Mike Tolbert Daily Fantasy News, Rankings, Projections

Tyrod Taylor was carted off the field yesterday after he hurt his knee but he reportedly avoided ligament damage and is considered day-to-day with a patellar tendon contusion. If he misses any time, it would put rookie Nathan Peterman under center again, who will reportedly try to throw fewer than five interceptions in the first half. He didn’t throw any in relief of Taylor this weekend and fortunately for the Bills, they’ll be taking on one of the worst secondaries in the league when they host the Colts on Sunday. They’re giving up the most yards per attempt (8.3) while giving up the eighth-most fantasy points to QBs and ranking 13th in total interceptions (10). They were without their best corner, Rashaan Melvin (hand), in Week 13 and Blake Bortles tore them up, completing 74% of his passes for 309 yards and two scores. Melvin isn’t expected back this week and fellow starting CB Pierre Desir left Week 13 early with a shoulder injury. That could leave them with Quincy Wilson and Kenny Moore on the outside, who would rank 99th and 111th in PFF coverage grades if they qualified. On top of that, the Colts are 29th in adjusted sack rate and generally struggle to apply pressure on QBs. It’s going to be incredibly hard to trust Peterman and his pass-catchers if he starts but this matchup is worlds apart from his debut against the Chargers. Travaris Cadet is in the concussion protocol. He handled seven touches on Sunday. Mike Tolbert missed the past few games but he’s expected to return to practice this week. If both players end up out, it would open up a monster workload for LeSean McCoy. On the defensive side of things, CB Tre’Davious White is in the concussion protocol after taking a late hit from Rob Gronkowski. He’s had a fantastic rookie season, currently ranking fifth in PFF coverage grades and 13th in cover snaps per reception (14.5) while boasting a 51% catch rate. He’d primarily see Chester Rogers if he suits up, so his absence would be an upgrade for the receiver. Outside of one explosive game against the Steelers - when a huge chunk of his 6/6/104/1 line came on a 61-yard TD - he’s been relatively quiet, failing to top 35 yards or score. In another blow to their run defense, DE Shaq Lawson was carted off with an ankle injury. He’s PFF’s 31st-ranked edge defender against the rush and ranks 18th at his position in run-stop rate. His absence would help Frank Gore.

Matthew Stafford has a bruised throwing hand which shouldn’t prevent him from playing this weekend against the Buccaneers, whose defense is allowing the second-most yards per attempt (7.9) and fifth-highest completion percentage (67%). Stafford is eighth among quarterbacks with 7.8 ypa but he’s taken the second-most sacks (38) as he’s playing behind the 24th-ranked offensive line in pass blocking efficiency. Both RT Rick Wagner and RG T.J. Lang exited Week 12 early which is bad news considering they have the 9th and 5th-best pass blocking grades at their respective positions (per PFF). Fortunately for Stafford, Tampa Bay is dead last in adjusted sack rate (per FO).

Zach Ertz will have to the clear the concussion protocol after being forced from Sunday night’s game early with a head injury. That makes him questionable for Week 14. Last time he missed a game, Brent Celek played 81% of the snaps and Trey Burton played 70% and they ran routes on 35% and 38% of their plays, respectively. They both saw four targets but Burton was the only one to find the end zone. They’ll have a tougher matchup for TEs this time around when they visit the Rams, whose defense is allowing the sixth-fewest PPR points to the position while ranking fifth in DVOA.

Delanie Walker sprained his ankle on a touchdown grab and is considered day-to-day. He played well Sunday, catching all five of his targets for 63 yards the aforementioned score. Per usual, the Titans pass-catchers suffered because Marcus Mariota only threw the ball 23 times. They're running the sixth-fewest plays per game this season (60.6). DL DaQuan Jones has been placed on IR after he suffered a biceps injury Sunday. He had been playing well, racking up 3.5 sacks over the past two games. On the season, he posted the 12th-best run-stop rate among interior defenders. His absence will be an upgrade for Adrian Peterson in Week 14 if the running back is able to return from a neck injury.

C.J. Fiedoworicz could be done for the season after he suffered another concussion Sunday. The last one forced him to the IR and it’s his third since the preseason. With Braxton Miller also forced from the game with a concussion, Bruce Ellington dealing with a hamstring issue, and Will Fuller still sidelined, TE Stephen Anderson saw 12 targets and turned them into five catches for 79 yards and a score. The Texans are running out of people to throw the ball to; depending on how the injury situation shakes out, Anderson could be in line for another heavy workload against the 49ers this weekend. With all of their injury troubles at safety, San Francisco has struggled defending the position recently, allowing the fifth-most PPR points to TEs over the past four weeks. Of course, DeAndre Hopkins will continue to pick up a massive workload no matter what – he saw 14 targets last game – and the 49ers are 27th in WR1 DVOA.

Ravens CB Jimmy Smith tore his Achilles’ tendon on Sunday. He’d been dealing with a sore Achilles for most of the season, often missing practices to rest it. He’ll now miss the rest of the year, which is a big blow to the Ravens secondary. Per PFF, he was allowing the fourth-fewest fantasy points per route (0.15) heading into Week 13. Rookie CB Marlon Humphrey will join Brandon Carr in the starting line up in place of Smith. He’s seen as many targets as Smith (40) in a little over half the snaps and he’s held receivers to fewer receptions (20 to 23) and yards (282 to 292). Similar to Smith, he hasn’t been charged with a touchdown and he’s picked off two passes (Smith has three). We’ll find out what he’s made of next weekend when he’s set to face Antonio Brown most of the game.

Dolphins CB Cordrea Tankersley suffered shoulder and ankle injuries Sunday but he was able to return the game. The team said they’ll go easy on his this week and the Sun Sentinel believes his status is uncertain. The Dolphins are set to face Tom Brady and the Patriots this weekend, so if they have to dig to into their bench, it would help New England’s passing game. Considering the Dolphins have allowed the second-most fantasy points to QBs over the past four weeks and rank 31st in pass DVOA, it’s already a tremendous spot for the Pats.

Rams LB Alec Ogletree injured his elbow but he believes he’ll be ready to play the Eagles this weekend. He’s one of the best pass-rushing linebackers in the game; he’s recorded the fifth-best pass rushing productivity rate among linebackers while recording the third-most pressures (17, per PFF). He would be very useful this weekend considering the Eagles offensive line is sixth in pass-blocking efficiency. They allow a high-percentage of pressures to be converted into sacks though. They’ve been charged with the tenth-most sacks (18) and rank 17th in adjusted sack rate (per FO).

Bears DL Mitch Unrein left Week 13 with a knee injury. He’s posted the ninth-best run-stop rate this season among interior defenders, so his absence next week would be a boost for Joe Mixon. The rookie runner impressed last week against a tough Browns run defense, picking up 114 yards and a TD on the ground. Although he’s last among qualifiers in PFF’s elusive rating (22), he was seventh in Week 12 (59.4). He also added three catches for 51 yards. On the season, his yards per route run would be fifth-among RBs if he qualified (1.83). The Bears are 14th in receiving RB DVOA but have held the position to the fifth-fewest receiving yards this season (34.3/g). Chicago also lost LB Pernell McPhee, PFF’s 49th-ranked edge defender in run defense, and LG Kyle Long to shoulder injuries. Chicago’s backup guards have performed poorly this season, so if Long misses time it’s a downgrade for their pass-protection and ground game. The Bengals defensive line is 18th is adjusted sack rate and 30th in adjusted line yards.

Chiefs DL Allen Bailey injured his knee Sunday, forcing him from the game. He hasn’t had a strong year and he’s earned PFF’s 105th interior defender grade. C Mitch Morse was carted off with a foot injury. He’s been battling foot problems all year and he’s the 29th-ranked center by PFF grading among 36 qualifiers.

Falcons LG Andy Levitre is dealing with a triceps injury. He’s PFF’s 16th-ranked guard this year and he’s allowed the eighth-fewest pressures at his position (12). With the Saints and the third-ranked defense in adjusted sack rate headed to town, Levitre’s presence could really help quarterback Matt Ryan.

Giants RT Chad Wheeler, Justin Pugh’s backup, suffered a concussion Sunday. Bobby Hart, PFF’s 68th tackle among 80 qualifiers, filled in for him. It’s possible Pugh will be able to return this weekend. As a unit, the Giants are 15th in adjusted sack rate and they’ll be taking on a Colts defense that’s 29th in the metric.

Although Benjamin avoided major knee damage last weekend, he's not quite ready to return to the practice field. Head coach Sean McDermott considers him day-to-day which lands him in the questionable area heading into the weekend - if he can't return by Friday, he'll likely sit this one out. His absence would spread targets to Zay Jones, Charles Clay, Deonte Thompson, and Matthews if he plays. Matthews was inactive in Week 11 but he appears to be on track to suit up in Week 12. Matthews would have a terrific spot against the struggling Steven Nelson, who's allowed 1.6 yards per cover snap (sixth-most if he qualified) and two touchdowns when lined up inside since returning to action in Week 8. Jones will avoid Marcus Peters most of the game as he only runs 31% of his routes in the corner's area. If Benjamin suits up, he'll deal with Peters often, although the CB hasn't exactly been shutting receivers down this year. He's 26th in yards per cover snap (0.92), 19th in cover snaps per reception (13.5), and he's allowed three touchdowns along with a 63% catch rate. Tolbert was downgraded Thursday after getting in a limited session yesterday.

Jones was inactive last week due to a knee injury but he appears on track to return. The wildly inefficient receiver, who's hauled in just 36% of his targets, will have a new quarterback this weekend; fellow rookie Nathan Peterman will get the nod against the Chargers. While Jones was a favorite target of Tyrod Taylor - he's currently second on the team with 44 looks - it remains to be seen if Peterman will throw his way as much. Plus, Jones hasn't played with Kelvin Benjamin yet, which could further reduce his market share. He'll primarily match up with Chargers CB Trevor Williams this weekend. The corner is limiting receivers to 0.14 fantasy points per route defended, the fourth-best rate among cornerbacks playing in Week 11 (per PFF). It won't get much easier for Jordan Matthews or Benjamin as the trio of Williams, Casey Hayward, and Desmond King are all among PFF's top 16 cover corners. They've also been strong against tight ends, limiting the position to the second-fewest PPR points per game. Their pass defense's weak point is defending pass-catching backs. Los Angeles has allowed the most receptions (6.56/g) and third-most yards (54.11) to RBs this year. Considering they're 22nd in rush DVOA, 25th in adjusted line yards, and giving up the fourth-most PPR points to the position, it seems like a great spot for LeSean McCoy. On top of those favorable stats, the Bills will likely try to ride McCoy as much as possible with Peterman under center, ensuring a high volume of touches for Shady. It's worth keeping an eye on Tolbert, who's now missed two straight practices. He steals some of the goal line work from McCoy, so if he's sidelined Sunday, it would provide a little boost for the starter.

Artis-Payne was a healthy scratch for each of the Panther's first two games, but figures to play a major role with Jonathan Stewart on the shelf. He'll have to compete with Fozzy Whitaker and Mike Tolbert and is likely to lose goal-line work to Cam Newton, so his floor is very low, but at $4,800 on FanDuel and $3,000 on DraftKings, he's not worth writing off. He should still see somewhere between 10-15 touches and considering that running backs playing at home as touchdown favorites are typically strong targets, Artis-Payne is in a good spot. Minnesota's defense is strong, but touches generally breed production.

Panthers coach Ron Rivera stated that the team will likely use a committee approach with Jonathan Stewart out against the Giants. Fozzy Whittaker will presumably draw the start, but Mike Tolbert will see an uptick in touches (especially in the red-zone) while rookie Cameron Artis-Payne is expected to see the field for the first time since late October. We're tentatively expecting Whittaker to lead the backfield in touches, but Artis-Payne could see upwards of 10 touches if he's able to run well with his first handful of opportunities. Whittaker has the highest ceiling of the group with Tolbert not far behind given how the Panthers like to use him towards the goal line.

Stewart has a sprained foot and his status for this week is unclear but most expect the team to proceed with caution as they head into the playoffs. Cameron Artis-Payne would be an intriguing option if Stewart sits as the Panthers go up against a soft Giants defense. Fozzy Whittaker and Mike Tolbert would also be involved if Stewart were to sit, so the backfield would be very murky from a DFS perspective. Tolbert would remain the best option in short-yardage/goal-line situations which would give him some added appeal, but he wouldn't be likely to handle more than 10-12 touches as he's not typically used much between the 20's. Whittaker and Artis-Payne would likely split early down work, but hopefully if Stewart's outlook remains dim throughout the week we'll get some clarification from Panthers beat writers on what the expected workload would be for the trio of healthy backs.