DFS Alerts
Markus Wheaton (finger) and Prince Amukamara (ankle) limited in practice Wednesday, Benny Cunningham (ankle) didn't participate
Chicago is short on receivers; if Wheaton is able to suit up this week, he could pick up some work right away. He’ll likely be their fourth receiver though, so it won’t be enough to make him an appealing fantasy target. Cunningham’s absence will allow breakout running back Tarik Cohen to continue to pick up more work in the passing game. A whopping 65% of Mike Glennon’s passes went to TEs and RBs in Week 1. He’ll likely continue to favor short passes and checkdowns to those positions, which boosts Cohen’s full PPR appeal. The Bucs were poor against pass-catching backs in 2016, ranking 26th in DVOA, per FO. On the defensive side of the ball, starting cornerback Amukamara was sidelined in Week 1 and his replacement, Kyle Fuller, did not do well, scoring a 43.1 game-grade from PFF. Still, the secondary managed to keep Julio Jones in check, continuing their success defending WR1s from last season. Next up, they’ll get another tough challenge against Mike Evans.
As reported by: Rich Campbell Other tagged players: Tarik Cohen, Benny Cunningham
Kerwynn Williams confirmed as starting RB for Cardinals in Week 2
As expected, Williams will get the start in place of the injured David Johnson (wrist). Andre Ellington will serve as his backup and should see a decent amount of work on passing downs. Arizona also re-signed Chris Johnson to operate as their third back and brought in D.J. Foster from the Patriots practice squad for depth. They’re expected to use a committee approach to replace Johnson against the Colts this weekend, which means we can’t expect a very high volume for Williams. In Week 1, he struggled to ten yards on five carries, although he did find paint following Johnson’s injury. Although we only have a one game sample, the Colts rush defense was able to stuff Todd Gurley and the Rams on the ground, limiting them to 1.9 yards per carry as a team (Gurley averaged 2.1). At the same time, the Colts pass defense was atrocious, permitting Jared Goff to rack up 306 yards and a touchdown with a 72.4% completion percentage. Palmer may have to air it out to move the ball and he should be successful doing so. The receivers should pick up some of Johnson’s targets – he had nine in Week 1 and averaged 7.5 in 2016 – they won’t all fall to the backs. It may be best to target Arizona’s passing game in fantasy over Williams and Ellington.
As reported by: Mike Jurecki Other tagged players: Andre Ellington, Chris Johnson You Don't Have to be Dirt Cheap to be a Great Value
Add Montgomery to the list of underpriced running backs in Week 2. Just because he isn’t as cheap as the likes of Javorius Allen (both sites), Tarik Cohen (DraftKings), Jacquizz Rodgers (DraftKings), etc., doesn’t mean he isn’t a good value too. And guess what? Montgomery saw more snaps than any other running back in Week 1. He was on the field for 74 of Green Bay’s 80 plays. The result was Montgomery racking up 23 touches on 19 rushes and four receptions (on four targets). Now we have Montgomery at only $6,500 on FanDuel and $5,800 on DraftKings in what is expected to be a shootout against Atlanta. The 53.5 point o/u in this game is the second highest of Week 2. Going back to last year (at the very least), the Falcons have had fits trying to contain pass-catching running backs. We all know by now that Tarik Cohen went bonkers on them in Week 1. And we can’t forget the Super Bowl where James White had 14 receptions (!!!) for 110 yards and one receiving touchdown (two others on the ground, but who’s counting). The Falcons finished 2016 ranked 28th in rush defense DVOA as well. This is an ideal spot for Montgomery this weekend, and it sure feels like we are getting a nice discount on him. My lean at this point in the week is to make sure I have him and Gordon in my cash lineup on both sites, despite the plethora of cheaper running backs available (especially on DraftKings, where we can use one in the flex).
Extra Week of Preparation to Benefit Young Quarterback
As everyone is poring over Week 1 statistics, one young quarterback who could go overlooked is Jameis Winston, who got an unexpected week off last week due to Hurricane Irma. Winston and Tampa Bay come into Week 2 with an extra week of rest as seven point favorites against the Bears, who allowed the fourth-most passing yards of any team in their loss to Matt Ryan and Atlanta last week. Winston is looking to build off of last year’s 4090 passing yards and 28 TDs and has the benefit of the team adding DeSean Jackson to the wide receiver core opposite star Mike Evans, along with rookie TE O.J. Howard.
Future Hall-of-Famer To Become Even Larger Part of Offense?
With David Johnson now lost to injury, the Cardinals will have to revamp their offense, and the best guess is that they turn their next-most talented offensive player. Fitzgerald tied for second among all players with 13 targets in Week 1, and that total could even increase with the team facing an entire game without their star running back. The Colts passing defense was roasted for 306 passing yards by Jared Goff last week, and is still likely to be without star cornerback Vontae Davis who is out with a groin injury. Fitzgerald has racked up 295 targets for 2,238 yards and 15 TDs over the past two seasons and will look to add to those total this weened in Indianapolis.
This Guy is My First Priority in Cash Games in Week 2
There are a handful of viable cheap running backs in Week 2, but let’s not overlook the fact that Melvin Gordon is underpriced on both sites as well. With David Johnson out for several months, the list of bell-cow running backs is one player shorter. And Melvin Gordon is in as good of a spot as any of them this weekend against the Dolphins. Due to the safety of his workload, and the salary we are getting him at, Gordon is a priority for me in Week 2 in cash games. Gordon saw the ninth most touches of any player in 2016 (295). That averaged out to about 22.5 touches per game, and that number climbed even higher for him in the second half of the season. It appears it will be more of the same in 2017 also, as he touched the ball 23 times (18 rushes; 5 receptions on 6 targets) in Week 1. Now he is a home favorite against a Dolphins defense that ranked 22nd last year in rush defense DVOA. At $7,600 on FanDuel and $7,000 on DraftKings, Gordon is the first guy I am plugging into my cash game lineup this weekend.
Veteran QB Looks to Rebound Against Questionable Pass Defense
Carson Palmer did not look good in the team’s loss to Detroit last week, throwing 3 INTs along with 1 TD and 269 passing yards. Some of that could come down to the team being forced off of their game script once David Johnson was lost to injury, as the team only gained 45 yards total on the ground (including Johnson’s 23 yards). The Cardinals are seven point favorites with a 26 point implied team total heading into Indianapolis this Sunday. With Johnson out for the next few month, that offense will have to come from somewhere, and based on the Colts allowing 306 passing yards to Jared Goff last week, there is a good chance it will come from Carson Palmer’s passing arm.
Devontae Booker (wrist) "probably won't play" Week 2
He returned to practice Wednesday after rehabbing a broken wrist for several weeks but it doesn’t look like he’ll suit up on Sunday. Booker is the third running back in Denver behind C.J. Anderson and Jamaal Charles, so he won’t have a huge role when he returns to game action. It appears that it will take an injury or poor performance from those other backs for Booker to see a significant workload this season. Anderson out-touched Charles 21 to 10 in their first game but Charles received four of his touches inside the red zone, one shy of Anderson’s five. Although it looks like Anderson has the edge as their workhorse, Charles could siphon off some touchdowns.
As reported by: Andrew Mason Other tagged players: C.J. Anderson, Jamaal Charles A Week 2 Homecoming Narrative You Can't Ignore
The Patriots have built their franchise in large part through the draft, so when the team traded first and third round draft picks for Brandin Cooks this past offseason, it was a good measure of how highly they value the fourth-year wide receiver. Cooks was seventh in the league with 1173 receiving yards last year – just 111 behind Antonio Brown – and the Patriots are still looking to replace the 159 targets that Julian Edelman received last year (third in the league). In 21 career games at the Superdome, Cooks has 1,644 yards and 13 TDs, and he will be looking to add to those totals for the first time as a visiting player this Sunday.
Angry Quarterback Gets Date With Weak Pass Defense
The New Orleans Saints defense just allowed 346 passing yards to Sam Bradford and the Vikings, and now they have to face Angry Tom Brady, with the Patriots coming off a 42-27 loss to the Chiefs. This matchup has narratives galore, with Brandin Cooks returning to face the team that drafted him in 2014 and then traded him to the Patriots this offseason. Vegas is siding with Angry Tom on this one, with Patriots carrying the top implied team point total on the week at over 30 points. Even with the Patriots disappointing loss in Week 1, this is still an offense that scored 27 points, and a date with the Saints on the fast turf of the Superdome could mean trouble for the New Orleans pass defense.
Josh Doctson (hamstring) limited in Wednesday's practice
Coach Jay Gruden said he’s dealing with some tightness in his hammy but his limited participation was just precautionary. Doctson worked as the fourth receiver in Week 1, playing just 20-of-63 offensive snaps and failing to log a target while Ryan Grant was on the field for 37 plays, picked up six targets, and posted a 4/61/0 line. Although he has plenty of potential, Doctson doesn’t appear to be ready to break out just yet. The injury issues continue to hurt his chances of getting an increased workload.
As reported by: Washington Redskins Other tagged players: Ryan Grant Panthers LB Thomas Davis (knee) didn't practice Wednesday
Fortunately, coach Ron Rivera said the injury isn’t a concern; it looks like this was a rest day for Davis. The veteran linebacker got off to a hot start against the 49ers Sunday, leading the team with seven tackles and earning an 85 PFF grade.
As reported by: Steve Reed Geronimo Allison officially reinstated from suspension
Allison was banned for one game after he was charged with a misdemeanor for marijuana possession. He’ll operate as Green Bay’s fourth receiver, so he’s not expected to make much of an impact in fantasy. Instead, quarterback Aaron Rodgers will primarily target Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams, and Randall Cobb at receiver and he also has pass-catching weapons in Martellus Bennett at tight end and Ty Montgomery out of the backfield. Their matchup with the Falcons has a very appealing game total of 53.5 points and the spread is just three points, indicating a potential shootout. With Atlanta favored at home, Green Bay has the ninth-highest implied total on the board (25.25). Despite the lofty game total, bettors haven’t shied away from taking the over. In fact, some books have pushed the total as high as 54.5, according to Vegas Insider.
As reported by: Jason Wilde Other tagged players: Aaron Rodgers, Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams, Randall Cobb, Martellus Bennett, Ty Montgomery A Not-So-Hairy Situation
Perhaps best known for his long locks of hair, Coby Fleener isn’t donning the long mane after cutting it off for charity last fall (he’s also cut it off in the past as a sign of solidarity when Chuck Pagano was battling cancer in Indianapolis). He enters this weekend with a cheap price tag and enormous upside in the game that has the highest total of the week. He’s not a cash game option, but with the Patriots likely to be focusing their attention on Michael Thomas, the middle of the field and red zone opportunities should be there for Fleener. Multiple TDs are a very real possibility, and while Fleener might be a bit chalky, I have no interest in fading any part of this game. Fleener could end up as the top point-per-dollar play that comes out of this anticipated shootout.
Who's Got Your Back? This Guy Does...
Last week, Martellus Bennett went a long way towards earning the trust of his new QB Aaron Rodgers after coming to his defense following a somewhat late hit. Marty is in a great spot this week for a breakout game, facing a Falcons team that wasn’t great against TEs last season (dead last in fantasy points allowed to the position over the past season plus), and they haven’t done anything personnel wise that makes me think this is going to change. This is a way to get exposure to this anticipated shootout, and I don’t expect Bennett to have crazy high ownership. The upside is certainly there, so keep an eye on the ownership projections here at RotoGrinders, and if it looks like he’s going to be low-owned, counter that with some higher exposure to the Packers TE.