Illness, calf injury

Alshon Jeffery, Zach Miller and Pernell McPhee are questionable to face #Vikings on Sunday. Jeffery returned to practice on Friday. (Jeff Dickerson on Twitter)

Nerdy Football Analysis: Jeffery battled an illness earlier in the week but is expected to play. The Vikings are middle of the pack in terms of fantasy points allowed to wide receivers but have given up a TD to a wide receiver in the last four games.

Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul has been reasonably effective since returning from his hand injury, but the bulky club on his right hand has prevented him from being as sure a tackler as he once was. As Tom Rock of Newsday details, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is confident that JPP will make the necessary adjustments. Teams around the league will likely be keeping a close eye on the veteran pass rusher down the stretch to see how he adapts, since he’s eligible for free agency this winter.

Here’s more from across the NFC:

• With the Panthers three wins away from a 16-0 season, Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer takes a look back at GM Dave Gettleman‘s time with the franchise, examining both his good and bad moves since taking over the job.
• Byron Maxwell‘s deal with the Eagles may have looked like a $63MM mistake earlier in the season, but the cornerback has played well in recent weeks, and is beginning to justify the club’s investment in him, says Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Daily News.
• With multiple players trying new positions this season, Washington has gone mad scientist on its roster, and so far many of the team’s experiments have worked out, writes Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post.

Missed practice Friday

Out for Bills Sunday: Charles Clay (back), Bradham (ankle), Henderson (illness), Brooks (concussion/neck) & Aaron Williams (neck). (Vic Carucci on Twitter)

Nerdy Football Analysis: Clay didn’t practice this week after pulling a muscle in his back and missing most of Week 14. Chris Gragg should see increased opportunities but isn’t a recommended fantasy option.

When the Bengals expressed interest in signing quarterback Logan Thomas off the Dolphins‘ practice squad earlier this week, Miami protected its young signal-caller by promoting him to its own 53-man roster, preventing him from going to Cincinnati. However, it wasn’t quite as simple as the Dolphins telling Thomas they’d put him on their roster.

According to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (Twitter link), the new deal Thomas signed with Miami included a $125K signing bonus. That $125K, which is part of a two-year pact, as Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald tweets, is a coup for Thomas, since signing bonuses aren’t typically a part of contracts signed at this point in the year. It also reflects Cincinnati’s serious interest in poaching him, and the Dolphins’ unwillingness to let him get away.

Here’s more from around the AFC East:

• Despite the fact that it hasn’t particularly been an area of the strength for the team, the Dolphins‘ offensive line in 2016 will likely look pretty similar to 2015’s unit, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, who suggests that a big offseason shake-up of the line is unlikely.
• With the third year on his contract now set to void, Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor should head into the 2016 season firmly in the driver’s seat when it comes to extension talks, writes Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News. In Carucci’s view, Taylor shouldn’t be rushing to sign a long-term deal unless the money is “staggering.”
• Offensive tackle might be the most unsettled position for the Bills as the offseason approaches, especially given the possibility of left tackle Cordy Glenn reaching free agency, says Mike Rodak of ESPN.com.
• As the Patriots consider their options at running back, with both Dion Lewis and LeGarrette Blount out for the season, CSNNE’s Marc Bertrand makes the case for why the team should sign Steven Jackson, while new practice squad back Montee Ball says he’s happy to get a fresh start in New England (link via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com).

The top options in season-long fantasy football leagues aren’t always the best picks in daily fantasy football. While you want to keep your studs in the lineup in most leagues, even a small stretch of poor performances should have you avoiding a player in daily fantasy.

Heading into Week 15, there are a lot of better, often cheaper options for you to pick for your lineup. Here is a look at the latest trends to watch for in the Dec. 18 stock report. 

Stock Up

Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks ($7,000)

The beginning of the year saw Russell Wilson playing well, but nothing he was doing would really blow you away. That has certainly changed lately with one of the best streaks the NFL has ever seen:

In four games, he has a combined 16 touchdowns and zero interceptions, much better than the 10 touchdowns and seven picks he had in the previous nine games. Doug Baldwin has made plenty of big plays in this stretch, although Tyler Lockett and Jermaine Kearse have also gotten involved in the fun.

All of a sudden, this conservative offense looks unstoppable in the passing game. This should continue with uncertainty at running back due to the injuries of Marshawn Lynch and Thomas Rawls.

Against a Cleveland Browns defense allowing the fifth-highest passer rating in the NFL, there is no reason to expect any drop-off from the red-hot Wilson.

Michael Floyd, WR, Arizona Cardinals ($4,400)

When Michael Floyd is healthy, he is a top fantasy football option regardless of price.

The former first-round pick missed Week 11 with a hamstring injury and was slow to return in Week 12. Outside of these weeks, Floyd has been on a tear in the second half of the season.

Floyd also has six touchdowns in his last seven games, even including his disappointing showing against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 12. He clearly has earned Carson Palmer’s trust, making him a top target in the elite Arizona Cardinals offense.

Facing a Philadelphia Eagles defense allowing the most fantasy points to opposing receivers on DraftKings, the upside is there for a huge week at a minimal cost.

Although he still might have to compete for targets with Larry Fitzgerald, John Brown and others, the value is too good to ignore.

Tim Hightower, RB, New Orleans Saints ($3,900)

Mark Ingram’s injury is Tim Hightower‘s gain, as the veteran showed he can be a workhorse for the New Orleans Saints. The running back had 85 rushing yards and 10 receiving yards in Week 14 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but most impressively, he had 28 carries and a reception.

In a league where running backs struggle to get consistent touches, Hightower has proven he can shoulder the load in the backfield. C.J. Spiller is little more than an afterthought at this point.

Although the efficiency wasn’t great, he has a good chance to improve upon these numbers with a matchup against the Detroit Lions, a defense that was just gashed for 140 rushing yards and two touchdowns by Todd Gurley. Although Hightower clearly isn’t as talented as Gurley, the 29-year-old can find some open space and take advantage of a heavy workload.

There aren’t many better options available at this price on the board.

Stock Down

Devonta Freeman, RB, Atlanta Falcons ($7,500)

As the highest-priced running back this week on DraftKings, you should expect greatness from Devonta Freeman. This will be hard to accomplish in Week 15.

Freeman has slowed down from his incredible start while struggling to get into the end zone. He has just one touchdown since Week 6, and he hasn’t even been able to pick up yards at the same rate. A blowout loss to the Carolina Panthers last Sunday saw the running back finish with just 40 rushing yards on 12 carries to go with 22 receiving yards.

While the matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars seems nice on paper, this defense has actually improved against the run lately. Only one running back has rushed for over 100 yards against Jacksonville this season (Doug Martin in Week 5), while the past five weeks have seen only one touchdown from a running back.

With the Falcons struggling all over offensively, this is a good week to pass on the talented running back.

Amari Cooper, WR, Oakland Raiders ($6,000)

Although Amari Cooper has a bright career ahead of him, he better hope there aren’t too many games like this past Sunday. The rookie finished with zero catches on eight targets, struggling to get open while dropping the ball when it was thrown his way.

Drops have actually become a serious problem this year; he enters Week 15 leading a list you don’t want to be on:

Cooper obviously has tons of talent and can easily bounce back, but his recent play is not too encouraging. A much-improved Green Bay Packers pass defense will make sure a turnaround won’t be easy.

For the price, there are simply too many better options available.

Ronnie Hillman, RB, Denver Broncos ($4,300)

Even with C.J. Anderson unable to play with an ankle injury, Ronnie Hillman couldn’t take advantage of the opportunity to control the Denver Broncos backfield in Week 14. He finished with just 20 rushing yards on 12 carries, forcing the team to turn to Brock Osweiler in the passing game.

Hillman did come through with seven catches for 41 yards, helping him remain productive in points-per-reception leagues, but his lack of efficiency on the ground remains concerning.

Chances could remain limited going forward with Anderson slated to return, leading to a timeshare in the backfield similar to what we have seen for much of the year. These players are both capable of breaking out with big games, but neither is trustworthy in fantasy.

With the Pittsburgh Steelers giving up the second-fewest fantasy points to running backs on DraftKings, Hillman should remain out of your lineup.

Note: All prices and fantasy score info courtesy of DraftKings. Unless otherwise noted, all stats courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com.

Enter the DraftKings $1M Play-Action contest this weekend. Use promo code Nerdy Football when you sign up.

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