NFL

Players To Target Include Alexander Mattison, Jordan Addison, Adam Thielen, and Others

Published

2 months ago

September 30, 2023

darragh

Kirk Cousins has been nothing short of royalty this season. He is the focal point of the Week 4 Minnesota Vikings fantasy football preview, while the passing game is the driving force behind what I’m interested in regarding the Carolina Panthers’ fantasy outlook.

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Minnesota Vikings at Carolina Panthers

Spread: Vikings -3.5
Total: 45
Vikings implied points: 24.3
Panthers implied points: 20.8

Quarterbacks

Kirk Cousins: Fantasy’s top-ranked quarterback through three weeks is on an absolute tear, and it doesn’t look that crazy; he’s simply maximizing the tools at his disposal. In the Week 3 loss, half of his targets went to Justin Jefferson or T.J. Hockenson — that’s just smart football.

With Jordan Addison or K.J. Osborn turning in a splash play every week, the weapons on this roster, combined with the defensive limitations, put Cousins in a fantasy-friendly position more often than not.

I don’t think the Carolina Panthers (425 yards allowed to the Seattle Seahawks last week) are what slows this offense down, though I do have my concerns about the Carolina offense pushing Minnesota the way the Los Angeles Chargers did last week.

No, I don’t think Cousins throws for over 6,000 yards and 50 touchdowns like his September pace would suggest, but I do think he is a top-10 option until something changes.

Andy Dalton: With Bryce Young sidelined last week, the Panthers elected to open up the playbook — and guess what? It worked. Well, sort of. They held a halftime lead as a 4.5-point underdog in Seattle and flirted with 400 yards of total offense when all was said and done.

Sure, they lost by 10 points, but it certainly wasn’t the fault of the offense, and it’s not crazy to think something similar could happen again this week. Dalton had 20 more completions than the Panthers had rushing attempts, something that simply was never going to happen with how this offense was operating with Young at the helm.

We will get to what this offense could look like when Young returns when the time comes, but with Dalton penciled in, it’s clear that this coaching staff is comfortable airing it out. I find it unlikely that he will repeat his QB7 finish from Week 3, but a top-15 effort is very possible and a great find for Superflex managers or DFS risk-takers.

Running Backs

Alexander Mattison: He’s still seeing north of 80% of the RB work in Minnesota, and until I see that change with my own two eyes, Mattison will be ranked as an RB2 for me. He set season highs in carries (20), catches (five), targets (seven), and scrimmage yards (125) last weekend in the crazy loss to the Chargers, flashing a usage level that only a handful of backs can claim.

His productive day could have been even better if not for a dropped red zone pass that could have turned into a touchdown with one missed tackle. The addition of Cam Akers looks like a depth move more than one of true competition to me.

That’s my view from a distance, given the draft capital spent and the limited success of Akers in Week 1 with the Los Angeles Rams (22 carries for 29 yards).

MORE: Fantasy News Tracker

Could I be wrong? Of course. It wouldn’t be the first time and certainly wouldn’t be the last, but until I have a tangible reason to fear Akers, I refuse to do so. In a spot like this or in the Week 4 Cheat Sheet.

Cam Akers: Follow the money. It may be cliche, but in a world where we often have to react to how a team uses a player to inform us what they think of him, the cost associated with acquiring a player is as good a sign of what the team anticipates that player to offer as anything.

Akers was acquired from the Rams last week, along with a 2027 seventh-round pick for a 2026 sixth-rounder. At that cost, the Vikings are not committed to making Akers work. They identified an underpriced asset and took a shot. Akers should be on the field and get some work in his Vikings debut, but he’s nothing more than roster depth until proven otherwise.

Miles Sanders: Carolina’s feature back has seen both his touch count and his yards per carry decline each week this season, obviously ominous trends. While those numbers are moving in the wrong direction, he is still the clear-cut option in this backfield and on a 68-catch pace.

Top 10 RBs in Expected Fantasy PPG

(23.7) Austin Ekeler
(22.8) Tony Pollard
(19.8) Alex Mattison
(19.6) Kyren Williams
(19.4) Zach Moss
(18.5) Christian McCaffrey
(17.6) Miles Sanders
(17.4) Saquon Barkley
(17.2) Kenneth Walker
(16.1) Josh Jacobs

— Alex Caruso (@AlexCaruso) September 27, 2023

He’s no different than a guy like James Conner: limited per-touch upside in a bad offense but a secure role that carries a reasonable floor. I’m not telling you Sanders will win you this week or a title this season, but I’d be surprised if he let you down in such a way that neither was possible. He’s right back in that RB16-20 range for me this week.

Wide Receivers

Justin Jefferson: What do you want me to say about this guy? Even in a week where he barely catches half of his targets, he turned around and gave you 24.4 half-PPR fantasy points, highlighted by a 52-yard touchdown where he showed route-running expertise in dismantling the Chargers’ zone coverage.

MORE: PFN Consensus Rankings

With 117 yards this week, he will bump his career per-game average to 100 yards. How crazy is that? For most receivers, 100 yards is a benchmark that deserves recognition. For Jefferson, it’s just another day at the office.

Jordan Addison: Was Week 3 a turning point? I’m not making an overly aggressive ranking move yet, but it is possible that in two months, we look back and circle Week 3 as the beginning of a serious run.

Yes, Addison scored in each of the first two weeks and didn’t in Week 3, but he finally out-earned K.J. Osborn in a significant way (eight targets to three), potentially signaling the earning of a role. We will see if the WR2 role is truly his moving forward (a role I have a top-25 spot in my WR ranks reserved for should an option emerge). I have him ranked as a low-end WR3 this week and am ready to move him up should we get reports of a role upgrade.

K.J. Osborn: His 36-yard touchdown featured a perfectly timed dive to the pylon, but it was his only reception of Week 3 (three targets). We’ve seen a secondary Viking receiver haul in a 30+-yard touchdown in all three games this season, and as long as Osborn’s name is in that mix, he deserves to be rostered.

I do think Addison wins this role, but I acknowledge that it is still a competition. Osborn is on the outside looking in at my top 45 at the position as I am reading more into the low usage from last week than the singular big play.

Adam Thielen: The veteran receiver has posted consecutive top-20 finishes and has hauled in 80% of his passes this season. The veteran is a proven touchdown maker, so if we get to blend efficiency and volume with that profile, we might be onto something. Assuming Dalton is under center, and thus the entire playbook is available, Thielen makes for a decent Flex play in PPR formats.

If you’ve made it this far, first of all, thank you. Thank you to the editors for the patience it takes to get to this point and to you, the reader, for listening to me ramble about fake football in a long form. I’ll reward you the only way I know how to: with a quirky stat!

Since 2019, one of every 6.9 Thielen catches has resulted in a TD. Let’s put some context on that. We are talking about the same rate as Randy Moss’ first five seasons and better than Calvin Johnson’s first five (7.5). Thank you again for your loyalty in reading this piece: now take that nugget to your Week 4 watch party and be the star of the event!

DJ Chark Jr.: Big receivers who see targets in bulk are a reasonable roll of the dice in a pinch, and the 6’3” Chark seeing 11 targets last week certainly has me interested.

The opportunity is more likely than not to dry up when Young returns, but if you’re chasing upside without any concern for downside (DFS GPP, an undermanned team in a survivor format, etc.), you could do worse (career: 14.5 yards per catch).

Jonathan Mingo: A concussion limited him to just 18 routes last week, and if you’re playing in an ultra-deep league, Terrace Marshall Jr. was the fill-in option. Neither is worth a look in most leagues, but if you want a cheap piece of this game for DFS, there’s your depth chart update.

Tight Ends

T.J. Hockenson: The fact that he averages 7.8 yards per catch isn’t great for his ceiling, but are you chasing a ceiling? No. No, you’re not. You want him to be consistent and to give you an edge on 90% of your league at the tight end position.

He’s doing just that. He is currently pacing for 130 receptions, and while I don’t think he gets there, the fact that you can lock him in for 10 points per game is unbelievably valuable at the tight end position.

Hayden Hurst: From a process standpoint, Hurst deserves a mention. He doesn’t carry much upside, but considering that he ran a route on 81.3% of his snaps in Week 3, he’s on my list of punt TE plays for Week 4.

Should You Start Jordan Addison or Garrett Wilson?

It was Osborn with the score last week, but as mentioned above, it was Addison filling the WR2 role in a significant way. That has me optimistic about his outlook for both this week and moving forward.

I can’t say that about Wilson and a Jets offense that is stuck in the mud. He is always going to carry elite, one-play upside, though this team is clearly having a hard time capitalizing on it. If I can bet against the Jets’ offense, I will, and getting to do so with the league’s leading passer makes this an easy call.

Should You Start Adam Thielen or Rashid Shaheed?

Benching Thielen for Shaheed after two different Week 3 performances may sound crazy, but that’s fantasy. Last week is in the past, and for this week, Shaheed takes on a poor pass defense with an aggressive quarterback.

Meanwhile, Thielen’s offense could go back into a shell with Bryce Young back under center.

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NFL

News on Aaron Jones, AJ Dillon, and Kareem Hunt Impacting Week 13 RB Rankings

Published

46 mins ago

November 30, 2023

darragh

It’s always a challenge to navigate through injuries in fantasy football. The RB position has several players dealing with issues. The time to set Week 13 lineups is near. What are the latest fantasy injury updates on Aaron Jones, AJ Dillon, and Kareem Hunt?

Latest News and Injury Updates Impacting Fantasy

Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers

Two weeks ago, Aaron Jones went down with an ugly-looking knee injury. Given the way it looked, combined with Jones’ reaction to the injury, it sure felt like he was going to be done for the season. Fortunately, Jones escaped with an MCL sprain.

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Last week, Jones was able to stretch with the team but did not officially practice at all. He did not play on Thanksgiving.

To begin this week, it was more of the same. Jones did not practice, remaining inside with the rehab group, according to Rob Demovsky.

Wednesday practices do not mean much this late in the season. However, when players have previously missed a game, they usually practice on the Wednesday before they return. Jones logging a DNP does not bode well for his chances.

Furthermore, we’ve already seen Jones attempt to return too soon from a hamstring strain, which sidelined him even longer than expected. As a result, look for the Packers to be extra cautious with their top running back.

Even if Jones is able to return to a limited practice on Thursday or Friday, which is not something I expect anyway, fantasy managers should prepare to be without him once again.

With Jones out, AJ Dillon will operate as the lead back. But he’s got an injury of his own …

AJ Dillon, RB, Green Bay Packers

Last week, Dillon got the start with Jones inactive. However, he played just 52% of the snaps. Dillon was his usual inefficient self, carrying the ball 14 times for 43 yards. He salvaged his fantasy outing with three catches for 38 yards.

Whenever Jones misses time, Dillon operates as the lead back, but it’s never exciting for fantasy purposes. He’s just a volume-based RB3. That is what fantasy managers can expect from Dillon this week against a strong Kansas City Chiefs defense. Of course, that is if Dillon is able to go, himself.

Dillon was on the injury report last week with a groin issue. He was able to get in a couple of limited practices before ultimately suiting up. Notably, he did not miss a practice.

Although it is only Wednesday, it’s been six days since the Packers played. In theory, Dillon should be able to practice. The fact that he didn’t is a little bit concerning.

If there’s any good news, it’s not a new injury for Dillon. He’s still managing a groin injury he’s played through for two weeks now.

It sounds as if the decision to hold Dillon out of practice was more precautionary than anything else, according to Matt LaFleur, per Tom Silverstein.

I’m optimistic the Packers are choosing to use the extended time between games to allow Dillon to heal. He’s been playing through the injury and hasn’t looked to be significantly hampered by it. As long as Dillon returns to a limited session on Thursday, he should be good to go for Sunday.

In the event Jones and Dillon are both out, Patrick Taylor would be the lead back. The Packers would have to sign at least one, if not two backs to put behind Taylor. Neither would be even remotely fantasy-relevant.

Kareem Hunt, RB, Cleveland Browns

Last week, Kareem Hunt played just 26% of the offensive snaps. While he hasn’t played more than 44% all season, the 26% number was surprisingly low. Perhaps now we know why. Hunt is currently dealing with a groin injury. He did not practice on Wednesday.

Currently, we don’t know any specifics about Hunt’s injury. If he gets in a limited practice on Thursday or Friday, that probably puts him on track to play.

MORE: Fantasy Week 13 RB Start/Sit

However, Hunt’s status doesn’t really have my of a fantasy impact. He is nowhere near fantasy-relevant as long as Jerome Ford remains healthy.

Hunt operated as the lead back while Ford was nursing an ankle sprain. But once Ford fully recovered, Ford was right back in the lead role, which is clearly what the Cleveland Browns want.

Hunt is averaging just 3.21 ypc on the season. He’s only had useful fantasy games when he’s scored, which is something he did for five consecutive games from Weeks 6-10.

Outside of the touchdowns, Hunt just doesn’t offer much. The once-great receiving back offers nothing in the passing game. He has a total of nine catches on the season and hasn’t caught a single one in three of his last four games.

If Hunt can’t go, Pierre Strong Jr. will run as the RB2 behind Hunt. He would not be on the fantasy radar, either.

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Keenan Allen, Jayden Reed, and Dontayvion Wicks Impacting Week 13 Rankings

Published

2 hours ago

November 30, 2023

darragh

It is late in the fantasy football season, and players are banged up and dealing with bumps, bruises, and more as teams look toward the postseason. What are the latest fantasy injury updates with Keenan Allen, Jayden Reed, and Dontayvion Wicks, and how could it affect your fantasy starting lineup?

WR Injury Updates

Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

The Los Angeles Chargers’ star WR Allen still looks solid at almost 32 years old. He is currently the WR2 on the season and has three weeks where he was the WR1. After playing 65 out of the 66 snaps on Sunday night in the loss to the Baltimore Ravens, Allen popped up on the injury report today.

MORE: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor

He missed practice on Wednesday due to a quad issue. It is unclear what the specific injury is or if Allen was just enjoying an extra day off of rest. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on the Los Angeles practice reports as the week progresses to make sure Allen is able to play against New England this week.

It is a decent matchup for WRs against the Patriots — they give up the ninth most fantasy points to opposing WRs, so no doubt Los Angeles wants Allen on the field. Not to mention, the options behind Allen are sparse, with rookie Quentin Johnston and the speedy Jalen Guyton batting cleanup.

Jayden Reed, WR, Green Bay Packers

Rookie WR Reed has been a pleasant surprise on a young Green Bay Packers team trying to find its new identity. Reed is WR30 currently and has almost 500 yards receiving and five TDs. He was WR25 in the Packers’ Thanksgiving upset of the Detroit Lions.

Over the last couple of weeks, Reed has been dealing with a chest injury. Leading up to their Week 12 matchup, Reed was limited on the Tuesday of that week, and it seems like he is still battling the issue. He didn’t practice on Wednesday this week.

The Packers play the Chiefs on Sunday night and would love to have their full arsenal of weapons out and available. If Reed is unavailable, Christian Watson, who has been coming on strong lately, could see more snaps. Watson was the WR10 in Week 12 and had seven targets from Jordan Love.

Dontayvion Wicks, WR, Green Bay Packers

Fellow rookie WR Wicks had his best fantasy game of the season in Week 11 when he finished as WR25. That week, he caught three of his five targets for 91 yards. Wicks is deeper down the depth chart behind Reed, Watson, and Romeo Doubs, but he is showing flashes of talent.

Near the end of the Week 11 game against the Chargers, Wicks sustained a concussion. He also seemed to be dealing with a knee issue. Wicks did not pass the protocol and did not play in the Thanksgiving game.

On Monday, head coach Mike LaFleur stated that Wicks had cleared concussion protocol. However, he was still limited at Wednesday’s practice due to the knee.

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NFL

Jerry Jeudy, Rashid Shaheed, and Dalton Schultz Impacting Week 13 Rankings

Published

3 hours ago

November 30, 2023

darragh

Many fantasy leagues are entering the final week or two of the regular season, and now it is more important than ever to make sure you have the right lineup.

Injuries are playing a huge role in fantasy football, with guys like Jerry Jeudy, Rashid Shaheed, and Dalton Schultz all dealing with injuries.

Let’s take a look at each of these three players.

Latest News and Injury Updates Impacting Fantasy

Jerry Jeudy, Denver Broncos, WR

It has been a tough year for Jeudy in 2023 for multiple reasons. He’s dealt with trade rumors, inconsistent play, and injuries. He is currently dealing with injury issues right now, as he missed Wednesday’s practice with a groin injury.

While seeing a receiver not practice during the week can be a bad thing, it sounds like the Denver Broncos did so out of caution.

MORE: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor

Head coach Sean Payton talked to the media on Wednesday and said that he expects Jeudy to be fine for the game Sunday against the Houston Texans. Payton said Jeudy will practice in some capacity on Thursday, but it is unknown if that will be in a full or a limited role.

The game against the Texans is a big one, as these two teams are in the middle of a thick AFC wildcard race. A win in this game could go a long way in determining which team makes the playoffs, so if Jeudy is able to go, expect him to play in this game.

Rashid Shaheed, New Orleans Saints, WR

Shaheed is one of the few players on the New Orleans Saints roster who has the ability to make a big play. He has elite speed and provides the team with big plays in the special teams game as well. While the news for Jeudy sounds optimistic, the news for Shaheed isn’t as good.

Early in the week, head coach Dennis Allen said the good news for Shaheed was that he avoided a serious injury. However, the likelihood of him being able to play on Sunday is low, and the Saints could be in big trouble at the wide receiver position.

Besides Shaheed, Michael Thomas was placed on injured reserve last week, while receiver Chris Olave is also unlikely to play because of a concussion. There may be a temptation by the Saints to have as many players play as they can, as they are right in the battle for the NFC South division title.

Keep an eye on Shaheed in the next couple of days to see if anything changes, but right now, it doesn’t sound great for his availability for Week 13.

Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans, TE

The Texans have been a surprise team in the NFL this year, with the passing game of C.J. Stroud being better than expected. One of the biggest things a rookie quarterback can rely on is a valuable tight end, and Schultz has done that for Stroud often.

Injuries are piling up for the Texans, as Schultz and Tank Dell both missed Wednesday’s practice.

Schultz is battling a hamstring injury, and that played a role in why he logged only 29 snaps on Sunday. He is a guy you should definitely keep an eye on the next day or two to see if he is practicing. If he isn’t able to go, Brevin Jordan will be the next man up for the Texans.