Robert Kelley Daily Fantasy News, Rankings, Projections

Redskins RB Derrius Guice tore his ACL in Thursday’s preseason opener. Guice was penciled in as the starting RB for Washington and had first dibs on goal line work. Now Washington will have to turn to plan B. Chris Thompson is still on the mend from a significant leg injury so the load may fall back on Rob Kelley. Samaje Perine appears to be buried on the depth chart so Kelley may be the next man up. He looked terrible last season, averaging just 3.1 yards per carry. He’s shown a lack of burst which shouldn’t be surprising given his rock bottom workout metric numbers across the board. He has spent the offseason revamping his body and is said to be down in the 221 weight range, a significant drop from the last few seasons. Regardless, any running back who gets 1st down, 2nd down and goal line snaps should be on our radar in best ball drafts and considered in the right matchup for DFS.

Devonta Freeman suffered his second concussion of the season against the Cowboys Sunday. Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen reported the running back isn't expected to be cleared in time to play next Monday night and added it's possible he'll be out for an extended period of time. That will give Tevin Coleman the start against the Seahawks, whose defense is limiting RBs to the fourth-fewest PPR points. He turned a season-high 21 touches into 85 yards and a score against Dallas in Week 10. On the season, he’s averaging 4.8 yards per carry and 8.1 yards per target. Generally speaking, he’ll carry plenty of upside in the featured role, but he’ll have a tough matchup this week.

Marcus Mariota is dealing with non-throwing shoulder and ankle injuries heading into a Thursday night matchup with the Steelers but he's fully expected to play. It's a difficult spot considering the Steelers are fifth in pass DVOA and holding QBs to the third-fewest fantasy points this season. However, with injuries to CB Joe Haden and S Mike Mitchell, the matchup will be a bit easier than it looks on paper. The Titans are 7.0-point road dogs, which could force Mariota to the air often. He attempted a season-high 44 attempts in Week 10 and finished with 256 yards and a score. On the season, he's 18th with 7.19 yards per attempt and 29th in touchdown passes (7). He's added three scores on the ground though and picked up at least 24 rushing yards in five games. He was expected to be more involved as a runner this past weekend and he followed through with 51 rushing yards. Delanie Walker suffered a wrist injury Sunday but still led the team with six receptions and 63 yards. He's also expected to suit up against the Steelers, whose defense continues to shut down tight ends. They were second in DVOA heading into the week and limited Jack Doyle to a 2/9/0 line on five looks. They're now third in PPR points allowed to the position.

Aaron Jones and Ty Montgomery both left Week 10 early. Jones is believed to have suffered an MCL sprain and he’s expected to miss 3-6 weeks while Montgomery re-aggravated a rib injury and could also miss some time. That leaves Jamaal Williams as Green Bay’s featured back. He ended up seeing 21 touches Sunday but only managed 74 scoreless yards. Next week he’ll face a Ravens defense giving up the third-most rushing yards (110.8/g) and ninth-most rushing scores (0.7/g) to RBs. Brett Hundley tweaked his hamstring during the game which is something to keep an eye on this week.

Will Fuller is dealing with cracked ribs. Although it’s nothing too serious, Fuller will be sidelined for at least one game. Bruce Ellington will serve as the WR2 behind DeAndre Hopkins while Fuller is down. He managed to pick up eight targets and caught Tom Savage’s lone touchdown. Hopkins piled up 14 looks and will undoubtedly continue to be a target monster. With Savage under center, he’ll continue to have some efficiency problems though – he’s only caught 43% of his passes the past two games – and he won’t have as many scoring opportunities. C.J. Fiedorowicz could also benefit from Fuller’s absence. He saw six looks in his first game since Week 1 but he only caught two for ten yards.

Rob Kelley was diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain and a grade 1/2 MCL sprain. It’s not clear how long he’ll be out for but it’s highly doubtful he’ll be able to suit up this weekend against the Saints. That should elevate Samaje Perine to the early-down role with Chris Thomspon mixing in for carries while continuing to handle the bulk of the passing downs. Both backs tallied nine carries and Thompson attracted seven targets. Week 11 isn't a bad matchup for Thompson. In addition to the Saints ranking 28th in rush DVOA, they’ve given up the second-most receptions and sixth-most receiving yards to the position. On top of that, Thompson will have a friendly $5.4k price tag on DraftKings this week, possibly the cheapest he'll be the rest of the season. Given the spot and his ability to generate huge plays, Thompson is shaping up to be a solid DFS play in Week 11. Ryan Grant entered the concussion protocol. Despite the receiver leaving early, Terrelle Pryor didn’t see a single target and was out-snapped by Maurice Harris, who made a terrific touchdown grab. It’s possible Harris operates as the WR3 if Grant is out, it’ll be something to monitor this week.

Allen Hurns injured his leg late Sunday and is in danger of missing Jacksonville’s Week 11 matchup with the Browns. Should he sit, it would be a nice boost for Marqise Lee, who caught a touchdown for the second straight game. Dede Westbrook could be activated for the first time this season and may immediately step into a sizable role if Hurns is sidelined.

Jacoby Brissett has entered the concussion protocol. He’ll have an extra week to clear it with the Colts on a bye. If he’s able to play in Week 12, he’ll have a terrific matchup with the woeful Texans pass defense.

Steelers CB Joe Haden has a non-displaced fibula fracture and S Mike Mitchell is dealing with an ankle injury. Fortunately, Haden’s injury won’t require surgery but he’s expected to miss up to six weeks due to the injury. He was having a really strong season, his absence will undoubtedly be a downgrade for the stout Steelers secondary. Coty Sensabaugh played poorly in place of Haden, allowing a 3/83/1 line on four targets. He’ll primarily battle Rishard Matthews on Thursday night. The receiver was second on the team with five catches and 50 yards in Week 10 but he was out-targeted by Corey Davis 10-7 in the rookie’s first game since Week 2. Davis will have his hands full with Artie Burns, who’s 19th in cover snaps per reception (14.1, per PFF), which could encourage Marcus Mariota to send more passes in Matthews’ direction.

Jets CB Morris Claiborne re-aggravated his foot injury causing him to leave Week 10 early. He’ll have a bye to rehab this week. If he’s able to return for their Week 12 matchup with the Panthers, Claiborne will likely shadow Devin Funchess around.

Adam Jones is in the concussion protocol. Although he’s picked up PFF’s 100th cover grade, he’s limiting receivers to a 50% catch rate and 0.85 yards per cover snap which would be 19th if he qualified. He’d primarily line up across from Demaryius Thomas in Week 11 if he plays. Although Thomas tends to be Brock Osweiler’s favorite target, Emmanuel Sanders picked up a team-high 11 looks against the Patriots due to his more favorable matchup with CB Malcolm Butler – he finished with a 6/137/0 line. Sanders would arguably have the better spot again going up against Dre Kirkpatrick, PFF’s 104th cover corner, who’s allowed 1.06 yards per cover snap (43rd).

Cowboys LB Sean Lee injured his hamstring Sunday and could miss a couple of games. It would be a huge loss for Dallas as Lee is playing well this season, earning PFF’s tenth-best linebacker grade. His 11.9% run-stop rate would be good for second at his position if he qualified. His absence would open up a better matchup for the stable of Eagles backs. It’s not yet clear if Jay Ajayi will take over the featured role this week after he logged 17 snaps in his first game with the team. That situation will be worth watching during the week.

Browns LB Jamie Collins suffered a torn MCL and is out for the year. His 9% run-stop rate would be tenth among linebackers if he qualified. His absence will be a little boost for Leonard Fournette. Cleveland’s run defense was the top-ranked unit in DVOA and second in adjusted line yards (per FO) heading into the week but they allowed Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick to combine for 5.8 yards per carry on Sunday with both managing runs of 20+ yards. Fournette is coming off his worst game of the season in which he turned 19 touches into 46 yards against a much worse Chargers run defense. He’ll have a tough spot to bounce back but his volume should remain high.

Giants RT Justin Pugh left early with a back injury. If he misses any time, Bobby Hart, PFF’s 67th-ranked tackle, would continue to fill in. It’s a slight downgrade but Pugh has also scored poorly this season. Running back Orleans Darkwa has taken over the Giants backfield, logging 16 touches against the 49ers. He's now averaging 5.1 yards per carry heading into a Week 11 showdown against a Chief run defense currently in 30th in adjusted line yards (4.66).

The Redskins will be without three starters on their line when they take on the Seahawks this afternoon. Fortunately for them, they'll at least have RG Brandon Scherff and RT Morgan Moses is participating. Although Seattle is 18th in adjusted sack rate, Kirk Cousins could be in trouble. He ended up being sacked four times and committed two turnovers against Dallas (eighth in adjusted sack rate) in Week 8. Seahawks DE Frank Clark could cause a lot of problems attacking the Redskins banged-up left side. He's posted the fourth-best pass rushing productivity rate among all edge defenders since returning from injury two weeks ago (per PFF). Kelley (ankle) will play through a questionable tag but he'll be limited, per Ian Rapoport. Chris Thompson has led the backfield in snaps the past four games, averaging 12.8 touches along the way. Given his typical involvement in the passing game, he's an interesting volume-based PPR target with both Jamison Crowder and Jordan Reed out. Those two have combined for a 33% market share of the team's targets this season, opening up plenty of opportunities for the other pass-catchers like Thompson. The back had season-highs in snaps (47) and receptions (8) last week as the Redskins played from behind. Considering how well the Seahawks offense has played recently and the Redskins are on the road, Washington could get down early again, forcing quarterback Kirk Cousins to the air and providing Thompson plenty of snaps. However, Seattle poses a tough challenge for receiving backs. Not only are they third in DVOA, but they're holding the position to the fewest receptions (4.0/g) and second-fewest yards (27.7) after facing solid receiving backs like Ty Montgomery, Todd Gurley, and Carlos Hyde - although they did give up a receiving TD to Lamar Miller last weekend (3/19/1 line). On top of that, Thompson is now priced at a season-high $6.1k on DraftKings, making him a little less appealing. Even with the injury situation and expected game flow, it may be difficult for him to crush his salary against this defense.

Kelley (ankle) will play through a questionable tag but he'll be limited against the Seahawks this afternoon, per Ian Rapoport. Chris Thompson has led the backfield in snaps the past four games, averaging 12.8 touches along the way. Given his typical involvement in the passing game, he's an interesting volume-based PPR target with both Jamison Crowder and Jordan Reed out. Those two have combined for a 33% market share of the team's targets this season, opening up plenty of opportunities for the other pass-catchers like Thompson. The back had season-highs in snaps (47) and receptions (8) last week as the Redskins played from behind. Considering how well the Seahawks offense has played recently and the Redskins are on the road, Washington could get down early again, forcing quarterback Kirk Cousins to the air and providing Thompson plenty of snaps. However, Seattle poses a tough challenge for receiving backs. Not only are they third in DVOA, but they're holding the position to the fewest receptions (4.0/g) and second-fewest yards (27.7) after facing solid receiving backs like Ty Montgomery, Todd Gurley, and Carlos Hyde - although they did give up a receiving TD to Lamar Miller last weekend (3/19/1 line). On top of that, Thompson is now priced at a season-high $6.1k on DraftKings, making him a little less appealing. Even with the injury situation and expected game flow, it may be difficult for him to crush his salary against this defense.

Kelley will return from a two-game absence, as expected. He'll take over the early-down role from Samaje Perine and will likely cut into Thompson's rushing work. Thompson should continue to operate as the passing-down back though. It's a tough matchup for these guys as Philly's rush defense has limited opposing RBs to 40.0 rushing yards per game, the lowest rate in the league. They've given up a little more production to backs through the air, allowing the eighth-most receptions (6.2/g) and 13th-most receiving yards (47.3/g), but they were ninth in receiving RB DVOA heading into the week. Although Breeland has earned PFF's 82nd coverage grade, he's limited receivers to the 12-fewest yards per cover snap (0.75). He'll primarily match up with Alshon Jeffrey tonight.

It looks like Kelley will be able to return after missing Week 6 with an ankle injury. He'll resume the early-down role while Chris Thompson operates as the passing-down back. He'll have a very tough spot against an Eagles defense that tops the league in adjusted line yards and impressively stuffed Jonathan Stewart for -4 yards on eight attempts. On the season, they've only given up 40.0 rushing yards per game to RBs. They allowed Christian McCaffrey to haul in ten receptions for 56 yards a score though, and they're permitting the tenth-most receptions to the positon. It looks like a better matchup for Thompson and he'll be more useful in full PPR formats.

Kelley's absence is expected to elevate Samaje Perine to the primary early-down grinder role with Chris Thompson operating as the pass-down back. However, the Redskins are saying Thompson will start and he should pick up more carries than normal - he earned eight the last time Kelley was out. Even better, Thompson, the team's leading receiver, went off for a 6/7/150/1 receiving line in that game and he'll have another great spot against the 49ers. Their defense ranks 22nd in receiving RB DVOA and has given up the most passes to the position (9.7, per FO). Perine struggled in the starting role against the Raiders in Week 3, posting just 49 yards on 19 carries. On the season, he's only averaging 3.1 ypc but SF's defensive line has been mediocre, ranking 16th in adjusted line yards (4.05) and they're allowing the ninth-most rushing yards to RBs this season (103.6).

Kelley isn't expected to play this weekend, elevating Samaje Perine into the primary early-down grinder role with Chris Thompson operating as the pass-down back. Thompson should also pick up some extra carries, he earned eight the last time Kelley was out. Even better, Thompson, the team's leading receiver, went off for a 6/7/150/1 receiving line and he'll have another great spot against the 49ers. Their defense ranks 22nd in receiving RB DVOA and has given up the most passes to the position (9.7, per FO). Perine struggled in the starting role against the Raiders in Week 3, posting just 49 yards on 19 carries. On the season, he's only averaging 3.1 ypc but SF's defensive line has been mediocre, ranking 16th in adjusted line yards (4.05) and they're allowing the ninth-most rushing yards to RBs this season (103.6).