DFS Alerts
Dontrelle Inman (groin) inactive Monday night
He was questionable heading into Monday after getting in limited practices last week. He probably wasn’t going to make much of an impact tonight as he’s the Chargers’ fourth wide receiver behind Keenan Allen, Tyrell Williams, and Travis Benjamin. Plus, San Diego has two solid tight ends in Antonio Gates and Hunter Henry. Quarterback Philip Rivers will have his work cut out for him against Denver’s defense. He targeted those two tight ends a combined 13.5 times per game in his two matchups with the Broncos last year – Henry led the team in the first one (8) and Gates tied for the lead in the second (9). In their second meeting, Melvin Gordon piled up 155 yards on 27 touches, including seven targets. With Denver’s strong secondary capable of shutting down wide receiver production, the Chargers may focus on their running back and tight ends again tonight.
As reported by: ESPN
Cardinals expected to use three-man committee at running back
Beat writer Mike Jurecki believes Arizona will use all three backs – Kerwynn Williams, Andre Ellington, and newly-signed D.J. Foster – to replace the injured David Johnson (wrist). Williams will likely earn the start and share early-down duties with Foster while Ellington operates as the passing down back. With a timeshare like this, it’ll be hard to trust any of them to make a huge fantasy impact. 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. At the same time, Arizona struggled to run against the Lions, averaging 2.5 yards per carry, even with David Johnson handling 11 of their 18 carries. Of course, 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 will pick up some of Johnson’s targets; he had nine in Week 1 and averaged 7.5 in 2016.
Other tagged players: Andre Ellington, Carson Palmer, D.J. Foster Deshaun Watson (ankle) limited in practice Monday
Watson is expected to start Thursday night but it’s possible the ankle injury could potentially prevent that from happening. Bill O’Brien wouldn’t commit to him or Tom Savage (finger, full practice) Monday. Watson immediately generated a touchdown drive when he came in for Tom Savage to start the second half of their Week 1 game against Jacksonville. He struggled the rest of the way though, ending up with 102 yards, a touchdown, and a pick while completing 12-of-23 attempts. Due to the lack of pass-catchers on this team, DeAndre Hopkins finished with a week-high 16 targets. No matter who starts under center, they’ll like pepper Hopkins with targets. Whether he can be efficient with his opportunities is a different story as the Bengals with undoubtedly focus on taking him away. Against Jacksonville, he only caught seven passes for 55 yards but managed to find the end zone. It’s worth noting Hopkins was added to the injury report Monday with a wrist issue but he was a full participant in practice. Backup running back Alfred Blue continued to miss practice; D’Onta Foreman will serve as Lamar Miller’s back up Thursday night, He’s expected to pick up a bigger workload than Week 1 – he only had one carry for four yards – which will have at least a slightly negative impact on Miller’s fantasy outlook.
As reported by: Aaron Wilson Other tagged players: DeAndre Hopkins, Alfred Blue, Lamar Miller, D'Onta Foreman John Ross (knee) returns to full practice Monday
Ross was able to get in a full session after being limited last Thursday and Friday. The receiver is recovering from a sprained knee and was inactive in Week 1. Today’s news indicates he has a decent chance of playing on Thursday night. Cincinnati’s passing offense didn’t get off to a great start as Andy Dalton tossed four interceptions. Things won’t get much easier in Week 2 against one of the best defenses in the league. Although there was a lob sided final scored, Houston’s defense held Blake Bortles to 125 yards on a 52.4% completion rate (21 total attempts) and a lone touchdown.
As reported by: Geoff Hobson Monday Night Football Overlay
Happy Monday Grinders !!! The first Monday of the season means that we get two MNF football games instead of the normal single game offering. The overlay theme of Sunday continues and we have plenty of options to choose from on today’s two game slate. Due to the two game slate roster lock occurs at 7:10 P.M. Eastern time.
On DraftKings, the two slate’s three big GPP’s in terms of prize pool could potentially overlay. The Monday Night Showdown ( $3 20 max entry ) pays $250k to first place and currently has 35% overlay, but should continuing filling quickly as lock approaches. The Wildcat ( $333 entry) may offer you a chance to get in on the overlay at a higher stake, but it’s likely that any potential overlay there would be minimal.
FanDuel also looks to have a decent amount of overlay on the Monday only slate. The Monday Million ($4 entry) pays $200k to first place is currently offering an overlay of 27%, albeit it with multiple hours until lock.
When building lineups make sure to check out the new LineupHQ tool.
Colts have already ruled out Andrew Luck for Week 2
The Colts were terrible in Week 1. Their offense was paralyzed with Scott Tolzien under center. The quarterback finished with 128 yards, zero scores, and two picks on a 50% completion rate. As a team, they ran just 49 plays and only picked up ten first downs the entire afternoon. Tolzien was benched for Brissett during the game and it appears Brissett, who completed 2-of-3 passes for 51 yards, has the edge to start in Week 2 against the Cardinals. The team wouldn’t rule it out Monday. Brissett did well in Week 4 of the preseason 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, 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. If he starts, it would appear to be an upgrade over Tolzien, even with a limited playbook.
As reported by: Adam Schefter Other tagged players: Jacoby Brissett, Scott Tolzien
Johnathan Cyprien (hamstring) "may be out a few weeks"
Cyprien finished as the top-graded safety against the run in 2016 according to Pro Football Focus. His absence will be a boost for Leonard Fournette, who opened up his career against one of the best defenses in the league and promptly piled up 124 total yards and a touchdown. The rookie appears to have secured the workhorse role in Jacksonville as he picked up 29 touches in his debut.
As reported by: Jim Wyatt Other tagged players: Leonard Fournette D.J. Humphries (knee) out 1-2 weeks
Arizona’s starting left tackle sprained his MCL after eight snaps on Sunday. His backup John Wetzel was terrible as his replacement, earning a 28.5 grade from Pro Football Focus. Wetzel scored a poor 42.6 across 16 appearances and eight starts in 2016. Humphries’ injury is clearly bad news for a running game that struggled to 45 yards on 18 carries. With David Johnson expected to be out, Kerwynn Williams will likely start this week against the Colts. In a one-game sample against a Rams team that averaged 3.3 yards per carry last season, Indianapolis’ rush defense limited Los Angeles to 1.9 yards per carry on 33 attempts – Todd Gurley averaged 2.1 on 19 attempts – while getting gashed through the air by Jared Goff (21/29, 306 yards, and a score). Paired together, these results suggest a David Johnson-less Cardinals team may be forced to air it out but should find success. It’s a tremendous bounce back spot for Palmer.
As reported by: Darren Urban Kenny Britt may lose starting role with Browns
Coach Hue Jackson suggested Britt may not start Week 2, according to beat writer Steve Doerschuk. It may simply be an overreaction to Britt’s dropped ball in the fourth quarter against the Steelers Sunday. Britt was wide open for a first down with 11:30 remaining in a 21-10 game but failed to catch a nice pass from DeShone Kizer, which ultimately led to a punt two plays later. He finished with just one reception for 13 yards on three targets in a disappointing debut with his new team. It seems likely he won’t lose too much playing time just yet but he won’t have it any easier next week against a Ravens defense that limited Andy Dalton to 170 yards, zero touchdowns, and picked him off four times.
As reported by: Steve Doerschuk Browns: Duke Johnson isn't strictly a receiver
Updating a previous post. Head coach Hue Jackson said Johnson’s usage at receiver in Week 1 was game-specific. Johnson played all 50 snaps lined up as a receiver or tight end (on two) against the Steelers leading many to speculate the move was a permanent one. However, it appears that he’ll still be used as a running back going forward.
As reported by: Nate Ulrich David Johnson (wrist) expected to miss "extended period" of time, considered an IR candidate
Johnson is still seeking different opinions on his injured wrist; surgery and a subsequent trip to the IR are options on the table. At the very least, he’s highly likely going to miss Arizona’s Week 2 matchup with the Colts. That should place backup Kerwynn Williams, who scored yesterday after Johnson’s injury, in the starting role. He finished with ten yards on five carries. Fellow backup Andre Ellington will pick up some more time in passing downs – he didn’t receive a carry in Week 1 but he caught two passes for 35 yards on three targets. The Cardinals may re-sign Chris Johnson to add some depth. Johnson’s absence will boost the receivers as well. Nine targets will be unaccounted for from Week 1 and he averaged 7.5 per game in 2016. Following Jared Goff’s impressive 21-for-29, 306-yard performance against Indy, the Cardinals figure to be popular options in DFS next weekend. It’s worth noting the Colts rushing defense stuffed the Rams for 1.9 yards per carry on 33 attempts – Todd Gurley averaged 2.1 on 19 attempts – while getting gashed through the air, which suggests a David Johnson-less Cardinals team may be forced to air it out. It’s a tremendous bounce back spot for Palmer.
As reported by: Ian Rapoport Other tagged players: Kerwynn Williams, Andre Ellington Bears place Kevin White (shoulder) on IR
White fractured his shoulder blade Sunday, ending his season. Chicago will need to lean on Kendall Wright as their WR1. Wright only saw four targets against the Falcons while tight end Zach Miller topped him with six and breakout running back Tarik Cohen led the team with 12, hauling in eight for 47 yards and a touchdown. the 5’6” rookie added 66 rushing yards on five attempts. Benny Cunningham is dealing with a high ankle sprain, paving the way for Cohen to pick up more of the passing down work in Week 2 if Cunningham is sidelined. Markus Wheaton (finger) may return this Sunday to provide some support in the passing game; he, Deonte Thompson, and Josh Bellamy would be the options behind Wright at receiver. Heading into their matchup with the Buccaneers, the Bears are six-point underdogs with an implied total of 18.5 points.
As reported by: Rich Campbell Thomas Rawls (ankle) expected to practice Wednesday after sitting out Week 1
Head coach Pete Carroll said the running back “looked really good last week,” adding they inactivated him Sunday as a precaution. He seems very optimistic Rawls will return this weekend when they host the 49ers. Following Eddie Lacy’s dismal five-carry, three-yard performance om seven snaps, Rawls may be in for a bigger workload than originally anticipated. Still, it’s a crowded backfield with rookie Chris Carson leading the team against Green Bay with 26 snaps and six carries while C.J. Prosise added four carries for 11 yards on 16 snaps.
As reported by: Liz Matthews E.J. Gaines (shoulder) questionable for Week 2
The starting right cornerback exited in the fourth quarter against the Jets in Week 1. He had been playing well all game, earning Pro Football Focus’ sixth-best cornerback grade so far this week (86.2). Gaines had a very poor 2016 season with the Rams, permitting the fourth-most fantasy points per route defended last season (0.44) but he didn’t appear fully healthy coming off surgery to repair a Lisfranc injury. Prior to missing all of 2015 while rehabbing, he posted a very solid rookie grade (78.8). It looks like he’s returning to form this season, so his absence would be a big blow to the Bills’ secondary against Cam Newton and the Panthers. Gaines will match up with Kelvin Benjamin the most if he plays.
As reported by: E.J. Gains Other tagged players: Kelvin Benjamin Stephon Tuitt considered week-to-week
There was some concern in Pittsburgh their defensive end would need season-ending surgery following a biceps injury against the Browns Sunday. Fortunately, he appears to be “ok” according to an Ian Rapoport source. He’s currently considered week-to-week, which means he’s likely out for their Week 2 matchup with the Vikings.
As reported by: Ian Rapoport