DFS Alerts
Stefon Diggs and Adrian Peterson officially inactive, as expected
Adam Thielen should get a ton of targets against Chicago if Diggs ends up out. Thielen is coming off a monster 12/202/2 game. While we can’t expect a repeat performance, the Bears rank 26th in WR1 DVOA, so he’ll have another nice matchup. They also rank 28th in TE DVOA, setting up a good spot for Kyle Rudolph, who projects as our TE4 today.
As reported by: Chris Tomasson Other tagged players: Adrian Peterson, Kyle Rudolph, Adam Thielen
Jordan Matthews INACTIVE Sunday
The last time Matthews missed a game, tight end Zach Ertz led the team with 15 targets, while Dorial Green-Beckham received ten, and rookie Paul Turner had eight. Those numbers are a bit inflated as Carson Wentz threw 60 passes in that game, well above his 37.6 average. Since Matthews returned, DGB has disappeared – he’s averaged 2.5 targets the past two games – and Paul Turner, who’s starting today, was inactive for Weeks 15 and 16. Nelson Agholor actually led the team in receiving yards against the Giants last game and caught Wentz’s lone touchdown ball. It will be tough to predict how Wentz distributes his passes among the wide receivers this week since they’ve all been pretty ineffective this season. The safest bet on the Eagles is Zach Ertz, who should be Wentz’s favorite target. At full strength, Dallas ranks 30th in TE DVOA and they may rest some of their defensive starters. Ertz projects as a top 5 tight end in Week 17.
As reported by: Zach Berman Other tagged players: Zach Ertz, Dorial Green-Beckham, Paul Turner, Nelson Agholor Update: Alfred Morris expected to get majority of carries for Dallas, not Darren McFadden
McFadden is officially listed as questionable with an illness. Whether he’s still suffering symptoms or Dallas simply wants to keep him healthy for the playoffs, he isn’t expected to lead the Cowboys’ backfield today. Instead, Alfred Morris will likely get most of the snaps and touches. On the season, he’s averaging 3.8 yards per carry. The only game he had more than seven touches was against Cleveland and he struggled to 56 yards on 17 carries against their terrible rush defense. It’s certainly not a ringing endorsement. We’re currently projecting his floor at 4.49 FanDuel points; he won’t be a great option in fantasy.
As reported by: Sal Paolantonio Other tagged players: Darren McFadden Report: Ezekiel Elliott expected to be limited to one or two series
ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio has provided some more clarity on Zeke’s expected workload today. Dallas will get him in there for a series or two before pulling him. Given these limitations, he isn’t a good fantasy option. Darren McFadden should get a healthy number of snaps and touches, with Lance Dunbar working in behind him. McFadden, in his second game of the season, had 14 touches last week against the Lions for 49 yards. He’ll be a tournament option Sunday; Philadelphia ranks 16th in rush DVOA.
As reported by: Sal Paolantonio Other tagged players: Darren McFadden Rob Kelley and Jordan Reed expected to play Sunday
Kelley (knee) and Reed (shoulder) are both going to play through their questionable tags on Sunday in a must-win game against the Giants. Kelley has only averaged 49.4 rushing yards per game over his last five. He’ll have to deal with a tough Giants defense that ranks 4th in rush DVOA, which makes him a risky option. Reed has been severely limited since injuring his shoulder (two targets total over two games), but he had last week off to rehab. Reports have indicated he’s made good progress, but there definitely remains some uncertainty surrounding his health. While the Giants have an excellent pass defense, their weak spot seems to be the tight end position; they rank 25th in TE DVOA. Of course, that makes it tempting to roster him in such an important matchup, but his injury makes him very risky. It’s best to use him as a tournament play only. We’re projecting his GPP ownership at 2% or less on FanDuel and DraftKings.
As reported by: Britt McHenry Other tagged players: Jordan Reed Dallas still expected to play all three quarterbacks Sunday
The Cowboys’ stars – Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, and Dez Bryant – are expected to be pulled early. Behind Prescott, Dallas plans to play both Mark Sanchez and Tony Romo. Given the workload split, none of the quarterbacks will be viable fantasy plays. Zeke and Dez are extremely risky choices, as they may only have a couple of series or a quarter to produce fantasy points. Darren McFadden and Lance Dunbar are both likely to get work behind Elliott. McFadden is a potential tournament option; he had 14 touches last week against the Lions. Wide receivers Cole Beasley, Terrance Williams, and Brice Butler will have Mark Sanchez and a rusty Tony Romo throwing to them, so they’re also very risky options, despite a bump in opportunities. Overall, Dallas is not a great team to target this week.
As reported by: Mike Garafolo Other tagged players: Mark Sanchez, Tony Romo, Dez Bryant, Ezekiel Elliott Randall Cobb expected to be very limited Sunday night
There’s still the chance Cobb is just inactive. Even if he suits up, Ian Rapoport reported that Green Bay isn’t expected much from him, adding that he needs an extra week to rehab his ankle injury. Based on these circumstances, he won’t be a fantasy option tonight. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers will focus on Jordy Nelson and Davante Adams, both of whom are in play. Darius Slay (hamstring, questionable) is expected to return from a one-game absence, but he’s still a bit banged up. We’re projecting Nelson’s ownership at 35% on FanDuel and 30% on DraftKings as the Packers-Lions game is one of the few with playoff implications on the line. Still, Nelson projects as our WR2 this week.
As reported by: Ian Rapoport Other tagged players: Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams Spencer Ware (questionable, ribs) needs 79 rushing yards to trigger $300,000 bonus
Ware got banged up against the Broncos last week, which forced him to leave the game early. Coach Andy Reid said he could’ve returned, but he wanted to be safe with his starting running back. It’s a good sign for Ware’s Week 17 playing status, although he’s still considered a game-time decision. Kansas City has some incentive to play him; if they win, they can clinch a first-round bye in the playoffs. Ware also has a very good reason to push himself. Should he reach 1,000 rushing yards on the season, his 2017 base salary will increase by $300,000. Given his injury, he’s a risky bet that should be avoided in cash games, but with this milestone within reach, he’ll be an interesting tournament option if he’s active. The last time he played he Chargers, who rank 14th in rush DVOA, he piled up 199 yards on 18 touches (including a season-high seven receptions) and added a touchdown. Plus, San Diego has given up the 7th-most fantasy points per game to running backs this season. Ware projects as our RB10 on DraftKings and RB12 on FanDuel.
As reported by: CBS Sports Theo Riddick placed on IR
Riddick (wrist) has missed the last three games and he had already been ruled out of Detroit’s Week 17 clash with the Packers. As expected, Detroit will roll with Zach Zenner and Dwayne Washington in the backfield against Green Bay. Zenner flashed some skill against the Cowboys, racking up 92 yards and two touchdowns last week. He was promoted ahead of the ineffective rookie Dwayne Washington for that matchup and it seems like he’s kept the lead role. We’re projecting Zenner for about 12-15 carries and he should pick up a few targets out of the backfield as well.
As reported by: Ian Rapoport Other tagged players: Zach Zenner David Johnson is 159 yards shy of gigantic milestone and Bruce Arians wants to help him get there
Johnson needs 159 more receiving yards to become the third player in NFL history with 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in a single season. Bruce Arians, who many consider a “player’s coach,” has openly told ESPN that he wants to help his players reach contract incentives and milestones. He’s done it in the past and there’s good reason to believe he’ll work to get Johnson those yards on Sunday. Fortunately, the Cardinals take on the hopeless Rams for a game featuring two teams that have been eliminated from the playoffs. Normally, Week 17 is a time to rest stars in these situations, but we can expect Johnson to be a full go. At least until the goal becomes clearly out of reach (should that happen), which is the most likely outcome, as his season-high is 103 receiving yards. However, he and Larry Fitzgerald account for 47% of Arizona’s receptions and the veteran Fitzgerald is a good candidate to be pulled early in this one. He’s just 20 yards shy of 1,000 for the season. Once he eclipses that milestone (assuming he does), it could be Johnson, who catches 66.4% of his targets, the rest of the way. Not surprisingly, Johnson projects as our RB1 this week, and it’s not that close. While his ownership is projected to be through the roof (41% on DraftKings), it’s hard to imagine he doesn’t follow through in this situation, especially on full PPR sites. One final thing to consider: despite ranking 6th in receiving running back DVOA on the season, Los Angeles has allowed the third-most receptions per game to running backs (6.25) and the second-most receiving touchdowns to the position (0.5) over the past four weeks.
As reported by: ESPN Baltimore may be out of the playoffs but Steve Smith will have plenty of motivation in his final NFL game
Fittingly, Smith says he’s “about 89% sure” he’s retiring after this season. With the Ravens eliminated from the postseason, that means he’ll have one last NFL game. Undoubtedly, he’ll want to go out the same way he came into the league: trash talking and backing it up. He was great on Christmas, catching 7-of-7 targets for 79 yards and a touchdown and he will certainly look to top that against the 17th-ranked Cincinnati pass defense. Coach John Harbaugh said he plans to play his starters and veterans in an effort to win the game, which means Joe Flacco could get significant playing time. That’s obviously important for Smith’s fantasy potential. With nothing really on the line, it wouldn’t be surprising to see “Boring Joe” have fun for once and go out of his way to fire some extra passes to 89. The game has a low 41.5-point total and there is a chance Flacco and others are pulled early (although Smith should play the whole thing), which means Smith isn’t going to be a great cash option. He is, however, an interesting tournament play as there’s little doubt he’ll leave everything he has left out on the field on Sunday – and judging by this season, the 16th-year receiver still has a something left in the tank.
As reported by: CSN Shaun Draughn will start for 49ers Sunday
With Carlos Hyde out for San Francisco’s finale, Draughn is expect to get the start at running back. He replaced Hyde last week and tallied a season-high 16 touches. Although he wasn’t very efficient on the ground (1.7 ypc), he managed 48 yards on six receptions. Despite limited playing time and losing his number two status over the course of the year, it was his third game with at least five receptions. Unfortunately, he’s got a tough opponent this week as the Seahawks are making a visit, but he’ll have some tournament appeal on full PPR sites. He projects as our RB2 on DraftKings in terms of points-per-dollar, but he should still be considered a risky option.
As reported by: CSN Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch expected to each play a half on Sunday
This comes directly from coach Gary Kubiak, although he said it may depend on how the game goes. Neither player will be a viable fantasy option under these circumstances. It also puts a damper on Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas’ fantasy outlooks, as they may struggle to get into rhythm. For what it’s worth, they should still get the vast majority of passes no matter which quarterback is in. On the season they’ve accounted for 51.2% of the teams’ targets and Lynch threw to them on 19 of his 22 targets the last time he played. Oakland ranks 23rd in pass DVOA, but Denver’s receiving duo will face corners David Amerson (81.6 PFF grade) and Sean Smith (81), so they’ll have tough individual matchups. Although they should each see a nice volume of looks, they may struggle to be efficient with their opportunities in a weird Week 17 situation.
As reported by: Denver Broncos Other tagged players: Paxton Lynch, Emmanuel Sanders, Demaryius Thomas