Anquan Boldin Daily Fantasy News, Rankings, Projections

Boldin isn't on the Lions injury report but he's clearly bothered by an injury he suffered against the Cowboys on Monday. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reported that Boldin was barely thrown the ball during practice and when he was, he caught balls with his right hand only. Boldin, who's leading the team in receiving touchdowns, is Stafford's favorite red zone target. He has 20 looks in the red zone this season, which is good for third in the NFL. His situation is worth tracking. If his finger turns out to be fine, he would have some tournament appeal against a Green Bay pass defense that's allowed the second-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers over the past four weeks. If it seems like he'll be limited, Marvin Jones, Golden Tate, and Eric Ebron could get some more red zone passes. We should know more by Sunday.

He'll be tested pregame, although it doesn't look like he'll be able to play today. It was an exciting day to roster Jones as his price has fallen dramatically, he had 11 targets last week, and he was playing in the Superdome, but even if somehow plays, he'd be too risky to use now. Detroit are 6.5-point underdogs and the matchup has a 53-point total, they should be throwing quite a bit. Without Jones, Stafford will focus on Golden Tate, Anquan Boldin, Eric Ebron, and Theo Riddick. Tate leads the team in receptions and he should see a high volume of looks today, but he's only scored two touchdowns on the season. Boldin, on the other hand, leads the team in red zone targets (12) and touchdowns (6). New Orleans ranks dead last against receiving running backs, which is great for Riddick, who is second on the team with 11 RZ passes. New Orleans ranks 21st against tight ends and we're projecting Ebron as our top points-per-dollar TE on both FanDuel and DraftKings.

The New Orleans Saints blitz on a league-high 40% of their defensive snaps. According to ESPN's Ed Werder, Saints Defensive Coordinator Dennis Allen doesn't think that is high enough. The Lions are likely to be without deep-threat Marvin Jones today. If the Saints go with a a blitz-heavy approach, the Lions should attack the soft middle of the defense with quick routes and check downs. That would lead to plenty of receptions for Golden Tate, Eric Ebron, Anquan Bolden and Theo Riddick. All four are priced very reasonably across the indstry

Jones (thigh) is officially questionable, but he was very limited in practice this week. Out of concern for their receiver, Detroit pulled up T.J. Jones to their 53-man roster, cutting running back Justin Forsett in the process. We won't know whether Jones will play until after warmups tomorrow. If he can't go, Golden Tate, Anquan Boldin, Eric Ebron, and Theo Riddick could all see an uptick in volume. Tate leads the team in targets (85), but has only scored twice and exceeded 100 yards once. Boldin leads the team in red zone targets (12) and touchdowns (6). It's a great spot to target both receivers in tournaments; they play in the Superdome tomorrow and their game has a 52.5-point total. New Orleans ranks 25th in pass DVOA.

The Lions starting RB and TE missed their third straight practice this week and appear unlikely to suit up for the Lions game against the Redskins. This is a boost to the value of Golden Tate and Anquan Boldin whose usage both increase with those two out. Dwayne Washington, Justin Forsett, and Zack Zenner will split the work at RB and are not in play despite the Redskins 2nd worst in the league Rush RB DVOA due to uncertainty with their roles. We'll continue to update on the Lions injury situation but for now lean towards Riddick and Ebron not playing.

Darius Butler, the Colts slot/nickel corner, did not practice today and hasn't practiced since last week with an ankle injury. If he's unable to go, the Colts could have just four healthy CBs, three of which weren't even on the team's roster heading into training camp. Antonio Cromartie is the most notable name of the group, but he clearly doesn't have much left in the tank considering how long it took him to find a job. The scheme the Colts run is basically identical to what Cromartie ran last year which does work in his favor, but it's not nearly enough to give us any pause when considering rostering the Lions passing attack (opposing QBs torched Cromartie for a 132.5 rating last season). Target the likes of Stafford, Jones and Tate confidently, with Anquan Boldin and Eric Ebron also in play for tournaments.

Boldin will not play Sunday against the Falcons. The 49ers offense is in big trouble with Boldin and Carlos Hyde out, not to mention the fact that they are starting Blaine Gabbert at QB. Avoid the entire 49ers offense in Week 9.

Hyde's absence is not a surprise, as he's not expected to play this week and will very likely miss time beyond this week. Boldin was inactive last week with a hamstring injury, but the 49ers will desperately need him to suit up to give new starter Blaine Gabbert any hope at moving the ball. The ATL D/ST unit is a very solid target given the bevy of injuries to the 49ers skill position players and the obvious lack of talent at QB. Jerome Simpson will fill in opposite Torrey Smith if Boldin has to miss another game.