoring has always been an issue with Landry. Last week, Denver’s slot receiver Bennie Fowler exploited the Chargers in the slot to score twice. On the other side of the ball, running back Melvin Gordon could benefit from Timmons’ absence. Miami was already thin at linebacker with Rey Maualuga sidelined.
Vance McDonald inactive Sunday
McDonald is dealing with a back injury and didn’t practice Thursday or Friday. Starting tight end Jesse James earned PFF’s fourth-highest tight end grade in Week 1. He was targeted eight times against the Browns, catching six of them for 41 yards and two scores. He’ll look to have similar success today against a Vikings defense that allowed Coby Fleener to post a 5/54/1 line on six targets last week. With Xavier Rhodes on Antonio Brown, Roethlisberger may need to rely on James again Sunday.
Other tagged players: Jesse James Kenny Britt will start Sunday but expected to lose snaps
Head coach Hue Jackson wouldn’t commit to Britt starting earlier this week, but it looks like the receiver will be on the field for their first snap. He’s expected to lose playing time though, as Jackson remains displeased with Britt’s dropped ball in the fourth quarter against the Steelers last weekend. He finished with just one reception for 13 yards on three targets in a disappointing debut with his new team. Fellow receiver Coates didn’t get on the field for a single play and Williams only got out there for 12. Apparently, Jackson is committed to increasing their workload this week. While Coates has big-play potential, he won’t be a very appealing fantasy target. Rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer spread the ball around quite a bit in Week 1, targeting eight receivers at least twice, but he showed a preference towards Corey Coleman, who led the team with six targets. The second-year wideout efficiently caught five of them for 53 yards and a touchdown. Kizer also hit tight end Seth DeValve for four receptions and 42 yards on five targets. They’ll have a difficult spot this week against a Ravens pass defense that picked off Andy Dalton four times in Week 1 while limiting him to 170 scoreless yards.
Jordan Howard active Sunday
Chicago’s running back will play through a shoulder injury against Tampa Bay this afternoon. The Bears have the weakest receiving corps in the league, which could lead to Mike Glennon targeting his tight ends and running backs quite a bit. He threw to those positions for a combined 65% of his passes in Week 1. As 7-point road dogs, projected game flow seems to favor running back Tarik Cohen, who accumulated 12 targets last week as the preferred receiving back. Last year, the Buccaneers ranked 26th in DVOA against receiving running backs, per FO. They were also 26th against the rush, which could favor Howard early on. Even so, given his injury combined with expected game flow and his timeshare with Cohen, Howard is looking like a risky option in fantasy.
Jaguars CB Jalen Ramsey active Sunday
Ramsey was sidelined all week in practice but he’ll play through his ankle injury this afternoon. Even though he may be a bit hobbled up, his presence on the field is a downgrade for Rishard Matthews and Corey Davis. Our WR/CB matchup model provides Matthews a poor -3.46 rating in Week 2. It won’t get much easier for Eric Decker in the slot; Aaron Colvin has only allowed 0.16 fantasy points per route defended since 2016, the third-lowest mark among starting cornerbacks this week. Prior to exiting Week 1 with a concussion, C.J. Fiedorowicz caught all four of his targets for 46 yards against the Jaguars. In Tennessee, Titans tight end Delanie Walker displayed his chemistry with Marcus Mariota, posting team-highs in receptions (7) and yards (76) on nine targets. Given the tough matchups for the receivers, it could be a high-volume day for Walker.
John Brown, Jermaine Gresham, Mike Iupati, D.J. Humphries, and D.J. Foster inactive for Cardinals Sunday
John Brown can’t seem to stay healthy; a lingering quad issue will keep him sidelined Sunday. Rookie receiver Chad Williams will enter the rotation as the fourth wideout. Alex Boone will start in place of Iupati. John Wetzel entered their first game for Humphries and he’s expected to get the nod again. He was very poor, earning an abysmal 28.5 PFF grade. Arizona struggled to run the ball in Week 1, averaging 2.5 yards per carry – even with David Johnson accounting for 11 of those (23 yards). They’ll face a Colts defensive line that limited the Rams to 1.9 yards per carry as a team and Todd Gurley to 2.1 ypc on 19 attempts. They were shredded by Jared Goff through the air for 306 yards and a touchdown on a 72.4% completion rate though. Quarterback Carson Palmer may be forced to air it out and he should find success against their poor secondary. Larry Fitzgerald, J.J. Nelson, and Jaron Brown will pick up some extra targets vacated by John Brown and Johnson, who averaged 7.5 per game in 2016. Andre Ellington is expected to be involved as the pass-down back, but he’s in a timeshare with starter Kerwynn Williams and Chris Johnson. Even their fourth back, Elijhaa Penny is expected to get some work in the backfield.
Other tagged players: Jermaine Gresham, Arizona Cardinals Steelers DT Stephon Tuitt inactive Sunday, LB Bud Dupree will play
Dupree will make his season debut this afternoon but Tuitt will be sidelined as he tends to a biceps injury he suffered in Week 1. Dupree could provide a boost for a Steelers pass rush that was able to pressure DeShone Kizer on 46.3% of his dropbacks in Week 1 and sack him seven times. The linebacker finished second on the team with 4.5 sacks in 2016. They’ll likely try to put as much pressure on backup quarterback Case Keenum as possible.
Chester Rogers inactive Sunday
Kamar Aiken and Quan Bray will continue to rotate as the number three receiver today in Jacoby Brissett’s first start with the team. Brissett, who entered the game in the second half on Week 1, completed 2-of-3 passes for 51 yards. The newly-acquired quarterback has plenty of potential but he’ll likely have a limited playbook against the Cardinals. He did well in Week 4 of the preseason when he was still with New England, piling up 341 yards and four scores on a 71.8% completion rate against the Giants. He made three appearances and two starts last year with the team, accumulating 400 yards with no scores and no interceptions. He’s also a capable runner – he picked up 83 yards on 16 carries in 2016. Although he does have noted accuracy problems, Brissett under center is an upgrade for T.Y. Hilton, Donte Moncrief, and Jack Doyle and given the expected game flow, Brissett should be tasked with throwing the ball quite a bit. Arizona is favored by 7-points but the Colts currently have the seventh-lowest implied total on the board at 18.75.
Vikings CB Xavier Rhodes and LB Anthony Barr active Sunday
Against the Saints, Rhodes allowed two receptions for 22 scoreless yards in coverage. If he suits up, he’ll have the unenviable task of guarding Antonio Brown the most on Sunday. Brown would have the challenge of producing fantasy points against a cornerback who’s limited opposing wideouts to a 48% catch rate and 0.2 fantasy points per route defended since 2016, per PFF. Barr struggled in 2016, earning a poor 39.4 PFF grade but he’ll look to return to his 2015 in which he scored an elite 91.4. He didn’t have a great start Monday night, though, he finished 34th among 43 qualifying linebackers in rushing defense (42.8).
Other tagged players: Antonio Brown Danny Amendola, Matt Slater, and Dont'a Hightower inactive Sunday
That leaves quarterback Tom Brady with Brandin Cooks, Chris Hogan, and newly-acquired Phillip Dorsett at receiver. New England’s dearth of options at wideout will likely encourage them to use running backs at the position. James White should benefit the most; the Patriots are comfortable using him in the slot and he picked up five targets in Week 1. At receiver, Chris Hogan and Brandin Cooks will be the biggest beneficiaries. Cooks has the revenge game narrative in his favor this week as he returns to New Orleans for what’s expected to be a high-scoring affair. The game total has been pushed to 55 points after opening at 53.5. With a 6-point spread in New England’s favor, they have an implied total of 30.5 points, the highest mark on the board. After Sam Bradford tore up the Saints on Monday night – including a 5-for-5 performance on throws 20+ yards downfield for 130 yards and score – Tom Brady and his pass-catchers will undoubtedly be popular options in DFS this week.
Buccaneers LB Kwon Alexander (illness) active Sunday
Alexander will play through his questionable tag against the Bears this afternoon. His presence could be a downgrade for Jordan Howard and an upgrade for Tarik Cohen. Last season, Alexander finished eighth with 58 tackles while defending the rush and eighth in run stops (35), which represents a loss for the offense, 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. With the Bears entering the game as 7-point dogs and Cohen emerging as the preferred receiving back, this spot could set up nicely for the rookie, especially in full PPR formats.
T.J. Yeldon inactive Sunday
He’s reportedly a healthy scratch today. Rookie Leonard Fournette looked excellent in Week 1 and seems to have already established himself as their workhorse back. His immediate backup Chris Ivory also played well with his limited opportunities, picking up 53 yards on ten carries That means Yeldon is at best a change of pace option and won’t have any fantasy appeal. Fournette tallied 29 touches for 124 yards and a score in his pro debut against one of the best front sevens in the league. HIs volume was definitely aided by game flow but he has a better matchup on against the Titans in Week 2. He projects as our RB8.
Other tagged players: Leonard Fournette