The injury status of each player is one of the most key inputs into our lineup decisions each week. The question isn’t only if the player will play but how limited will they be if they do play. However, the most important thing to consider is who will pick up their touches if they are limited or miss the game completely. Each week our resident injury expert Jene Bramel will break down the injuries and Steve Buzzard will break down what it means for your cash and GPP lineups. See this article for definitions of all DFS terms.
Marshawn Lynch, RB, Seattle Seahawks - $7,400 Questionable
Bramel: Marshawn Lynch's status became much more difficult to handicap on Friday. After a limited practice on Thursday, Lynch missed practice on Friday. Pete Carroll told the media Lynch had really only done some conditioning work on Thursday. The team rested him on Friday and will test him on Saturday. If Lynch feels good during the Saturday check, he'll play on Sunday albeit with an aggravation risk. If Lynch doesn't feel ready, he'll be inactive. Unfortunately, it's unlikely the Seahawks will let the results of the Saturday check into the media until shortly before game time on Sunday afternoon.
Buzzard: I am very thankful for late swap this week as many of my Thursday lineups had Lynch included in them. If Lynch plays he is in a great position against the Bears and would have succeeded without problems if healthy. However, there are lots of risk associated with him now. First of all, there is a chance that he isn’t 100% and aggravates the injury in game and doesn’t complete the game. Additionally, the Seahawks are huge favorites against the Bears which could result in an early exit. The only plus is that the Seahawks are 0-2 and are in a must win game. That said I am going to lean against Lynch unless he practices in full on Saturday without issue. Fred Jackson $3,000 is in a good position as a contrarian play in case Lynch can’t finish the game.
If Lynch is out things could get very interesting, especially for GPP where Jackson makes a great GPP play. He will likely split carries with Thomas Rawls $3,000 but should see the majority and be relied upon for goal line plays.
Eddie Lacy, RB, Green Bay Packers - $7,200 - Questionable
Bramel: Eddie Lacy was able to do more in practice than he expected on Friday and his status for Monday Night is trending positively. If he's able to get any practice time in on Saturday, he's likely to play. The Packers could choose to limit his snaps due to the injury, however.
Buzzard: Even if Lacy plays his status puts him squarely in the do not play camp as there are much better options this week. The big bump should be to the passing game as they are asked to carry more of the load with a less than 100% Lacy. This puts Aaron Rodgers ($8,000), Randall Cobb ($7,300), and even Davante Adams ($5,000) are in play for both cash and GPP games. If Lacy misses the game look for an even bigger bump to the passing game. This would also move James Starks ($3,000) who will be the primary back into play as both a cash and GPP option.
Chris Ivory, RB, New York Jets - $5,000 - Questionable
Bramel: The Jets first reported Chris Ivory as a DNP on Friday, then later revised his status to limited. Ivory didn't speak with the media. Neither of those are reassuring indicators for Ivory playing a significant role for the Jets this week.
Buzzard: Ivory has been off to a great start but this news puts a damper on the start. Ivory is in the same range as Lacy to me which puts him off limits. Things get interesting if Ivory misses the game. The Jets running game would rely heavily on Bilal Powell ($3,000) who would be one of the top plays in both GPP and cash games. The Jets would also be expected to take to the air quite a bit more as Powell is better in the pass game than Ivory. This would make Ryan Fitzpatrick ($5,100) a solid GPP option. The problem is Eric Decker’s status, see below.
Eric Decker, WR, New York Jets - $4,900 – Questionable
Bramel: Eric Decker has said all week he wants to rest his sprained knee until he has fully recovered. He didn't practice all week, giving no indication his knee is close to recovered. Though listed questionable, it's unlikely Decker will play.
Buzzard: The Jets are in a bit of a pickle this week on the injury front. With Chris Ivory questionable, see above, and Decker likely out the offensive weapons are fairly limited for the Jets. The Jets will likely turn heavily to Brandon Marshall ($6,200) and Bilal Powell in the passing game. Marshall will be one of the best cash and GPP plays across the industry and as mentioned above Powell is in a great spot if Ivory misses. Even with these injuries the Jets are 2.5 point favorites over the Eagles with a healthy total of 45.5. How you analyze the Jets situation this week will likely determine your profits for the week.
Deandre Hopkins, WR, Houston Texans - $7,400 - Probable
Bramel: DeAndre Hopkins is probable to play, a clear sign the Texans expect him to be cleared for contact after a full Friday practice. We should know whether Hopkins will be active in advance of game time on Sunday.
Buzzard: If Hopkins suits up, as expected, he is in a good spot and is a borderline cash game play. However, what really intrigues me is his opportunity in GPPs since he will likely be under owned across the industry due to concerns over his concussion.
Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay - $6,600 - Probable
Bramel: Mike Evans fully practiced this week and is listed probable to play. There's little chance he'll be on a snap count again this week.
Buzzard: Evans has been on this list every week but this week he finally feels safe enough to play. Unfortunately, his price and matchup are not favorable enough for me to add him as anything more than a low end GPP option this week.
DeMarco Murray, RB, Philadelphia Eagles - $6,600 - Probable
Bramel: DeMarco Murray was back to a full practice on Friday after a Thursday hamstring tweak and is listed probable. He's likely to play, but his snap count is in doubt due to injury and rotation.
Buzzard: The Eagles running game has been terrible to start the season. Part of that blame falls on Murray but a lot of it falls on Sam Bradford who has been terrible, as expected. This injury puts a damper on Murray who was already off limits due to the poor Eagles offensive production.
Eric Decker, WR, New York Jets - $4,900 – Questionable
Bramel: Eric Decker has said all week he wants to rest his sprained knee until he has fully recovered. He didn't practice all week, giving no indication his knee is close to recovered. Though listed questionable, it's unlikely Decker will play.
Buzzard: The Jets are in a bit of a pickle this week on the injury front. With Chris Ivory questionable, see above, and Decker likely out the offensive weapons are fairly limited for the Jets. The Jets will likely turn heavily to Brandon Marshall ($6,200) and Bilal Powell in the passing game. Marshall will be one of the best cash and GPP plays across the industry and as mentioned above Powell is in a great spot if Ivory misses. Even with these injuries the Jets are 2.5 point favorites over the Eagles with a healthy total of 45.5. How you analyze the Jets situation this week will likely determine your profits for the week.
Lamar Miller, RB, Miami Dolphins - $5,200 - Probable
Bramel: Lamar Miller was limited in practice on Thursday and Friday. Last year, Miller followed a very similar track and was active for that week's game. The trend is positive, but Miller's usage is very likely to be less than usual.
Buzzard: I am off the Dolphins running game this week due to Miller’s status. If you want a contrarian GPP play then Miller may be worth a shot but nothing I would go out of my way with.
Jordan Cameron, TE, Miami Dolphins - $3,800 - Probable
Bramel: Jordan Cameron made good progress this week and had consecutive Thursday and Friday limited practices. He's listed questionable and is a game time decision, but seems to be trending toward playing. Cameron won't be 100%, however, and will likely be less effective than usual if active.
Buzzard: Just like Miller I am staying off Cameron until he gets more healthy.
Check the DraftKings blog on Sunday morning for the latest injury expectations.
As always please send any questions to Buzzard@footballguys.com or follow us on Twitter Follow @SteveBuzzard or Follow@JeneBramel
