Football Daily Dose: Daily Dose: Giants Roll on TNF
Turnovers were the key to Thursday night’s contest, with three Washington Redskins giveaways leading to a 32-21 win for the New York Giants. Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins did most of the damage, with his routinely inaccurate passes leading to two interceptions. Cousins now has four interceptions on the season and although he cracked the 300-yard mark in this game, you can label this stat line a product of “garbage time.”
Jordan Reed looked good for Washington, catching six of nine targets for 96 yards on the evening. The performance from Reed could have been even bigger if Cousins hadn’t short-armed a few throws in his direction. Washington’s backfield now appears to belong to Matt Jones, although neither he nor Alfred Morris were impressive on Thursday night. Jones took 11 carries and turned them into 38 yards, with Morris running for 19 yards on just six carries. Even on a night with little rushing production from Washington, anyone viewing this game could see that Jones looks like the future of Jay Gruden’s backfield.
On the New York side of the ball, Rueben Randle was the top performer coming fresh off a one reception, five yard performance in Week 2. Randle hauled in all seven of his targets on Thursday night, including a late touchdown catch on his way to 116 yards. Odell Beckham Jr. was also productive, catching seven passes for 79 yards and a score on nine targets. The Giants backfield was a mess in this one, with Andre Williams leading the way with a sluggish 14 carries for 29 yards and a score. The game script didn’t set up very well for Shane Vereen, as he failed to catch a single pass after doing serious PPR damage in Week 2 with eight catches. Moving forward, Vereen will likely see the most fantasy value as a game script dependent flex play in PPR leagues with Williams and Rashad Jennings barely worth consideration in standard leagues.
Editor’s Note: For updated rankings, projections, exclusive columns, mock drafts and more, check out the Rotoworld Draft Guide.
In Other News…
Drew Brees (shoulder) was limited in practice on Thursday but is now likely to play in Week 3 at Carolina, according to coach Sean Payton. The New Orleans offense hasn’t looked great so far in 2015 and a road matchup at Carolina with Brees ailing is not going to get them back on track. Mark Ingram will be the most trustworthy fantasy option in this game with the uncertainty surrounding Brees.
Dion Lewis will continue to be a producer for the New England Patriots and will see more touches than LeGarrette Blount, according to Kevin Duffy of MassLive. Blount got just two carries in his return from suspension in Week 2, with Lewis chipping in 138 total yards. Lewis is also sitting at ten receptions through two weeks, which will make him a big fantasy producer this season if his snap count remains reliable, which is a risky proposition on a Bill Belichick team. No matter your past history of success in New England’s “running back roulette,” Lewis is worth the investment right now in all leagues.
Eddie Lacy (ankle) didn’t practice on Thursday and is still a questionable bet to suit up on Monday night against Kansas City. If Lacy can’t go, fantasy owners can comfortably fire up James Starks in his place. Starks is coming off a 20 carry, 95-yard performance against Seattle and will be useful while Lacy is sidelined.
Chris Ivory (quad, groin) is looking like a longshot to play in Week 3, even admitting to the New York Daily News that, “If it’s not ready, it’s not ready.” Bilal Powell will be looking at a large workload on Sunday if Ivory sits, as Powell can contribute in both the running and passing game. Powell has stacked up 132 total yards on 30 touches in 2015 and would be a decent option for hurting Ivory owners.
Tevin Coleman (ribs) missed practice on Thursday and will likely miss Week 3, opening the door for Devonta Freeman to handle the running game work in Atlanta. Freeman has averaged just 2.0 yards per carry this season, but his workload increase should put him in the flex conversation this week at Dallas.
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Injury Slants
DeMarco Murray (hamstring) didn’t practice on Thursday and Murray owners will be in “weekend watch” mode regarding his Week 3 status. … LeSean McCoy (hamstring) practiced in full on Thursday and should be ready to roll on Sunday against Miami. … DeAndre Hopkins (concussion) is going through the NFL concussion protocol, but signs point to the lead Houston wide receiver suiting up this week. Stay tuned for more information on this situation through the weekend. … Arian Foster (groin) isn’t quite 100%, but a Week 4 return looks like a possibility and would be a nice spot for fantasy purposes as Houston takes on Atlanta. … Alshon Jeffery (hamstring) is still not practicing and looks like a dicey bet to play on Sunday. … Jonathan Stewart (knee) practiced on Thursday and should be ready to start against New Orleans on Sunday. Stewart is looking to turn things around after a slow opening to the 2015 season. … Brandin Cooks (ankle) did not practice on Thursday, but Cooks is reportedly “very confident” about his chances of playing in Week 3. … Lamar Miller (ankle) was limited in practice on Thursday and should be ready for a tough Week 3 matchup with Buffalo. … Eric Decker (knee) did not practice on Thursday and will likely miss Week 3. Brandon Marshall will be swimming in targets with Decker out. … Davante Adams (ankle) was held out of Thursday’s practice for precautionary reasons and should be ready to play on Monday. .. Breshad Perriman (knee) finally returned to practice on Thursday and is getting closer to making his NFL debut, making Perriman a decent upside shot if you’ve got bench space. … Jerricho Cotchery (ankle) missed practice on Thursday and is unlikely to play on Sunday, leaving Corey Brown, Ted Ginn, and Devin Funchess at wide receiver for Carolina.
News and Notes
Russell Wilson said that he and tight end Jimmy Graham “definitely have the chemistry,” after rumors of Graham hating his role with Seattle surfaced this week. Graham is too good to be deprived of targets in any offense, so look for Seattle to feed the big tight end this week. … Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers will continue to go for two after touchdowns, which will be a nice perk for the Pittsburgh skill players in fantasy leagues. … ESPN’s Adam Schefter would consider Todd Gurley (knee) not playing on Sunday to be an “upset.” Gurley’s workload is tough to project right now but he will likely be eased into action alongside Tre Mason. … Devin Funchess was singled out by coach Ron Rivera as someone who has a chance to “make some plays” with Jerricho Cotchery nursing an injured ankle. Funchess hasn’t produced much yet this season but will have more opportunities in the near future. … Coby Fleener could be in line for more work this week with Dwayne Allen (ankle) likely out and the Colts reportedly looking to get their tight ends more involved. Fleener is still safely in TE2 territory. … Christine Michael is heading toward a third straight inactive label this week and is still waiting for a chance to chip in with the Cowboys.
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