Fantasy Football News, Info, Articles 2017/18 (Lots of ESPN Insider)

[HacheMan]

Best NFL DFS matchups for Week 2
cott Kacsmar, Football Outsiders
ESPN INSIDER
9/13/17

The second week of an NFL season is always about trying to figure out what was real in Week 1. Is Chicago running back Tarik Cohen really a rookie sensation, or did Mike Glennon just fall in love with short passes against an Atlanta defense that conceded 14 catches to James White in the Super Bowl?

Rookie running backs were all the rage in Week 1, but if you are willing to pay a near-premium for Kareem Hunt this week, do keep in mind that he played only 58 percent of the snaps in New England. Snap counts and touches are always important to note.

Speaking of New England, the Patriots-Saints matchup is really the key to building your Week 2 lineups in DFS. A ton of points are expected in a game that features two Hall of Fame quarterbacks and two very shaky defenses. The Packers visiting Atlanta is another offensive showdown, but we also have to make sense of Pittsburgh's very talented offense after a slow start in Cleveland, and whether Sam Bradford is leading a strong Minnesota offense this year.

You can count on more touchdowns this week after the slow start the league got off to in Week 1. However, it would be for the best to fade any contests with the Thursday night game. Even in seasons where they didn't look terrible, the Bengals and Texans played very low-scoring games.

Here are the best and worst fantasy matchups for Week 2:

(Note: References to defensive rankings are based on Football Outsiders' DVOA metric, explained here).


Quarterbacks

Midtier lock of the week: Jameis Winston vs. Chicago Bears


Winston makes his 2017 debut with a favorable home matchup with the Bears. Winston had eight games in 2016 with at least 220 passing yards and multiple touchdowns, and he is poised to do even bigger things in his third year with the additions of DeSean Jackson and O.J. Howard. There are better premium options this week for cash games, but in a tournament, I would not hesitate to stack Winston with No. 1 target Mike Evans. Don't let the 23-17 final with Atlanta fool you last week. The Bears still gave up more than 45 yards per drive to Matt Ryan's Falcons.

Take a walk on the wild side: Trevor Siemian vs. Dallas Cowboys

Sure, most people are going to pick Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, or Ryan this week. But for the daring, why not take their best skill players and pair them with a bargain like Siemian? He accounted for three total touchdowns against the Chargers and mostly looked to be in command of his offense. Denver still doesn't have a great running game, and the Dallas defense is vulnerable to allowing a lot of short completions. This should also be a game that Denver never gets a big lead in, keeping Siemian throwing well into the fourth quarter.

Fade: Dak Prescott at Denver Broncos

The Denver defense was not overwhelming against the Chargers on Monday night, but the unit did give up only a single touchdown until some turnovers led to short fields in the fourth quarter. I still trust this defense to play strong at home, and the Cowboys just came off a 19-point effort against a stingy Giants defense. The fantasy numbers were respectable for Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott, but I would fade the offense on the road, including Dez Bryant and his tough matchups with Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr.

Players To Pick In Week 2
PLAYER POS TEAM PROJ +/- TOT
Jameis Winston QB TB 18.4 4.1 22.6
Trevor Siemian QB DEN 15.2 -1.2 13.9
Ty Montgomery RB GB 13.8 2.9 16.7
Marshawn Lynch RB OAK 11.6 2.7 14.3
Mike Evans WR TB 18.7 2.1 20.8
Larry Fitzgerald WR ARI 15.2 1.5 16.8
Chris Hogan WR NE 9.7 1.0 10.6
Jimmy Graham TE SEA 11.0 1.2 12.2
Running backs

Premium play: Marshawn Lynch vs. New York Jets

While the Jets have a strong defensive line, LeSean McCoy still rushed for 110 yards last week. The Raiders have a very good offensive line, and I expect Lynch to impress in his home debut. He already was solid with 76 rushing yards in Week 1, and should find the end zone this week. Like with most game scripts against the Jets this year, the Raiders are going to play with the lead, which means more opportunities for Lynch.

Matchup play: Ty Montgomery at Atlanta Falcons

Running backs have been very productive -- both on the ground and as receivers -- against Atlanta since last season. When these teams last met in the regular season, Montgomery was inactive. In the NFC Championship Game, the Packers quickly fell behind 10-0 and really had to abandon the run. Montgomery had only three carries. I expect a much closer offensive shootout where Montgomery can get 15-plus touches, including several receptions. The Bears just piled up points on the Falcons last week with Jordan Howard and Cohen. This is a much better matchup for Montgomery than Seattle.

Fade: Dalvin Cook at Pittsburgh Steelers

Cook rushed for 127 yards in his rookie debut. A late 33-yard run to milk the clock really boosted his fantasy night, but he did look impressive, albeit the game was against New Orleans. Pittsburgh's strength is its run defense and the unit caught a big break when Stephon Tuitt avoided a season-ending biceps injury. He could play Sunday. This should be a game where Bradford's best friends are Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen rather than his back and tight end Kyle Rudolph. This is also a game where the Vikings are less likely to play from ahead as often, facing a tough Pittsburgh team with great offensive options on the road.

Players To Avoid In Week 2
PLAYER POS TEAM PROJ +/- TOT
Dak Prescott QB DAL 18.2 0.0 18.2
Dalvin Cook RB MIN 13.4 -1.4 12.0
A.J. Green WR CIN 16.5 0.8 17.4
Dez Bryant WR DAL 13.5 0.0 13.5
O.J. Howard TE TB 6.0 0.7 6.7


Wide receivers

Value of the week: Chris Hogan at New Orleans Saints

In a game with so many offensive stars, Hogan can be easily forgotten. However, I think he'll bounce back in a huge way from his eight-yard receiving performance in Week 1. Hogan could have an impact in the way that Thielen did out of the slot against New Orleans in Week 1. This is especially true if Danny Amendola is still feeling the effects of his concussion. Hogan would be my value receiver, especially in any tournament this week.

Pay up for: Larry Fitzgerald at Indianapolis Colts

Reports of Carson Palmer's demise might be somewhat exaggerated, but Week 1 was bad. Even worse is that the Cardinals lost David Johnson (wrist) for several months. The good news is that Fitzgerald can still play at a high level, and he's getting an Indianapolis defense that just made Jared Goff look elite. The 2017 Colts appear to be good medicine for whatever ails your team, and I would expect Fitzgerald and Palmer to have their way with this defense this week.

Fade: A.J. Green vs. Houston Texans

In five games against the Texans, Green has been kept out of the end zone and surpassed 80 yards only one time. The Bengals have scored fewer than 20 points in four of those games. Andy Dalton has always struggled with the Houston defense, and he is coming off one of the worst games of his career in Week 1 (four interceptions in a 20-0 shutout). Dalton will play better, but his limitations hurt Green. There are plenty of better premium options this week.

Tight ends

Flip the script: Jimmy Graham vs. San Francisco 49ers

Graham had a very rough Week 1 in Green Bay with a drop in the fourth quarter, a flag didn't go his way in the end zone, and he showed little interest in blocking. I think the 49ers are coming to Seattle at a perfect time for the passing offense to get on track. Graham had 100 yards and a touchdown at home against the 49ers last year, and that defense is still lacking talent in the secondary. Russell Wilson should have a much better connection with his star tight end this week.

Fade: O.J. Howard vs. Chicago Bears

It is a tempting pick when you see that the Bears are 32nd in DVOA against tight ends, but so much of that was the 88-yard touchdown from Austin Hooper. That was not a very repeatable play, but it is the kind of big play that is possible against this secondary. Winston had some incredible big plays against the Bears last year, but I think Howard will have a quiet debut, and we still don't know how much time he'll split with Cameron Brate at tight end. That's why Evans is the safe bet to produce in this offense.

Elite Players

Each week we look at some "elite" players with some of the highest salaries at each position. You should always build your roster with at least one of these players, but sometimes there are difficult matchups where the cost efficiency is simply not in your best interest. Seek the cheaper alternatives listed above.

Top quarterback: Tom Brady at New Orleans Saints

Projections For Elite QBs In Week 2
PLAYER TEAM PROJ +/- TOT
Drew Brees NO 20.2 4.5 24.7
Tom Brady NE 20.2 4.1 24.3
Aaron Rodgers GB 22.5 -1.6 20.9
Matt Ryan ATL 20.6 -1.7 18.9
Derek Carr OAK 18.5 0.0 18.5
Maybe Tom Brady just wasn't "angry" enough in Week 1. Either way, he's getting a New Orleans defense that just made Bradford look like the best quarterback in the NFL. There are still some concerns about Brady's age and the move toward a more vertical offense, but I would be shocked if he didn't light up the Saints this week. Brees is, of course, an excellent choice as well, and he has great numbers (10 touchdowns, one pick) in his career against Bill Belichick's defense. I just prefer Brady since he has more weapons around him right now.

I like Aaron Rodgers over Matt Ryan since you can get some rushing production from Rodgers in that matchup. Both should be really good though. I would fade Derek Carr if only because the Raiders should be done early with the Jets, hence little need to throw for 350-plus yards.

Top running back: Melvin Gordon vs. Miami Dolphins

Projections For Elite RBs In Week 2
PLAYER TEAM PROJ +/- TOT
Melvin Gordon LAC 17.1 1.6 18.7
Le'Veon Bell PIT 19.2 -2.2 17.0
Devonta Freeman ATL 15.7 0.0 15.7
LeSean McCoy BUF 17.6 -3.4 14.2
Ezekiel Elliott DAL 17.3 -3.4 13.9
Melvin Gordon did not have a lot of running room last week, but he still had 23 touches and scored a touchdown. Miami's a good matchup for him in a game that also could be sneaky offensive. Last week, Le'Veon Bell clearly was rusty, which was especially visible in the passing game. He'll be better this week, but the Vikings are still a tough matchup and the Steelers struggled to move Cleveland's front seven last week. I wouldn't go all in on Bell in any format this week.

I wouldn't entirely fade Elliott in Denver, since run defense is still the weakness in that unit, but don't expect a lot. Devonta Freeman should have solid value against the Packers, and McCoy is coming off a minor injury and has a tough matchup in Carolina. I would fade McCoy's high salary this week.

Top wide receiver: Julio Jones vs. Green Bay Packers

Projections For Elite WRs In Week 2
PLAYER TEAM PROJ +/- TOT
Antonio Brown PIT 21.3 1.1 22.4
Julio Jones ATL 18.3 -0.2 18.1
Amari Cooper OAK 17.3 0.0 17.3
Brandin Cooks NE 15.6 1.6 17.1
Odell Beckham Jr. NYG 17.1 -0.2 17.0
Over the past few years, almost every time Jones has a game under 70 receiving yards, he responds with 90-plus yards the following week. Green Bay really doesn't have a top corner to match up with him, and I cannot see Jones being so quiet (by his standards) two weeks in a row. Antonio Brown caught all 11 of his targets in Week 1, but the Vikings should have a better matchup with Xavier Rhodes at cornerback. I think the Steelers also try to get Bell and Martavis Bryant more involved this week, so not as much for Brown.

Odell Beckham Jr. should be faded until he proves he is healthy enough to contribute at an elite level. Amari Cooper should be a solid play in cash games, but again, the Raiders won't need to throw a ton to beat the Jets. I really like Brandin Cooks going back to New Orleans with a chip on his shoulder and an "angry" quarterback throwing him deep shots against a terrible secondary. If there's a better stack than Brady-Gronkowski, it is Brady-Cooks this week. You might even try to play all three of them together if this game lives up to expectations.

Top tight end: Rob Gronkowski at New Orleans Saints

Projections For Elite TEs In Week 2
PLAYER TEAM PROJ +/- TOT
Rob Gronkowski NE 13.6 1.4 15.0
Travis Kelce KC 13.7 -0.7 13.0
Greg Olsen CAR 13.0 -0.7 12.3
Jordan Reed WAS 12.6 -0.6 12.0
Zach Ertz PHI 11.0 0.0 11.0
After one week, the Saints rank 31st against tight ends. After such a quiet Week 1, Gronkowski is a favorite to post big numbers this week in that back-and-forth game. It's an expensive stack with Brady and Gronkowski, but it can really pay off when they hit. I think this will be a big week for the best tight end in the game. Zach Ertz will catch a break with Eric Berry out for the Chiefs, but that defense is still tough without him. I wouldn't count on Ertz to deliver again this week. Greg Olsen is another Week 1 dud expected to rebound in a big way this week. My only concern with that matchup is that Buffalo coach Sean McDermott should know from his time in Carolina just how important Olsen is to this passing game. Still, he's worth a play.

 

[HacheMan]

Week 2 fantasy football flex rankings
Eric Karabell
ESPN INSIDER
9/14/27

One week down, 16 more to go! There’s surely a long way to go for this season, and let’s just say not everyone is so prone to overreacting after one week, including this writer. Some of the players ranked nicely below did not perform so awesome in Week 1, and some of the players not ranked nicely – or perhaps not ranked at all – did produce big numbers already. Let’s see more. We spent literally months constructing our season rankings, and sure, we shouldn’t be blind to things that have changed and should be willing to react, but don’t simply punt aside players that can still be valuable.

It’s Week 2, so let’s all flex!
1. Antonio Brown, WR, Steelers: Even when the other Steelers around him weren’t great, he was great. It is a tougher matchup, but he’s so consistent that it’s tough to ever be concerned.
2. Julio Jones, WR, Falcons: There should be many passes thrown in the Atlanta-Green Bay game.

3. Le'Veon Bell, RB, Steelers: I need to see many more touches from him, and have to assume he’s ready for them.

4. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Cowboys: At this point, it's best to assume no suspension.

5. Melvin Gordon, RB, Chargers: He looked fine in Denver, and should look fine all season.

6. Jordy Nelson, WR, Packers

7. Brandin Cooks, WR, Patriots: Revenge! But really, shouldn’t he be thanking the Saints for sending him to the defending champs?

8. Michael Thomas, WR, Saints: If only he could play against his own defense when it counts.

9. Todd Gurley, RB, Rams: Gurley was not so efficient in Week 1, so it is possible we’re all overrating him. I grant that that option is realistic.

10. Devonta Freeman, RB, Falcons

11. LeSean McCoy, RB, Bills

12. Mike Evans, WR, Buccaneers: Rusty or fresh? It's not worth trying to guess, so just assume he’s a top-5 receiver or close to it.

13. Leonard Fournette, RB, Jaguars: Impressive outing for his first game, and no reason to think it stops. The Jags want/need to run the football.

14. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Panthers: He’s not going to score every week. Well, he will this week. Last week, he saw the touches that we wanted to see.

15. A.J. Green, WR, Bengals: Andy Dalton isn’t a good quarterback, but he’s not that bad, either. I can’t believe someone would allow you to buy low, but go for it.

16. Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Cardinals: Fitz meets the Colts and with a questionable running game. I like it.

17. Kareem Hunt, RB, Chiefs: What can he do for an encore because Week 1 was amazing! Be happy with 100 total yards.

18. Doug Baldwin, WR, Seahawks

19. Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Giants: This seems like a strange spot to rank him because usually he’s top-5. Fair point, but as of Thursday, this is what I believe is the line for him since we still don’t know if he’ll play, and since the game is Monday, we might not know at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday. Just prepare ahead.

20. Marshawn Lynch, RB, Raiders: Lynch looked fine to me in Week 1.

21. Jordan Howard, RB, Bears: Despite the addition of a potential timeshare guy, he looked OK as well. Don’t panic yet.

22. Jay Ajayi, RB, Dolphins: What? He gained no yards in Week 1?!? Oh yeah, they didn’t play. As with Evans, don’t overthink this. Just play him.

23. DeMarco Murray, RB, Titans: Some want to believe his slow start means something. I’m not there yet.

24. Terrance West, RB, Ravens: Obviously I think he’s a decent player, so it’d be nice if he keeps playing well now. And my theory is that this is not a timeshare, but he was rested in the second half of a Week 1 blowout win.

25. Ty Montgomery, RB, Packers: Montgomery was not efficient in Week 1, but should have easier time against the Falcons.

26. Demaryius Thomas, WR, Broncos

27. Emmanuel Sanders, WR, Broncos: Trevor Siemian has two really good options, and that’s about it. And they’re about equal.

28. Lamar Miller, RB, Texans

29. Keenan Allen, WR, Chargers: Even against a strong secondary, he is tough to deal with.

30. Davante Adams, WR, Packers

31. Tyreek Hill, WR, Chiefs: If he makes a big play or two per week, then I’ve seriously underestimated him. A few plays makes a performance look good. It will be interesting to see how defenses try to handle Hill.

32. Dalvin Cook, RB, Vikings: It doesn’t look like he’s sharing too much.

33. C.J. Anderson, RB, Broncos: Anderson isn't sharing much, either, but he’s got to keep playing well. The team has options.

34. Michael Crabtree, WR, Raiders

35. Amari Cooper, WR, Raiders

36. Rob Gronkowski, TE, Patriots: Every time he falls to the ground, whether he’s tackled or dives or whatever, admit that you’re wondering if he just got hurt.

37. Golden Tate, WR, Lions

38. Isaiah Crowell, RB, Browns: Would like to see him average more than two yards per rush, but it is also way too early to worry.

39. Mike Gillislee, RB, Patriots: Gillislee likely falls short of his pace for 48 touchdowns, but would 20 be so shocking? Yeah, probably.

40. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Texans: Pretty much everyone believes Deshaun Watson is an upgrade on Tom Savage, but is he enough of an upgrade for Hopkins?

41. Carlos Hyde, RB, 49ers

42. Greg Olsen, TE, Panthers: It would be nice if the Panthers are pushed a bit so Cam Newton needs to throw more to his excellent tight end.

43. Travis Kelce, TE, Chiefs

44. Terrelle Pryor Sr., WR, Redskins: Things will be OK with this offense, but it was not a great Week 1 for Pryor.

45. Jarvis Landry, WR, Dolphins

46. Alshon Jeffery, WR, Eagles

47. Jacquizz Rodgers, RB, Buccaneers: Lots of people have forgotten that he’s the starter for the first month. If he plays well, he might keep starting, too.

48. Mark Ingram, RB, Saints: Not that any Saints runners looked particularly good on Monday, but let’s go with this guy first.

49. Jordan Reed, TE, Redskins

50. Zach Ertz, TE, Eagles: Ertz is a lot better than you think. Check the numbers.

51. Dez Bryant, WR, Cowboys: Another tough matchup for Dez, but after this week, he’ll move up.

52. T.Y. Hilton, WR, Colts: I’ll place the over/under on Andrew Luck games this season at 8.5, but probably take the under. And don’t act like you have any idea what Jacoby Brissett will do.

53. Jamison Crowder, WR, Redskins

54. Stefon Diggs, WR, Vikings: Diggs looked great on Monday, but he also isn’t playing the Saints again.

55. Bilal Powell, RB, Jets: I’ll give him another few weeks to get going. The Jets have to get him more involved.

56. DeSean Jackson, WR, Buccaneers

57. DeVante Parker, WR, Dolphins

58. LeGarrette Blount, RB, Eagles: Hey, he got into the end zone, and did so with the second receiving score of his career. You can’t really complain about him yet.

59. Frank Gore, RB, Colts

60. Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Panthers

61. Jonathan Stewart, RB, Panthers: So far, so good for each of the Carolina runners.

62. Ted Ginn Jr., WR, Saints: I'm still intrigued by the potential. He was open quite a bit downfield on Monday. Drew Brees will find him.

63. Pierre Garcon, WR, 49ers: Perhaps I was a bit too excited about Brian Hoyer, but it’s way too early to tell.

64. Jeremy Maclin, WR, Ravens

65. Kyle Rudolph, TE, Vikings

66. James White, RB, Patriots: It seems like he’s worth holding onto for another few weeks.

67. Danny Amendola, WR, Patriots: Hardly a lock to play as he's dealing with a concussion. If he plays, let's assume he's worth it.

68. Sammy Watkins, WR, Rams

69. Cooper Kupp, WR, Rams: I guess I'm alone on an island thinking the rookie will produce just like his star teammate, but I’m sticking with it. Nothing that happened in Week 1 dissuaded me.

70. Tyrell Williams, WR, Chargers

71. Randall Cobb, WR, Packers: Cobb looked awfully busy and healthy in Week 1. Perhaps he’s being underrated and Davante Adams overrated. Or perhaps it’s just one week.

72. Jimmy Graham, TE, Seahawks

73. Delanie Walker, TE, Titans

74. Chris Johnson, RB, Cardinals: Surprise! Look, who cares if he was on the roster in Week 1? He is now. And he’s a lot more likely than the next guy, who was added in so many leagues, to shoulder a heavy workload.

75. Kerwynn Williams, RB, Cardinals: Well, Williams should catch passes, at the least.

76. Theo Riddick, RB, Lions

77. Ameer Abdullah, RB, Lions: I'm finding it hard to believe we ever believed in him.

78. Martavis Bryant, WR, Steelers

79. Adam Thielen, WR, Vikings: Man, he looked amazing against the Saints. Let’s see what the Vikings can do in Western Pennsylvania.

80. Brandon Marshall, WR, Giants: They’ll score a touchdown this week -- perhaps three or four.

81. Joe Mixon, RB, Bengals: Talent generally wins out.

82. Giovani Bernard, RB, Bengals

83. Tarik Cohen, RB, Bears: Some are comparing his role to that of Tyreek Hill. I'm not seeing that yet, but add him to your bench.

84. Tevin Coleman, RB, Falcons: Coleman is still a must-own, if not a must-handcuff.

85. Mike Wallace, WR, Ravens

86. Kenny Golladay, WR, Lions: Time for the obligatory, annual Frisman Jackson reference. In Week 1 of 2005, he went off. And that was it. Golladay is far better, but owners will be chasing touchdowns on him for two months now.

87. Rob Kelley, RB, Redskins: They just had a lot of trouble opening holes for Kelley in Week 1. Not sure that changes in Week 2, but don’t cut him.

88. Chris Carson, RB, Seahawks

89. Thomas Rawls, RB, Seahawks: Tough call on the Seattle backs, so really, avoid them all. Most believe Carson is the breakout guy, and I agree. But Rawls will get the chance.

90. Duke Johnson Jr., RB, Browns

91. Chris Hogan, WR, Patriots

92. Kenny Britt, WR, Browns

93. Paul Perkins, RB, Giants: We generally say that every starting running back is worth a look, but the New York o-line makes it tough to believe in Perkins.

94. Rishard Matthews, WR, Titans

95. John Brown, WR, Cardinals: Time for him to do something neat. He caught only four of nine targets against the Lions.

96. Donte Moncrief, WR, Colts

97. Jordan Matthews, WR, Bills

98. Corey Coleman, WR, Browns

99. Corey Davis, WR, Titans

100. Matt Forte, RB, Jets

And that’s how quickly expectations changed for the first guy in the “others” category, the future Hall of Famer. Two Jets topped him.

Others: Adrian Peterson, RB, Saints; Darren Sproles, RB, Eagles; Marqise Lee, WR, Jaguars; Martellus Bennett, TE, Packers; Eric Decker, WR, Titans; Marvin Jones Jr., WR, Lions; Zay Jones, WR, Bills; Shane Vereen, RB, Giants; Javorius Allen, RB, Ravens; Andre Ellington, RB, Cardinals; C.J. Prosise, RB, Seahawks; Eddie Lacy, RB, Seahawks; Derrick Henry, RB, Titans; Chris Thompson, RB, Redskins

 

[HacheMan]

What to watch: Is Beckham worth waiting on?
Eric Karabell
ESPN Insider
9/16/17


The sprained ankle still hampering Odell Beckham Jr. remains a big problem for fantasy owners, but even more so because of the timing of his team’s game. Sure, players get hurt. Players are questionable each and every week. When players are hurt and questionable and aren’t scheduled to appear in the Sunday 1 p.m. ET games, it becomes more difficult for fantasy owners to prepare. In Week 1 the Giants were the Sunday night game. In Week 2 they are the Monday night game. Yep, now things are worse for planning purposes because, as of this writing, it seems like Beckham is going to once again be the dreaded game-time decision, which is an obvious issue.
As a Beckham owner myself, it’s clarity that we covet and, thus, for the second consecutive weekend, the enigmatic New York star’s situation is certainly something to watch. However, I’m thinking I won’t be waiting around for Monday injury updates anyway. Last week, fantasy owners certainly had more options. They could have rostered/activated other Giants receivers like Brandon Marshall and Sterling Shepard or gone with the Cowboys' Cole Beasley in that game, plus there were a pair of Monday night contests offering several strong options. This week, it will be just the Giants and Detroit Lions to choose from -- and the Giants, sans Beckham, are an obvious mess.

After all, the Giants were one of several offenses that did not score a touchdown in Week 1, and Big Blue wasn’t exactly all that proficient late last season either. The Giants failed to score 20 points in their final six games of the 2016 season, including the playoff loss at Lambeau Field -- and didn’t score 30 in any game. That seems odd considering the awesome Beckham is on this club, but there’s no running game here thanks (mostly) to the offensive line -- sorry, Paul Perkins owners. In Week 1, quarterback Eli Manning didn’t find other options. Apparently, teams really do need an offensive line. Just ask the Bengals, who still haven’t scored a touchdown in eight quarters.

Anyway, if we find out by Sunday morning that Beckham is likely to play Monday night, then my current ranking of the star receiver (in which he’s notably quite far from my top 10) looks silly. I grant that. My ranking of Beckham is predicated on the risk of leaving other proficient receivers on your bench when the Sunday early games begin. Also, can we really expect him to perform at his normal, excellent level even if he does suit up? I have doubts, especially since he’ll be matched up with solid Detroit corner Darius Slay. Those who say “play your stars regardless of health or matchup” are missing the point. Beckham will not be 100 percent even if he plays.

Ultimately, it’s Week 2 and fantasy owners have plenty of options, so I don’t mind sticking with my stance on the issue. We can wait until Monday and play Marshall, Shepard or the Lions’ Marvin Jones Jr. or Kenny Golladay if necessary, but none of that sounds great, either. Don’t be afraid to -- perhaps like Beckham himself -- simply sit this one out and rely on others from Sunday, because there are plenty of others.

Other storylines to pay close attention to this weekend

1. Second-year quarterbacks: Both Philadelphia’s Carson Wentz and the Rams’ Jared Goff threw for more than 300 yards in Week 1. Neither had entered the week all that popular with fantasy owners. That makes sense, and neither should be in many lineups this week either, but if these two guys keep playing well, that will change. The Eagles are in Kansas City this week while the Rams host the same Redskins defense that Wentz thrived against in the opener. Consistency will be key for the top picks of the 2016 draft and it also will be interesting to see if their presumed top targets become more involved. Wentz completed more than half his passes to Zach Ertz -- who is becoming a top-five tight end -- and the previously forgotten Nelson Agholor. Goff certainly seems to like rookie Cooper Kupp quite a bit. Whither Alshon Jeffery and Sammy Watkins? Eh, those guys will probably be fine, too, but I have to be honest, I wouldn’t be necessarily buying low, either.

2. Arizona running backs: With top overall pick David Johnson on the shelf until after Thanksgiving -- ugh, it hurts even to type those words -- the Cardinals figure to go with diminutive Kerwynn Williams and Andre Ellington early in the game, then work in the newly signed Chris Johnson. All are still readily available in ESPN standard leagues. The Cardinals are certainly implying that "CJ?K" will be heavily involved, though perhaps not initially, while the quicker Williams and Ellington figure to be better utilized as pass-catchers. Still, who really knows? What we do know, as of this writing, is that Johnson was the least added of the three options in ESPN standard leagues. We also know the Cardinals are in Indianapolis against what appeared to be a truly terrible team. They’d better win this one. Carson Palmer isn’t in danger of losing his job to some youngster, but it would be nice to see him and speedy John Brown hook up at a better rate.

3. No more bye weeks: There’s rampant overreacting far and wide from the Week 1 results, and this pretty much falls in line with oh, every past season. If you really, truly want to drop Hunter Henry for Jesse James after one game I think it’s a really bad idea, but it’s your team. Of course, that’s what’s happening. Nevertheless, the Buccaneers and Dolphins haven’t even played yet, thanks to Mother Nature, so we’re even more intrigued to watch. The Dolphins have to deal with Philip Rivers and the Chargers in SoCal. The Bucs host Mike Glennon and the surprisingly competitive (after one week, anyway) Bears. The hierarchy of Miami wide receivers and Tampa Bay running backs will be of interest. By the way, for further proof of impatience, two key Dolphins (Jay Cutler, Julius Thomas) as well as all three relevant Buccaneers running backs (the suspended Doug Martin, starter Jacquizz Rodgers and Charles Sims) and both Tampa Bay tight ends (Cameron Brate, O.J. Howard) are already among the most dropped at their respective positions. They haven’t played yet!

 

[HacheMan]

Where the Panthers and fantasy players should turn with Greg Olsen out
Eric Karabell
ESPN INSIDER
9/18/17

The tight end position seemed to offer several distinct classes of high-end talent entering this season. The Patriots' Rob Gronkowski, Redskins' Jordan Reed and Bengals' Tyler Eifert fit on one side of the debate as terrific players we can't really count on for a full season of games or, perhaps even close to it. Then there was the Panthers' Greg Olsen, Chiefs' Travis Kelce and Titans' Delanie Walker, also standout performers but more likely to stay healthy and offer fantasy owners the luxury of not needing a backup. Then on Sunday one of them got hurt.

Olsen broke his right foot in the first half of Sunday's ugly 9-3 win over the Buffalo Bills, as fantasy owners first bemoaned the lack of the game's scoring and then the loss of arguably the most reliable tight end. Olsen will surely be reevaluated Monday and clarity on length of absence is pending -- colleague Stephania Bell offers her take -- but as of now, in Olsen's words, "I am going to miss a lot of games." That hurts the Panthers and fantasy managers that had made Olsen, coming off three consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons, a fifth-round choice in ESPN average live drafts.

The Panthers will host the defense-deficient New Orleans Saints in Week 3 sans the top Cam Newton target and with quite a few concerns, starting with the quarterback himself. Newton hasn't performed remotely to the level of a top-10 fantasy quarterback in either of the first two games, wins over the 49ers and Bills. Coming off shoulder surgery, Newton has been far from accurate throwing the football downfield and hasn't been running much, either. He'll be ranked top 10 against the Saints, even sans Olsen, but needs to perform well to justify the attention moving forward.

Then there are the targets left behind. Veteran tight end Ed Dickson figures to fill in for Olsen and he's not likely to be overly fantasy-relevant, though he caught 54 passes and five touchdowns for the 2011 Ravens. He could surprise, but it seems as if the Devin Funchess performance Sunday is a better harbinger. Funchess is a third-year wide receiver with the size of a tight end, and was targeted seven times Sunday, catching 68 yards worth passes. Kelvin Benjamin rebounded nicely from a quiet first game and should be even busier moving ahead. It also seems about time rookie running back Christian McCaffrey breaks out; in two games he has seen 30 touches but done little with them. Again, the Saints game will be critical for fantasy players deciding his value.

As for tight ends to seek out in fantasy, the Saints' Coby Fleener has scored touchdowns each of the first two weeks, bringing him to within one of his total from his disappointing 2016 season, though it's easy to remain dubious. Perhaps Fleener really can be counted on. Well-traveled Raider Jared Cook is seeing targets in a high-octane offense, as is Pittsburgh's Jesse James, who scored two touchdowns in Week 1. And after a Week 1 full of zeroes, Baltimore's Benjamin Watson caught eight passes for 91 yards Sunday. Those are the best options available in at least half of ESPN's standard formats, as Jason Witten, Jack Doyle and Austin Hooper are on rosters in at least 64 percent of leagues.

One final note on tight ends: Gronkowski (groin) and Reed (chest) actually left their respective games prematurely because of injuries, which shouldn't shock anyone, but potentially leaves their status for Week 3 in some degree of question. Perhaps they'll be fine, but with each player there should never be surprise when they are hurt, and fantasy players need to secure a second tight end option. That wasn't a concern last month in drafts for the likes of Olsen, Kelce and others. Perhaps in this sport, nobody is really safe.

Second down: Denver Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian is the only player at his position to start the season with consecutive games of 22 or more PPR points, pending what the Lions' Matthew Stafford achieves Monday. Siemian produced only two such performances all of his 2016 season, but he looks more mature in the pocket and has showed more accuracy as well. We knew all along Siemian could rely on a pair of 1,000-yard wide receivers from last season in Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, and the Northwestern product did that against the Cowboys on Sunday, targeting each eight times, but it would also be nice if he could turn to others. Last season no other Broncos were targeted more than 45 times, caught more than 31 passes or eclipsed two receiving touchdowns. On Sunday, Siemian tossed touchdown passes to running back C.J. Anderson -- who also looks terrific -- and tight end Virgil Green. Being a bit less predictable could make Siemian a potential fantasy starter in favorable matchups.

As for a notable quarterback struggler of the day, Washington's Kirk Cousins threw for a mere 179 yards and one touchdown against the L.A. Rams, and after two weeks he has totaled 22.5 PPR points, or fewer than Siemian achieved Sunday alone. Cousins has a new offensive coordinator, each of his 1,000-yard receivers from 2016 in Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson left town and so far Terrelle Pryor Sr., Josh Doctson and others have yet to pick up the slack. Cousins has the Raiders and Chiefs up next and probably shouldn't be characterized as a top-10 quarterback until his statistics change.

Third down: Seattle Seahawks rookie running back Chris Carson has probably emerged as the starter for the team after providing 100 total yards (93 of them rushing) in the ugly 12-9 win over the 49ers. Carson watched Thomas Rawls get the start, but he turned his five carries into a mere four yards. C.J. Prosise was used solely as a pass receiver out of the backfield and veteran Eddie Lacy looked so bad in Week 1 he wasn't even permitted to dress for Week 2. He might not even be on the roster much longer. Carson, a seventh-round pick from Oklahoma State, looked quick and powerful in Week 1 and then better in the second half Sunday. Assuming the Seahawks don't announce something silly with their running back hierarchy for Week 3 against the Titans, Carson, even behind a suspect offensive line, could warrant RB2 status.

As for the Titans, there figure to be many questions this week about DeMarco Murray, who turned his nine carries into only 25 yards and wasn't much better in Week 1. He wasn't needed in the second half of a blowout win over the Jaguars but might not have been available anyway due to a tight hamstring. Derrick Henry, one of the most dropped players in ESPN standard leagues simply because he didn't play well (or much) in Week 1, turned his 14 carries into 92 yards and scored on a 17-yard jaunt. Murray's still the guy for Week 3, but Henry should be picked up in more leagues, as Murray's track record for consistency year-after-year isn't the best.

Fourth down: While much of the focus this week regarding the Arizona Cardinals was on the running game in the wake of the David Johnson injury, there was also opportunity at wide receiver for someone to step up with John Brown unavailable. J.J. Nelson did precisely that, scoring on a 45-yarder and piling on 120 yards off five receptions. Jaron Brown saw the targets Larry Fitzgerald usually gets, with 11, but caught only four of them. Nelson is the one to look at this week because it's going to be tough to rely on John Brown, a talented speedster who has struggled to stay on the field. Carson Palmer threw for a misleading 332 yards in the overtime win, but this can remain a fantasy-relevant offense. And by the way, Chris Johnson looked the best of the running backs and figures to be the one to have moving forward, if not quite more than a flex choice.

On the bad side, those who selected Raiders star Amari Cooper over Michael Crabtree in drafts had reason to do so, but we certainly have been pointing out that Crabtree has been the higher fantasy scorer each of the past two seasons, and I have been ranking Crabtree just slightly better each week, though individual cornerback matchups have also dictated this. In the blowout win over the Jets on Sunday, Crabtree caught not one, not two, but three touchdown passes for a position-best 32 PPR points (six catches, 80 yards), while Cooper was held to 33 yards. Don't panic on Cooper. Yes, Crabtree continues to be underrated and he might very well outscore Cooper yet again this season, but Cooper is still very good. He scored in Week 1, had plenty of targets and now's a good time to target him if the manager with Cooper in your league is panicking.

 

[HacheMan]

Week 2 takeaways on Chris Carson, J.J. Nelson, Derrick Henry and more
Matt Bowen
ESPN INSIDER
9/18/17

The Seattle Seahawks have found their No. 1 back in rookie Chris Carson after watching him post 100 total yards on 21 touches against the San Francisco 49ers. But what should fantasy owners expect out of Carson, and how does he fit the offensive identity in Seattle? Let's break down what Carson brings to Pete Carroll's team and also take a look at Javorius Allen's value in Baltimore, J.J. Nelson as a must-add this week and the expected boost in volume for Carolina Panthers wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin. Here are my Week 2 fantasy takeaways.

Chris Carson is the "closer" to roster in Seattle

When the Seahawks went into their "four-minute" drill -- the package of plays to bleed the clock, move the sticks and close out the win over the 49ers -- it was all Carson. That's right. The rookie saw five straight carries in a critical situation. And he responded with 41 yards. Ballgame.
Carson finished with 93 yards on 20 carries and added one grab for another 7 yards. That's 100 total yards on a day when Eddie Lacy was a healthy scratch and Thomas Rawls produced just 4 yards rushing on five carries. Hey, that kind of stuff earns you a job in this league. And it's exactly what Pete Carroll is looking for at the running back position.

Remember, this is the same guy who flashed during the preseason. The talent is there with Carson and so is the system fit in Seattle. The Seahawks desperately need that lead back, the downhill runner who can pound the football in the fourth quarter. Based on what I saw on Sunday, Carson is the back you want to roster on this Seahawks team. He has the upside of a low-end RB2 moving forward for a team that is going to run the rock.

J.J. Nelson should be prioritized as a must-add this week versus the Cowboys' secondary

On Sunday, Nelson posted 120 yards receiving and a touchdown on five receptions (24.0 yards per catch). The TD grab? A straight post route for 45 yards. This is a guy who can go out and drop a 4.2 on the stopwatch. Blazing speed.

Now, we all know the Cardinals just played a Colts secondary that got torn up by the Rams in Week 1. They are young and inexperienced in Indianapolis. But the next matchup for Arizona comes against a banged-up Cowboys secondary that Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian just went to work on. If Dallas sits in some single-high safety defenses, Nelson will have the matchups to win outside. Fade, post, double move, deep crosser off play-action, etc. Take some shots with a quarterback in Carson Palmer who just went 3-of-5 for 98 yards on throws of 15 or more yards down the field versus the Colts.

Where does that put Nelson? I see him as an option this week for owners looking for that WR3/flex role. And if John Brown is still sitting with an injury, there will be even more opportunities for Nelson to produce. Think big-play ability and a positive matchup for a team that is trying to find a new identify without David Johnson in the lineup.

Time to buy into Derrick Henry?

I have to trust my eyes with Henry after the Titans running back ripped off 87 yards on the ground in the second half to finish with a total of 92 yards and a score on 14 carries (6.6 yards per carry). Henry ran with some juice versus the Jags, highlighted by a 17-yard touchdown run. You want to see some power? Go watch Henry bounce off tackles and then run right through contact to get the ball in the end zone. Nasty.

More important, Henry led the team in carries versus Jacksonville, as starter DeMarco Murray (nine carries, 25 yards before leaving with hamstring tightness) watched from the sideline while the Bama product put on a show in the second half. Yeah, this doesn't mean that Murray is done. Nope. But the Titans coaches are seeing the same thing we are. And it should lead to an increased workload for Henry.

Think about this: If the Titans didn't burn a creative play on the Delanie Walker "jet" sweep out of jumbo personnel on the goal line (gotta save that play) or go back to the 1980s on the fullback belly to Jalston Fowler, Henry might have put the ball in the end zone three times.

Let's see how the carries shake out with Henry and Murray this week in Seattle. That's a good test. But it's clear that Henry's value is on the rise and he's more than just a handcuff to Murray in an offense that will always lean on the ground game under head coach Mike Mularkey.

Give Kelvin Benjamin a boost heading into Week 3 versus the Saints' defense

Deep middle-of-the-field throws. The quick passing game outside the numbers. And red zone targets. Hey, this is what Benjamin owners signed up for. And after that really disappointing performance in Week 1 (five targets, one reception, 25 yards), Benjamin gave owners a little bit more on Sunday with 77 yards on six grabs (eight targets).

Yeah, it's still a line that needs to improve, but Benjamin had red zone opportunities (slant, fade) and his role/volume should expand even more now with tight end Greg Olsen out for an extended period of time with a broken foot. That production needs to be replaced. And with a matchup this week versus a Saints secondary that has been absolutely gashed through two games, giving up a total of 777 passing yards, I'm locking in Benjamin as a high-end WR2 this week.

This is that "get well" game for the Carolina offense, quarterback Cam Newton and Benjamin. The Panthers wide receiver will be in a position to exploit single-man routes (take the matchup) or to come clean off the combination concepts that have given the Saints' defense so many issues to start the season. Plus, when Benjamin aligns out wide, he will be going against a group that has allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 22 of 28 passes for 343 yards and six touchdowns on throws outside the numbers. Yikes. And that, along with the injury to Olsen, should open plenty of doors for Benjamin to produce.

Javorius "Buck" Allen entering the RB2 mix

Allen doesn't have the top-tier matchup ability of the injured Danny Woodhead, but he's playing a part in replacing the Ravens' passing-down back. On Sunday, Allen caught 5 of 6 targets for 35 yards and a touchdown. And those six targets were second on the team to tight end Benjamin Watson.

However, we also have to look at the ground game with Allen. He showed some open-field speed and vison on his 37-yard run late in the second quarter. Get downhill, make a cut and then move the ball. Allen finished with 66 yards rushing on a team-high 14 carries against a Browns defense that had previously shut down Le'Veon Bell in Week 1, while Terrance West saw only eight carries and averaged a lowly 2.8 yards per run (22 total yards rushing).

Give Allen a boost this week. He's got more value in PPR scoring, as he should continue to see targets in the passing game. Plus, with the run game, he gives owners some real volume. Because of that, I see Allen as a low-end RB2 or possible flex consideration versus the Jags in London this Sunday.

Jay Cutler's top targets in Miami

Cutler's first game with the Dolphins went as I expected under Adam Gase: quick passes, run-pass options, wide receiver screens and the 50/50 throws down the field. And we saw how that impacted the production for wide receivers Jarvis Landry and DeVante Parker.

With Cutler, Landry is a PPR machine. Get the ball out quick and reduce the risk, right? No doubt. Gase wants to take away those negative throws with Cutler, and that allowed Landry to catch short passes/screens all day. In fact, Cutler averaged only 2.2 air yards per target when throwing the ball to Landry and only one completion traveled more than 6 yards in the air. But the targets/receptions are the story here. Landry saw a whopping 15 targets from Cutler and hauled in 13 passes for 78 yards. He's not the guy to own in non-PPR leagues, but as a WR2 in PPR scoring? Yeah, Landry just produced 20.1 points for owners.

As for Parker, he's the Alshon Jeffery for Cutler, that wide receiver with the size/frame and the catch radius to finish on those contested throws. On Sunday, Parker caught four passes (on nine targets) for 85 yards (21.3 yards per catch). And he's going to continue seeing the ball from Cutler, which includes red zone targets and one-on-one situations over the top. He should be a solid flex option moving forward in non-PPR leagues.

In Gase's system, Cutler isn't the fantasy QB to roster. We know that. But his top two wideouts do have value and upside in the lineup, depending on what type of scoring system you use in your league.

Bounce-back game for Hunter Henry

After posting an absolute zero in Week 1 in not just receptions but targets, Henry caught all seven of his targets Sunday versus the Dolphins for 80 yards. And, really, this is what the second-year tight end can do when you break down his skill set. Henry has the route-running talent, can create matchups and also produce after the catch.

Cutler's first game with the Dolphins went as I expected under Adam Gase: quick passes, run-pass options, wide receiver screens and the 50/50 throws down the field. And we saw how that impacted the production for wide receivers Jarvis Landry and DeVante Parker.

With Cutler, Landry is a PPR machine. Get the ball out quick and reduce the risk, right? No doubt. Gase wants to take away those negative throws with Cutler, and that allowed Landry to catch short passes/screens all day. In fact, Cutler averaged only 2.2 air yards per target when throwing the ball to Landry and only one completion traveled more than 6 yards in the air. But the targets/receptions are the story here. Landry saw a whopping 15 targets from Cutler and hauled in 13 passes for 78 yards. He's not the guy to own in non-PPR leagues, but as a WR2 in PPR scoring? Yeah, Landry just produced 20.1 points for owners.

As for Parker, he's the Alshon Jeffery for Cutler, that wide receiver with the size/frame and the catch radius to finish on those contested throws. On Sunday, Parker caught four passes (on nine targets) for 85 yards (21.3 yards per catch). And he's going to continue seeing the ball from Cutler, which includes red zone targets and one-on-one situations over the top. He should be a solid flex option moving forward in non-PPR leagues.

In Gase's system, Cutler isn't the fantasy QB to roster. We know that. But his top two wideouts do have value and upside in the lineup, depending on what type of scoring system you use in your league.

Bounce-back game for Hunter Henry

After posting an absolute zero in Week 1 in not just receptions but targets, Henry caught all seven of his targets Sunday versus the Dolphins for 80 yards. And, really, this is what the second-year tight end can do when you break down his skill set. Henry has the route-running talent, can create matchups and also produce after the catch.

 

[HacheMan]

Week 3 fantasy football flex rankings
Eric Karabell
ESPN INSIDER
9/20/17

We’re moving the flex rankings up to Wednesdays to give fantasy owners a bit more time to digest and help with decision-making. For updates later in the week, take a look at our main rankings pages, as they are constantly updated through Saturday, with the Thursday players removed after that game and more players added. You don’t need to finalize rosters on Wednesdays, but in case you’re interested, here they are for your consumption, and as always these are PPR!

It’s Week 3, so let’s all flex!

1. Antonio Brown, WR, Steelers: Wasn’t a home run in Week 2 against the Vikings, but it’s still double-digit PPR points. That will work.
2. Julio Jones, WR, Falcons: This matchup in Detroit figures to be fun for fantasy owners.

3. Le'Veon Bell, RB, Steelers: The touches were there in Week 2, and the touchdowns will come.

4. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Cowboys: Worst game of his career in Denver, but too talented to be that bad consistently.

5. Jay Ajayi, RB, Dolphins: Facing the Jets, and this year that will be a great thing. Jets have allowed the most rushing yards so far.

6. Devonta Freeman, RB, Falcons

7. Kareem Hunt, RB, Chiefs: Stymied in the first half against the Eagles, he broke a big play and the final line looked great again. It’s a fantastic situation to succeed, with no competition.

8. A.J. Green, WR, Bengals: Might seem strange to rank him so generously when Andy Dalton has been so awful, but the latter won’t continue. Dalton isn’t a fantasy star, but he’s proven.

9. Michael Thomas, WR, Saints

10. Mike Evans, WR, Buccaneers

11. Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Giants: He played on Monday but was pretty quiet. It’s probably because he’s not close to 100 percent! Still, if Giants can protect Eli Manning, Beckham can exploit Philly’s secondary.

12. Melvin Gordon, RB, Chargers

13. Todd Gurley, RB, Rams: So much volume that he really doesn’t need to play great to rack up the points. He has topped 20 PPR points each week and is catching passes.

14. Ty Montgomery, RB, Packers: Plenty of volume here as well, and the passing game is saving his numbers. And the touchdowns.

15. LeSean McCoy, RB, Bills: Brutal Week 2 game, but he’s going to be fine. Trade for him.

16. Rob Gronkowski, TE, Patriots: Still think he’s gonna play all 16? Anything is possible, but in this case, don’t get greedy.

17. Travis Kelce, TE, Chiefs

18. Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Cardinals: Quiet Week 2 shouldn’t be viewed as harbinger of more. He was old last year as well when he led the NFL in receptions.

19. Keenan Allen, WR, Chargers: Underrated by all. The tepid preseason ranking was about health. He’s healthy and hopefully it continues.

20. Carlos Hyde, RB, 49ers: Health is really his lone issue too, and he is running nicely. Thursday game this week, which generally means it’s tough to watch and not many points. But you gotta play Hyde.

21. Leonard Fournette, RB, Jaguars

22. Demaryius Thomas, WR, Broncos

23. Dalvin Cook, RB, Vikings: Not saying his pending breakout game will look like the first Kareem Hunt game, but I’m not saying it won’t, either. Buy low while you still can.

24. C.J. Anderson, RB, Broncos: He has played well in the past but the problem is consistency and health, and nothing that has happened so far changes that. Might be decent sell-high choice, actually.

25. Jordy Nelson, WR, Packers: As of Wednesday morning he’s 50-50 to play, so be careful. But should he play, he deserves our attention.

26. Doug Baldwin, WR, Seahawks

27. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Panthers: Rough Week 2 but I’d buy low. If we’re still having this discussion in Week 5, then that’s a different story.

28. Mike Gillislee, RB, Patriots: I’ll take the under on 18 touchdowns, but 13 or 14 is still awesome.

29. Brandin Cooks, WR, Patriots: Didn’t light up the Saints as expected, but we know Pats options can be faded in some game plans week to week.

30. Golden Tate, WR, Lions

31. Emmanuel Sanders, WR, Broncos: So underrated. He’s really not far from Demaryius Thomas for value.

32. Michael Crabtree, WR, Raiders: Another underrated performer worthy of WR2 status weekly.

33. Amari Cooper, WR, Raiders: Stop dropping passes and the numbers will look better!

34. Marshawn Lynch, RB, Raiders: He can run and he can still dance. Downgrade a bit in PPR, though.

35. Dez Bryant, WR, Cowboys

36. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Texans

37. Davante Adams, WR, Packers: Obviously he looks better if Nelson sits, but either way Aaron Rodgers can support at least three weapons.

38. Jordan Howard, RB, Bears: Some are going to want to cut him, but resist that. He was second in the NFL in rushing last season. He’s still good. He’s just hurt. Be patient.

39. Isaiah Crowell, RB, Browns: If he can’t run nicely on the Colts this week, then I might have to admit I was too high on him.

40. Terrelle Pryor Sr., WR, Redskins: Definitely wondering if we expected too much from him, but again, if he can reach 1,000 yards with the Browns, how can he disappear with Kirk Cousins? Buy low.

41. Jordan Reed, TE, Redskins: It’s not only that he misses games, but he leaves others early. I stayed away for a reason.

42. Zach Ertz, TE, Eagles: Flirted with 100 receiving yards each week and this could continue.

43. T.Y. Hilton, WR, Colts

44. DeMarco Murray, RB, Titans: As with Chicago’s Howard, last year wasn’t a fluke, so don’t run away.

45. Lamar Miller, RB, Texans

46. Stefon Diggs, WR, Vikings: We could blame his quiet Week 2 on the Sam Bradford absence, but it probably would have happened anyway. They played the Saints in Week 1!

47. Alshon Jeffery, WR, Eagles

48. Tyreek Hill, WR, Chiefs

49. Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Panthers: Playing the Saints this week. Gotta love that!

50. Mark Ingram, RB, Saints: He has clearly looked like the best Saints RB, and better stats are pending.

51. Javorius Allen, RB, Ravens: Game situation really has dictated his rushing attempts, but that could continue as well. He just looks good.

52. Adam Thielen, WR, Vikings

53. Jamison Crowder, WR, Redskins

54. Chris Carson, RB, Seahawks: Clearly the top Seattle running back, but it’s worth noting they do have other options if he struggles. He could be this year’s Jordan Howard, though.

55. Frank Gore, RB, Colts: Can’t really blame his team’s plight on him.

56. Jacquizz Rodgers, RB, Buccaneers: Certainly possible he can keep playing really well and still cede the starting job to Doug Martin, but don’t assume it.

57. Jonathan Stewart, RB, Panthers: He’s usable, really, and facing the Saints, but can’t like the three targets in two games. That’s not going to improve.

58. Pierre Garcon, WR, 49ers

59. Jarvis Landry, WR, Dolphins

60. Theo Riddick, RB, Lions: Has 10 rushes, 10 receiving targets so far. Predict the winner! Targets leads over the past two seasons.

61. Ameer Abdullah, RB, Lions: Ran well versus the Giants, so perhaps there remain RB2 possibilities here.

62. Tarik Cohen, RB, Bears: Don’t assume that if Howard is out of the picture Cohen steps in for really major touches.

63. Martavis Bryant, WR, Steelers

64. Kyle Rudolph, TE, Vikings

65. Jeremy Maclin, WR, Ravens: No Raven has double-digit targets after two games, which is odd and not a great sign. There are 82 individuals with double-digit targets so far.

66. DeVante Parker, WR, Dolphins

67. Delanie Walker, TE, Titans

68. Tevin Coleman, RB, Falcons: Still a usable flex in deep leagues.

69. Bilal Powell, RB, Jets: Well, he hasn’t been a usable anything so far, but I wouldn’t cut him. The Jets make no sense. Powell is a good player!

70. Randall Cobb, WR, Packers

71. Chris Hogan, WR, Patriots

72. Terrance West, RB, Ravens: If Javorius Allen is also getting more rushing attempts, then this isn’t a fair competition for fantasy value.

73. Samaje Perine, RB, Redskins: Keep an eye on this situation because Perine could start and get many touches.

74. Rob Kelley, RB, Redskins: But this guy does seem determined to play, and he ran well in Week 2 before the injury.

75. Tyrell Williams, WR, Chargers: Just 54 yards in each game, but we know he can do better. Still no sign of rookie Mike Williams suiting up.

76. Chris Johnson, RB, Cardinals: As expected, he was busy in his first game and ran well, but didn’t see a receiving target, either.

77. Sammy Watkins, WR, Rams

78. J.J. Nelson, WR, Cardinals: Have to wonder if it matters whether John Brown plays at this point.

79. Devin Funchess, WR, Panthers: Sleeper pick this week. Has the size of a tight end and Carolina’s starting tight end is out a long time.

80. Giovani Bernard, RB, Bengals

81. Joe Mixon, RB, Bengals: One would think the rookie would have emerged by now, especially when the team can’t score points.

82. James White, RB, Patriots

83. Marvin Jones Jr., WR, Lions

84. DeSean Jackson, WR, Buccaneers: With him, there will be plenty of games with six or so PPR points, but you’ll activate him hoping he breaks some big plays. He should.

85. Duke Johnson Jr., RB, Browns: So good in the passing game, perhaps they’ll line him up on the outside more.

86. Chris Thompson, RB, Redskins: Same deal. He needs to be used more.

87. Jimmy Graham, TE, Seahawks

88. Rishard Matthews, WR, Titans

89. Derrick Henry, RB, Titans: Was on the most-dropped list entering Week 2. He might be on most-added side this week.

90. Alvin Kamara, RB, Saints

91. Darren Sproles, RB, Eagles: When he’s leading the team in rushing attempts that’s not a great sign. Eagles must establish a running game. Or maybe the coach hasn’t noticed.

92. Mike Wallace, WR, Ravens

93. Jermaine Kearse, WR, Jets: Thought it might be Robby Anderson taking the lead among the receivers, but it’s clearly Kearse. Jets are doing a lot of throwing.

94. Ted Ginn Jr., WR, Saints: Won’t be ranked all the way down here most weeks.

95. Cooper Kupp, WR, Rams: So much fun to watch.

96. Mohamed Sanu, WR, Falcons: His 85 receiving yards in Week 2 were his best as a Falcon, but it’s going to be tough for him to keep doing this next to Julio Jones. Sanu was quiet last season. Not much has changed.

97. Eric Decker, WR, Titans

98. Jason Witten, TE, Cowboys: What has gotten into him? He’s playing like a top-five tight end. Actually, he’s the No. 1 TE scorer so far. Ride it out.

99. Jack Doyle, TE, Colts

100. Martellus Bennett, TE, Packers

Others: Kerwynn Williams, RB, Cardinals; Brandon Marshall, WR, Giants; Marqise Lee, WR, Jaguars; Rashard Higgins, WR, Browns; Donte Moncrief, WR, Colts; Matt Forte, RB, Jets; Jamaal Charles, RB, Broncos; Paul Perkins, RB, Giants; Kendall Wright, WR, Bears; Thomas Rawls, RB, Seahawks; Rex Burkhead, RB, Patriots; Shane Vereen, RB, Giants

 

[HacheMan]

Best and worst wide receiver matchups for fantasy football Week 3
Mike Clay
ESPN INSIDER
9/20/17

By utilizing our play-by-play data, we're now able to identify where each wide receiver and cornerback line up on each play. By tracking matchups between the two positions, including potential shadow situations, we can offer the best projections, rankings and fantasy advice each week.

Below are the receivers with the best and worst Week 3 matchups, as well as the corresponding fantasy impact.


To view the primary defenders the top three wide receivers on each team will see this weekend, be sure to check out our weekly WR vs. CB cheat sheet:

Downloadable cheat sheet PDF

Because of the size of the chart in the PDF, here is a key to help you get the most out of it each week:

Rt = Number of routes run by each player during the 2016 season
LWR/Slot/RWR = Percentage of the player's routes run from left wide receiver, the slot, and right wide receiver, respectively
T/R = Targets per pass route
F/R = Fantasy points per pass route
Green suggests an advantage for the offensive player, while red indicates an advantage for the defender
An "S" indicates projected shadow coverage

Advantageous matchups


Giants' Odell Beckham Jr. vs. Eagles 'Jalen Mills

Beckham made his 2017 debut on Monday night at less than full health, but common logic suggests he should be closer to a full go against Philadelphia this weekend. That would be bad news for an Eagles defense that has holes at the cornerback position. Mills has been pummeled for 15 receptions and 177 yards on a league-high 21 targets this season. Beckham torched Philadelphia for 196 yards and a pair of touchdowns last season, though only 19 of his 99 routes were against Mills (two catches, 43 yards). Beckham moves around the formation quite a bit, so he'll see some of Eagles rookie Rasul Douglas as well. Assuming he doesn't have a setback, Beckham should be locked into lineups this week.


Rams' Sammy Watkins vs. 49ers' Rashard Robinson and Dontae Johnson

Watkins has somehow managed only seven targets during his first two games with the Rams, but a light Week 3 matchup sets him up for a big day. Watkins has run 73 percent of his routes on the perimeter this season. Robinson and Johnson switch sides a ton, but are almost always on the outside. Robinson has allowed seven catches for 85 yards and one touchdown on 10 targets this season; Johnson has been a bit better on 13 targets, giving up five receptions and 56 yards. Watkins will also get some work against journeyman slot corner K'Waun Williams. The former Bills receiver is a flex option in this matchup.


Panthers' Devin Funchess vs. Saints' P.J. Williams

The Saints have allowed the second-most fantasy points to players lined up wide to the right this season, which is where Funchess has aligned on 48 percent of his routes. In fact, Funchess might even see Williams more than that with standout Saints rookie Marshon Lattimore occasionally traveling to shadow Brandin Cooks and Stefon Diggs the past two weeks. If Lattimore follows Kelvin Benjamin a few times this week, Funchess will be in even better shape. Williams has allowed a league-high 34 fantasy points through two weeks. New Orleans has also allowed the most fantasy points to slot receivers, which makes Russell Shepard a sleeper in very deep leagues.


Jaguars' Allen Hurns vs. Ravens' Lardarius Webb

Jimmy Smith and Brandon Carr have locked down the perimeter for Baltimore so far this season, and the duo will spend most of Week 3 facing off with Marqise Lee and Keelan Cole on the outside. That opens the door for Hurns to see an uptick in targets against Webb. Webb is a decent slot corner, but his target-per-route rate is on the high side with teams avoiding throwing at Smith and Carr. Hurns is a sneaky -- albeit risky -- flex option in a seemingly tough matchup.

Tough matchups


Buccaneers' Mike Evans vs. Vikings' Xavier Rhodes

Rhodes has emerged as one of the league's top cover corners and is a strong bet to shadow Evans in Week 3. Rhodes has limited his opposition to seven receptions for 86 yards so far this season despite facing Antonio Brown and Michael Thomas on 37 (or 70 percent) of the 53 pass plays he has been on the field for. With Rhodes locked on Evans, DeSean Jackson is sitting pretty for a nice day against Trae Waynes, who has allowed 28 fantasy points so far (10th-most). Evans should obviously remain in season-long lineups, but is a suggested fade in DFS cash games.


Cowboys' Dez Bryant vs. Cardinals' Patrick Peterson

Another week, another brutal matchup for Bryant. Dallas' superstar wide receiver has been targeted 25 times this season, a league-high seven of which were end zone targets. The result? Nine receptions, 102 yards and one touchdown. Bryant's efficiency has been poor due in part to tough matchups against Janoris Jenkins in Week 1 and Denver's elite cornerback group in Week 2. The going won't be any easier against Peterson, who is arguably the league's best shadow corner. The two last faced off back in 2014; on 31 pass plays, Peterson limited Bryant to two receptions for 15 yards and one score on 10 targets. Bryant has lined up in the slot on 31 percent of his routes this season, so he might be able to generate a few catches against Tyrann Mathieu, but he's unlikely to produce a big stat line against Peterson most of the afternoon. Terrance Williams has the look of a nice deep sleeper against Justin Bethel on the other side of the field. Bethel has surrendered a pair of touchdowns and the third-most fantasy points among corners this season.


Falcons' Julio Jones vs. Lions' Darius Slay

Jones had his way with the Packers' secondary again on Sunday night, but life won't be quite as easy with Slay likely to shadow him in Week 3. Slay has allowed only 10 catches for 85 yards on 86 routes this season. He didn't shadow against Arizona in Week 1, but followed Beckham around most of Monday night. Jones should be downgraded slightly. Even more notable, the matchup opens the door for Taylor Gabriel to rip off a big play or two against Nevin Lawson on the other side. Consider him a DFS tournament flier.


Ravens' Mike Wallace vs. Jaguars' Jalen Ramsey, and Ravens' Breshad Perriman vs. Jaguars' A.J. Bouye

Wallace (89 percent) and Perriman (98 percent) have lined up almost exclusively on the perimeter this season. That's bad news against the Jaguars considering Ramsey (94 percent) and Bouye (96 percent) have done the same. Ramsey has been a bit better and has been targeted less often than Bouye thus far, but the two combine to form one of the game's top corner duos. Wallace and Perriman are both off to poor starts this season and this matchup pushes down their prospects even further. Neither should be in lineups. Slot man Jeremy Maclin (versus Aaron Colvin) and tight end Benjamin Watson figure to benefit underneath and should be upgraded.


Bills' Jordan Matthews and Zay Jones vs. Broncos' Aqib Talib, Chris Harris Jr. and Bradley Roby

If your passing game is struggling, the recipe for a turnaround is the exact opposite of what the Bills will face in Week 3. The Broncos' defense has been terrific this season. This weekend, slot man Matthews is unlikely to do much damage against Harris. Jones will see Roby -- the worst of the Broncos' three "starting" corners -- most often, but he moves around quite a bit and will thus face off with Harris and Talib on roughly 40 percent of his routes. Needless to say, the Bills' passing game should be faded in Week 3.


Eagles' Alshon Jeffery vs. Giants' Janoris Jenkins

Jenkins missed Week 2 with an injury, but is expected back against the Eagles this week. Jeffery is a similar style receiver to Dez Bryant, which is notable considering that Jenkins has shut down Bryant three straight times, including when the two met in Week 1. Jeffery (then with the Bears) and Jenkins (then with the Rams) last faced off back in 2015. Jenkins held Jeffery without a catch on one target while covering him on nine routes. During the 2013-14 seasons, Jeffery ran 22 routes against Jenkins and was limited to four catches for 36 yards on seven targets. Jenkins is a strong bet to shadow Jeffery in this game, meaning the Eagles' top receiver should be downgraded. Expect Torrey Smith to see a little extra work with struggling second-year corner Eli Apple set to cover him this week.

Other notes

The Texans' Bruce Ellington missed Week 2 with a concussion, but if he returns this week, those of you in very deep leagues might want to consider him as a dart throw. The slot man will face Eric Rowe, who hasn't quite panned out as New England's slot corner so far. The Patriots have allowed the second-most fantasy points to slot receivers this season.

The Chiefs' Marcus Peters does not shadow and San Diego's Keenan Allen has lined up wide to Philip Rivers' right only 12 percent of the time this season. That is where Peters calls home, so Allen can actually be upgraded in this Week 3 matchup against Terrance Mitchell and Phillip Gaines. Travis Benjamin will see Peters most often (roughly half his routes).

 

[HacheMan]

Giving more chances to Howard, Murray and Miller
Eric Karabell
ESPN INSIDER
9/21/17

Chicago Bears running back Jordan Howard and Tennessee Titans option DeMarco Murray were top-20 selections in ESPN ADP this season, and nothing seemed wrong with that a few weeks ago, as they finished second and third, respectively, in rushing yards in 2016. However, after two weeks of the 2017 season, things aren’t going so well. They’re not exactly piling on the rushing yards. Howard and Murray have combined to rush for 128 yards during four individual games, averaging just 2.9 yards per carry.

Fantasy owners should not be dumping these guys for the likes of Baltimore’s Javorius Allen or Washington’s Samaje Perine, but it’s going to be interesting to see what the numbers look like for activation purposes in ESPN standard leagues this week. The ESPN Fantasy rankings show Howard and Murray as RB2 options, even if it’s barely, and some people view that as ridiculous. Who cares about 2016, those people say. These players are bad now! Well, perhaps that’s the case, but it’s too early to know for sure yet.

My feeling on why Howard and Murray remained top-20 running back options is partly due to believing good players to eventually start playing well, but also because -- and this is a weekly trend -- there just aren’t enough running backs to trust. Can we assuredly trust Allen and Perine? It might not make sense to advise someone to play Howard, who is dealing with an injured right shoulder, over Allen, who is not only usurping rushing attempts from Terrance West but is also only two targets and three receptions from being the team leader, but as a group we did rank that way.

In retrospect, depending on Howard news updates, that hierarchy could certainly be incorrect, and I won’t have issue adjusting things later in the week. In fact, I admit the ranking of Howard feels like a cop-out. He’s either a top-10 guy, or he could end up being treated like the Eagles’ LeGarrette Blount, who was ineffective and then flat-out ignored in Week 2. We don’t know if Blount gets 15 touches in Week 3 or zero. It’s kind of similar with Howard, and that potential top-10 guy part brings us back. We’re trusting him, but where’s the line on that? Is it when October starts? It’s different for everyone, really.

Another problem for Howard and Murray is the fact that their backups are playing better than they are, so fantasy owners owning both Bears options, for example, might decide to go with rookie Tarik Cohen. The Titans have second-year bruiser Derrick Henry, and he played well in Week 2, certainly better than Murray, and he’s a lot younger. Entering Week 2, Henry was among the most dropped running backs. Hey, it’s a reactive fantasy world. Howard’s got to play better, or he’ll be on the most dropped list in a few weeks...or sooner. Just make sure Cohen and Henry are owned in your leagues.

Ultimately, what I advise fantasy owners to do -- regardless of whether it’s online or on social media or on Sunday’s Fantasy Focus national radio show (9 a.m. ET to 1 p.m. ET) -- is to trust their gut. We give our thoughts, but those change, too. I admitted my feelings on Howard might be different by Friday. If you really want to use Cohen and sit Howard, I won’t argue. I might do the same, though my rankings, as well as ours as a staff, do not reflect that. We want to believe that Howard, Murray and other strugglers like Bilal Powell, Blount and Adrian Peterson will turn things around quickly. Some will. Some probably won't.

In terms of others with a seemingly odd Week 3 ranking, I found the spots for the 2015 top quarterback picks to be interesting. Jameis Winston goes to Minnesota, and Marcus Mariota hosts Seattle. Those are some strong defenses that they’ll be facing, and the staff rankings show some differences of opinion. I admit that I originally viewed Mariota as a top-10 guy, but look at some other borderline QB1 choices. Philip Rivers hosts the Chiefs. That might not be fun. Dak Prescott isn’t playing great, and he’s in Arizona this week. Prescott's overall value can take a hit if he doesn’t have a big game, which isn’t all that fair, but it’s a realistic approach. Some weeks bring so many quarterbacks to choose from, but this isn’t one of those weeks.

At running back, the rankings shift goes beyond Howard and Murray. Houston starter Lamar Miller is way down there as barely a RB2 for a road game at New England, but the Patriots were kind of embarrassed by rookie Kareem Hunt in Week 1. Miller has rushed for 65 and 61 yards in the first two games, a pace for roughly 1,000 on the season, yet we all seemed concerned with him or the matchup or both. It’s not like backup D’Onta Foreman presents the same immediate threat of Cohen and Henry.

At wide receiver, until we get clarity on the Jordy Nelson situation with the Packers, there’s not going to be right answers for his ranking, along with that of colleagues Davante Adams and even Randall Cobb. It’s a situation not quite like Giants star Odell Beckham Jr. during the first two weeks, since Beckham had the Sunday and Monday night games in that span. Nelson plays a late afternoon game at home on Sunday, so we might not know of his availability by 1 p.m. ET that day. Either way, we’ll know before the Green Bay game, and fantasy owners can prepare other choices if needed.

There are two other wide receivers with interesting rankings, in that they weren’t universally ranked by the staff. One is Cleveland’s Rashard Higgins, who three of the five rankers regarded as a potential flex choice, while two others disregarded. There’s no right answer on whether he’ll continue to produce, even in the absence of Corey Coleman, but I like his chances in a road game in Indianapolis. The other fellow is Jacksonville’s Allen Hurns versus teammate Marqise Lee. I barely ranked the latter and kept the former out, but I guess I don’t want to rely on Blake Bortles for much of anything. It could be Chad Henne slingin’ the pigskin before you even eat breakfast this week. Remember, the Jaguars "host" the Ravens in London this Sunday at 9:30 a.m. ET. Don’t wait to fill active rosters at 12:55 p.m. ET!

 

[HacheMan]

How blocking will affect matchups in fantasy football Week 3
KC Joyner
ESPN INSIDER
9/21/17

The fantasy football world has lagged behind when it comes to effectively measuring the impact blocking has on fantasy production, so I devised a new grading system that uses multiple advanced metrics to project how blocking matchups will impact fantasy football performance in the upcoming week's contests. (The details of the system can be found here.)

The entire list of the Week 3 matchup grades are posted below, but now let's take a closer look at the teams and players who have the most and least favorable blocking matchups this week.

Most favorable blocking matchups



Tennessee Titans (vs. Seattle Seahawks)

The Titans had one of the best offensive blocking walls last year, and that trait is carrying over to the 2017 campaign. Tennessee's offense rates second in sack percentage allowed (2.7), seventh in pass pressure rate (PPR) and eighth in quarterback contact (QC) percentage (8.5). The Titans' run blocking is equally strong, as Tennessee ranks fifth in yards per rush before first defensive contact (YBCT) (2.8) and eighth in my good blocking productivity (GBP) metric that measures overall run-blocking prowess.

Seattle's defense has taken a major step backwards this year, as the Seahawks rank 24th in QC rate (23.1), 19th in average time allowed in pocket (TIP) and 28th in YBCT (2.9).

This contrast should make DeMarco Murray a very strong start option and Derrick Henry a quality flex candidate with RB1 upside in the event Murray's hamstring injury causes Henry to get more carries. It also should push Marcus Mariota into QB1 territory and continue to keep Delanie Walker producing at an upper-tier TE1 pace.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at Minnesota Vikings)

The Vikings' pass rush has been nearly non-existent so far this season, as Minnesota's defense rates 28th in PPR (18.7), 29th in QC (4.7) and 27th in sack percentage (4.0). Tampa Bay's pass blocking was superb last week, as the Buccaneers' offense currently ranks fourth in PPR (17.6), eighth in QC (8.1) and fifth in TIP (2.4).

Jameis Winston is one of the most vertically inclined passers in the NFL, as he led the league in passes traveling 15 or more yards downfield last season (150) and equaled that pace with 11 passes of that caliber in last week's season opener for the Buccaneers. Look for the Bucs' pass blocking to allow Winston to air the ball out early and often and thus give Winston, DeSean Jackson and Mike Evans a ton of upside potential this week.

Pittsburgh Steelers (at Chicago Bears)

Le'Veon Bell has scored only 20.8 fantasy points through the first two weeks of the season, but his struggles haven't been due to sub-par run blocking, as Pittsburgh's 51.6 percent good blocking rate (GBR) placed sixth best in Week 2. The Steelers also have the makings of a mismatch in pass blocking, as they rate first in ESPN Stats & Information's pass protection metric (PPM) and the Bears' defense ranks 28th in QC (7.0) and 25th in TIP (2.4). Add it up, and it means Bell and Antonio Brown should reach their elite fantasy production potential, Ben Roethlisberger has strong QB1 potential and Martavis Bryant is a very good Week 3 flex option.

Least favorable blocking matchups

Dallas Cowboys (at Arizona Cardinals)

The hue and cry out of Dallas this week is Ezekiel Elliott's effort level on chasing defenders down on interception returns, but the bigger concern is the abysmal run blocking performance by the Cowboys' offensive blocking wall. Dallas had an 18.2 percent GBR against Denver, which is the lowest GBR Dallas has posted over the past two seasons. To put that number into more perspective, prior to the Denver game Dallas had posted a GBR of lower than 30 percent only one time since the beginning of the 2016 season.

That is a not a good place to be when facing a Cardinals defense that ranks fourth in yards allowed per carry (2.8) and allowed a meager 27.0 percent GBR against the Colts last week.

This is not to suggest benching Elliott, but with the Dallas offense also ranking 20th in QC (12.1) and 18th in TIP (2.3), it may be a good idea for fantasy owners to consider leaving Dak Prescott on the bench if they have a good alternative at that position.

Denver Broncos (at Buffalo Bills)

This is the most unfavorable blocking matchup for any offense in Week 3. Denver has mediocre or worse numbers in nearly every pass blocking metric, ranking 20th in PPR (26.7), 27th in QC (19.2), 23rd in sack rate (8.0), 31st in TIP (2.0) and 25th in PPM (45.9). Their run blocking hasn't fared much better, something evidenced by ranking 22nd in GBR (36.1) and 28th in GBP (2.3) in Week 2.

Those sub-par metrics are a big concern on a road trip against a Buffalo team that ranks ninth in sack rate (8.8) and TIP (2.2) and second in YBCT (0.8).

These unfavorable numbers push C.J. Anderson and Emmanuel Sanders down to flex consideration, make Demaryius Thomas a WR2 option and should bring Trevor Siemian's numbers back down to earth in Week 3.

Seattle Seahawks (at Tennessee Titans)

Seattle came into this season projected to have the worst offensive line in the league, and they have done little to overcome that projection. The Seahawks rank 30th in PPR (39.0), 28th in QC (22.5), 21st in sack rate (7.8), 30th in PPM (43.4) and 27th in YBCT (1.5). The Titans don't have a dominant pass rush, but they do rate fifth in TIP (2.1) and YBCT (1.4). Tennessee also gave up only 4.5 yards per attempt on good blocking plays to Jacksonville last week, a total that was the lowest in Week 2. Russell Wilson, Doug Baldwin, Jimmy Graham and the collection of Seahawks running backs have all disappointed fantasy owners this season, and their Week 3 performance is likely to do little to change that feeling.

 

[HacheMan]

Week 3 preview: Keep an eye on Andy Dalton, Joe Mixon, Jaguars WRs
Eric Karabell
ESPN INSIDER
9/22/17



The Cincinnati Bengals are going to score a touchdown at Lambeau Field this week. This might sound crazy, but I actually believe they will score several. Lunacy! The Bengals are an obvious mess so far, having scored nary a touchdown in two games and punting aside offensive coordinator Ken Zampese for quarterbacks coach Bill Lazor last week. However, this isn’t a terrible offense. Quarterback Andy Dalton, for all we can say about him, is actually competent, wide receiver A.J. Green is among the best in the game and hopefully this is the week rookie running back Joe Mixon -- or someone in the backfield -- gets a real chance.

The Packers beat the struggling offense that is the Seahawks in Week 1 and then watched Matt Ryan and the excellent Falcons move up and down and up and down the field on them last Sunday night. The truth is the Bengals aren’t much to look at so far, but as ESPN’s Bill Barnwell notes, it’s darn tough to get into the red zone that often and fail to come away with touchdowns. In fact, it would be historic. And the Packers are the same average-at-best defense that allowed a ton of deep completions last season.

Fantasy owners know they should definitely play Green this and every week -- at least I hope they do -- and now is the time to buy low, if that’s possible. Do the same with Mixon. We don’t know what Lazor is thinking, but we have seen, in the past, immediate and positive results when teams adjust coordinators in season. I keep trumpeting these rookie running backs because they’re so talented and for various reasons immediate opportunities aren’t always there. The Bengals also have Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard. If they fall behind to Aaron Rodgers and crew, perhaps Dalton ends up throwing 40-plus times and Bernard is the beneficiary. But then again, Mixon has more receptions than Bernard so far.

Ultimately I view what has happened so far to the Bengals as a bit aberrant and I would for just about any offense other than maybe the J-E-T-S. Nobody would be noticing if this happened in November. There seem to be more bad teams in the NFL than good ones and nobody is saying Dalton will lead the Bengals to the playoffs. After five seasons of first-round losses, the Bengals really underachieved last season, but the offense was 13th in yards. If things don’t change, Dalton and coach Marvin Lewis could be among those shipped out. Perhaps we even see AJ McCarron if Dalton doesn’t get on track. But we’re not there yet. It’s two games!

The Bengals probably won’t have tight end Tyler Eifert this week, but they should be used to that. They have Green and running backs who can play and one has to think that Rodgers, with all his many weapons and in a home game, will put up some points. Watch the Bengals make Sunday a shootout.

Questionable options: As of this writing, Green Bay wide receiver Jordy Nelson remains a 50-50 proposition to suit up for Sunday’s late afternoon game and obviously if he is active, fantasy owners will want him in lineups. However, it’s quite likely we won’t know by the start of the early afternoon games. Among the still-available wide receivers to keep around as potential starting options in the late games or later in case Nelson sits are Seattle’s Paul Richardson, Cincinnati’s Brandon LaFell, Kansas City’s Chris Conley and Dallas' Cole Beasley and Terrance Williams, or go with Packers backup Geronimo Allison. Not exactly a triumphant crew there. I can’t say as of now if I’d simply go with borderline fantasy options from the 1 p.m. ET games or not, as it’s not really like the Odell Beckham Jr. situation from Week 2, when I wasn’t dealing with it. Beckham played but didn’t do much. In the Sunday night game, we don’t have clarity on whether Washington running back Rob Kelley will go, but Kelley owners should know rookie Samaje Perine is already a threat after getting 21 carries in Week 2. Tight end Jordan Reed is also questionable, but again, his owners should always prepare for the possibility he cannot suit up.

New York, New York: Speaking of struggling teams, both the Giants and Jets, Jersey’s winless teams, bear watching this week because again, things should improve and fantasy owners don’t seem to be investing. The problems are many, of course. We should expect Beckham in the lineup and perhaps even closer to 100 percent healthy, but Eli Manning needs better protection to have the time to find him. The Giants can’t run the football, as expected, but I could see Beckham getting many chances on quicker, shorter passes, along with Shane Vereen and Evan Engram, in an effort to avoid Philadelphia’s pass rush. With the Jets, they strangely announced they’re going with a trio of running backs and ignoring how good Bilal Powell was last season. He’s scheduled to share with Matt Forte and newly relevant Elijah McGuire. Well, not relevant yet, but take notice that he’s even in this picture. The Jets also could have the services of tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins for the first time this month and he could become relevant in deep leagues right away.

Good morning, London! And finally we remind fantasy owners yet again that sometimes the second game of the NFL week will not start around 1 p.m. ET on Sunday (you know, since there’s always a Thursday game). This week over in jolly England the Ravens and Jaguars will be sending America’s best -- well, something like that -- so the first thing to know is get your lineups in early. How many Ravens and Jaguars will be in those lineups? Well, the only guaranteed play is rookie running back Leonard Fournette and many will look to force Javorius Allen in as well, but I admit to being at least a bit intrigued by each team’s wide receivers. Jeremy Maclin has scored a touchdown in each game and Mike Wallace, who annually gets sent to free agency in fantasy leagues around this time, has barely been targeted. But Wallace annually ends up with numbers. Last season he topped 1,000 receiving yards. For the Jags, nobody should rely on Blake Bortles, but Allen Hurns has a 1,000-yard, 10-touchdown season to his name -- with Bortles at QB -- and Marqise Lee could be breaking out. Perhaps it can’t happen now with Bortles or Chad Henne, but look, we’ll all be watching and with set lineups anyway, right?

 

[HacheMan]

Fantasy football cheat sheet: Start, sit and more tips for Week 3
Joe Kaiser
ESPN INSIDER
9/22/17


Just when it seemed like defense was taking over in the NFL, the 49ers and Rams gave us a game for the ages on Thursday night with Los Angeles eeking out a 41-39 victory.

Todd Gurley's three touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving) and Carlos Hyde's two scores highlighted the high-scoring game, and anyone with these running backs (or Sammy Watkins/Jared Goff) in their fantasy lineup this week has to feel great heading into the weekend with a big head start.

Now the question is this: Who else is primed for a huge game this week?

Our weekly ESPN Insider cheat sheet provides a rundown of the greatest hits from all of our Insider fantasy football content. You'll find answers to the top questions of the week, along with injury updates, matchup advantages and wild-card plays from Eric Karabell, Tristan H. Cockcroft, Mike Clay, Al Zeidenfeld, Matt Bowen, KC Joyner and Scott Kacsmar. It's all the best tips, distilled into one handy file.

Here's what our experts are saying about Week 3:


Top tips

Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers

Newton isn't running as much as he once did, and, like last season, he is struggling with accuracy on his passes. If there was ever a time for him to start heating up, though, this is the week against the poor Saints defense, Zeidenfeld writes in his daily fantasy best buys column.

"After two straight disappointing weeks from Newton, this is the perfect time to get back in on the Carolina quarterback," he writes. "The Saints are the cure to all that ails opposing quarterbacks. New Orleans has allowed a league-high 14 completions on balls traveling 15-plus yards in the air [tied with the Colts] which has helped allow Sam Bradford and Tom Brady to throw for 341 and 436 yards against them in consecutive weeks. It's still unknown if Newton will run the ball anywhere close to as much as he did in the past, which brings his value down just a little bit, but the matchup is just too good to ignore ... with or without rushing touchdowns."


Chris Carson, RB, Seattle Seahawks

Two weeks into the season is all it took for one of the four Seahawks running backs to emerge, and Carson is that guy. The 249th pick in the 2017 NFL draft, Carson busted out with 93 yards on 20 carries and distanced himself from Seattle's other options in the backfield in the process. Bowen is optimistic about Carson's fantasy value going forward:

"Remember, this is the same guy who flashed during the preseason. The talent is there with Carson and so is the system fit in Seattle. The Seahawks desperately need that lead back, the downhill runner who can pound the football in the fourth quarter. Based on what I saw on Sunday, Carson is the back you want to roster on this Seahawks team. He has the upside of a low-end RB2 moving forward for a team that is going to run the rock."

Le'Veon Bell, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

Is this week's game at Chicago the one where Bell finally busts out and plays like the player who was drafted with one of the first two picks of almost every fantasy draft this season? Joyner takes a closer look at the blocking numbers, and finds that Bell and the Steelers have a lot working in their favor heading into this road game against the Bears.

"Bell has scored only 20.8 fantasy points through the first two weeks of the season, but his struggles haven't been due to sub-par run blocking, as Pittsburgh's 51.6 percent good blocking rate (GBR) placed sixth best in Week 2," he writes. "The Steelers also have the makings of a mismatch in pass blocking, as they rate first in ESPN Stats & Information's pass protection metric (PPM) and the Bears' defense ranks 28th in QC (7.0) and 25th in TIP (2.4). Add it up, and it means Bell and Antonio Brown should reach their elite fantasy production potential, Ben Roethlisberger has strong QB1 potential and Martavis Bryant is a very good Week 3 flex option."

Playing the matchups

Odell Beckham Jr., WR, New York Giants

We know what you're thinking -- the Giants' offense has been extremely disappointing through Week 2, and Beckham's four catches for 36 yards in his 2017 debut on Monday didn't exactly win anyone anything in fantasy. Even so, you can't overlook a good matchup when Beckham has one, and Clay writes that this is one of those weeks.

"Beckham made his 2017 debut on Monday night at less than full health, but common logic suggests he should be closer to a full go against Philadelphia this weekend. That would be bad news for an Eagles defense that has holes at the cornerback position," he writes.

"Jalen Mills has been pummeled for 15 receptions and 177 yards on a league-high 21 targets this season. Beckham torched Philadelphia for 196 yards and a pair of touchdowns last season, though only 19 of his 99 routes were against Mills (two catches, 43 yards). Beckham moves around the formation quite a bit, so he'll see some of Eagles rookie Rasul Douglas as well. Assuming he doesn't have a setback, Beckham should be locked into lineups this week."

Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Carolina Panthers

Benjamin may have only seven catches through Week 2, but Bowen believes that the tall receiver has a chance to build on a solid game last week with a game against the Saints.

"Deep middle-of-the-field throws. The quick passing game outside the numbers. And red zone targets. Hey, this is what Benjamin owners signed up for," he writes. "And after that really disappointing performance in Week 1 (five targets, one reception, 25 yards), Benjamin gave owners a little bit more on Sunday with 77 yards on six grabs (eight targets).

"Yeah, it's still a line that needs to improve, but Benjamin had red zone opportunities (slant, fade) and his role/volume should expand even more now with tight end Greg Olsen out for an extended period of time with a broken foot. That production needs to be replaced. And with a matchup this week versus a Saints secondary that has been absolutely gashed through two games, giving up a total of 777 passing yards, I'm locking in Benjamin as a high-end WR2 this week."

Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

A number of other top tight ends around the league are already dinged up, leaving Kelce as one of the few elite options at the position. His matchup against a tough Chargers defense shouldn't scare anyone away from the Chiefs' star tight end in Week 3, Zeidenfeld writes:

"Kelce has 17 targets in two games, including four red-zone looks. Coming off last season's 22.35-percent market share of red-zone targets, the 50 percent he's seeing through two games will certainly regress, but it's extremely encouraging to see the Chiefs finally utilizing their biggest and best target when it matters. The Chargers' points allowed to tight ends could lead people elsewhere, but with two games being such a small sample and the two teams they've faced [the Broncos and Dolphins] not exactly being offenses that feature their tight ends, this looks like a great place to invest in Kelce."

Martavis Bryant, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

Brown gets all the attention in the Steelers' receiving corps, but Bryant has big-play ability that shouldn't go overlooked in this week's road game against Chicago.

"While Brown is always a preferred target to stack with Ben Roethlisberger, I think this could be a big week for Bryant in Chicago," Kacsmar writes in his Best NFL DFS matchups column. "He scored his first touchdown since 2015 last week against the Vikings and was open for another huge gain had there not been pass interference on the defense. He should have great matchups against this no-name secondary and a defense that has struggled a lot through two games this year. I'd go for the cheaper stack of Roethlisberger and Bryant rather than Brown this week."

Injury impact

Rob Gronkowski and Danny Amendola, New England Patriots: Though listed as questionable, both Gronkowski (groin) and Amendola (concussion) are expected to play in Sunday's home game against Houston.

Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb, Green Bay Packers: Nelson (quad) returned to practice this week and is progressing the way the team had hoped for Sunday's game against Cincinnati. He is officially listed as questionable, but it sounds like there's a good chance he'll be available. Cobb (shoulder) is considered doubtful.

Sam Bradford, Minnesota Vikings: The Vikes will be without Bradford (knee) for a second straight game, as the team ruled him out on Friday. That means another start for Case Keenum, which lowers the fantasy value of players such as Stefon Diggs and Kyle Rudolph.

Jimmy Graham, Seattle Seahawks: Graham (ankle) is considered a game-time decision for Sunday's road game at Tennessee. "We've just got to make sure he's OK all the way to game time, but he really feels like he can do it. So, we'll see," Carroll told Dori Monson on KIRO Radio 97.3 FM on Friday. If Graham can't play, Luke Willson will step in as Seattle's primary tight end against the Titans.

John Brown, Arizona Cardinals: Brown missed Week 2 due to a quad injury and didn't practice Thursday. Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians indicated earlier in the week that it would be "miraculous" if the receiver were available for the Monday night game against Dallas. With Brown unlikely to play, it will be another chance for J.J. Nelson to step in and get additional targets as the No. 2 receiver next to Larry Fitzgerald.

Lottery tickets

Theo Riddick, RB, Detroit Lions

Riddick is well-regarded in PPR leagues due to his ability to catch a high volume of passes out of the backfield. He may be more overlooked in fantasy circles this season due to the return of Ameer Abdullah, but Riddick's role as a pass-catcher remains the same. Cockcroft sees promise with the veteran running back this week.

"The Atlanta Falcons' defense has been an advantageous matchup for opposing running backs for quite some time now," he writes, "with their 37.0 PPR fantasy points allowed through two weeks this season ranking second-most after they afforded the fourth-most [27.4] last season.

"They struggle the most to contain pass-catching running backs, which is why Riddick, rather than Abdullah, gets the nod here. No defense has afforded more PPR fantasy points to running backs on receptions since the beginning of last season than the Falcons, who served up 19.5 points on six catches to Ty Montgomery in Week 2 alone. After a quiet Week 2 against the Giants, Riddick should rebound with closer to the 5.3 receptions he averaged per game in 2016."

Rashard Higgins, WR, Cleveland Browns

Only three weeks into the season, and Higgins -- a fifth-rounder last season who only caught six passes in 16 games as a rookie -- has already established himself as one of the Browns' top offensive options in 2017. Zeidenfeld likes what he has seen out of the second-year receiver out of Colorado State.

"Kenny Britt has fallen out of favor with the Browns' coaching staff only two weeks into the season and Corey Coleman has been lost for the foreseeable future with a broken hand," he writes. "Enter Higgins, the Colorado State product who, for those of us who played college football DFS back in the day, was a staple week in, week out. A great route runner with the ability to get downfield and behind defenses is now thrust into a great opportunity and could very possibly lead the Browns in targets per game the rest of the way.

"The Colts have allowed 14 completions on balls that have traveled 15 or more yards in the air [tied for most in the league with the Saints], and have allowed opponents to complete those passes at a 66.7-percent rate [third-highest in the league]. Add the newfound target volume to what has been an inept defense the first two weeks of the season and we've got instant value opportunity without much downside risk at the price."

Jack Doyle, TE, Indianapolis Colts

Until Andrew Luck returns to the field, many fantasy managers are set on fading Colts -- even the big names like T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief. Doyle is one who warrants some consideration this week against the Browns, though, Cockcroft writes.

"He has been one of the few parts of the Colts' offense that has been going right the first two weeks, and in Week 2, he seemed to flash the most chemistry with new quarterback Jacoby Brissett. Doyle should again be a big part of the game plan against the Cleveland Browns, who have had an awful time containing tight ends through two weeks, serving up 22.1 PPR fantasy points to Jesse James in the opener and 17.1 to Benjamin Watson in Week 2."

Jermaine Kearse, WR, New York Jets

Many Jets fans grumbled when the team traded away DT Sheldon Richardson to Seattle for Kearse and a second-round pick, but so far this season Kearse is the biggest bright spot on an otherwise bad Jets offense.

"The Jets had to have someone step up after losing Quincy Enunwa to injury this preseason. Kearse came over in a trade from Seattle and has quickly established himself as Josh McCown's main target," Kacsmar writes. "Kearse has two more touchdowns than Antonio Brown, Julio Jones and Odell Beckham Jr. combined in the start of this crazy season. Kearse is still a bargain since expectations are low for the Jets' offense, but the Miami defense is unexceptional. We know there's a good chance the Jets will be trailing again, too, so there should be plenty of garbage-time opportunities for Kearse."

Big question of the week

How will the Bears work out their running back rotation against the Steelers?

When Chicago hosts Pittsburgh on Sunday, it will do so with one of the best young running back combos in the league in second-year back Jordan Howard and rookie Tarik Cohen. Heading into the season, Howard was regarded as a top-10 running back, but he's in danger of his value dropping quickly based on the type of start Cohen -- a fourth-round pick -- is having to his NFL career. Last week against Tampa Bay, Howard suffered through a shoulder injury and rushed nine times for 7 yards and didn't catch a pass. Meanwhile, Cohen rushed seven times for 13 yards -- not great by any means -- but added eight catches for 55 yards in the passing game.

The running back who gets more snaps and steps forward against the Steelers could have the edge going forward, so that's something to watch closely.

 

[HacheMan]

Week 3 takeaways on Dalvin Cook, Chris Thompson, Stefon Diggs and more
Matt Bowen
ESPN INSIDER
9/26/17




On Sunday, New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. let fantasy owners know that he's back. Nine grabs, two touchdowns, smooth route running and the ridiculous ball skills to finish plays. But what should we make of Isaiah Crowell's subpar production? And who is jumping on the Chris Thompson train with me? Let's get into that along with a look at Christian McCaffrey, the Eagles' running backs and Stefon Diggs' monster day against the Bucs. Here are my Week 3 fantasy takeaways.

Odell Beckham Jr. is back

After playing only 30 snaps in Week 2 and finishing with just 36 yards receiving (on four catches), I focused on the route running with Beckham against the Eagles on Sunday. Is that ankle getting right? That's what owners want to know. And based on what I saw, the Giants' star receiver looked clean. The footwork? Smooth. The change-of-direction speed? Yep. That sudden burst? Again, it's there. We can go back and look at the double-move Beckham ran. Man, filthy stuff.
Now, Beckham didn't rip off any explosive plays, but he caught nine balls on 13 targets for 79 yards and snatched two touchdowns on red zone throws. Sweet grabs, too. And when we start looking ahead to Week 4, I have no issues slotting Beckham as the No. 2 wide receiver in my ranks behind Antonio Brown. The Giants still refuse to buy into the run game, and I like the upcoming matchup against Tampa Bay. If Bucs cornerback Brent Grimes is still down with an injury, Beckham gets a secondary that was just lit up by Vikings wideout Stefon Diggs (eight receptions, 173 yards, two touchdowns).

Isaiah Crowell's value continues to slip

I was big on Crowell this summer. That upgraded O-line in Cleveland, the physical identity coach Hue Jackson wants to build and a rookie starter at quarterback: Run the ball, right? Add in Crowell's skill set and his downhill style and I tagged the Browns' feature back as a high-end RB2 with a ceiling of a low-end RB1. But we just haven't seen it. And after three weeks of subpar production, it's time to drop Crowell down a notch in your lineups.

Through the first three weeks of the season, Crowell is averaging just 2.92 yards per carry; he has yet to get the ball in the end zone, and he is really struggling to find any daylight. In fact, Crowell is averaging only 1.81 yards per carry before first contact. That's preventing him from getting to the second level. Yeah, I expected more. But based on what I'm watching, and with the Browns playing from behind in these games, the impact just isn't there. For me, Crowell is out of the RB2 mix this week against the Bengals.

Dalvin Cook is an RB1 heading into Week 4

When it comes to evaluating Cook, it's the volume, the production and the pro-ready skill set. In both of the Vikings' wins this season, the rookie running back has seen 25-plus total touches. On Sunday in the win over the Bucs, Cook had 32 touches for 169 total yards and touchdown. And it's clear that the Vikings are all-in on Cook to start the season. He's getting a bell cow workload and also growing quickly as a receiver out of the backfield. I'm talking about designed route schemes to get him the ball.

Heading into Week 3, I had Cook slotted as a high-end RB2. But after another massive volume day, I've got to bump him up to a low-end RB1 with a matchup against the Lions on Sunday. He's running downhill with power behind those pads. I love the sudden acceleration on edge runs, and his production in the passing game is exactly what we saw on his tape at Florida State. He has three-down talent.

Brandin Cooks and the deep ball

Through three weeks, Cooks is averaging 20.33 air yards per target from QB Tom Brady. We saw that back in Week 1 against the Chiefs. Go routes, win at the snap and blaze down the field with that 4.3 speed. And it popped up again on Sunday in the comeback win over the Texans.

The Patriots used a play-action scheme to clear out the middle of the field for Cooks on his first touchdown (dig route), and then Brady hit the wide receiver for the win on a fade route versus Cover 2. Five receptions, two touchdowns and 25.6 yards per catch. And given Brady's ability to manipulate safeties with his eyes, owners should plan on this as a weekly trend. Cooks is the true deep-ball threat in New England's system. And that makes him a low-end WR1 with upside in non-PPR leagues.

Jump on the Chris Thompson train with me

Anyone who watched that Raiders-Redskins game on Sunday night could see it with Thompson. Sure the numbers were great: six receptions for 150 yards and a touchdown, eight carries for 38 yards -- legit versatility. But I'm more focused on his speed. This guy has some juice to his game. And the Redskins are finding more ways to use that sudden burst he brings to this offense. He's a dynamic threat.

With four touchdowns already this season and a system that caters to his skill set based on scheme and formation alignment, Thompson has starter value in that flex spot. Similar to what we have seen from Tarik Cohen in Chicago, coach Jay Gruden is going to script specific plays to get Thompson the rock. Nickel runs, screens, matchups out of the backfield, etc. He gives Gruden more flexibility in the game plan. And he's an ideal fit for today's NFL game.

McCaffrey should receive a boost in the passing game

If Panthers wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin misses any time for the injury he suffered on Sunday, McCaffrey's value is going to climb in PPR leagues. The rookie running back saw 11 targets on Sunday and finished with nine receptions for 101 yards. Plus, given some of the accuracy issues with Cam Newton, McCaffrey provides the Panthers' quarterback with a reliable target on short, high-percentage throws.

McCaffrey did catch a 37-yard pass against the Saints on what looked like a quick out that he converted into a wheel route, but his value is really in the underneath passing game. Think of the flat route here, the angle route (matchups all day), the screen game and the simple checkdown. What Newton needs now is open windows, routes where he doesn't have to force the ball against tight coverage. And McCaffrey can give him that. This offense already lost Greg Olsen and wide receiver Devin Funchess isn't going to scare opposing defenses enough. Let's keep an eye on Benjamin's health this week and plan on bumping up McCaffrey in PPR formats.

Is this Bears run game legit?

That was one of the most conservative game plans I've seen in a long time from the Bears in their overtime win against the Steelers. The passing attack? Super limited. Check the ball down, really. And that's why quarterback Mike Glennon threw for only 101 yards on 15 completions. But that run game? Yeah, the Bears gashed the Steelers for 220 yards on 38 carries. That's good for a whopping 5.8 yards per carry. Zone left, zone right, find the cutback lane, bounce the ball. Then run it again.

Jordan Howard rushed for 138 yards on 23 carries with two touchdowns, including the walk-off score in overtime. Cohen posted 78 yards on the ground off 12 carries. And both backs saw action in that short, conservative route tree the Bears are running. That gave Howard another 26 yards on five receptions with Cohen catching four passes for 24 yards. That's a heavy volume day for both players.

Can it continue? Moving forward, the Bears and Glennon will have to push the ball down the field more. Now, that doesn't mean consistent vertical shots but enough there to at least threaten the safeties. You can't have those guys playing downhill all day. And you'd like to see some runs out of three-wide-receiver personnel. However, this is a team that is willing to dramatically reduce the game plan to control tempo and compete. Because of that, both running backs will benefit, with Howard checking in for me as an RB1 this week against the Packers on Thursday night and Cohen as that versatile weapon in the flex spot.

Which Eagles running back should fantasy managers roster?

With Darren Sproles now out with a torn ACL and broken arm, what should fantasy managers do about running backs in Philly? After not seeing a single carry in Week 2, LeGarrette Blount had 12 carries for 67 yards and a score on Sunday. Wendell Smallwood posted 71 yards on 12 carries, and rookie Corey Clement chipped in 22 yards on six carries and also found the end zone. Three backs that split carries/touches means a committee approach in Philadelphia.

Look, I love how Blount gets downhill. Give me that all day. That dude runs angry. And he's going to get the majority of the goal line touches. But given how dependent his value is on touchdowns, plus working in an offense that could just start slinging the ball, playing 7-on-7 football at any moment, I think he is a risk/reward play every week. Clement? Yeah, I'm going to pass on the rook for now. That leaves Smallwood, who has the most value here because of his ability to as a receiver. If you are looking to roster one of these Eagles running backs, I would go with Smallwood. He has the skill set to play a key role in the Philadelphia passing attack as the third-down back.

Stefon Diggs still has WR2 value with Case Keenum

After catching six passes for just 27 yards in Week 2, Diggs' value dropped a bit heading into Week 3. And that's understandable with a backup QB under center. But what did we learn in Sunday's monster game against the Bucs, in which he produced 37.3 fantasy points in PPR formats? Hey, Keenum will take some shots when he has the matchups. On Sunday, Diggs caught five passes on throws of more than 15 yards down the field. And Diggs is the only player to have two touchdowns on throws of 15-plus yards in the same game. Keenum (25-of-32, 369 yards, two touchdowns) challenged that Tampa Bay secondary and took the matchup with Diggs.

Looking ahead to Week 4, Diggs is going to see a tougher matchup against the Lions with cornerback Darius Slay and the ball skills and range of safety Glover Quin. Fantasy managers can't expect the Vikings wideout to post another 150-plus-yard day. But given Diggs' ability to track the ball in the red zone, he should be a solid WR2 even if starting quarterback Sam Bradford is still down with a knee injury.

 

[HacheMan]

Best and worst wide receiver matchups for fantasy football Week 4
Mike Clay
ESPN INSIDER
9/27/17

By utilizing our play-by-play data, we're able to identify where each wide receiver and cornerback lines up on each play. By tracking matchups between the two positions, including potential shadow situations, we can offer the best projections, rankings and fantasy advice each week.

Below are the receivers with the best and worst Week 4 matchups, as well as the corresponding fantasy impact.


To view the primary defenders the top three wide receivers for each team will see this weekend, be sure to check out our weekly WR vs. CB cheat sheet.

Downloadable cheat sheet PDF

Because of the size of the chart in the PDF, here is a key to help you get the most out of it each week:

Rt = Number of routes run by each player during the 2016 season
LWR/Slot/RWR = Percentage of the player's routes run from left wide receiver, the slot and right wide receiver, respectively
T/R = Percentage of a player's pass routes in which he's targeted
F/R = Fantasy points per pass route
Green suggests an advantage for the offensive player, while red indicates an advantage for the defender
An "S" indicates projected shadow coverage

Advantageous matchups


Redskins' Jamison Crowder vs. Chiefs' Phillip Gaines

Despite Marcus Peters' extremely impressive efforts shutting down one side of the field, Kansas City has allowed the 11th-most fantasy points to wide receivers this season. The Chiefs have surrendered the fifth-fewest points to players lined up wide to the right (Peters' side) but the fourth-most to players lined up wide to the left or in the slot. Gaines, the team's primary slot man, has allowed 39 fantasy points (11th-most). Crowder, meanwhile, has lined up in the slot on 80 percent of his routes this season. He should be upgraded and makes for a strong WR3 play.


Chargers' Tyrell Williams and Travis Benjamin vs. Eagles' Rasul Douglas and Jalen Mills

The Eagles have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to wide receivers and the most to players lined up on the perimeter this season. Mills has been the biggest culprit. A mainstay in this article, Mills has been targeted 40 times in three games, which is nine more than any other player. The 2016 seventh-rounder has surrendered 28 catches for 286 yards and two touchdowns. He is allowing 0.59 fantasy points per route, which is third-worst. Douglas is a third-round rookie who replaced injured Ronald Darby in the lineup. Williams and Benjamin move around quite a bit, but both work primarily on the perimeter. Keenan Allen shouldn't have much trouble against Patrick Robinson in the slot, but Williams and Benjamin get the bigger boost on the outside.

Saints' Michael Thomas and Ted Ginn Jr. vs. Dolphins' Xavien Howard and Byron Maxwell

The Dolphins have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per game to players lined up wide to the right. That's where Maxwell has lined up on 95 percent of his routes this season. Howard has been a bit better on the other side, but he has been targeted on 22 percent of his routes. Thomas (81 percent) and Ginn (80 percent) primarily line up on the perimeter, which is where they'll see stay-at-home corners Howard and Maxwell throughout Sunday's game. Both should be upgraded. Willie Snead will face off with Brice McCain in his return from suspension. McCain has been targeted on 2 percent of his routes and has allowed .04 fantasy points per route this season. Both are lowest in the league.


Giants' Brandon Marshall vs. Buccaneers' Vernon Hargreaves

The Buccaneers have allowed 53 fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers and 37 per game to players lined up on the perimeter this season. Both are highest in the league. Like last season, when he allowed an NFL-high 249 fantasy points, Hargreaves has been a big part of the issue. The second-year corner has been targeted on 20 of his 73 routes and has allowed 185 yards. He ranks 62nd in the league in pass routes faced but has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points (and remember, he has played two games while most have played three). Hargreaves is allowing a league-worst 0.62 fantasy points per route. Marshall has lined up wide to Eli Manning's left on 71 percent of his routes this season, which is where Hargreaves has aligned 95 percent of the time. Marshall remains a risky play, but this is a good matchup. If Brent Grimes is out again, Odell Beckham Jr. will get a boost in value against replacement Ryan Smith.


Broncos' Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders vs. Raiders' David Amerson and Gareon Conley

Amerson allowed the third-most fantasy points among cornerbacks last season, and he sits second in the category through three weeks. He has allowed a whopping 17 catches for 230 yards and three scores on 100 routes. The Raiders have allowed the second-most fantasy points to players lined up wide to the right, which is where Amerson has aligned on 98 percent of pass plays. Thomas has lined up at that spot on 38 percent of his routes, and Sanders is at 46 percent this season. On the other side of the field will be the rookie Conley. He has allowed a hefty 0.49 fantasy points per route this season. Expect a lot of volume for the Broncos' dynamic wide receiver duo.

Tough matchups


Buccaneers' Mike Evans vs. Giants' Janoris Jenkins

Evans had his hands full with Xavier Rhodes last week, and life won't be any easier this week. Expect shadow coverage from Jenkins, who successfully contained Dez Bryant in Week 1 and has allowed only six catches for 76 yards on 69 routes this season. Jenkins has taken his game to a new level in New York, but he did allow Evans four catches on seven targets for 80 yards on 23 routes when these two last met in 2015. The Giants have allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers, but for the second week in a row, DeSean Jackson should be the indirect benefactor of shadow coverage against Evans. Jackson will face off with Eli Apple, who has allowed 36 fantasy points (15th-most) on just 82 routes this season (54th).

Raiders' Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree vs. Broncos' Chris Harris Jr., Aqib Talib and Bradley Roby

Cooper and Crabtree are coming off a rough trip to Washington, and things won't be much better this weekend in Denver. In two meetings between these teams last season, Cooper was limited to 16 targets, 10 receptions, 95 yards and one touchdown on 58 routes. Crabtree posted seven catches on 14 targets for 74 yards and no scores on 48 routes. In the Week 9 meeting, Harris shadowed Crabtree a few times, but Talib was out with an injury. We shouldn't expect a repeat this week from a team that hasn't had a player shadow full-time in a game since Week 16 of 2015. Downgrade both receivers and avoid in DFS.


49ers' Pierre Garcon vs. Cardinals' Patrick Peterson

Garcon is fresh off a huge Week 3 game against the Rams, but he's in for a rough follow-up with shadow coverage from Peterson on tap. Peterson has already followed Marvin Jones, T.Y. Hilton and Dez Bryant this season. He passes receivers off to Tyrann Mathieu in the slot, but Garcon has lined up on the perimeter 76 percent of the time this season. These two have faced off on only 24 pass routes since 2012. Garcon managed two catches for 14 yards and one touchdown on three targets on those plays. Garcon should be downgraded quite a bit. With Peterson glued to Garcon, Marquise Goodwin is a terrific DFS tournament flier up against Justin Bethel. The Cardinals have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to wide receivers because of the team's struggles opposite Peterson. Bethel has allowed 54 fantasy points on the season, which is third-most in the league. He has surrendered 0.59 fantasy points per route, which is second-worst.


Eagles' Alshon Jeffery vs. Chargers' Casey Hayward

Hayward did not shadow against Miami or Kansas City the past two weeks, but he did shadow during 10 of his previous 12 outings. Those scenarios included matchups with clear No. 1 perimeter receivers such as Demaryius Thomas, Terrelle Pryor, Julio Jones, Kelvin Benjamin, Mike Evans and DeAndre Hopkins. That said, I suspect Hayward will shadow Jeffery this week. Despite both spending a lot of time in the NFC North, these two have faced off on only 15 routes in five games tracing back to 2012. The result? A 21-yard catch on two targets. Even without Jason Verrett for most of the action, the Chargers have allowed the sixth-fewest fantasy points to players lined up on the perimeter this season. Downgrade Jeffery in what is a tough matchup.


Cowboys' Dez Bryant vs. Rams' Trumaine Johnson

The Rams have allowed the sixth-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers this season, including the fewest points to players lined up wide to the right. That's where Johnson has lined up on two-thirds of his snaps this season. Of course, he figures to chase Bryant around this week, as he did Pierre Garcon last week. Johnson struggled against Garcon but has allowed five receptions for 39 yards on 11 targets on receivers not named Garcon this season. These two last met in 2013, and Bryant beat Johnson for two catches and 27 yards on four targets over 15 routes. Bryant has faced a brutal schedule already this season and is up for another challenge in Week 4.


Lions' Marvin Jones Jr. vs. Vikings' Xavier Rhodes

With Golden Tate working primarily from the slot this season, expect Rhodes to shadow Jones this week. Minnesota didn't shadow when these teams met in Week 9 last season, but he did line up against Tate on 23 of his 24 perimeter routes in Week 12. Rhodes did, however, shadow Jones when Tate moved to the slot. Tate has aligned in the slot on 83 percent of his routes this season, whereas Rhodes has traveled inside only 3 percent of the time. It's very possible that Rhodes and Trae Waynes simply play their sides this week, but considering that Rhodes has shadowed in seven of his past nine outings, I'd bet against it. If there's a silver lining for Jones, it's that teams have not been afraid to challenge Rhodes this season. Granted, he has been matched up with target hogs, but Rhodes has been targeted on 27 percent of his routes (fifth-highest).

Considering that Rhodes has done well against top wideouts, yet the Vikings have allowed the second-most fantasy points to wide receivers, Kenny Golladay and Golden Tate should both be upgraded against Waynes and Terence Newman, respectively. Waynes has allowed 42 fantasy points this season, which is seventh-most in the league, and Newman has been targeted on 26 percent of his routes faced (10th-highest).


Vikings' Stefon Diggs vs. Lions' Darius Slay

Believe it or not, Diggs is fantasy's top-scoring wide receiver. Although he's a quality player and has brought his A-game, it's important to consider his competition. Split by the cornerback in coverage, his 70 fantasy points have been scored as follows: De'Vante Harris (27), Ryan Smith (23), Hargreaves (13), Joe Haden (five), Robert McClain (two) and P.J. Williams (one). Yeah, it doesn't get much easier than that. Slay, meanwhile, has emerged as one of the game's better cover corners. He shadowed most of last season and chased Odell Beckham Jr. and Julio Jones already this season. These two haven't met since Week 7 back in 2015. Diggs went without a catch on one target over six routes in that affair. Diggs missed one of the games and Slay the other during the two meetings between these teams last year. Slay rarely covers the slot, but Diggs has lined up outside on 78 percent of his routes this season. Expect Slay to follow Diggs around the perimeter this week, which will present him with his toughest challenge of the season.


Jets' Jermaine Kearse and Robby Anderson vs. Jaguars' A.J. Bouye and Jalen Ramsey

The Jaguars have allowed the fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks and the second-fewest to wide receivers this season. That obviously doesn't present an ideal scenario for the Jets' passing game this weekend. The Jaguars added Bouye to a cornerback unit that already included Ramsey and slot man Aaron Colvin during the offseason. The results have been positive so far. All three players rank among the best corners in terms of fantasy points allowed per route. Kearse (71 percent) and Anderson (58 percent) primarily work on the perimeter and will thus see Bouye and Ramsey most this week, but life won't be any easier for Jeremy Kerley against Colvin. This is an offense to avoid against Jacksonville's loaded defense.

 

[HacheMan]

Week 4 fantasy football flex rankings
Eric Karabell
ESPN INSIDER
9/27/17

The final flex rankings of September are here and with them come reminders that these are just one man’s opinions. Use them as a guide, if you will, and not the final answer -- for these are your teams and sometimes we just have a feeling one player will outperform another. Perhaps it can’t be explained. The flex rankings encompass the best of the running backs, wide receivers and tight ends for a given week, but so much of it is subjective. Activate who you want to activate!

Regardless, it’s Week 4, so let’s all flex!

1. Antonio Brown, WR, Steelers: It doesn’t seem like he’s been so great but there he is as the No. 2 WR in PPR so far. And by the way, these rankings are for PPR.

2. Kareem Hunt, RB, Chiefs: What an emergence! It all looks legit and we’ll see how he reacts after a bad game, if that ever occurs.

3. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Cowboys: Only one touchdown in three games, but no reason for panic. Well, unless the courts figure things out quickly and he’s suspended. That would be surprising.

4. Le'Veon Bell, RB, Steelers: The good stuff is pending and you’re running out of time to buy low, if that’s even possible.

5. Julio Jones, WR, Falcons: He’s still great but is getting no red zone looks. Can he score eight times?

6. Devonta Freeman, RB, Falcons: He can score eight times. He’s halfway there!

7. Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Giants: Obviously talented, but some of that other stuff seems unnecessary, for whatever it’s worth.

8. A.J. Green, WR, Bengals: See, Andy Dalton really isn’t so awful.

9. Dalvin Cook, RB, Vikings

10. Todd Gurley, RB, Rams

11. Mike Evans, WR, Buccaneers: Quite the sideline tirade in Week 3. Wonder if he and Jameis Winston are best pals. Quarterback accuracy is an issue.

12. Jordy Nelson, WR, Packers: Was 50/50 to play and then scored two touchdowns. In Aaron Rodgers we trust. Don’t worry about the short week. Last Thursday there were 80 points scored.

13. Michael Thomas, WR, Saints

14. Keenan Allen, WR, Chargers

15. LeSean McCoy, RB, Bills: Perhaps I seem more skeptical than my colleagues, but 30 rushing yards on 26 carries over two games isn’t fun.

16. Leonard Fournette, RB, Jaguars

17. Carlos Hyde, RB, 49ers: Sure seems like a top-10 running back to me when he’s healthy, which he is.

18. Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Cardinals: Keep doubting the older fellows but this one is still great.

19. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Texans: Plenty of catches and targets with his rookie QB.

20. Rob Gronkowski, TE, Patriots

21. Melvin Gordon, RB, Chargers: Dealing with a knee injury but looks like he’ll play against the Eagles.

22. Jay Ajayi, RB, Dolphins: Knee injury had to hamper him in great matchup with Jets. Don’t give up on him.

23. Doug Baldwin, WR, Seahawks

24. Ty Montgomery, RB, Packers: Not so efficient, but he's getting so much volume, few care. I’m starting to worry a bit, though.

25. DeMarco Murray, RB, Titans: Yep, he’s obviously fine now. Nothing to worry about.

26. Demaryius Thomas, WR, Broncos

27. Emmanuel Sanders, WR, Broncos

28. C.J. Anderson, RB, Broncos: This guy doesn’t really give you warning for when the numbers drop precipitously. Yeah, I’d rather rely on his wide receivers.

29. Stefon Diggs, WR, Vikings: Great September last year as well. Not saying you must sell high but be open to possibilities.

30. Brandin Cooks, WR, Patriots

31. Jordan Howard, RB, Bears: Don’t give up on top-20 players after two weeks. In any fantasy sport.

32. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Panthers: Don’t give up on top rookies getting much volume, either. OK, so he’s not Kareem Hunt but there’s upside here, too.

33. T.Y. Hilton, WR, Colts: Last year’s receiving yards leader will be fine regardless of who plays QB.

34. Travis Kelce, TE, Chiefs

35. Tyreek Hill, WR, Chiefs: Can make a big play at any time, but still needs those touchdowns.

36. Marshawn Lynch, RB, Raiders

37. Mike Gillislee, RB, Patriots: Without the touchdowns there’s not much there. Doesn’t look like he’ll threaten for 1,000 rushing yards like last year’s guy in New England.

38. Chris Carson, RB, Seahawks: Should be the starter and this is a big week for him.

39. Jarvis Landry, WR, Dolphins

40. Dez Bryant, WR, Cowboys: Is every cornerback matchup for this guy going to be a problem? Wow.

41. Michael Crabtree, WR, Raiders

42. Amari Cooper, WR, Raiders

43. Lamar Miller, RB, Texans: Three sort of nothing statistical games but he’s actually close to pace for 1,000 rushing yards. He needs to do more, of course.

44. Mark Ingram, RB, Saints: Double-digit PPR points each week so far, and no reason to think that ends here.

45. Zach Ertz, TE, Eagles: This hierarchy is interesting, as the next guy will make big plays but Ertz is acting so consistent now and is a red zone option.

46. Alshon Jeffery, WR, Eagles

47. DeVante Parker, WR, Dolphins

48. Pierre Garcon, WR, 49ers: Can’t like the matchup with Arizona’s terrific Patrick Peterson.

49. Joe Mixon, RB, Bengals: The breakout is coming. Has to be.

50. Adam Thielen, WR, Vikings

51. Golden Tate, WR, Lions: I have Matthew Stafford and Tate in one league but luckily didn’t need to touchdown-that-wasn’t to win. I’m sure a lot of you did, however. Don’t bench Tate ever.

52. Davante Adams, WR, Packers

53. Bilal Powell, RB, Jets: Can’t understand the Jets’ thinking the first few weeks but Matt Forte is likely out and someone has to get touches. I’d say it’s a prove-it game for Powell but it’s probably not. He proved it all last December.

54. Isaiah Crowell, RB, Browns: Hasn’t rushed for 45 yards in a game yet and people will be giving up on him. Try to avoid that.

55. Tarik Cohen, RB, Bears: No reason to think his production will wane. Week 3 was nearly a much bigger game for him, by the way ... a touchdown in overtime was called back.

56. Tevin Coleman, RB, Falcons

57. Frank Gore, RB, Colts: Rushing yards aren’t great but he’s scored consecutive weeks. Not an easy opponent this week.

58. Terrelle Pryor Sr., WR, Redskins: One of the fantasy busts of the month so far but it’s still a passing offense. Buy low to a degree.

59. Sammy Watkins, WR, Rams

60. Chris Hogan, WR, Patriots

61. Jacquizz Rodgers, RB, Buccaneers: At this point it’s fair to wonder if there’s anything he can do to keep the starting job when Doug Martin comes off suspension next week. Oh, add Martin now.

62. Javorius Allen, RB, Ravens: That was a hideous performance by the Ravens. Would figure we’ll see a better game against a division rival this week.

63. Wendell Smallwood, RB, Eagles: Opportunity is there for him to star now that Darren Sproles is out.

64. Theo Riddick, RB, Lions

65. Ameer Abdullah, RB, Lions

66. Jamison Crowder, WR, Redskins: At some point Pryor and Crowder will get going. A Washington running back has 231 receiving yards and it can’t continue.

67. Jimmy Graham, TE, Seahawks

68. Mohamed Sanu, WR, Falcons: More than 100 fewer yards than Julio Jones but he’s got the touchdown.

69. Willie Snead, WR, Saints: Welcome back!

70. DeSean Jackson, WR, Buccaneers

71. Chris Johnson, RB, Cardinals

72. Duke Johnson Jr., RB, Browns

73. James White, RB, Patriots: From game to game one never knows with this team.

74. Chris Thompson, RB, Redskins: He is the Washington running back playing great but the team claims he will not see an uptick in touches, so be careful here.

75. Kyle Rudolph, TE, Vikings

76. Delanie Walker, TE, Titans

77. Charles Clay, TE, Bills: Seems strange to see him in this spot but the numbers say he’s doing good stuff.

78. Jordan Reed, TE, Redskins: The numbers say he’s a huge risk to either miss any game or leave it early. I’ve been avoiding for a while.

79. Martavis Bryant, WR, Steelers

80. Jonathan Stewart, RB, Panthers: Numbers say the Patriots can be run on, but that was basically Kareem Hunt doing it.

81. LeGarrette Blount, RB, Eagles: He still exists and a double-digit touchdown season wouldn’t be shocking. But 1,000 yards would be.

82. Jamaal Charles, RB, Broncos: He also still exists. Broncos have young running backs but Charles got the chance last week and thrived.

83. Jeremy Maclin, WR, Ravens: Let’s just all ignore the Ravens’ Week 3 outing.

84. Giovani Bernard, RB, Bengals: Still relevant, actually. If the rookie fails, Bernard appears next.

85. Alvin Kamara, RB, Saints

86. Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Panthers: Would seem unlikely he plays this week with a knee injury, but Panthers really do need him.

87. Tyrell Williams, WR, Chargers: Awfully quiet first three games but Philadelphia has secondary problems and didn’t rush the passer in Week 3.

88. Jordan Matthews, WR, Bills

89. Rob Kelley, RB, Redskins

90. Terrance West, RB, Ravens

91. Adrian Peterson, RB, Saints: Hey London, this guy is a future Hall of Famer! He appears third on the New Orleans depth chart, however.

92. Marqise Lee, WR, Jaguars
93. Robert Woods, WR, Rams: Looked good in Week 3 and Dallas can be thrown on. Sleeper!

94. J.J. Nelson, WR, Cardinals: From most added by fantasy players to a big Week 3 goose egg.

95. Sterling Shepard, WR, Giants: Hard to believe the Giants have basically scored most of their points in one 10-minute stretch of one quarter this season.

96. Brandon Marshall, WR, Giants

97. Thomas Rawls, RB, Seahawks: Had one snap last week.

98. Derrick Henry, RB, Titans: If you have Murray, you should keep him around.

99. Devin Funchess, WR, Panthers

100. Randall Cobb, WR, Packers

Others: Robby Anderson, WR, Jets; Eric Decker, WR, Titans; Rishard Matthews, WR, Titans; Ted Ginn Jr., WR, Saints; Paul Perkins, RB, Giants; C.J. Prosise, RB, Seahawks; D'Onta Foreman, RB, Texans; Shane Vereen, RB, Giants; Jason Witten, TE, Cowboys; Cooper Kupp, WR, Rams; Donte Moncrief, WR, Colts; Mike Wallace, WR, Ravens; Andre Ellington, RB, Cardinals; Chris Ivory, RB, Jaguars

 

[HacheMan]

Washington options elicit odd Week 4 rankings
Eric Karabell
ESPN INSIDER
9/28/17

After a sluggish opener, the Washington Redskins have won their past two contests but have placed fantasy owners in a precarious spot when it comes to evaluating their talent. The lone Washington player performing better than expected is a pass-catching running back who was maybe a token last-round pick. This week, there figures to be quite a few players from this team – if not all of them – on fantasy benches for a Monday night matchup against the unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs.
What’s happening here is strange since the Redskins are scoring points and rank eighth in the league in total yards. Chris Thompson, a rather undistinguished 26-year-old in his fifth NFL season, is averaging a ridiculous (for a running back) 17.8 yards per his 13 catches, with two going for touchdowns, and he’s the lone Washington player with more than 50 PPR points so far. Quarterback Kirk Cousins hasn’t been terrible, but he isn’t connecting with wide receivers Terrelle Pryor Sr. and Jamison Crowder, while tight end Jordan Reed and running back Rob Kelley have been hurt.
Pryor’s lack of production has been most notable, and it’s why ESPN’s fantasy rankers as a team left him out of the top 30 this week, though the meeting in Kansas City is likely a strong factor as well. Pryor somehow managed to scrape past 1,000 receiving yards with Cleveland’s many underwhelming quarterbacks last season and now, with a proficient Cousins, is on pace for 619 yards on 53 catches. That’s certainly not what was expected when fantasy owners made him the No. 15 wide receiver in ESPN average live drafts and an early fourth-round selection overall.

Sometimes things take more than a few weeks to click, and that’s especially true with wide receivers coming to new places. For Pryor, it also so happens that he’s not the most experienced at his position. He used to be a quarterback. Perhaps he doesn’t end up outscoring all but 14 other wide receivers, but there will be times he warrants WR2 placement, perhaps in Week 6 after his team’s bye week, when, in theory, the team can figure out what’s wrong. Pryor didn’t run crisp routes in the opening-week loss to the Eagles, and he was rarely open this past Sunday night in the win over the Raiders. Pryor was targeted four times, catching two.

Cousins remains a top-10 quarterback for the difficult Week 4 prime-time game, and if he’s going to get there, he’ll need to rely more on wide receivers than Thompson, who can’t possibly keep his level of production going. He’s not Kareem Hunt. He’s 5-8, hasn’t seen as many as 70 rushing attempts in a season and his coach has made it clear extra touches, thanks to his early-season performance, are not in the plans. Oh, I’d use Thompson over Kelley and rookie Samaje Perine and call him a reasonable flex, but keep expectations well in check. I’d still buy low on Kelley, who is clearly the starter when healthy.

Then there’s Reed, whose initial placement in the rankings Tuesday is varied. Two rankers have him at No. 4 (things may change during the week). I’ve got him ranked, but outside the top-10, hardly befitting his ability and track record. One colleague did not rank Reed, which is eminently fair since the talented tight end missed Week 3 with a chest injury, and there might not be clarity on this week until game-time Monday, which is far too late for fantasy owners to leave him active. Yeah, I’d just go with Eric Ebron or Jared Cook or have Vernon Davis at the ready. At least they’re playing. Reed is a terrific player when healthy, but he’s rarely healthy, and even when he plays, he might not finish the game. I’d sell if anyone’s still buying.

Week 4 quarterback ranking thoughts: Nobody seems the least bit worried about Falcons star Matt Ryan, as he faces the near-perfect Bills defense. The Bills have yet to allow a passing touchdown, which seems a bit hard to believe. Ryan and his pals seem like they can handle it. … The honor of most passing touchdowns allowed belongs to the Patriots (8), but nobody seemed interested in making Cam Newton a top-10 option. He hasn’t played well. Now watch him throw for four scores! … We keep telling you that Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger isn’t productive in road games, but do you listen? This week for a game at Baltimore, which was last seen destroyed in London by Blake Bortles, Big Ben misses the top 10 again. Don’t be fooled. He’s not a top-10 fantasy QB. … The Chargers’ Philip Rivers hasn’t gotten anything going yet, but we’ve ranked him well for a home game against the Eagles. If Rivers doesn’t come through, he might get ranked in Eli Manning territory after this one, and nobody wants that.

Week 4 running back ranking thoughts: Three different running backs among the four of us in the top spot. How intriguing! I went with the Chiefs’ Kareem Hunt, who is going nuts every week, and until that stops, I’m not going to place others with somewhat tepid performance ahead. Yes, Le’Veon Bell is still awesome. But just look what Hunt is doing! Why must I be loyal to the guy who has done it before? I’m not saying I’d trade Bell for Hunt -- but this week, yeah. … I don’t mind liking the 49ers’ Carlos Hyde more than most. Again, past results are only so relevant to me. We know Hyde is good. We don’t know if he’ll play in all 16 games. … I’m apparently the only one concerned about the lack of efficiency for Green Bay’s Ty Montgomery. What really concerns me? It’s a short week as they play Thursday, and he’s hurting. … Jay Ajayi was awful against the Jets. We still rank the Dolphin top-10 for the Saints game. It shouldn’t be his last chance, but he needs to do something. … Last chance for Cleveland’s Isaiah Crowell as a potentially consistent RB2? Yeah, probably. … The same goes for the Jets’ Bilal Powell, as Matt Forte will sit.

Week 4 wide receiver ranking thoughts: I’m just not sure what more Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald has to do to warrant a top-10 ranking weekly. The matchup isn’t a problem. I’ve got him No. 9. … I’m also higher on Houston’s DeAndre Hopkins. He looks fine to me. Deshaun Watson has made him relevant, and by the way, no matter what Watson does on the field, he’s a winner off it. Google his name for this week’s news. … Denver’s corners are perhaps the best in the game, but how far should we drop Oakland’s Michael Crabtree and really underachieving Amari Cooper? This duo has been quiet at Denver the past few seasons. Are they WR2 choices? Perhaps I’m too optimistic. … Don’t forget the Saints have welcomed back Willie Snead from suspension, and he should play an important role right away. … It is a big week for the Chargers’ Tyrell Williams, Titans’ Eric Decker and the Jacksonville options, as they might not be ranked at all for future weeks without some Week 4 numbers.

 

[HacheMan]

What to watch: Will Chargers finally get their offense going?
Eric Karabell
ESPN INSIDER
9/30/17


Things haven’t gone so well for the San Di … sorry, Los Angeles Chargers this season. Potential wins the first two weeks were lost not only because of their new kicker but also thanks to turnovers, inefficiency and poor third-down results. The Week 3 game versus the Chiefs was pretty much over early. Quarterback Philip Rivers wasn’t exactly viewed as a surefire fantasy starter before the season, but he’s currently 24th in season scoring at his position, worse than Jacoby Brissett, Josh McCown and two rookies, and that’s not likely to continue.

While Rivers isn’t likely to be a popular play in fantasy this Sunday when the Philadelphia Eagles come to visit, he can certainly change the perception of his future, and some of his weapons certainly can, and they’re worth watching as well. Running back Melvin Gordon is treated as an RB1 and should be, but he wasn’t able to play a full game in Week 3 due to a knee injury. The team claims he’s fine despite his questionable designation, but Gordon is barely a top-10 running back in this week’s rankings. Don’t try to overthink his situation.

Wide receiver Keenan Allen garnered a clear top-10 ranking among his wideouts, and for good reason. The Eagles' defense can certainly be thrown on. The secondary is young and inexperienced, and when stalwart lineman Fletcher Cox left the lineup in Week 3 against the Giants with a calf injury, things quickly went awry. Without a pass rush, even Eli Manning picked apart their defense for three fourth-quarter touchdowns. With Cox sidelined this week, Rivers and Allen are capable of big performances.

Also keep an eye on third-year wide receiver Tyrell Williams and how the tight end snaps and targets are divided. Williams really stepped up last season when Allen tore an ACL in Week 1, but through three games he’s being outshined by deep threat Travis Benjamin. Williams hasn’t reached 55 receiving yards in a game after doing so in 10 games last year. Perhaps few would have opted to activate Williams in September games, but this is the last week before the bye weeks and a little relevancy would be nice because we will need him. In addition, fantasy owners should start thinking about rookie Mike Williams, the Clemson first-rounder dealing with a back injury. He could really matter later in the season, and by the way, the Chargers have December matchups with the Browns, Redskins, Jets and Raiders. Sounds enticing.

Meanwhile, second-year tight end Hunter Henry should be a star by now, but he didn’t get any targets in Weeks 1 or 3. In Week 2, he turned his seven targets and catches into 80 yards. Um, he can do that every week if the Chargers let him! Henry is among the most dropped players in ESPN standard leagues, and it’s easy to see why. Don’t blame Antonio Gates, either. He got his touchdown in Week 2 to break the all-time position mark he shared with Tony Gonzalez, but Gates has caught precisely two passes in each game. It’s odd for Rivers to not feature the tight ends more, especially when the offense is sputtering. I view Henry as a potential top-10 tight end this year, so if you can wait a bit longer before cutting him, do so. Perhaps this is the week things change.

Which other players or themes are worth watching the rest of this Week 4? Glad you asked!

Top-20 running back watch: Cleveland’s Isaiah Crowell and forgotten Jet Bilal Powell seem like the obvious choices about to get punted aside in ESPN leagues if their statistics don’t improve, though that still would be a mistake. Crowell was a fourth-round pick in ESPN ADP, Powell went in Round 6. So far, Crowell has scored 21.7 PPR points, a low mark that has been eclipsed in a single game 18 times. The worst game for Kareem Hunt is 25.3 points! Crowell is being outscored by teammate Duke Johnson Jr., who has all of six rushing attempts, but Crowell is still being featured and has played well against the Bengals in the past.

As for those crazy Jets, word is Matt Forte will sit out this week, but Powell, who scored a touchdown in Week 3 but shared snaps with Forte and Elijah McGuire, still isn’t the starter. He’ll have to share. I’m getting the feeling the Jets don’t particularly like Powell, and fantasy owners are starting to feel the same way. Perhaps Powell can be traded to a team that needs aid, like the Green Bay Packers, for example. Running backs on the way up to add prior to Sunday – even if you don’t or can’t play them – include Philly’s Wendell Smallwood, Arizona’s Chris Johnson and Tampa Bay’s Doug Martin, who returns from suspension after Week 4. Add him now before everyone finds out.

Houston, we have an offense: The Titans are the lone defense in the league to allow at least 38 PPR points to wide receivers in each of the three weeks, which not only makes Houston’s DeAndre Hopkins a borderline WR1 option but could make this a breakout week for Texans. Hopkins has 37 targets already, and second on the team is backup running back Tyler Ervin with 11. Bruce Ellington did nothing the first two weeks but mattered in Week 3, and he’s worth a look in deep leagues. Braxton Miller has been disappointing and inefficient, but maybe this is his week. Rookie Deshaun Watson often leaves the pocket, either to run or ad-lib plays, and this seems like a decent week to rely on him. The Texans famously started the season getting drubbed at home by the Jaguars, but they almost knocked off the Patriots in Massachusetts last week and could turn into a dangerous offense soon.

London calling, again: For the second consecutive Sunday, the first game of the day will be played on the other side of the pond, so please don’t wait until lunchtime to get those lineups set. We know you’re entranced by the awesome Fantasy Football Now show each week, but a game starts before that show actually does. Unlike the Jaguars-Ravens game last week, this week’s Dolphins-Saints game features a whole lot of relevant fantasy options, which is generally the case whenever Drew Brees is playing because when he’s not on the field, his team’s awful defense is. That doesn’t mean Jay Cutler is a great play, but don’t be shocked when he does great things with DeVante Parker, Jarvis Landry and perhaps Kenny Stills. Running back Jay Ajayi should bounce back from a miserable game against the Jets. For the Saints, Willie Snead returns from suspension, and while nobody’s saying he’s awesome, he might be available in your league. And yeah, dropping Adrian Peterson to acquire Snead makes sense. Peterson has totaled 10.1 PPR points this season.

 

[HacheMan]

Fantasy football cheat sheet: Start, sit and more tips for Week 4
Joe Kaiser
ESPN INSIDER
9/29/17


Thursday night brought us an all-too-predictable outcome with Green Bay beating Chicago in a 35-14 route at Lambeau Field behind Aaron Rodgers' four touchdown passes.

Unfortunately, the game also included several key injuries, as running back Ty Montgomery left early with what early reports indicate might be broken ribs, and wide receiver Davante Adams was carried off the field after taking a nasty blow to the head from Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan. Luckily, Adams had already been released from the hospital as of Friday afternoon and appears to have avoided serious injury. In any case, the health of both Adams and Montgomery will be something to track carefully in the weeks ahead.

What else is worth keeping a close eye on heading into this week?

Our ESPN Insider cheat sheet provides a rundown of the greatest hits from all of our Insider fantasy football content. You'll find answers to the biggest questions of the week, along with injury updates, matchup advantages and wild-card plays from Eric Karabell, Tristan H. Cockcroft, Mike Clay, Al Zeidenfeld, Matt Bowen, KC Joyner and Scott Kacsmar. It's all the best tips, distilled into one handy file.

Here's what our experts are saying about Week 4:


Top tips

Odell Beckham Jr., WR, New York Giants

It's crazy how fast you can forget about a slow or injury-marred start to the season. For Beckham, all it took was a couple of touchdowns late in last week's loss to Philadelphia. Scott Kacsmar explains why Beckham in this week's game against the Buccaneers is a better bet than one of the other big-name receivers.

"I'm not fading Antonio Brown entirely, but you have to lower your expectations when he plays the Ravens, which he has three touchdowns in 15 games against. The Steelers often struggle in Baltimore," he writes. "I love Beckham in Tampa Bay, a defense that was just lit up by Stefon Diggs. Beckham found the end zone twice on Sunday, but still didn't crack 80 receiving yards. That monster game is coming any day now and you'll want to have him for that. ..."

Tyrod Taylor, QB, Buffalo Bills

Playing at Atlanta this week, Taylor is a quarterback who continues to be overlooked and underrated, per Al Zeidenfeld. In fact, Ziedenfeld lists him as one of his best buys this week.

"This week it's going to be very easy to target cheap quarterbacks with solid team totals in positive matchups," he explains. "The first one is Taylor going to Atlanta.

"Tyrod has been solid and efficient so far against three tougher-than-average defenses and now gets a little bit friendlier landing spot in Week 4. Atlanta has allowed 273 yards passing per game thus far but it's more the way it defends that will benefit Taylor. The Falcons' defense is geared to muffle the numbers of outside receivers but funnel targets to running backs and tight ends. That strategy will play right into the way the Bills like to attack with LeSean McCoy notching 20 targets already in three games and Charles Clay also off to a very hot start himself. Taylor offers a solid floor with the possibility for upside if the game flow helps out a bit and the Bills are forced to go up-tempo and chase in the second half."

Minnesota Vikings offense

Quietly, the Vikings have one of the most star-studded offenses in the league as far as fantasy goes this season. Who would have ever thought that?! A closer look at the blocking stats heading into this week's game against Detroit points toward another big day of offense for the Vikings. KC Joyner explains why Minny's offense is one to watch this weekend.

"The past three weeks have been frustrating for fantasy managers with Minnesota Vikings players on their rosters, as every Purple and Gold fantasy mainstay has bounced between great and subpar point totals so far this year.

"Those start-sit-question headaches should go away due to the highly favorable matchup against Detroit. The Lions' defense ranks 27th in GBR (45.3), 28th in YBCT (2.8), 27th in PPR (22.0), 27th in quarterback contact rate (QC) and 23rd in TIP (2.3). These factors are part of why Detroit places 25th in fantasy points allowed per game to running backs (25.7) and 20th in wide receiver points allowed per game (35.2).

"Add it up and it means Dalvin Cook, Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen should all be placed into starting lineups without hesitation. It also could make Case Keenum a quality start for fantasy managers in two-quarterback leagues."

Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings

As we touched on above with the Vikings, Cook is off to an impressive start to his NFL career despite all the pressure of coming in and replacing a legend like Adrian Peterson. Matt Bowen explains why the rookie is so valuable to the Vikings and in fantasy leagues for this week and beyond.

"When it comes to evaluating Cook, it's the volume, the production and the pro-ready skill set," he writes. "In both of the Vikings' wins this season, the rookie running back has seen 25-plus total touches. On Sunday, in the win over the Bucs, Cook had 32 touches for 169 total yards and a touchdown. And it's clear that the Vikings are all-in on Cook to start the season. He's getting a bell-cow workload and also growing quickly as a receiver out of the backfield. I'm talking about designed route schemes to get him the ball.

"Heading into Week 3, I had Cook slotted as a high-end RB2. But after another massive volume day, I've got to bump him up to a low-end RB1 with a matchup against the Lions on Sunday. He's running downhill with power behind those pads. I love the sudden acceleration on edge runs, and his production in the passing game is exactly what we saw on his tape at Florida State. He has three-down talent."

Playing the matchups

Trevor Siemian, QB, Denver Broncos

The early-season hype surrounding Siemian undoubtedly has cooled off a bit after a tough loss in Buffalo, but this week's game against an Oakland defense that was embarrassed by Washington last Sunday night is a good opportunity for the young Broncos quarterback to get back on track. Tristan H. Cockcroft explains:

"Although he flopped in Week 3, with his 7.56 fantasy points ranking fifth worst among the 32 starting quarterbacks, there's a substantial difference between a road matchup against the Buffalo Bills and one back home against the Oakland Raiders, which have served up 61.38 total fantasy points (fourth most in the league) and a 0.521 points-per-passing-attempt average (fifth most)," he writes. "The Raiders' cornerbacks -- David Amerson, TJ Carrie, Gareon Conley and Sean Smith -- rate among the game's weakest, which helps explain why the Raiders are one of only six teams without an interception this season, as well as why they've allowed the highest passer rating out of the 30 teams that have played three games on throws that traveled at least 10 yards downfield. Siemian has two excellent wide receivers in Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders he can use to exploit the Raiders' defensive weaknesses, which is why he's such a strong streaming play for those owners whose usual starters are either struggling mightily (read: Cam Newton) or facing awful matchups (read: Jameis Winston)."

Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys

If you saw what the San Francisco 49ers managed to do to the Rams last Thursday, you have to be expecting Elliott and the highly regarded Cowboys' offensive line to have a big day against Los Angeles.

"The Rams' offense has been a fantastically improved unit year over year; their defense, on the other hand, has been gashed by opposing running backs the first three weeks," writes Zeidenfeld. "The Rams have allowed 173 scrimmage yards per game to opposing RBs and are third in the league in fantasy points allowed to the position thus far. Elliott is a bell cow, getting 90 percent of his team's snaps and over 90 percent of the Cowboys' running back usage. You don't need me to tell you how good a player he is, but rest assured he'll be fed this week as a home favorite against a defense that hasn't shown the ability to stop running backs to this point in the season."

Jay Ajayi, RB, Miami Dolphins

When it comes to matchups, you always have to be excited when a top running back option in fantasy faces the Saints, as is the case with Ajayi this week. Kacsmar explains why that's such a great matchup for the young running back.

"The Dolphins were a huge disappointment in every way against the Jets last week, but we also have to remember that Ajayi's breakout season in 2016 was built heavily on three 200-yard rushing games," he writes. "The Dolphins were not a consistent rushing offense like Dallas or Pittsburgh. I have to think Ajayi bounces back this week against the Saints, which rank 27th against the run. Ajayi is still Miami's best offensive weapon as Jay Cutler gets acclimated to the offense. According to ESPN Stats & Info, the Saints rank 30th in yards before first contact per rush (3.12) this season."

Michael Thomas and Ted Ginn Jr., WRs, New Orleans Saints

Both Thomas, the big target, and Ginn, the speedster, are in favorable situations heading into the game against Miami and cornerbacks Xavien Howard and Byron Maxwell, writes Mike Clay.

"The Dolphins have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per game to players lined up wide to the right. That's where Maxwell has lined up on 95 percent of his routes this season. Howard has been a bit better on the other side, but he has been targeted on 22 percent of his routes," Clay points out. "Thomas (81 percent) and Ginn (80 percent) primarily line up on the perimeter, which is where they'll see stay-at-home corners Howard and Maxwell throughout Sunday's game. Both should be upgraded. Willie Snead will face off with Brice McCain in his return from suspension. McCain has been targeted on 2 percent of his routes and has allowed .04 fantasy points per route this season. Both are lowest in the league."

Injury impact

Melvin Gordon, RB, Los Angeles Chargers -- Gordon is expected to play against the Eagles after missing much of the second half of last week's game due to a sore knee. This is the same left knee on which he had microfracture surgery in 2016, so it's worth paying close attention to this in the weeks ahead.

Doug Baldwin, WR, Seattle Seahawks -- Baldwin sat out most of the fourth quarter in last week's loss to Tennessee due to a groin injury, but he says the injury isn't serious and that he plans to play Sunday night against Indianapolis.

Michael Crabtree, WR, Oakland Raiders -- Crabtree left last week's game early after taking a blow to the chest, and his status for Sunday's road game in Denver remains a bit iffy. He was a limited participant in practice on Thursday and is likely a game-time decision.

Jordan Reed, TE, and Rob Kelley, RB, Washington Redskins -- Both Reed (ribs/shoulder) and Kelley (ribs) are hopeful to return to the lineup for the Monday night game at Kansas City.

Sam Bradford, QB, Minnesota Vikings -- Bradford won't play in Week 4 due to ongoing knee pain, and Case Keenum will continue to start in his place.

Matt Forte, RB, New York Jets - The veteran suffered a turf toe injury in last week's game against Miami and is expected to miss Sunday's game against the Jaguars.

Tyler Eifert, TE, Cincinnati Bengals -- Eifert has been ruled out for this week's game against the Browns and is expected to miss several more games due to a back injury.

Will Fuller, WR, Houston Texans -- There's a chance that Fuller could return this week from a fractured collarbone injury suffered during training camp. He returned to practice last week and would give Deshaun Watson another talented target for the game against the Titans.

Corey Davis, WR, Tennessee Titans -- A hamstring injury will keep the No. 5 overall pick in the 2017 draft out for a second consecutive week. Eric Decker will start in his place as he did against the Seahawks.

Lottery tickets

Tyrell Williams, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

Though Williams has yet to find the end zone this season, he is seeing plenty of opportunity and targets on the field. This week, he faces a banged-up Eagles secondary, making him a breakout candidate, according to Cockcroft.

"Ronald Darby's absence (dislocated right ankle, out four to six weeks) set the Philadelphia Eagles' secondary back in a major way, and in Week 3, the New York Giants revealed their weaknesses by boasting three wide receivers in PPR double digits," he writes. "In fact, the Giants totaled 71.4 points by their wideouts, the highest single-game total allowed by any defense this season. While Keenan Allen might therefore seem like the obvious pick, I'm nominating Williams because of his perceived low value right now. It'll probably result in the lesser coverage of the two, and let's not understate how unlucky Williams' fantasy production seems considering his role thus far: 168 snaps played and 111 routes run (both tied for 14th in the league, but the snaps only among wide receivers), along with 18 targets (tied for 32nd). He was heavily used like this last season, too, and with that much opportunity, he is bound to break through this week."

Bilal Powell, RB, New York Jets

You have to be a little brave to look to the Jets for fantasy help, but Powell presents a potential value this week against the Jaguars.

"This play is a search for value with potential for volume and PPR upside," Zeidenfeld explains. "Powell is someone I don't target unless Matt Forte is out, and with him looking doubtful this weekend at the time I'm writing this, I'm very interested in Powell as a flex running back who can provide significant salary relief. The matchup isn't great with Jacksonville, but in the final four games of last season with Forte limited or out, Powell averaged 20.5 carries, 5.2 catches and 138 scrimmage yards per game. ..."

Allen Hurns, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

If you need help at receiver, Hurns is an underrated option who warrants extra attention in Week 4 because of the matchup against the Jets.

"The Jaguars and Jets have both been playing blowouts every week, which can be good or bad for fantasy purposes," Kacsmar explains. "Blake Bortles is the king of garbage time, so that's usually good news for his receivers. Marqise Lee has taken over the team lead in targets now that Allen Robinson (ACL) is done for the year, but Hurns is still the most dangerous receiver. He leads the team with 144 receiving yards. This is a good matchup for him against an unimpressive New York secondary."

Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

Another Chargers receiver whose stock has dropped some after a slow start to the season, Allen is a big name who has a golden opportunity to put up a big week against the Eagles this week. Eric Karabell explains why he's so bullish on Allen.

"The Eagles' defense can certainly be thrown on," he writes. "The secondary is young and inexperienced, and when stalwart lineman Fletcher Cox left the lineup in Week 3 against the Giants with a calf injury, things quickly went awry. Without a pass rush, even Eli Manning picked apart their defense for three fourth-quarter touchdowns. With Cox sidelined this week, [Philip] Rivers and Allen are capable of big performances."

Big question of the week

With veteran Darren Sproles ruled for the season due to the broken arm and torn ACL suffered in Week 3 against the Giants, who will take over as the lead back in Philadelphia? Will it be Wendell Smallwood over LeGarrette Blount?

Tim McManus of ESPN's NFL Nation weighed in on what he expects to see for the remainder of the season.

"I believe the running-back-by-committee approach will continue, so I'm not sure the Eagles' backfield will ever have a clear feature back this season," he writes. "But Smallwood is definitely in line to see an increase in playing time, as the plan for now is to give him a bulk of Darren Sproles' third-down snaps. Assuming Smallwood holds up in pass protection, he has a good chance of leading the backs in touches over the remainder of the season. He's not a bad guy to have stashed on your fantasy roster if his production starts to take off."

 

[HacheMan]

Week 4 takeaways on Kamara, Watson, Abdullah and more
Matt Bowen
ESPN INSIDER
10/2/17


On Sunday, Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson put on a show versus the Tennessee Titans, scoring five total touchdowns. But where does that put the rookie's fantasy value moving forward? Let's discuss how the Texans are utilizing Watson, talk about the numbers Cam Newton produced versus the Patriots' defense and look at a waiver-wire pick up in Seattle. Here are my fantasy takeaways from Week 4.

Watson must be rostered in all leagues

After watching Watson rack up high-level numbers for the second straight week -- in an offense that is catering to his skill set -- the rookie needs to be rostered in all leagues moving forward. Quick passing, play action, the boot game and quarterback-designed runs. Yeah, the Texans get it with Watson. And they are putting him in a position to produce.

On Sunday, Watson lit up the Titans' defense for 283 yards passing (25-of-34) and four touchdowns while adding 24 more yards and another score on the ground. Sure, Watson is still growing at the position, and he will make some mistakes (check out the interceptions late in the second quarter). And I get that. But the key here is the upside with the Texans' quarterback.

Watson diced through the Titans' defense in the quick game. On throws fewer than 15 yards, Watson completing 21 of 24 passes for 192 yards and three touchdowns, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Those are high-percentage throws. Get it out quick too. Plus, he's finding the matchups with DeAndre Hopkins, and the Texans are creating open throwing windows off play action, boot and run-pass options. Toss in some quarterback-designed runs, and now we are looking at a QB who needs to be on your roster. And based on the matchups, Watson will have value as a fantasy starter as this season progresses.

Alvin Kamara's PPR value is on the rise

Mark Ingram is still the RB1 for the Saints, but don't sleep on Kamara as a flex starter in PPR formats. The rookie caught a team-high 10 passes for 71 yards and a touchdown plus another 25 yards on the ground (five carries). Versatility, right? For sure. And that's how the Saints feature him in the game plan.

Kamara lined up at wide receiver, caught passes in the screen game and scored that touchdown on a shovel pass from Drew Brees. Plus, we have to use the eye test here. Kamara brings energy to this offense. He can go. And that's why the Saints are scripting plays to get him the ball.

On Sunday, Kamara caught five screen passes for 46 yards. That's the most screen receptions for any player this season. Aligned outside at wide receiver? Throw the hitch route. Throw the bubble. Kamara gained 80 yards after the catch versus Miami -- the most for any Saints player since Darren Sproles back in 2012, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

There is a trend here with Kamara and coach Sean Payton is bumping him up the call sheet. The Saints have a bye in Week 5, and we should expect wide receiver Willie Snead to be back when the Saints take the field again in Week 6. That could cut into some of Kamara's touches in the passing game. But based on what I've seen, along with the Saints' effort to get him the ball, Kamara should be considered a solid flex play in PPR leagues.

Is Cam Newton back

I was down on Newton after his sluggish performance in Week 3 versus the Saints. But what do we make of the Panthers' QB after he torched the Patriots' defense for 316 yards passing and three touchdowns along with 44 yards rushing and another score? Newton lit up the Patriots' blitz schemes (8-of-10 passing, 145 yards, 2 touchdowns), and he looked pretty strong running the ball. The touchdown run? A power-read scheme. Get downhill, drop the pads and run though tackles. Big-boy stuff.

Now, the Patriots' secondary gave Newton a boost on Sunday. Just look at the lack of communication and the coverage busts for New England. This unit really struggled versus bunch and "quads" bunch (four receivers aligned tightly together) on Sunday. That led to wide open targets for Newton and Bonus Plays.

Going against a Lions defense in Week 5 that is playing really good football, we can't expect Newton to find guys open by 20 yards. But when we pair a much more aggressive Panthers passing game with Newton running the ball once again (eight carries on Sunday), he's back in that QB1 mix.

Ameer Abdullah's workload

I wrote about Abdullah a couple of weeks back because of the volume he is seeing at the running back position in Detroit -- around 15 carries a game, plus some targets out of the backfield. And the skill set? Nasty change of direction skills and the burst to get up the field. I like the fit here in the Lions system. But ... where are the touchdowns?

Abdullah saw yet another high-volume day versus the Vikings in Week 4, carrying the rock 20 times for a career-high 94 yards and adding another 15 yards receiving on three grabs (four targets). However, Abdullah also found the end zone on a 1-yard score. For most backs, that's just a layup. Drop the pads and find some daylight.

But for Abdullah? That's big for his fantasy value. With goal-line runs, we are talking about a running back who is going to get 15-20 total touches per game and see the ball in scoring situations. If that leg injury Abdullah suffered checks out, I'm going to keep him as a low-end RB2 versus the Panthers in Week 5.

hat's up with the Dolphins offense?

I had big hopes for DeVante Parker versus that Saints defense and really expected Jay Ajayi to pump out some numbers in London. Instead, we got a dud. This Miami offense was conservative to a fault and we also saw some questionable play calling in the red zone.

Parker won some early matchups on inside breaking routes, using his size and catch radius there on the slant or dig. But Parker also needed a garbage-time vertical throw to get to 69 yards on six receptions. Ajayi? 46 yards rushing on 12 carries and one grab for eight yards. Ajayi did break off a nice 15-yard run early in that game, but the lack of daylight was obvious. The Dolphins' running back gained just 14 yards before first contact on those 12 carries. And Jarvis Landry? Six receptions for 40 yards (6.7 yards per catch).

But when an offense wants to lean on wide receiver screens and elects to throw a goal-line fade route to Julius Thomas (resulting in a pick), instead of handing then ball to Ajayi, this is what you get. I would play single-high safety defenses all day versus this team. And line up in press. Load the front. This is a horizontal system right now. A low-risk offense that is failing to feature its playmakers.

I need to see more 50/50 throws to Parker and a complete route tree from Landry in the slot. That's going to open up the offense for Ajayi. And the Dolphins have a shot to do that this week versus a Titans defense that gave up a bunch of plays to the Texans.

Seattle's J.D. McKissic is worth a waiver pick-up

On Sunday night, McKissic, who played wide receiver at Arkansas State, scored two touchdowns in the Seahawks' win over the Colts. The 5-foot-10, 195 pound change-of-pace back displayed his short-area quickness on a 30-yard touchdown run after he shook a defender out of his cleats. That was smooth. And then he exposed a matchup versus a linebacker on a fade route down the sideline for a 27-yard score. Great finish too.

What does it mean? Well, starter Chris Carson went down with a tough leg injury. He was a solid fit for this system too, as a downhill runner. Eddie Lacy put up 52 yards on 11 carries. Thomas Rawls? A healthy scratch. C.J. Prosise? An injury kept him out. I would expect Lacy to see a bulk of the carries in Week 5 versus the Rams, but I would also put in a waiver claim for McKissic. Even with a skill set that is similar to Prosise, he's a guy who we have to keep an eye on in Seattle. He's got some playmaking ability. Pick him up and then monitor the running back situation in Seattle.

lot Todd Gurley in as a top-five back

Gurley has a tough matchup in Week 5 versus the Seahawks' defense, but his versatility within coach Sean McVay's offense should make the Rams' featured back a top-five play at the position moving forward. Gurley rushed for 121 yards on 23 carries (5.3 yards per carry) in the win over the Cowboys. And he posted 92 of those rushing yards (on 16 carries) versus "light" run fronts (six or fewer defenders in the box). Spread the field and hand the ball off.

But it's also about his role in the passing game, where McVay is scripting plays to get him then ball. We saw that back in Week 3 versus the 49ers in the red zone and again on Sunday, when the Rams used some window dressing (jet sweep) and sent Gurley up the seam for a 53-yard touchdown. Gurley finished with 94 yards receiving on six receptions, and through four weeks has caught 20 of 22 targets for 11.7 yards per catch.

emember, this is a modern-day offense under McVay. And the running back is a game-plan weapon. Nickel runs, designed route schemes and goal-line carries. Gurley is getting the touches and being put in very favorable situations to maximize his talent.

 

[HacheMan]

Four Downs: Injuries to Dalvin Cook, other stars spoil Week 4
Eric Karabell
ESPN INSIDER
10/2/17


Latavius Murray rushed for more than 1,000 yards in 2015 and last season he scored 12 touchdowns, but the Oakland Raiders sure didn’t seem too interested in keeping him around. Entering Week 4 the Minnesota Vikings, who signed Murray in March before they spent a second-round pick on Florida State running back Dalvin Cook, didn’t seem the least bit interested in having him around. That will obviously change after Cook, who looked like a legit top-10 fantasy running back, suffered what appeared to be a serious knee injury in Sunday’s loss to the Detroit Lions.
Murray had been relegated to reserve duties the first month while Cook starred, but the Vikings fear an ACL tear for Cook and that would indefinitely sideline the 22-year-old who had produced 53 PPR points over the first three weeks. The Vikings are going with their backup quarterback as well because Sam Bradford has a bad knee, and now it appears some combination of Murray and ordinary Jerick McKinnon will handle rushing duties. Murray is experienced and more accomplished and he’ll likely be the top free-agent pickup in fantasy leagues heading into Week 5, though I have doubts he'll be successful given his team's situation at quarterback and offensive line. Still, Murray should matter.

October NFL action opened with a surprising New Orleans Saints shutout of the Miami Dolphins in London, and then the theme of the day, other than running quarterbacks earning big wins, was unfortunately the injuries, with Cook’s left knee appearing to shake fantasy leagues the most. It was a noncontact injury and those rarely have positive results. Still, there will be further tests Monday so don’t cut Cook yet, but be prepared to act. McKinnon has been around for years, mostly as an uninspiring Adrian Peterson backup, and he should be added in deeper formats but Murray should lead.

As for the other injuries, those relying on Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones -- or, to a lesser extent in deeper formats his colleague Mohamed Sanu -- couldn’t have been pleased by a hip injury that held him to 30 yards on three catches. Jones is prone to nagging injuries and hopefully this isn’t serious. Sanu caught one pass for 3 yards before a hamstring injury removed him from action. The Falcons, not surprisingly, lost at home to the Buffalo Bills. Fantasy owners shouldn’t panic on Jones, not yet. The Falcons get the Week 5 bye week, and it would be surprising if Jones wasn’t healthy by Week 6. Hopefully the team can figure out a way to get him involved in the red zone as well.

The other notable injuries were to quarterbacks, as the Tennessee Titans lost Marcus Mariota and later in the day a Raiders comeback might have gone differently in Denver had Derek Carr not left early with back spasms. Mariota rushed for two touchdowns in the second quarter before a hamstring injury ended his day. Then the Texans scored the final 33 points after Mariota left. For now let’s assume Mariota won't need to miss games and if healthy he will be in demand for fantasy owners with the brutal Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts and Cleveland Browns up the next few weeks. Carr shouldn’t have been as popular a play as he was at Denver and as of now there’s no update on his back woes. Even if it’s bad news, he isn’t a running back and there are plenty of quarterbacks available, even with the bye weeks looming.

Second down: Houston’s Deshaun Watson produced an electric performance with four passing touchdowns and one rushing and he’s looking like a potential fantasy starter at this point. The rookie from Clemson impressed in Week 3 when he handled considerable pressure from the New England Patriots and nearly engineered a road win, though it oddly didn’t result in significantly more interest from fantasy owners. Watson was active in only 5.5 percent of standard leagues, as 20 other quarterbacks were more active. That will likely change, of course, though Watson has a tough Week 5 matchup with the only unbeaten team left, the mighty Kansas City Chiefs.

However, another reason to like Watson a bit more now than a week ago is because he has found another weapon. The first three weeks it was basically all DeAndre Hopkins, as he was the only wide receiver on the team with double-digit targets! Enter Will Fuller V, the second-year Notre Dame product who broke his collarbone in August and made a quick recovery considering the circumstances. Fuller caught four passes for 35 yards and two for touchdowns, making this offense more dynamic. Running back Lamar Miller had a breakout performance with 131 yards and two touchdowns, solidifying his role -- for now -- as fantasy owners questioned him and yearned for untested rookie D'Onta Foreman. Oh, and Hopkins has to be considered a WR1 at this point. Welcome back!

Third down: While one very relevant rookie running back certainly didn’t enjoy his day, others did, and some new names are starting to assume key fantasy roles. Entering the Sunday night Seahawks-Colts game the highest scorer among rookie running backs was Saints third-round pick Alvin Kamara, who caught all 10 of his targets for 71 yards and a touchdown, while adding 25 rushing yards. It’s clear the Saints aren’t going to stop using veteran Mark Ingram while he’s healthy, even if Kamara looks better, but the Tennessee product is becoming a flex option nevertheless. The Saints don’t play in Week 5, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Kamara handles a greater workload when they resume play in Week 6.

The New York Jets won again and sixth-round selection Elijah McGuire played a role, turning his 10 rushing attempts into 93 yards, including a 69-yard touchdown. Of course, this being the Jets, roles remain uncertain moving ahead just as in recent weeks. Matt Forte didn’t play Sunday and Bilal Powell did, and Powell scored on the longest rushing touchdown in club history. McGuire is available in nearly every ESPN standard league and there’s no guarantee his role will be significant in Week 5 at Cleveland, but he seems like a smarter bench stash than Terrance West, Jacquizz Rodgers, Eddie Lacy and Paul Perkins, each of whom is owned in a lot more leagues.

Fourth down: Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers had his best game of the season, throwing for 347 yards in a close loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, but he helped Keenan Allen and Tyrell Williams lead all wide receivers in receiving yards (entering Sunday night) and tight end Hunter Henry caught his first touchdown of the season. The winless Chargers continue to find ways to lose close games, but at least the receivers came up large, though tougher matchups follow the next few weeks with the Giants, Raiders and Broncos. Williams entered play with 123 receiving yards over three games and then added 115, with 75 coming on a touchdown jaunt. Of course, to balance out the passing game it wasn’t a good day for running back Melvin Gordon. He battled a knee injury all week and turned his 10 carries into only 22 yards against the Eagles. Monitor his situation but he remains a RB1.

Speaking of balance, the Eagles won again with their running game, as LeGarrette Blount exploded for 136 yards, including a 68-yarder, and Wendell Smallwood assumed the Darren Sproles role of occasional traditional runner and pass-catcher, totaling 79 yards. When the Eagles feature a balanced offense -- when any team does, really -- they are more dangerous, and both Blount and Smallwood should be on the radar for flex purposes in future weeks.

 

[HacheMan]

Eric Karabell
ESPN INSIDER
10/4/17

Things get a bit tougher this week with flex decisions because four teams are not playing (Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos, New Orleans Saints, Washington Redskins) and injuries were unfortunately one of the major themes of Week 4. Then again, even though there are fewer options to rely on, the same formula works. Check the matchups, see who is getting volume of touches and make the best decisions you can. We’re here at ESPN Fantasy to help with rankings and projections, and there’s so much content all posted for your perusal. Now it’s time to flex!

1. Le'Veon Bell, RB, Steelers: How many of you panicked after the first week or two? Now he looks great, as expected.

2. Antonio Brown, WR, Steelers: Remember that unbelievable streak of games with at least five catches and 50 yards? OK, so neither happened in Week 4. Don’t panic!

3. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Cowboys: Last game before the bye week and potential suspension, but I still wouldn’t trade him away for pennies on the dollar. It would be very surprising if this suspension was served in 2017, or actually, at all.

4. Mike Evans, WR, Buccaneers: Unlike the other Buccaneers starting wide receiver, Evans and his quarterback have chemistry. And they all have a poor Patriots defense to face this week.

5. Kareem Hunt, RB, Chiefs: What? Only 16.1 PPR points in Week 4? This guy is slipping.

6. Todd Gurley, RB, Rams: He’s the top scorer in PPR through four weeks. Touchdown rate seems a bit unsustainable, but not sure I’d sell high. Not many running backs to trust anymore.

7. Jordy Nelson, WR, Packers: This ranking doesn’t change whether colleague Davante Adams suits up or not. And it would be surprising if Adams can play after the brutal hit he took last week. That suspension was reduced, too. That’s your NFL.

8. Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Giants: Beckham has a bunch of nagging injuries but he’s so talented it’s sometimes hard to tell.

9. A.J. Green, WR, Bengals: See, his quarterback is fine.

10. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Texans: Whoa, his quarterback is definitely fine.

11. LeSean McCoy, RB, Bills: You’re wasting your time worrying about Mike Tolbert.

12. Leonard Fournette, RB, Jaguars

13. Keenan Allen, WR, Chargers

14. Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Cardinals: He's playing like he’s 29.

15. Dez Bryant, WR, Cowboys: Unfortunately this guy has a tough schedule of cornerbacks much of the season, but certainly not this week!

16. Carlos Hyde, RB, 49ers: Just keep playing through those nagging injuries, please.

17. Jay Ajayi, RB, Dolphins: Time to buy or past the time to sell? Lot of opinions here. I’m not giving up on him.

18. Brandin Cooks, WR, Patriots

19. Doug Baldwin, WR, Seahawks: Gotta think the running game will be a problem all season at this point. Russell Wilson is playing well.

20. Rob Gronkowski, TE, Patriots

21. Travis Kelce, TE, Chiefs: Looking and acting more like Gronk every week, even when he’s not catching the passes.

22. DeMarco Murray, RB, Titans

23. Melvin Gordon, RB, Chargers: Some concern here after the really quiet Week 4 that perhaps he really does need a week off.

24. T.Y. Hilton, WR, Colts: Couldn’t have expected a big game in Seattle, but now is the time to trade for him for the schedule and pending return of Andrew Luck.

25. Stefon Diggs, WR, Vikings: Personally I didn’t think he’d be much worse without Sam Bradford because, well, Bradford really isn’t a great quarterback.

26. Tyreek Hill, WR, Chiefs

27. Lamar Miller, RB, Texans: Miller looked fine in Week 4 and by the way, he wasn’t all that bad the first three games.

28. Jordan Howard, RB, Bears

29. Golden Tate, WR, Lions: Two big games and two small ones, but I think more big games are pending the next three months.

30. Pierre Garcon, WR, 49ers: Time to get aboard. He’s getting volume.

31. Zach Ertz, TE, Eagles: Not only does he lead all tight ends in receiving yards, but only four wide receivers have more!

32. Delanie Walker, TE, Titans

33. Charles Clay, TE, Bills: Someone has to catch the ball for Buffalo. This is looking like the Tennessee situation, actually. Hard to go with their wide receivers, too.

34. DeSean Jackson, WR, Buccaneers: Usually when receivers whine about lack of targets they get extra ones the next game. Jackson is certainly experienced at trying this angle.

35. Bilal Powell, RB, Jets: If you really think you know what the Jets are doing here, buy a lottery ticket. That said, due to lack of better options, Powell is easily a RB2. No Devonta Freeman, C.J. Anderson or Mark Ingram this week.

36. Joe Mixon, RB, Bengals: See: the Jets. This rookie should be getting the touches Kareem Hunt does. But he’s not.

37. Jarvis Landry, WR, Dolphins: The Dolphins will score multiple touchdowns this week against a Titans defense that has been terrible.

38. DeVante Parker, WR, Dolphins

39. Chris Hogan, WR, Patriots: Deserving of WR2 status with this tasty matchup.

40. Adam Thielen, WR, Vikings: Better than most realize. And again, when Bradford returns, it might not stay at this level. Case Keenum is throwing the football downfield!

41. Frank Gore, RB, Colts

42. Latavius Murray, RB, Vikings: My play would be to add him off free agency and then sell high before he plays a below-average game and then you can’t do so. He’s just not that good.

43. Mike Gillislee, RB, Patriots

44. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Panthers: Yep, we expected more. My hand is raised. But he is No. 20 in RB PPR scoring. He’s not Terrance West, ya know.

45. Doug Martin, RB, Buccaneers: Hello there and welcome to the 2017 season! Bucs haven’t said he’ll get a full workload but I'd guess Martin will be ranked better in future weeks.

46. Ty Montgomery, RB, Packers: Apparently having broken ribs does not mean you have to miss a game, but plan ahead. I think we’ll be removing him from consideration by Friday night.

47. Alshon Jeffery, WR, Eagles: Patrick Peterson is the best in the biz so good luck with Jeffery this week.

48. Michael Crabtree, WR, Raiders

49. Amari Cooper, WR, Raiders: Not a good time to rely on Raiders, folks. By the way, the EJ for their new fill-in quarterback stands for Erik James. Thought you’d like to know. I did.

50. Marshawn Lynch, RB, Raiders

51. Duke Johnson Jr., RB, Browns: Enough is enough. He’s the better Browns RB now.

52. Tarik Cohen, RB, Bears

53. Wendell Smallwood, RB, Eagles: The other Eagle ran wild in Week 4 but yeah, I’d still rather have the younger guy who can catch passes, too.

54. LeGarrette Blount, RB, Eagles: That 68-yarder when he ran over anything in his path was awesome. Just remember, other than that legendary run, it was 68 yards on 15 carries. I think you get my point.

55. Sammy Watkins, WR, Rams

56. Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Panthers: Yes, he has played better than I expected.

57. Rishard Matthews, WR, Titans: So has he. The rookie has done nothing and the touchdown guy brought in has been quiet.

58. Randall Cobb, WR, Packers: Might deserve more love from us if/when Adams is deemed out.

59. Javorius Allen, RB, Ravens

60. Theo Riddick, RB, Lions

61. Ameer Abdullah, RB, Lions: Was so close to becoming the first Lion to rush for 100 yards since Barry Sand… actually, it was Reggie Bush in 2013. Still a long time, though.

62. Martavis Bryant, WR, Steelers: Wow, it’s almost like we were absolutely right to be so cautious about a streaky player so reliant on touchdowns!

63. Tyrell Williams, WR, Chargers: Finally got some numbers in Week 4. Now he gets to play the Giants. Think Philip Rivers and Eli Manning are more jacked up for this one since they were traded for each other? Eh, prob not.

64. Danny Amendola, WR, Patriots

65. Eddie Lacy, RB, Seahawks: See my Latavius Murray write-up. I really have doubts Lacy will become a fantasy fixture, but it’s his job now if he can run well. Poor Chris Carson. We just can’t have nice things.

66. Isaiah Crowell, RB, Browns: Doesn’t add up. He rushes for 952 yards last year, with seven scores and 4.8 yards per pop. Team upgrades the line. The rookie quarterback is competent. And Crowell now averages 2.9 yards per rush. You’re darn right I’m angry. I don’t like being wrong.

67. Jonathan Stewart, RB, Panthers

68. Jimmy Graham, TE, Seahawks

69. Will Fuller V, WR, Texans: Excellent debut game but still hard to see consistent volume because Hopkins gets so much.

70. Giovani Bernard, RB, Bengals: At some point, based on the volume he’s still seeing, we’ll have to rank him better. But I still think Mixon is on the verge of getting most of the touches.

71. Marvin Jones Jr., WR, Lions

72. Marqise Lee, WR, Jaguars

73. Devin Funchess, WR, Panthers: Showing signs of becoming a WR3.

74. Mike Wallace, WR, Ravens: Used to be so overrated. Now it’s the opposite.

75. Jeremy Maclin, WR, Ravens: I see no problem not ranking him as the top Baltimore wide receiver.

76. Jaron Brown, WR, Cardinals

77. Alex Collins, RB, Ravens: Being added in many leagues but his volume is hardly safe.

78. Chris Johnson, RB, Cardinals: Being dropped now because he isn’t doing much with the volume.

79. James White, RB, Patriots

80. Jack Doyle, TE, Colts

81. Andre Ellington, RB, Cardinals: That was 14 targets last week and that is a lot. There is some Duke Johnson potential here.

82. Jerick McKinnon, RB, Vikings: Some believe he gets more volume than Murray and I can’t say that would shock me. Murray is still dealing with ankle problems. McKinnon just isn’t that good, either.

83. Brandon Marshall, WR, Giants: Has 21 targets the past two weeks, so that’s not the problem. His hands are.

84. Sterling Shepard, WR, Giants

85. Aaron Jones, RB, Packers: Jamaal Williams could easily be the guy as well. Seems like a situation to avoid.

86. Jacquizz Rodgers, RB, Buccaneers: Actually did fine in two of the three games, but oddly wasn’t used to catch passes. Martin is back ... so now watch Rodgers run wild.

87. Kyle Rudolph, TE, Vikings: It’s a bit disconcerting how few targets and catches he’s getting.

88. Wayne Gallman, RB, Giants: The reason he’s ranked so poorly is prime Barry Sanders would struggle behind this offensive line. Yes, we love opportunity but there are roadblocks. Like five of them attempting to block.

89. Donte Moncrief, WR, Colts

90. Robert Woods, WR, Rams

91. Derrick Henry, RB, Titans

92. C.J. Prosise, RB, Seahawks: Can be a factor if he can just stay healthy.

93. Elijah McGuire, RB, Jets: So he broke a long touchdown, but the Jets are still time-sharing? Why not give the rookie the job?

94. Matt Forte, RB, Jets: Why is he still here?

95. Eric Decker, WR, Titans: So far this doesn’t look like such a good fit.

96. Robby Anderson, WR, Jets

97. Jermaine Kearse, WR, Jets

98. Shane Vereen, RB, Giants

99. Kenny Britt, WR, Browns

100. Allen Hurns, WR, Jaguars

Others: J.J. Nelson, WR, Cardinals; John Brown, WR, Cardinals; Jason Witten, TE, Cowboys; Evan Engram, TE, Giants; Cooper Kupp, WR, Rams; Tyler Lockett, WR, Seahawks; Paul Perkins, RB, Giants; Thomas Rawls, RB, Seahawks; D'Onta Foreman, RB, Texans; Terrance West, RB, Ravens; Matt Breida, RB, 49ers; Zay Jones, WR, Bills; Torrey Smith, WR, Eagles; Jeremy Hill, RB, Bengals; Charles Sims, RB, Buccaneers; Jalen Richard, RB, Raiders; Kenny Golladay, WR, Lions; Chris Ivory, RB, Jaguars