Category: Fantasy Football

Fantasy Football: Potential bargains, must-plays from Giants-Cowboys game

Here’s a look at some potential bargains for daily fantasy from the New York Giants-Dallas Cowboys Week 13 game on Thanksgiving Day.

The New York Giants (2-9) will face off against the Dallas Cowboys (4-7) at AT&T Stadium on Thanksgiving Day in a race to the bottom of the NFC East.

Fantasy enthusiasts will be looking to dumpster-dive in this game. DraftKings is including it in their three-game Thanksgiving “Milly Maker” tourney, so they’ll be some interest.

Most DK players will likely be picking from the other two games — Chicago at Detroit and Miami at Green Bay — so the newly-minted millionaire who wins this week will probably win it with a pick (or picks) from this game.

Here are three possibles to consider:

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Dallas defense/special teams

The Cowboys ran back two kickoffs for touchdowns last week against Washington and the Giants have been average in kickoff coverage (15th). So, there’s that. The Giants’ offense is pathetic, scoring in single-digits again last week, and quarterback Tommy DeVito still hangs onto the ball too long. That will lead to sacks and hurries. The Cowboys’ defense is finally getting their footing, sacking Jayden Daniels four times last week.

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Giants RB Tyrone Tracy Jr.

Tyrone Tracy Jr. has fumbled three times over the past two games (losing two) but when he’s managed to hang onto the ball, he’s been extremely productive. Dallas is 31st against the run this season, allowing over 150 yards per game on the ground. The Giants need to get Tracy right. This game means absolutely nothing’s why not take advantage of this plus matchup?

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Cowboys RB Rico Dowdle

The Giants have not been able to stop the run the past month or so. They are allowing 24.5 FPS on DK this year (same as Dallas) and 185.5 yards per game over their last five. With quarterback Cooper Rush (knee) questionable, the Cowboys could simply try to pound the football on this sieve of a Giants’ defense on Thursday.

John Fennelly is a fantasy football pioneer, having played in leagues since the early 1980s. He was instrumental in the development of the industry over the years and has won many championships and DFS tournaments, including DraftKings’ “Milly Maker” in 2019.

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This is why Alex Singleton was Wil Lutz’s biggest fan on Sunday

“He’s very grateful,” Wil Lutz said of scoring for Alex Singleton’s fantasy football team. “He reminded me of that after every one of them.”

Denver Broncos kicker Wil Lutz had a big game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.

Lutz converted 38-, 53-, 54-, 45- and 33-yard field goals and converted two extra-point attempts, accounting for 17 of Denver’s 29 points on the day.

Nobody was happier about Lutz’s performance than injured Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton, who started his teammate in fantasy football.

“17 points, but 22 points for Alex Singleton’s fantasy team,” Lutz said after the game. Singleton’s league must give bonuses for long field goals. “He’s very grateful. He reminded me of that after every one of them.”

Lutz is 13-of-13 on kicks since the team’s last-second field goal attempt against the Kansas City Chiefs was blocked in Week 10.

“Listen, he’s been kicking well,” coach Sean Payton said after a 29-19 win in Las Vegas. “His Kansas City kick got blocked, but it was a good kick. That was on us as coaches. That wasn’t on any individual player. Wil is doing well. Shoot, he’s got a live leg. He was solid today. Yeah, his body of work has been really good.”

Lutz is 24-of-27 on field goal attempts this season with a long of 54 yards. He’s 26-of-26 on extra points attempts, scoring 98 points so far in 2024.

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Fantasy Football: 10 running backs to target on the waiver wire

Jeremy McNichols headlines this week’s list of running backs to target on the fantasy football waiver wire.

Happy Thanksgiving Week, football fans.

There are three games on deck this Thursday (Bears-Lions, Giants-Cowboys, Dolphins-Packers), plus a Black Friday game (Raiders-Chiefs).

With four games set to be played before Sunday even arrives, it will be important to set your fantasy football lineups early this week.

Drake Maye (21.7%) is a streaming option at quarterback, Devaughn Vele (1.7%) is emerging as a wide receiver sleeper and Taysom Hill (53%) remains a notable tight end in fantasy.

Today, though, we’re focusing on the running back position. We’ve put together a quick list of 10 running backs to consider on the fantasy football waiver wire going into Week 13.

Fantasy Football Running Back Waiver Wire Targets

1. RB Jeremy McNichols (1.2%): Brian Robinson suffered an ankle injury on Sunday and Austin Ekeler left the game with a concussion. McNichols is left as the next man up for the Commanders.

2. RB Ameer Abdullah (19.3%): Zamir White (quad) and Alexander Mattison (ankle) were held out on Sunday and Abdullah led Raiders running backs with 14 touches for 65 yards and a touchdown.

3. RB Jaleel McLaughlin (15.9%): The Broncos’ backfield will be hard to predict on a week-to-week basis, but McLaughlin led the team with 44 rushing yards on Sunday.

4. RB Tank Bigsby (33.4%): Coming off a bye, Bigsby should be rostered in more leagues in case the Jaguars lean on him down the stretch.

5. RB Roschon Johnson (17.3%): He has six touchdowns with the Bears this season and while chasing TDs is not ideal, Johnson appears to be one of Chicago’s top options at the goal line.

6-10. Handcuff running backs: Tyler Allgeier (41.6%), Braelon Allen (16.1%), Trey Benson (28.3%), Blake Corum (14.2%) and Ray Davis (12%).

Roster percentages for players listed in this article were sourced from ESPN. For more fantasy coverage, check out our fantasy football hub.

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Tyreek Hill criticizes fans who only care about betting, fantasy

Tyreek Hill’s response to fans who are upset with his fantasy production? “Bro, I do not literally care.”

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill is having a rough fantasy season and he’s tired of hearing about it.

“A lot of people have stake in the game that I grew up loving so much and turning into betting and turning it into fantasy numbers and stuff like that,” Hill told reporters Thursday. “It’s like I can’t even enjoy a day out with my wife and my kids. Somebody is always walking up to me and is like, ‘I drafted you No. 1 and you’re having the worst fantasy season of your career.’ And it’s like, ‘Bro, I do not literally care.’ I’m with my family.”

In 10 games this season, Hill has recorded 44 receptions for 523 yards and three touchdowns. That puts him on pace to finish with less than 1,000 yards for just the third time in his career and the first time since 2019. During his first two seasons with the Dolphins, Hill recorded at least 1,700 receiving yards.

A concussion that sidelined quarterback Tua Tagovailoa played a role in the lack of production from Hill, but the Dolphins have also emphasized lengthy, ball-control drives in response to defenses game-planning to limit explosive plays from the Dolphins’ star receivers.

“The only thing I care about is the Miami Dolphins winning games and me and [Jaylen Waddle], we obviously understand that,” Hill said. “If that means we’ve got to block a thousand times to get teams out of Cover 2 or Cover 4 or whatever the case may be, we’ll do that. We’ll come down and crack some safeties or pin some [defensive] ends, whatever we’ve got to do.”

The Dolphins have recorded only 20 pass plays so far this season that have gained at least 20 yards. That’s tied for second fewest in the NFL with their Week 12 opponent, the New England Patriots, and ahead of only the New York Giants, who have 19.

“Would we like to take shots? We would, we would, but that’s if they present themselves,” Tagovailoa said Wednesday.

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What should we make of the Broncos’ running back rotation?

Sorry, fantasy football managers: Broncos coach Sean Payton didn’t provide clarity on the running back rotation.

For several weeks leading up to Week 10, Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton had hinted that rookie running back Audric Estime could get more involved on offense.

Estime then led the team in snaps (26), carries (14) and rushing yards (53) against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 10, and the hype went through the roof. Admittedly, Broncos Wire was at the forefront of the campaign to add Estime in fantasy football leagues. In hindsight, we might have overestimated Estime’s future workload.

Javonte Williams returned to leading the backfield against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 11, rushing nine times for 59 yards and a touchdown. Estime got six carries for 16 yards and Jaleel McLaughlin rushed four times for 19 yards.

So, what should we expect from the team’s backfield rotation going forward?

“That’s the $6 million question,” Payton said after Wednesday’s practice. “It’s difficult. We know kind of what we have with those three players and it’s just — it’s always hard to feed three. I’m used to — and it’s easy — to feed two. So we kind of do that a little bit.

“I thought Javonte had some really good runs. Certainly, the game ends and we’re like, ‘Gosh, we’ve got to get Jaleel more touches.’ So it’s a tough, but a good problem to have.”

That answer from Payton won’t provide much clarity.

Payton clearly likes Estime, but the running back has not leapfrogged Williams on the depth chart. It might be difficult to predict the utilization of the team’s three backs on a week-to-week basis.

After the win against Atlanta, Payton said, “We’ll figure it out each week though and kind of plan accordingly.”

Unfortunately, that’s not a very helpful explanation for fantasy football managers. At the moment, though, Williams seems to be the RB1.

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Fantasy Football: Audric Estime seems to be the Broncos’ new RB1

Broncos coach Sean Payton liked what he saw from Audric Estime on Sunday. “I was encouraged. He’ll continue to get more reps,” Payton said.

The Denver Broncos appear to have made a change in their backfield.

After coach Sean Payton hinted last week that Audric Estime would be more involved in the second half of the season, the rookie led the team’s running backs in snaps (26), carries (14) and rushing yards (53) against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

“We keep wanting to get him involved,” Payton said after the game. “He is a handful.”

Estime’s production was modest as he only averaged 3.8 yards per carry, but if he remains the team’s primary running back going forward, the rookie will quickly become relevant for fantasy football managers.

“I thought he ran well yesterday,” Payton said Monday. “I thought [Marvin] Mims gave us some juice as well. [We’re] just trying to find different roles and different ways to utilize these players. I was encouraged. He’ll continue to get more reps.”

Estime, who was picked by Denver in the fifth round of this year’s NFL draft out of Notre Dame, appears to have leapfrogged Javonte Williams in the RB rotation. Williams will likely remain involved in passing situations (he is the team’s best blocking RB) and Jaleel McLaughlin will continue to mix in, but Estime appears to be the new RB1.

This week, Estime will face an Atlanta Falcons defense that ranks in the bottom half of the NFL against the run, allowing 4.5 yards per carry and 129.4 rushing yards per game. Take note, fantasy football managers.

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Fantasy Football: 12 running backs to target on the waiver wire

Audric Estime is the top running back to target on the fantasy football waiver wire this week.

It looks like there’s been a changing of the guard in the Denver Broncos‘ backfield.

Broncos coach Sean Payton hinted last week that rookie Audric Estime could be more involved in the second half of the season, and that’s beginning to play out. Estime led the team’s backfield in snaps (26), carries (14) and rushing yards (53) on Sunday. Javonte Williams (one carry and two targets) seems to have been relegated to passing-down duties.

Estime could be Denver’s new RB1 going forward, and he should be considered a top priority on the fantasy football waiver wire this week.

Elsewhere on the waiver wire front, wide receiver Cedric Tillman (50%) should be rostered, Dawson Knox (1%) is a streaming tight end option and quarterback Bo Nix (50%) has quickly become fantasy-relevant.

Today, though, we’re focusing on the running back position. We’ve put together a quick list of 12 running backs to consider on the fantasy football waiver wire this week.

Fantasy Football Running Back Waiver Wire Targets

1. RB Audric Estime (1%): Estime’s efficiency (3.8 yards per carry) wasn’t great on Sunday, but Payton seems to be a big fan of the rookie, so his workload (14 carries) will likely trend up in the coming weeks.

2. RB Gus Edwards (21%): Edwards (10 carries for 55 yards) split time with J.K. Dobbins (15 carries for 50 yards) on Sunday. Playing in a run-heavy offense, both RBs could be fantasy-relevant going forward.

3. RB Tyler Allgeier (50%): Bijan Robinson remains the star, but Allgeier (11 carries for 59 yards) isn’t going away. Allgeier has standalone flex value and he’s an extremely important handcuff in case Robinson is ever unavailable.

4. RB Trey Benson (16%): James Conner (17 touches for 113 yards) and Benson (12 touches for 87 yards) were both productive on Sunday as the Cardinals cruised to a comfortable win over the Jets. That won’t happen every week, but Benson should be rostered. Note that Arizona has a bye in Week 11.

5. RB Tyjae Spears (42%): Spears (10 touches for 51 yards) wasn’t far behind Tony Pollard (13 touches for 63 yards) in Week 10. He’s worth a look in deeper leagues.

6. RB Braelon Allen (22%): Breece Hall is obviously the RB1, but Allen (seven carries and one target) remains involved. Allen could be a flex option if you’re desperate.

7. RB Cam Akers (16%): Aaron Jones had an injury scare on Sunday before later returning to the game. Akers is worth adding in case Jones does end up missing any time. With Jones missing part of Sunday’s game, Akers got 14 touches for the Vikings in Week 10.

8. RB Ray Davis (19%): He’s just a handcuff behind James Cook at this point, but Davis proved earlier this season that he’s a capable fill-in option if called upon in Buffalo.

9. RB Blake Corum (16%): The Rams have been giving Kyren Williams a heavy workload, and Corum could be an extremely valuable handcuff down the stretch if Williams gets banged up.

10. RB Kenneth Gainwell (2%): Saquon Barkley steps aside when the Eagles have big leads, giving value to Gainwell and Will Shipley (1%) when Philly is a big favorite.

11. RB Keaton Mitchell (5%): The speedy running back returned to action in Week 10 and the Ravens now have a “three-headed monster” at running back. Mitchell is worth stashing, especially in deep leagues.

12. RB Jaylen Wright (5%): De’Von Achane remains the RB1 in Miami, but Wright might be taking the RB2 role away from Raheem Mostert. Wright got the second-most carries (five) on Monday. Mostert was targeted three times as a receiver out of the backfield but got no carries.

Bonus: RB Jaylen Warren (62%) is already rostered in most leagues, but double-check just to make sure he’s not still available in your league. 

Roster percentages for players listed in this article were sourced from ESPN. For more fantasy coverage, check out our fantasy football hub.

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Fantasy Football: Potential bargains, must-plays from Giants-Panthers game

Here’s a look at some potential bargains for daily fantasy from the New York Giants-Carolina Panthers Week 10 game on Sunday morning.

The New York Giants head to Munich, Germany this Sunday to face the Carolina Panthers in a matchup between two 2-7 teams.

The ramifications of this game are basically for draft position as both teams’ postseason hopes are all but dead.

The game is not included in the main slate for DFS but will rather be a standalone “showdown” game, but will be included in the season-long leagues just as a Thursday or Monday night game would be.

Here is a quick rundown of our three top fantasy options in the game.

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Giants RB Tyrone Tracy Jr.

The Panthers have been the worst team this season when it comes to defending against running backs. They have allowed 32.4 FPS on DraftKings and 29.3 FPS on FanDuel to running backs this season. That’s by far the most on both platforms.

Tracy, since getting his break in Week 5, has had three standout games but don’t forget he suffered a concussion two weeks ago which slowed him down. He should have no problem in this game as the Giants are preparing him for a full load.

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Giants TE Theo Johnson

The Panthers have also been the most generous team when it comes to yielding points to tight ends. They are allowing 12.4 FPS in standard leagues and are first and second on DK and FD.

Johnson is becoming more trusted in the offense and has seen his target share rise in the past two weeks. He’s worth adding in showdown and a punt option in season-long.

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Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard

The Giants have been in the middle of the pack when it comes to allowing points to running backs but Hubbard has been a steady performer all season. The Panthers might not want to expose QB Bryce Young to the Giants’ pass rush and will likely try to establish the running game.

That has been where Hubbard has been of help. He is ninth among NFL RBs this season in FPS and has been ramping up the past few weeks.

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Sean Payton hints at more playing time for a Broncos running back

Take note, fantasy football managers: Audric Estime could get more carries from the Broncos in the second half of the season.

Take note, fantasy football managers.

During his conference call with reporters on Monday, Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton was asked if rookie running back Audric Estime could get a bigger workload in the second half of the season.

“I think that’s a good and fair question, and one that I think I would answer, ‘Yes,'” Payton said.

Estime (5-11, 227 pounds) was picked by the Broncos in the fifth round of this year’s NFL draft out of Notre Dame. He spent four weeks on injured reserve earlier this season with an ankle injury and he had some hiccups with two fumbles, but Estime’s stock is now trending up.

The rookie got five carries on Sunday, tying his career high. That’s certainly not a big number, but it could increase in the coming weeks.

On a small sample size of 15 carries, Estime has a better yards per carry average (6.3) than starter Javonte Williams (3.8) and change-of-pace back Jaleel McLaughlin (3.9). Estime’s average will likely go down with a larger sample size, but the rookie has earned more opportunities.

Estime is probably worth stashing on your fantasy football bench in case his workload does increase down the stretch.

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Fantasy football: Commanders RB Brian Robinson Jr. one of Week 9’s best plays

Brian Robinson could be in store for a big game in Week 9.

When setting up your fantasy lineups for Week 9, whether you play full-season fantasy or weekly fantasy, Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. should be on your radar.

Players like Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffrey (when healthy) receive all the headlines, other quality backs fall off the radar in fantasy. Robinson is one such example.

Robinson is battling a knee injury, but it shouldn’t keep him out of Sunday’s game. After all, Robinson loves playing New York. Robinson averages 83 rushing yards per contest in five career games against the Giants and 5.5 yards per attempt. Also, the Commanders have one of the NFL’s top three rushing offenses, while the Giants have a bottom-five run defense.

NFL.com’s fantasy preview for Week 9 believes Robinson is one of 10 players who will outperform his projected numbers:

One of the easier benchmarks for a player’s projected performance against an opponent is his previous performance against that same team. Robinson had 17 carries for 133 yards against the Giants in Week 2. He totaled 14.6 fantasy points without even finding the end zone. With that in mind, it’s hard to imagine why he’d be projected for just 11.8 points in the rematch.

Moreover, Robinson’s particular strength — rushing inside the tackles — is one of New York’s biggest weaknesses. According to Next Gen Stats, his +67 rush yards over expected on such runs is the fifth-most in the NFL, while Big Blue’s +163 inside rush yards allowed is the most of any defense. It’s a match made in heaven, making Robinson a surefire RB2 (at worst).

The Commanders successfully ran against the Giants in Week 2, and don’t expect that to change on Sunday. If you own Robinson, he’s a must-start on Sunday. If you play Daily Fantasy, add him now.