DFS Alerts
Chester Rogers (hamstring) officially ruled out for Sunday
This was expected after he missed practice all week. That will force Indianapolis to run with Kamar Aiken or Quan Bray in three-wide sets, but Scott Tolzien will primarily target T.Y. Hilton, Donte Moncrief, and Jack Doyle. With Aaron Doland still holding out and expected to miss Week 1, Tolzien should face less pressure. On top of that, the Colts are purposefully using a simple offensive approach and limited Tolzien’s downfield passing. While they may still struggle to score, short, high-percentage passes could be useful in full PPR formats. While that would normally benefit Hilton, the Rams are expected to double-team him most of the game. Jack Doyle could be a sneaky source of fantasy points as Tolzien’s safety valve and Moncrief could pick up some red zone looks. Still, there appear to be much better options at the positions on teams that won’t start Tolzien under center.
As reported by: Andrew Walker
John Ross (knee) officially questionable for Sunday, safety Shawn Williams ruled out
The receiver has apparently made solid progress this week and surprisingly has a shot to play this Sunday. If he suits up, he’ll likely be limited and won’t be on the DFS radar. Instead, quarterback Andy Dalton should provide plenty of targets to A.J. Green, who was second in the league in yards per route run last season (2.86) according to Pro Football Focus. Tyler Eifert should be in line for a nice chunk of work as well, particularly in the red zone. Across nine appearances in 2016, the tight end was targeted nine times and converted all five of his catches into touchdowns. Plus, he’s tied for 4th in touchdowns among TEs dating back to 2014, a span over which he’s played just 22 games – no one else ranked inside the top five has played fewer than 34. Strong Safety Williams dislocated his elbow in the preseason but the Bengals were hoping he could return for their opener. If he misses further time, it could help opposing tight ends. Baltimore will start the 37-year-old Ben Watson, who’s coming off an Achilles’ tear that caused him to miss the entire 2016 season though. Overall, this offense doesn’t look very appealing; the Ravens have an implied total of just 19.25 points despite Cincinnati missing a few defensive starters – Adam Jones and Vontaze Burfict are both suspended for the opener.
As reported by: Geoff Hobson Dede Westbrook (core) ruled out for Sunday, T.J. Yeldon (hamstring) questionable
Starting free safety Tashaun Gipson (ankle) is also listed as questionable for Sunday. Jacksonville’s first depth chart had Westbrook ahead of Allen Hurns but that appears to be due to Hurns’ role as slot receiver – a position he referred to as his “permanent” one. Hurns played 69.8% of his snaps in the slot a season ago and that number could rise in 2017. While it’s tempting to put all of the blame on Blake Bortles for Hurns’ poor 2016 campaign, the receiver posted an abhorrent 23.08% drop rate when in the slot. Of course, Bortles also contributed to Hurns’ league-low 47.6% catch rate among 25 qualifying slot receivers as he delivered 16 uncatchable passes on 42 targets. Considering he’s well below Allen Robinson and Marqise Lee on the targets totem pole and the Jaguars will be prioritizing their running game, Hurns won’t be a viable fantasy target at the start of the season. Week 1 is particularly tough against the stout Texans defense. Our WR/CB matchup tool gives Hurns a -7.05 rating against slot corner Kareem Jackson, our 15th-lowest rating of the week. Yeldon, who’s listed as the third “co-starter” on the Jaguars depth chart, returned to practice Thursday. Rookie Leonard Fournette is expected to be the actual starter and handle the lion’s share of the running back duties. Jacksonville is expected to employ a run-heavy approach this season, but they have a tough opening matchup with possibly the best front seven in the NFL. He currently projects as our RB17 and he isn’t exactly cheap. It may be best to wait to target the rookie. As for Yeldon, he’ll likely take some passing down snaps from Fournette, but he won’t be a viable fantasy target.
As reported by: John Oehser John Ross (knee) "could play" Week 1
Head coach Marvin Lewis wouldn’t rule out the receiver for Sunday’s game against the Ravens. Earlier this week it was reported Ross would miss the first two weeks with a possible return set for Week 3, so he still appears doubtful. He was able to get in a limited practice on Thursday, which is an indication that he’s progressing. The Bengals will release his official game status later this afternoon.
As reported by: Geoff Hobson Graham Gano will kick for Panthers Sunday
Carolina still has rookie Harrison Butker on their roster, so he could potentially get benched down the line with bad performance. The job is his for now though and he checks in with the fourth-highest projection in our FanDuel model.
As reported by: Jourdan Rodrigue Cam Newton (shoulder) and Curtis Samuel (ankle) both listed as questionable, fully expected to play Sunday
Ron Rivera has already stated Newton won’t have any limitations in Week 1. Carolina has a fantasy-friendly matchup with a San Franciso defense that will start Donte Johnson (65.8 PFF grade in 2016) and Rashard Robinson (50.4) at corner with Jimmie Ward (74.5) and Eric Reid (50.5) in the safety positions. Newton is expected to run less and pass more this season, which should help receivers Kelvin Benjamin and Devin Funchess in Week 1, both of whom carry nice height advantages over the small corners. Tight end Greg Olsen is looking like a solid option as well against Reid. As a team, the 49ers ranked 27th in TE DVOA in 2016. Samuel, who’s been battling a hamstring issue all summer, most likely won’t be a huge factor in the offense to start the season but the dynamic rookie could carve out a larger workload as the season progresses. The Panthers appear keen to get Samuel on the field in a variety of positions as he can be effective in both the running and passing games. Although he’s not on the fantasy radar in Week 1, he’s a player to watch.
As reported by: ESPN Patriots market share report
Heading into the season there were plenty of question marks surrounding New England’s offense. It wasn’t exactly clear how they intended to use their stable of backs or how Brady would utilize his Edelman-less receiving core. Over 81 offensive snaps, here’s how they used their backfield: James White, 43; Mike Gillislee, 24; Rex Burkhead, 10; Dion Lewis, 6. Despite nearly 20 fewer snaps, Gillislee out-touched White 15-13 and his use in the goal line enabled him to score three times. It seems like New England will primarily use Gillislee for short-yardage and goal line situations, so his fantasy outlook will be very game flow and touchdown dependent as he will likely be a non-factor in the passing attack and will struggle to accumulate big yards. They used both White and Burkhead a decent amount as receivers, running Burkhead on several wheel routes, including one that nearly ended up as a touchdown. In the end, Burkhead had caught one of his three targets for eight yards and turned three carries into 15 yards. Although a small line, he picked up a carry or was targeted on 60% of his snaps. White ended up leading the backs with 68 total yards and picked up five targets, turning them into three receptions for 30 yards. He only averaged 3.8 yards a carry and may have stuck on the field more than he normally will due to New England’s hurry-up offense. He is much more useful in full PPR scoring but he’s not a strong asset as it’ll be difficult for him to score in this offense. Similar to last season, he’ll need to find paint through the air and won’t be given many carries inside the ten – in 2016, he caught five touchdowns and didn’t have a rushing score. Out wide, Danny Amendola led the pack with six receptions and 100 yards despite exiting early with a concussion and he tied with Brandin Cooks with seven targets. Overall, passes were distributed pretty evenly; Gronk had six targets while Hogan received five. Both of those guys didn’t pick up big lines. The tight end nearly scored an highlight-reel touchdown but ended up with two receptions for 33 yards. Hogan only caught one ball for eight yards. Many pegged him as a breakout candidate after the Edelman injury and he has a great bounce back spot in the Superdome next weekend. With Danny Amendola currently dealing with a concussion, Gronk, Cooks, and Hogan could all pick up some more looks in Week 2. Plus, it’s a revenge game for Cooks. The former Saints receiver looked solid in his Patriots debut, finishing with 88 yards on his three catches.
Other tagged players: Mike Gillislee, Rex Burkhead, Dion Lewis, Chris Hogan, Danny Amendola, Brandin Cooks, Rob Gronkowski Odell Beckham (ankle) considered questionable for Week 1
This was expected as the receiver is considered 50-50 to suit up Sunday night. Over the past two days, he’s warmed up with the team and subsequently went off to the sidelines to work with a trainer. It seems like his playing status will turn into a game-time decision Sunday night but Coach McAdoo has plainly stated that Beckham will start if he’s cleared to play by the team’s doctors. His absence would be a clear boost to Brandon Marshall, Sterling Shepard, and Evan Engram. Although Rhett Ellison is listed ahead of Engram on the depth chart, the rookie tight end is expected to pick up 60% of the tight end snaps. Last season, Dallas ranked 30th in TE DVOA while allowing the second-most receptions (8.9) and most receiving yards (75.5) to the position, according to Football Outsiders. If Beckham does suit up, our WR/CB matchups tool provides him a favorable 23.17 matchup rating with Orlando Scandrick. Among Week 1 starters, Scandrick allowed the eighth-highest catch rate in 2016 (72%).
As reported by: Art Stapleton Other tagged players: Sterling Shepard TNF Injury Report
Several players got banged up in the season opener last night. The Chiefs fear safety Eric Berry suffered a torn Achilles’ tendon, which would be a major blow to their defense. Berry earned an 89.2 grade from Pro Football Focus in 2016 and he was playing well to open the season, limiting Rob Gronkowski to two receptions for 33 yards. He’ll undergo an MRI on Friday; if the injury is as bad as they think, opposing tight ends will take an upgrade. Kareem Hunt tweaked an ankle but coach Andy Reid said it’s not a big deal. Following a fumble on the rookie’s first career touch, he exploded for 246 total yards and three scores. He gets the Eagles next weekend. On the Patriots’ side of the ball, Danny Amendola suffered a concussion and is considered week-to-week. With Julian Edelman out, the receiver stepped up for a really nice game, hauling in six of his seven targets for 100 yards. If he’s able to get healthy in time for Week 2, he’ll have an appealing matchup on the road against the Saints. To add injury to insult, the Patriots defense lost Dont’a Hightower with a knee injury while allowing the most yards in the Bill Belichick era (537). The extent of the injury is unknown and it looked like the linebacker was capable of coming back in the game. We’ll get more information when the Patriots get back to the practice field.
Other tagged players: Kareem Hunt Overlay Alert for Thursday Night NFL Contests on DraftKings and FanDuel!!!
There is significant potential overlay on DraftKings for the Thursday NFL slate, primarily in their Pick’Em contests. The $200K Pick’Em Flea Flicker ($5 entry) is currently at 26% overlay, the $50K Pick’Em Bootleg ($33 entry) sits at 36% overlay and the $21K Pick’Em Wildcat ($333 entry) is hovering at the 40% overlay mark. There are a slew of other Pick’Em contests in the 20-30% overlay range.
On FanDuel there is a moderate amount of potential overlay with the $150K Thu NFL Snap ($15K to 1st – $3 entry) currently at 15% overlay and the $100K Thu NFL Bomb ($33 entry) at 12% overlay. The $18K Thu NFL Touchdown (5 Entries Max – $65 entry) looks like the best bet for overlay there as it currently sits just under 35%. There’s still nearly an hour but the $5K Thu NFL Small Kickoff ($10 entry) is at 50% overlay.
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Thomas Rawls (ankle) and Tyler Lockett (knee) both had full practices Thursday
Rawls was looking questionable but it seems like he’s on track to start Sunday against the Packers. Lockett is also expected to play this weekend, although he’s behind Paul Richardson on the depth chart. Seattle’s backfield is a difficult one to project to begin the 2017 season as they brought in Eddie Lacy, they’re very high on rookie Chris Carson, and they plan to use second-year back C.J. Prosise on passing downs. It’s probably best to take a wait-and-see approach with this group to see what Pete Carroll and company plan to do. The situation at receiver is more clear; Doug Baldwin is the top dog while Richardson and Lockett will compete for snaps, although both should be on the field in three-wide sets. Lockett has big play upside and he’ll have a tremendous matchup with Quinten Rollins when he’s on the field; it ranks sixth-best in our WR/CB matchups tool (34.56). Given how terrible the Packers’ secondary is, Richardson and Baldwin both rank in the top four this week.
As reported by: Bob Condotta Other tagged players: Tyler Lockett Amari Cooper (knee) returned to full practice Thursday
Oakland kept him limited in yesterday’s practice for rest purposes; he’s all set to start against the Titans on Sunday. Cooper was on fire in the preseason and looks primed for a massive season. The third-year receiver put on weight this offseason, which should help him in the red zone. His partner Michael Crabtree has outscored him in each of his first two seasons, but 2017 could mark a shift in their scoring distribution. Their matchup with Tennessee has shootout potential and carries a 51-point total. Cooper will line up across from Logan Ryan, a matchup that has a favorable 23.31 rating in our WR/CB tool.
As reported by: Michael Gehlken Five RBs active for Patriots Thursday night; WR Phillip Dorsett also active following Malcolm Mitchell's move to the IR
New England’s crowded backfield led many to speculate they would deactivate at least one RB for Thursday night’s season-opener against the Chiefs, but all five – Mike Gillislee, James White, Rex Burkhead, Dion Lewis, and Brandon Bolden – will suit up tonight. How they use they use these backs will be difficult to predict, although it seems Gillislee, White, and Burkhead are in line to see the most work. Beat writer Jeff Howe is anticipating “big nights” from White and Burkhead. We should see White active in the passing game and lining up in the slot at times. There’s been speculation that Gillislee will be featured near the goal line and he has the edge in our projections model among New England’s backs. Howe hinted that that is, in fact, New England’s plan for the former Bills’ touchdown vulture, but later added, “there’s the plan, and then there’s the adjustment based on the tenor of the game.” Dorsett is active as well but he’ll be buried behind Brandin Cooks, Chris Hogan, and Danny Amendola. It’s hard to imagine he becomes a factor tonight after joining the team less than a week ago.
As reported by: B.J. Kissel Other tagged players: James White, Dion Lewis, Rex Burkhead, Brandon Bolden, Phillip Dorsett Chiefs safety Ron Parker (ankle) active Thursday
He was questionable heading into tonight’s game against the Patriots. He earned an above-average 82.0 grade from Pro Football Focus a season ago and he was particularly effective in pass coverage, scoring an 85.3, which was good for ninth at his position. Kansas City’s pass defense will be stronger with him on the field.
As reported by: Terez A. Paylor Dontrelle Inman (groin) limited in practice Thursday
Inman is considered day-to-day. He’s not a viable fantasy option at this point; he’s the Chargers’ fourth receiver and they also have two pass-catching tight ends in Hunter Henry and Antonio Gates.
As reported by: Dan Woike