Scott Chandler Daily Fantasy News, Rankings, Projections
Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola all questionable for Sunday
Gronk, Edelman and Amendola join Scott Chandler, Chandler Jones and Dont'a Hightower as Pats players drawing the questionable tag. Gronk still seems more likely to play but he may end up being a true game-time decision. If he's unable to go, Scott Chandler would hold nice DFS value as the lone pass catching TE on the roster. Julian Edelman seems very likely to play and he's a very strong DFS target this weekend against a Chiefs defense that should force Tom Brady to get the ball out of his hands quickly. Amendola doesn't hold much value with Edelman back, but his role should increase some if Gronk isn't able to go.
Brandon LaFell & Scott Chandler expected to play Week 16
Brandon LaFell (foot) and Scott Chandler (knee) were able to get in limited practices this week and were expected to be available for the Patriots against the Jets. Chandler has been an afterthought with his injuries and Rob Gronkowski coming back, but could have a role this week when the Patriots will be without Danny Amendola (knee) and Julian Edelman (foot) still. Brandon LaFell should be in line for some extra work this week, though his fantasy output will depend more on who he sees most in coverage - either Darrelle Revis or Antonio Cromartie - while LaFell has still been quite disappointing most weeks even when given extra opportunities. In DvP rankings, the Jets are #4 against RB's, #20 vs. WR's and #5 vs. TE's coming into their Week 16 match up with the Patriots.
Gronkowski, Chandler & Amendola active vs. Houston
Rob Gronkowski, Scott Chandler and Danny Amendola are all active against the Houston Texans tonight for Sunday Night Football. Most considered Gronkowski a long-shot to play this week even after getting in 2 limited practices this week. Chandler and Amendola were limited all week and both expected to play, though reports surfaced earlier today about Chandler being on the more questionable side of things, possibly as a game time decision. Gronkowski could be on limited snaps, only used in 3rd down and Red Zone opportunities. Chandler is in more of the every-down TE role for the Patriots, if he plays his full compliment of snaps and Gronkowski does not. Danny Amendola should see his usual double-digit targets in this game - target totals of 11, 12 and 13 in his last 3 games. Both Amendola and the Tight Ends have tough match ups this week with the Houston Texans coming in ranked #2 against WR's and #12 against TE's in our Schedule-Adjusted Defense vs. Position Rankings. Even on limited snaps, Gronkowski has shown he can pay off by hitting pay dirt, but with his involvement and snap count in question, he is a risky play and more suited for GPP contests. Chandler also presents a risky play with Gronkowski being active and Chandler seemingly not at full health. Brady's fantasy outlook also gets a boost with 3 of his weapons active though the Texans also provide a formidable task coming in ranked #11 against the QB in our Schedule-Adjusted Defense vs. Position Rankings.
Gronk & Chandler both to be active?
ESPN's Dianna Marie Russini and Adam Schefter have both reported Rob Gronkowski (knee) is expected to be active for Sunday Night Football against the Texans. They are also reporting that Gronkowski's snaps may be limited and his role is uncertain this week, not knowing how many snaps he will play. Schefter is also reporting that Scott Chandler is also expect to be active tonight against Houston. The Texans come in ranked #12 against the TE this week in the DvP ratings. Do not look for the Texans to repeat the performance of the Eagles defense last week and Brady's fantasy outlook will look even better if Rob Gronkowski is moving well and can at least be a Red Zone option for the Patriots passing game. Gronkowski playing will hurt Chandler's value and Chandler's role could be affected by his knee injury, making him a risky play.
Scott Chandler "truly" questionable tonight vs. HOU
Adam Schefter reported on NFL Insiders that Scott Chandler is "truly" questionable to play Sunday night against the Houston Texans. This muddies the Patriots' TE situation even further with Rob Gronkowski already expected to be a game time decision and now Scott Chandler leaning towards the same. Schefter also hinted that the Patriots have put in a specific game plan in the event that both Chandler and Gronkowski are unable to play. This will be a fluid situation and we will keep you updated throughout the day.
Gronkowski goes on the flight to Houston
This could be the Patriots making Rob Gronkowski a game-time decision as he would have been ruled out had he not traveled to Houston. Gronkowski is fantasy's #1 scoring TE and is questionable for Week 14 with a knee injury. Brady's favorite target in all areas of the field, Gronk provides a huge boost to the Patriots offense when he is on the field. We will have to hope for some clarity on the situation before the Patriots' late 8:30 pm start time, making Scott Chandler's situation a bit murky also. Rob Gronkowski has been a target hog with with no less than 5 receptions in every game this season and only 3 and 2 single-digit fantasy output games all season in Fan Duel and Draft Kings respectively. Houston's defense is 12th in Notorous' Schedule-Adjusted Defense vs. Position Rankings (DvP), though we have seen both New England Tight Ends have good days against "tough" defenses. With Gronk injured in Week 12, Chandler has had targets of 11 and 7 the last 2 weeks with touchdowns in both games, though his catch rate has been a bit lackluster with 5 catches in Week 12 and 4 catches in Week 13. We will keep an eye out for any reports on both Chandler - who is also questionable with a knee injury, though expected to play - and Gronkowski.
Rob Gronkowski upgraded to questionable
It now looks like Gronk may have a decent shot to suit up on Sunday night. We'd still expect him to take another week to rest, but he's practiced in a limited capacity in each of the last two days which at least leaves the door open for a Sunday night return. Scott Chandler is also listed as questionable, but we're more confident that he'll take the field. Chandler would remain an elite value target at TE if Gronk sits, but would not be playable otherwise. If Gronk is active, he'll be an intriguing tournament target on late-swap sites, but it'll be really hard to feel comfortable rostering him on non late-swap sites unless his prognosis improves by Sunday morning, which seems unlikely. At this point, Danny Amendola remains the most appealing target in the New England passing game. He'll have the best match-up in the secondary (both of Houston's outside CBs have played well this season, while slot man Kareem Jackson has had major issues in coverage) and is a very solid bet for double-digit targets.
Rob Gronkowski practicing Thursday
Gronk is on the practice field today, albeit with a brace on his right leg. While it's encouraging to see him getting in some work, it's not a surefire sign he's going to play on Sunday. Bill Belichick likes to get injured players practices the week before they return and while the first-round bye is now in flux for the Patriots, they aren't going to risk the health of Gronkowski if he's not at 100%. We still expect him to sit out Sunday against Houston, which would open up another opportunity for Scott Chandler to start. While Chandler didn't see a lot of looks relative to the number of passing attempts for Tom Brady against Philly, he's still a very solid target in all formats with Gronk out of the lineup. Danny Amendola should continue to see double-digit targets as the top dog in the Patriots passing game.
Rob Gronkowski officially ruled out, Amendola listed as questionable
Gronk was never expected to play on Sunday, and his absence will allow for Scott Chandler to play a more pivotal role in the efficient Patriots passing game. Chandler is a very solid target at just $2500 on DraftKings, and is also in play in any format at $5,300 on FanDuel. He's our top dollar per point play at the TE position on DraftKings. As for Amendola, he's listed as questionable but is expected to play. He's likely to see upwards of 8-10 targets against the Eagles and is also in play in any format along with Brandon LaFell, who will have a better WR/CB match-up with the Eagles weak outside CBs.