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Marshawn Lynch expected to return Sunday

Fantasy Football, NFL News
October 13, 2015
InjurySeahawks RB rotation will still include Thomas Rawls

Coach Pete Carroll said RB Marshawn Lynch will likely practice on Thursday and should play on Sunday versus the Panthers. He added that the coaches also will find ways to get snaps for rookie Thomas Rawls, who rushed for 169 yards in Sunday’s 27-24 loss at Cincinnati. (Seattle Times)

Nerdy Football Analysis: This is good news for Lynch owners who’ve yet to get much of anything from the normally solid fantasy RB1. Rawls has earned work, but he doesn’t have the same level of talent that Lynch does. Stay tuned as Lynch finally gets back to work during the end of the week.

Colts: Andrew Luck practiced "without limitations"

Fantasy Football, NFL News
October 13, 2015
InjuryBackup Matt Hasselbeck still fighting bacterial infection

Colts QB Andrew Luck participated on an unrestricted basis in Monday’s practice, according to team officials. Practice was not open to reporters, so everyone will have to take the Colts at their word. (Indianapolis Star)

Nerdy Football Analysis: The Colts need to hope for the best, as the plight of backup quarterback Matt Hasselbeck continues. Hasselbeck practiced Monday but is still being treated for the bacterial infection that weakened him last week and nearly kept from playing last Thursday night.

This is a situation to monitor heading into the weekend, as Luck’s shoulder and Hasselbeck’s health are both items of concern with the Patriots on the docket.

NFC Notes: Cards, Payton, Giants, Lions

NFL News
October 13, 2015

While initial estimates suggested Cardinals outside linebacker Alex Okafor would miss two to four weeks, it’s now believed his calf injury will sideline him for up to six weeks, tweets Rand Getlin of the NFL Network.

Okafor’s extended recovery timetable, along with Kenny Demens‘ season-ending ACL injury, makes Arizona’s signing of Dwight Freeney even more important. And speaking of Freeney, Ed Werder of ESPN.com provides a few more details on his contract with the Cards, tweeting that the veteran pass rusher can earn up to $1MM in sack incentives — $200K for four sacks, then another $100K for each one after that, up to 12 ($1MM).

Here’s more from around the NFC:

  • As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, Saints head coach Sean Payton addressed the annual rumors about his potential departure from New Orleans on Monday, suggesting that he has no plans to go anywhere in the near future: “I’ll say what I said before. This is where I see myself. And I’ve said that now, for however many years.” Larry Holder of the Times-Picayune noted (via Twitter) that he can’t picture the Saints firing Payton.
  • After Odell Beckham Jr. and Rueben Randle got banged up in Sunday night’s game against the Niners, Giants head coach Tom Coughlin acknowledged that the team may have to look at adding a receiver this week, though he’s optimistic his players will be ready to go next week (Twitter link via Kimberly Jones of the NFL Network). Jordan Raanan of NJ.com examines some potential outside options for the team in the event that a free agent signing becomes necessary.
  • Lions head coach Jim Caldwell admitted on Monday that team owner Martha Firestone Ford isn’t happy with Detroit’s play so far this season, per Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. For now, the Lions don’t intend to make any coaching changes, but we’ll see if that changes in the coming weeks.
  • Eagles head coach Chip Kelly praised the job Caleb Sturgis did for the team on Sunday, telling reporters on Monday that Philadelphia won’t have any kicker tryouts this week (Twitter link via Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News). Sturgis missed another extra point in his second game for the Eagles, but made seven other kicks, including four field goals.
  • Although Sunday’s loss was a tough one for Washington, there have been signs that the team’s culture is changing, according to Tarik El-Bashir of CSNMidAtlantic.com, who identifies Terrance Knighton, Chris Culliver, and Dashon Goldson as newcomers who are helping to change the attitude in the locker room.

Fantasy Football Week 6: Flex and PPR Rankings

Fantasy Football
October 13, 2015

Before jumping into the upcoming week’s fantasy football rankings, managers everywhere will torment themselves for not prophesying unpredictable results.

Last week’s rankings totally touted Shane Vereen and Andre Johnson as top flex plays, and this author definitely didn’t bench them both for Ameer Abdullah and Leonard Hankerson in his league. Don’t bother looking it up for confirmation. And, of course, everyone knew to sit Eddie Lacy and Randall Cobb for Marcel Reese and Josh Huff. That just seemed like common sense.

This time next week, we’ll meet in the same spot to again scoff at unforeseeable outcomes. But fantasy fanatics are a stubborn bunch, so let’s keep striving for perfection with Week 6’s early flex rankings, divided into separate lists for standard and point-per-reception (PPR) leagues. Note that some ranked players enter the week with injury uncertainty, so keep an eye on their status.

Any Eddy Lacy owners feeling deja vu? For the second straight year, the Green Bay Packers running back has fantasy investors fretting about their first-round pick.

Against the St. Louis Rams, Lacy delivered his second stinker of the young season, compiling 35 total yards on 14 touches. The perennial top-five choice hasn’t located the end zone since Week 1.

He started 2014 just as poorly, as noted by The Fake Football’s Rich Hribar:

The slow start didn’t deter him from finishing with 1,139 yards and nine scores on the ground. Before panicking about a seemingly limited workload, he averaged 15.4 rushes per game last year. It doesn’t look like a lot on a weekly basis, but his consistent usage adds up, especially in a landscape where few backs get afforded steady opportunities.

Lacy doesn’t have Adrian Peterson‘s strength, Le’Veon Bell’s agility or Matt Forte‘s high volume of touches as a runner and pass-catcher. But last year’s events should calm terrified owners. If that doesn’t work, the San Diego Chargers’ No. 28 rushing defense should do the trick.

The 0-5 Detroit Lions hit rock-bottom on Sunday, surrendering six turnovers in a 42-17 loss in which Dan Orlovsky replaced Matthew Stafford. Detroit, the only remaining winless team, rates No. 26 in total offense despite harnessing a future Hall of Fame wide receiver.

Calvin Johnson has hardly vanished into the abyss. The 30-year-old wideout has caught 32 passes for 322 yards, and his 54 targets place fourth among all receivers. But his 10.1 yards per catch and 6.0 yards per target both represent the lowest marks of his career by a wide margin.

Before panicking about Orlovsky torpedoing Johnson’s remaining fantasy worth, Lions head coach Jim Caldwell stood by Stafford despite the benching, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press:

Really, it’s like a pitcher not having a very good day. The pitcher comes out and the pitcher obviously, he’s still the starter. He’s still our starter, so there’ll be no issues there. So there is no quarterback controversy or anything of that nature. But I know one thing, we got to get better. This was poor. Just not the kind of outing that we like to see around here.

Let’s not get too dramatic. You’re still starting Johnson, who gets a friendlier Week 6 matchup against the Chicago Bears. Only the Kansas City Chiefs have allowed more touchdowns to opposing wideouts, per ESPN.com.

But as long as Detroit’s offense remains a miserable mess, it’s hard to keep treating Megatron as a premier option. Until the big plays returns, he’s more of a No. 2 receiver than the guy who nearly broke 2,000 yards in 2012.

C.J. Spiller sprinted into Week 5 on the euphoria of a walk-off 80-yard touchdown catch to beat the Dallas Cowboys in overtime. For an encore, he etched out minus-eight receiving yards against the Philadelphia Eagles.

A fantasy tease throughout his career, Spiller possesses huge big-play talent and elusiveness that makes him a perfect fit in the New Orleans Saints offense. Still, the 29-year-old running back has received 20 touches through four games. If not for that one big play, he’d have a full ledger of duds.

New Orleans looks uninterested in factoring him into a rushing attack already featuring Mark Ingram and Khiry Robinson. Spiller upped his season’s carry tally to nine, and he has yet to amass more than 10 yards on the ground in a single contest.

This is all bad. By the second paragraph most readers probably declared “Bench Spiller, got it. Anything else?” Actually, the Atlanta Falcons present the perfect matchup for Spiller to guide gamers to an early lead on Thursday night.

According to ESPN.com, the Falcons have relented the most fantasy points to opposing running backs. Before assuming this number only matters for Ingram, they have also allowed an NFL-high 42 receptions on 50 targets to the position. PPR players who can stomach steep risk should roll the dice on the high-upside endeavor.

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Daily Fantasy Football October 13: DFS Stock Up, Stock Down

Fantasy Football
October 13, 2015

Brian Hoyer, who entered Thursday night second on the Houston Texans’ depth chart, finished Week 5 with more DraftKings points than Aaron Rodgers.

This shortsighted pundit whiffed on recommending the reserve replacing Ryan Mallett and throwing for 312 yards and two scores while the Green Bay Packers quarterback coughed up his first, second and third turnovers of the season.

Also, what were you thinking playing Rob Gronkowski at tight end instead of Jacob Tamme? Welcome to fantasy football, where every drop, penalty, missed call, injury or sheer randomness can mitigate days of meticulous research.

Stock Up

Dion Lewis, RB, New England Patriots ($5,800)

Dion Lewis isn’t going anywhere.

After trolling fantasy gamers for years with his revolving running-back carousel, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick decided to sneak a stud under their skeptical noses. Through four games, the 25-year-old has compiled 418 total yards and three touchdowns on 59 touches.

Anyone who paid $3,000 for his Week 1 services were delighted to see him churn out 16 DraftKings points. While he hasn’t since received double-digit handoffs due to LeGarrette Blount’s return, he has registered more fantasy points in every other contest.

He’s not merely capitalizing on his situation; he’s showcasing serious skills. The former Philadelphia Eagles castaway circumvented a swarm of Dallas Cowboys defenders to find the end zone on Sunday.

Lewis is one of four running backs (Le’Veon Bell, Devonta Freeman and Jamaal Charles) scoring more than 20 DraftKings points per game. After letting contestants steal him at a discount for weeks, the site finally hiked his price up from $4,800 to $5,800. No longer an immense bargain, Lewis is still usable against the Indianapolis Colts.

Jamison Crowder, WR, Washington ($3,600)

Scrambling for offense without DeSean Jackson and Jordan Reed, Washington has found an intriguing slot receiver in Jamison Crowder.

Nearly invisible during the opening weeks, the rookie wideout has rendered incremental gains over the past three contests, capped off by a strong showing against the Atlanta Falcons.

Per the team’s official Twitter page, head coach Jay Gruden praised the 22-year-old’s development:

To compartmentalize his 14.2 DraftKings points averaged over the past three weeks, that clip matches the season rate of Kendall Wright, who costs $5,300 heading into Week 6. Crowder remains hidden down the catalog at $3,600.

He’s still searching for his first touchdown in an offense more inclined to feed Alfred Morris and Matt Jones than a 5’8″ wideout in the red zone. Don’t expect an incoming touchdown barrage, but his workload sustains his value in DraftKings‘ point-per-reception (PPR) system, especially at such a low price.

A difficult opponent in the New York Jets actually plays right into his hand. According to Football Outsiders, Gang Green has relinquished 96.7 yards to receivers other than the No. 1 and No. 2 wideouts. With Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie shadowing the sidelines, Kirk Cousins will frequently seek out Crowder from the slot.

Tyler Eifert, TE, Cincinnati Bengals ($4,900)

Tyler Eifert continued his climb up the tight-end hierarchy with his second two-touchdown game this season. Pairing those scores with eight catches and 90 yards, his 29 DraftKings points placed second at the position behind Gary Barnidge.

On the season, only Rob Gronkowski has manufactured more fantasy production. Eifert also ranks second behind the Patriots superstar in Pro Football Focus’ grading:

Travis Kelce, initially on a path to realizing his mini-Gronk potential, hasn’t scored a touchdown since his two-score Week 1. Away from the New Orleans Saints, Jimmy Graham is no longer Jimmy Graham. Eifert, who could easily have six scores instead of the position-high five if not for a controversial call, has the inside track headlining the pecking order after Gronkowski.

His breakout should continue against the Buffalo Bills, who rank No. 27 in DraftKings points allowed to tight ends.

Stock Down

Peyton Manning, QB, Denver Broncos ($6,600)

Worrying about Peyton Manning is no longer an overreaction, but the only rational response to the legend’s cavernous fall from grace.

In another Denver Broncos victory subsidized by their defense, the 39-year-old quarterback tossed 266 yards, zero touchdowns and two interceptions on 35 pass attempts. His 8.64 DraftKings points mark his second single-digit tally of the season.

Alex Smith, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Colin Kaepernick and Kirk Cousins have all averaged more fantasy points per contest. SportsCenter‘s Twitter page shared a harrowing insight on Manning’s alarming touchdown-to-interception ratio:

His 6.53 yards per pass attempt is also the lowest rate since his rookie campaign. Having thrown at least 26 touchdowns in all 16 seasons of his storied career, Manning is on pace to accumulate a career-low 19 while falling below 4,000 yards for the first time since 2005.

This isn’t the same superstar. Regression will happen after undergoing neck surgery and admitting to not having any feeling in his fingertips. It may seem like sacrilege for nine quarterbacks—including his brother—to cost more, but even his $6,600 tag is a generous recognition of his past.

Ameer Abdullah, RB, Detroit Lions ($4,000)

If first impressions meant everything, AmeerBarry SandersAbdullah would have met and sauntered past the lofty preseason hype. Onlookers salivated when the rookie running back opened his career with a 24-yard touchdown run on his first touch, but it turns out that old saying about first impressions is actually hogwash.

Since the opening week, Abdullah has compiled 130 yards through four games. He reached a new low on Sunday, gaining 27 yards while fumbling two of his seven touches. As a result of his butterfingers, Zach Zenner and Theo Riddick split the Detroit Lions’ late backfield duties against the Arizona Cardinals.

According to Pro Football Focus, Abdullah and Riddick—used almost exclusively as a pass-catcher—have each played 134 snaps this season. On Sunday, however, the rookie finished with 15 while Zenner logged 31. In Detroit’s defense, the rookie hasn’t done anything to earn a full-time gig, recording a robust 3.3 yards per carry.

“Anytime you put the ball on the ground, obviously, your chances of being able to play for us consistently are going to be minimized,” head coach Jim Caldwell told MLive.com’s Justin Rogers after the Week 5’s 41-17 loss.

Football’s only winless team might as well keep pushing its talented rookie, but it’s looking more and more likely that nobody survives a disjointed timeshare to produce consistently.

Note: All pricing and scoring information obtained from DraftKings.com.


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