Football Daily Dose: Dose: Oakland Gets First Win
Friday, November 21, 2014
It took exactly one year and three days, but the Oakland Raiders are finally back in the win column. Despite soggy conditions and losing their newest offensive weapon to injury, fans were celebrating at O.co Coliseum in Oakland as the Silver and Black topped the Kansas City Chiefs 24-20 and moved to 1-10 on the season.
Both running games were the primary sources of fantasy intrigue in this game, as Jamaal Charles continued his hot play with 122 total yards and a touchdown, giving the Kansas City stud scores in six straight games. The early season struggles of Charles are now a distant memory for fantasy owners who spent an early pick to acquire the services of this top back, as this recent touchdown binge has been accompanied by an average of 121 total yards per game over the last six weeks.
The most exciting fantasy moments of this game actually came from the Raiders, as Latavius Murray was finally given a shot to handle the ball and Twitter subsequently erupted like the night sky on the Fourth of July. After Darren McFadden started the game and predictably rattled off just seven yards on three carries, Murray entered and turned his second carry into an 11 yard touchdown run. As if the speedy running back needed any more reason to turn the fantasy community into believers, Murray took his very next carry 90 yards for a touchdown as he blazed down the sideline for the score. Unfortunately, before dirt could be thrown on the fantasy graves of Darren McFadden and Maurice Jones-Drew, Murray was injured on his fourth carry of the game and missed the remainder of the night with a concussion. Stay tuned for updates on Murray’s status, but hopefully the youngster is cleared to play before Oakland travels to St. Louis next week.
Editor’s Note: Rotoworld’s partner FanDuel is hosting a one-week $2.5 Million Fantasy Football league for Week 12’s games. It’s only $25 to join and first prize is $300,000. Starts Sunday, November 23rd at 1pm ET. Here’s the link.
Chiefs at Raiders Quick Slants
With Latavius Murray (concussion) hurt and Darren McFadden (2.4 ypc) ineffective, Oakland turned to Marcel Reece in the late stages of the night. Reece ran hard for 37 yards on eight carries and may be the best bet in this backfield behind Murray. … Travis Kelce caught four of five targets on the night for 67 yards and was sniped yet again as Anthony Fasano was the Chiefs tight end to find the endzone. Kelce won’t rise to the top-tier of fantasy tight ends this season but his dynasty stock remains sky high. … Andre Holmes had his best effort in a month as he snagged five of ten targets for 55 yards. His weekly fantasy production will continue to be sporadic, but Holmes showed why he has exciting potential. … Neither quarterback made much of an impact on the evening, as both Alex Smith and Derek Carr stuck to the short/intermediate passing game and played turnover-free football.
In Other News…
Plenty of Josh Gordon news has poured out of Cleveland in recent days, putting fantasy owners in a whirlwind of worry and excitement. On Thursday, coach Mike Pettine declared that Gordon will be on a “pitch count,” while also stating that the Browns stud receiver is “maybe a little ahead of where we expected.” This situation is certainly unique, but unless your team has three other WR1’s manning the “WR” and “Flex” spots in your lineup, Gordon simply must be started this week. Just close your eyes and remember back to Josh Gordon destroying the NFL in 2013. Now, open your eyes and make sure he is in your starting lineup.
With the Buffalo area being pummeled by snowstorms, the Week 12 New York Jets-Buffalo Bills game has been relocated to Ford Field in Detroit and will kick off at 7:00 p.m. ET on Monday. This is fantastic news for fantasy owners of Bills and Jets players, as the Ford Field turf will play much faster than blizzard conditions in Western New York.
LeGarrette Blount wasn’t out of work long, as he has rejoined the New England Patriots after being cut by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Blount is essentially a slower version of New England’s current early-down back Jonas Gray, so any fantasy value Blount will gather will likely come strictly from goal line work. Only deep league owners should look to make a pickup here.
Arian Foster (groin) appears to be headed toward yet another Sunday as a game-time decision. Foster owners are undoubtedly familiar with the drill in these situations, as Foster is a must-play if active and Alfred Blue should be within arm’s reach if Foster sits.
News and Notes
With LeGarrette Blount packing his U-Haul and moving to New England, the Pittsburgh backfield belongs entirely to Le’Veon Bell, and OC Todd Haley is ready to “take all he can give.” Bell handled a monstrous 33 carry workload in Week 11 and dashed his way to 204 yards on the ground, so Bell owners are in luck as the fantasy playoffs approach. … Peyton Manning could be without the contributions of both Julius Thomas (ankle) and Emmanuel Sanders (concussion) on Sunday, as both players did not practice on Thursday. The final verdict on Manning’s weapons will be released this weekend but don’t expect either player to suit up. … Although Minnesota recently added running back Ben Tate, OC Norv Turner insists that Jerick McKinnon is still the lead back in the Vikings backfield. The sluggish Matt Asiata (concussion) will likely sit out this week, so McKinnon will still lead the show as Tate gets acclimated in Minnesota. The Tate signing isn’t great news for McKinnon owners, but it won’t completely sink his value. … The New Orleans backfield behind Mark Ingram remains a mess, as Pierre Thomas (shoulder) returned to practice on Thursday, but Khiry Robinson (forearm) and Travaris Cadet (hamstring) sat out. Ingram is the only safe bet here, with Thomas worth a gamble in PPR leagues.
Injury News
Larry Fitzgerald (knee) will likely be a game-time decision on Sunday as the Cardinals travel to Seattle to face the Seahawks. Fitzgerald’s fantasy stock is already in limbo with Carson Palmer out, so this certainly makes him a dicey bet against the Seattle secondary. … Eric Decker (hamstring) says he finally feels 100 percent and is ready to roll on Monday against Buffalo. Michael Vick targeted Decker 13 times when the Bills and Jets faced off in Week 8. … Kyle Rudolph (groin) is fully practicing this week as Minnesota prepares to take on Green Bay. Rudolph was not targeted in his Week 11 return, so don’t rush him into starting lineups just yet. … Julio Jones (illness) has missed practice time this week, but appears to be in no danger of missing Week 12. … Dwayne Allen (ankle) and Jordan Reed (hamstring) did not practice Thursday, making Coby Fleener and Niles Paul nice plug-in options at tight end this week, assuming both Allen and Reed sit out. … Charles Clay (knee) will be a game-time decision on Sunday. Be sure to have backup options on deck. … Charles Sims (ankle) was added to the Tampa Bay injury report on Thursday but there is no cause for alarm just yet, as he did get in a limited practice.
It took exactly one year and three days, but the Oakland Raiders are finally back in the win column. Despite soggy conditions and losing their newest offensive weapon to injury, fans were celebrating at O.co Coliseum in Oakland as the Silver and Black topped the Kansas City Chiefs 24-20 and moved to 1-10 on the season.
Both running games were the primary sources of fantasy intrigue in this game, as Jamaal Charles continued his hot play with 122 total yards and a touchdown, giving the Kansas City stud scores in six straight games. The early season struggles of Charles are now a distant memory for fantasy owners who spent an early pick to acquire the services of this top back, as this recent touchdown binge has been accompanied by an average of 121 total yards per game over the last six weeks.
The most exciting fantasy moments of this game actually came from the Raiders, as Latavius Murray was finally given a shot to handle the ball and Twitter subsequently erupted like the night sky on the Fourth of July. After Darren McFadden started the game and predictably rattled off just seven yards on three carries, Murray entered and turned his second carry into an 11 yard touchdown run. As if the speedy running back needed any more reason to turn the fantasy community into believers, Murray took his very next carry 90 yards for a touchdown as he blazed down the sideline for the score. Unfortunately, before dirt could be thrown on the fantasy graves of Darren McFadden and Maurice Jones-Drew, Murray was injured on his fourth carry of the game and missed the remainder of the night with a concussion. Stay tuned for updates on Murray’s status, but hopefully the youngster is cleared to play before Oakland travels to St. Louis next week.
Editor’s Note: Rotoworld’s partner FanDuel is hosting a one-week $2.5 Million Fantasy Football league for Week 12’s games. It’s only $25 to join and first prize is $300,000. Starts Sunday, November 23rd at 1pm ET. Here’s the link.
Chiefs at Raiders Quick Slants
With Latavius Murray (concussion) hurt and Darren McFadden (2.4 ypc) ineffective, Oakland turned to Marcel Reece in the late stages of the night. Reece ran hard for 37 yards on eight carries and may be the best bet in this backfield behind Murray. … Travis Kelce caught four of five targets on the night for 67 yards and was sniped yet again as Anthony Fasano was the Chiefs tight end to find the endzone. Kelce won’t rise to the top-tier of fantasy tight ends this season but his dynasty stock remains sky high. … Andre Holmes had his best effort in a month as he snagged five of ten targets for 55 yards. His weekly fantasy production will continue to be sporadic, but Holmes showed why he has exciting potential. … Neither quarterback made much of an impact on the evening, as both Alex Smith and Derek Carr stuck to the short/intermediate passing game and played turnover-free football.
In Other News…
Plenty of Josh Gordon news has poured out of Cleveland in recent days, putting fantasy owners in a whirlwind of worry and excitement. On Thursday, coach Mike Pettine declared that Gordon will be on a “pitch count,” while also stating that the Browns stud receiver is “maybe a little ahead of where we expected.” This situation is certainly unique, but unless your team has three other WR1’s manning the “WR” and “Flex” spots in your lineup, Gordon simply must be started this week. Just close your eyes and remember back to Josh Gordon destroying the NFL in 2013. Now, open your eyes and make sure he is in your starting lineup.
With the Buffalo area being pummeled by snowstorms, the Week 12 New York Jets-Buffalo Bills game has been relocated to Ford Field in Detroit and will kick off at 7:00 p.m. ET on Monday. This is fantastic news for fantasy owners of Bills and Jets players, as the Ford Field turf will play much faster than blizzard conditions in Western New York.
LeGarrette Blount wasn’t out of work long, as he has rejoined the New England Patriots after being cut by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Blount is essentially a slower version of New England’s current early-down back Jonas Gray, so any fantasy value Blount will gather will likely come strictly from goal line work. Only deep league owners should look to make a pickup here.
Arian Foster (groin) appears to be headed toward yet another Sunday as a game-time decision. Foster owners are undoubtedly familiar with the drill in these situations, as Foster is a must-play if active and Alfred Blue should be within arm’s reach if Foster sits.
News and Notes
With LeGarrette Blount packing his U-Haul and moving to New England, the Pittsburgh backfield belongs entirely to Le’Veon Bell, and OC Todd Haley is ready to “take all he can give.” Bell handled a monstrous 33 carry workload in Week 11 and dashed his way to 204 yards on the ground, so Bell owners are in luck as the fantasy playoffs approach. … Peyton Manning could be without the contributions of both Julius Thomas (ankle) and Emmanuel Sanders (concussion) on Sunday, as both players did not practice on Thursday. The final verdict on Manning’s weapons will be released this weekend but don’t expect either player to suit up. … Although Minnesota recently added running back Ben Tate, OC Norv Turner insists that Jerick McKinnon is still the lead back in the Vikings backfield. The sluggish Matt Asiata (concussion) will likely sit out this week, so McKinnon will still lead the show as Tate gets acclimated in Minnesota. The Tate signing isn’t great news for McKinnon owners, but it won’t completely sink his value. … The New Orleans backfield behind Mark Ingram remains a mess, as Pierre Thomas (shoulder) returned to practice on Thursday, but Khiry Robinson (forearm) and Travaris Cadet (hamstring) sat out. Ingram is the only safe bet here, with Thomas worth a gamble in PPR leagues.
Injury News
Larry Fitzgerald (knee) will likely be a game-time decision on Sunday as the Cardinals travel to Seattle to face the Seahawks. Fitzgerald’s fantasy stock is already in limbo with Carson Palmer out, so this certainly makes him a dicey bet against the Seattle secondary. … Eric Decker (hamstring) says he finally feels 100 percent and is ready to roll on Monday against Buffalo. Michael Vick targeted Decker 13 times when the Bills and Jets faced off in Week 8. … Kyle Rudolph (groin) is fully practicing this week as Minnesota prepares to take on Green Bay. Rudolph was not targeted in his Week 11 return, so don’t rush him into starting lineups just yet. … Julio Jones (illness) has missed practice time this week, but appears to be in no danger of missing Week 12. … Dwayne Allen (ankle) and Jordan Reed (hamstring) did not practice Thursday, making Coby Fleener and Niles Paul nice plug-in options at tight end this week, assuming both Allen and Reed sit out. … Charles Clay (knee) will be a game-time decision on Sunday. Be sure to have backup options on deck. … Charles Sims (ankle) was added to the Tampa Bay injury report on Thursday but there is no cause for alarm just yet, as he did get in a limited practice.
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