DFS Alerts
Julio Jones still not practicing for Falcons
Jones looks as if he will miss his second straight game as he has yet to practice this week with his toe injury. Mohamed Sanu (if he plays) and Taylor Gabriel would be the biggest beneficiaries if Jones can’t go again. The Falcons have a plus match up against the terrible 49ers who rank bottom four in total DVOA, pass DVOA, and rush DVOA.
As reported by: Vaughn McClure on Twitter
Still no Theo Riddick at Lions practice
It’s looking more and more like Riddick will not play again this week as he missed another practice today. Dwayne Washington is the back to own for the Lions but he faces a Giants defense that is 5th in RB DVOA this week so you’re better off looking elsewhere for your DFS lineups.
As reported by: Mike Rothstein on Twitter Torrey Smith misses practice again; unlikely to play this week
The veteran 49ers WR is dealing with a concussion and is unlikely to play this week when San Francisco travels to Atlanta. It’s a slight bump to the likes of Quinton Patton and Jeremy Kerley but the 49ers pass game has been fairly anemic so it’s hard to trust any of their receiving threats.
As reported by: Matt Barrows on Twitter Darren Sproles misses another practice; status in doubt for this week
Sproles is battling a concussion and has yet to practice this week. He looks as if he won’t be able to play leaving the RB workload to Ryan Mathews and Kenjon Barner – neither of whom are very attractive DFS options, especially going against Baltimore’s top ranked Run DVOA defense.
As reported by: Zach Berman on Twitter Donte Moncrief doesn't practice on Thursday; appears unlikely to play this week
The Colts #2 WR continues to miss practice with a hamstring injury and looks as if he will not play this week. T.Y. Hilton will get all the volume he can handle and is again a top WR option. It should also help the TE’s Jack Doyle and Dwayne Allen get more looks their way and is a slight bump to the value of Phillip Dorsett.
As reported by: Kevin Bowen on Twitter Jordan Matthews practices on Thursday for Eagles
The Eagles #1 WR should be good to go for their game this weekend against the Ravens who have struggled with pass coverage of late with Jimmy Smith’s injury. While Matthews hasn’t shown significant upside, he is in play as a mid-range option this week.
As reported by: Zach Berman on Twitter James Starks in concussion protocol
Starks was in a car accident and while fortunately is ok he did suffer a concussion and is in the league protocol. He is questionable for this week. He’d already slid down the depth chart behind Ty Montgomery and Christine Michael so the impact is minimal – it does bode well, however, for Montgomery who has seen his role increase the past few weeks and could be in line for a surprising day against the Bears in extremely cold weather this weekend.
As reported by: Jason Wilde on Twitter Other tagged players: Ty Montgomery Aaron Rodgers expected to miss practice Wednesday and Thursday, will play Sunday
Rodgers, who’s already dealing with a hamstring injury, hurt his calf in the first quarter of their game against the Seahawks on Sunday. Despite the injury, Rodgers was excellent; he threw three touchdowns and completed 78.3% of his passes. In Week 15, they visit Chicago, where the high is currently expected to be -1 degrees Fahrenheit. At least partially due to the weather, the game has a low total of 40.5 points. However, a lot of quarterbacks are in tough matchups this week and the Green Bay rushing offense isn’t great, and as a result Rodgers still projects as our QB1.
As reported by: Ian Rapoport
Ravens CB Jimmy Smith doesn't practice Wednesday
Smith went down in the first quarter against the Patriots and Tom Brady proceeded to throw for 406 yards and three touchdowns, including a 79-yard bomb to outside receiver Chris Hogan. We’ve seen this happen to the Ravens before when Smith is out of the lineup, most notably when Odell Beckham racked up over 200 yards and two scores; their pass defense tends to fall apart without him. The Ravens host the Eagles Sunday for a battle of the birds. Philly has an implied total of just 17.5 points as their offense has struggled lately and their backfield is banged up. When Smith is absent it tends to favor outside receivers and Philly’s number one receiver, Jordan Matthews, lines up in the slot 73% of the time. Dorial Green-Beckham (oblique) would be a potential tournament target to take advantage of a Smith-less Ravens team, but he was inactive last week and is questionable for Week 15. It’s definitely a situation to monitor this week. If both Smith and Green-Beckham are out, Jordan Matthews and Zach Ertz would be interesting contrarian targets.
As reported by: ESPN Other tagged players: Jordan Matthews, Dorial Green-Beckham, Zach Ertz Michael Thomas limited, Mark Ingram didn't practice Wednesday
Ingram (knee, toe) hasn’t practice the last two Wednesdays but hasn’t missed a game in that stretch. Thomas (foot) wasn’t able to suit up in Week 14 after sitting out practice Wednesday and Thursday last week. It’s a good sign he was on the field today. The Saints visit the Cardinals as 2.5-point underdogs in a matchup with a nice 50-point total. Thomas could end up under Patrick Peterson’s shadow though, now that he’s established himself as the number one receiver. Arizona ranks 7th in rush defense, which presents a tough spot for Ingram, if he plays.
As reported by: Nick Underhill Other tagged players: Mark Ingram Melvin Gordon says he's "aiming for next week"
Gordon (hip, knee) did add he was recovering faster than he expected, but this pretty much confirms he won’t be able to play on Sunday. Kenneth Farrow could end up being a chalky play in DFS, but most sites anticipated Gordon’s absence and raised Farrow’s price dramatically. After Gordon went down against Panthers, the rookie running back piled up 22 touches, which he turned into 78 yards. He’ll have a nice matchup with Oakland, who ranks 21st in pass DVOA (he caught six passes last game) and 26th against the rush. There have been rumblings that Ronnie Hillman will split work with Farrow though. Hillman hasn’t been active since joining the Chargers, but San Diego reportedly trusts him more in pass protection. Considering the potential timeshare and Farrow’s price hike, he won’t be a simple plug-and-play running back in Week 15.
As reported by: Michael Gehlken Other tagged players: Kenneth Farrow, Ronnie Hillman James Starks doesn't practice Wednesday
It’s not clear why Starks missed practice yet. He’s technically listed as Green Bay’s starting running back, but Ty Montgomery and Christine Michael should out-snap and out-touch him the rest of the season. Montgomery led the trio with 12 touches for 86 yards and a touchdown this past weekend. We’ll keep an eye on Starks’ situation.
As reported by: ESPN Other tagged players: Ty Montgomery, Christine Michael Adam Humphries has full practice Wednesday
Humphries is technically still in the concussion protocol, although he should clear it in time to play this week. With a lack of depth at receiver last game, Tampa ran the ball 35 times and passed on 26 plays. Getting Humphries back will certainly help their passing offense. They play a Dallas team in Week 15 that has developed into a pass funnel defense; they rank 4th in rush DVOA and 24th against the pass. Vegas isn’t too high on the Buccaneers’ offense in this one though. They’re seven point underdogs and have an implied total of just 19.5 points.
As reported by: Roy Cummings Benny Cunningham ruled out for Thursday
His absence should lead to some extra snaps and targets for Todd Gurley. It’s still not a great spot to target him though as Seattle ranks 3rd against the rush and Gurley has been ineffective all season, averaging just 3.3 yards per carry. On top of that, Los Angeles’ implied total continues to tumble; they’re currently expected to score just 11.25 points.
As reported by: Jack Wang Other tagged players: Todd Gurley Dwayne Allen doesn't practice Wednesday
It’s not immediately clear how Allen (hip) was injured or how serious it may be, but it was enough to keep him out of practice today. If he ends up missing their game, it would be a clear bump to Jack Doyle. With Donte Moncrief looking doubtful, both T.Y. Hilton and Doyle would be in play in a tough matchup with the Vikings. In the one game Allen was inactive (Moncrief was also out), Doyle caught 9 passes for 78 yards and a touchdown, although that was against the Titans, who have a weak pass defense. Fortunately for Doyle, Minnesota’s worst positional rank is against the tight end; they rank 24th against the position in DVOA.
As reported by: Conrad Brunner Other tagged players: Jack Doyle