Fantasy Football Week 8: Wednesday's Daily Fantasy Market Report
If you're new to daily fantasy football and have decided you want to burst on to the scene in Week 8 of the 2016 NFL season, have fun with that.
This could perhaps be one of the most aggravating weeks.
A big part of that has to do with what feels like half of the darn league is on a bye this week.
It's easy to believe that could make things easier for you in DFS, but this week's slate offers up a top-heavy wide receiver grouping in which you may find yourself scraping the bottom of the barrel at, say, tight end.
With that said, there are always those diamonds in the roughāsee Doyle, Jack.
Look, I'm trying to stay positive here.
Perhaps the biggest conundrum this week in DFS comes in the form of Houston Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler.
Hey, I don't want to spoil any details. Read this slideshow and find out for yourself what to do.
If foreshadowing Osweiler doesn't sell this article, I mean, what elseĀ possiblyĀ could?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments. Be gentle.
Browns Listed QB Kevin Hogan Atop Depth Chart
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After what was perhaps one of the most peculiar rookie debuts for a quarterback, Cleveland Browns' own Kevin Hogan is currently atop the teams' quarterback depth chart, according to Nate Ulrich of theĀ Akron Beacon Journal.
Considering fellow quarterbacks Josh McCown and Cody Kessler are both still dealing with a collarbone and concussion, respectively, the announcement isn't all that shocking.
As mentioned in yesterday's Daily Fantasy Market Update, steer clear of the Browns if Hogan suits up, despite his 100-yard rushing performance in his debut in Week 7.
Yup, it's still weird to write that Hogan had 100 rushing yards.
Chargers to Lighten RB Melvin Gordon's Workload?
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According to Eric D. Williams of ESPN, San Diego Chargers running backs coach Ollie Wilson has said the team could lighten the workload of running back Melvin Gordon ($5,700 DraftKings; $7,200 FanDuel).
āWe need to get Kenny [Kenneth Farrow] in there a little bit more," Wilson said. "Heās not the flashy guy. It wonāt look pretty but youāll end up three or four yards down the field."
This of course refers to backup rookie running back Kenneth Farrow.
In a perfect world, sure, this makes senseāyou don't want to risk injury for your star running back considering the amount of injuries the Chargers, as a team, have accumulated.
If Farrow is worked in more, it wont be enough to deflate Gordon's value to make us all run and sell Gordon.
Don't overreact people. With all due respect, do you really expect Farrow to take a chunk out of Gordon's playing time?
I'll believe it when I see it. Gordon does get a tough matchup this week against the Denver Broncosāthe only team to keep him out of the end zone so far this season.
Colts WR Donte Moncrief to Start Practicing
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According to Kevin Bowen of the Indianapolis Colts' official site, Colts wide receiver Donte Moncrief ($5,400 DK; $5,400 FD) will begin practicing Wednesday.
It will more than likely be on a limited basis, but this is fantastic news.
Prior to breaking his scapula (um, ouch), Moncrief had a nice start to the season in Week 1, posting six catches on seven targets for 64 yards and a touchdown.
If he's able to suit up this week, he'll get a pretty good matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The return of Moncrief also increases the value of Colts quarterback Andrew Luck ($6,800 DK; $7,900 FD), who I'm definitely into this week. On the flip side, this does pose a threat to fellow wide receiver T.Y. Hilton's ($7,900 DK; $7,800 FD) value, who has been playing crazy well this season.
Let's wait and see how practice treats Moncrief as the week unfolds.
Colts WR Phillip Dorsett 'Trending Upward'
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Ah ha, another Indianapolis Colts wide receiver could be returning this week.
My shares of quarterback Andrew Luck are loving it!
According to Kevin Bowen of the Colts' official site, we could see second-year wide receiver Phillip Dorsett ($3,900 DK; $5,300 FD) back on the field.
Dorsett was ruled out in Week 7 due to a hamstring injury, but he appears to be "trending upward."
If the gang is all back in the gold (Dorsett, Donte Moncrief, T.Y. Hilton), I'm appreciating Luck's value even more, but Hilton's value will take even more of a hit if Dorsett is back.
No, Dorsett has yet to make a significant impact this season, but more viable receivers on the field could potentially equal less volume for Hilton, who is one of the more expensive receivers in DFS this week.
Again, let's wait and see what happens throughout the week.
Broncos Want to Keep RB Devontae Booker in the Loop
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What do these numbers represent?
These numbers represent the snaps and touches in favor of Denver Broncos rookie running back Devontae Booker ($3,700 DK; $5,600 FD), respectively.
While he outsnapped and out-touched fellow running back C.J. Anderson ($5,900 DK; $6,700 FD), Anderson did finish Week 7 with 20 more rushing yards than Booker.
It's quite clear both of these guys are competent, which makes Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk's report not surprising whatsoever.
According to Florio, Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak wants to keep Booker involved. While it's clearly paying huge dividends for the Broncos, it's going to be quite tantalizing for us fantasy football degenerates moving forward.
With that said, Booker is quite a value play in Week 8, where the Broncos will host the San Diego Chargers, who give up the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing running backs, including giving up a league high 61 receptions to the position. Let's just hope either one of these backs will actually, you know,Ā be involved in the passing game.
Starting Booker offers additional roster flexibility, which is going to present nice value in what is a top-heavy wide receiver group in Week 8.
Texans Have Not Considered Benching QB Brock Osweiler
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According to Aaron Wilson of theĀ Houston Chronicle,Ā Houston Texans head coach Bill O'Brien said he has not considered benching quarterback Brock Osweiler ($5,400 DK; $6,600 FD).
While this is a legitimate question that at this point in time can be asked, this report is more so a catalyst to talk about Osweiler since he's quite the interesting character in this story we produce every Sunday in DFS.
Osweiler is dirt cheap this week and has perhaps the most scrumptious matchup of any quarterback this week against the Detroit Lions who just might be without cornerback Darius Slay and give up the most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks.
On the flip side, Osweiler has been terrible this season, and has failed to reach 200 passing yards in all three games in which he throws the ball 40 or more times.
Osweiler could make for the ultimate GPP play this weekend. It honestly wouldn't surprise me if he won someone the Millionaire Maker on DraftKings.
But bear in mind this is anĀ extremelyĀ boom-or-bust kind of play.
If you play multiple lineups in a given week, I'd give him a shot. This could prove to be a decision that makes or breaks your week in DFS.
Bears WR Eddie Royal Not Practicing
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According to Brad Biggs of theĀ Chicago Tribune,Ā Chicago Bears wide receiver Eddie Royal remained on the sidelines during Tuesday's practice.
If Royal misses Week 8, fellow wide receiver Cameron Meredith will maintain his value.
Fortunately, the Bears will not need to start quarterback Matt Barkley this weekāthey're getting Jay Cutler back.
Going up against the Minnesota Vikings coming off their first loss of the season...I'll let you decide if that's a good idea.
Bears RB Jeremy Langford Returns to Practice
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After missing multiple games due to an ankle injury, it appears the Chicago Bears will have running back Jeremy Langford back just in time for one hell of a matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.
According to Brad Biggs of theĀ Chicago Tribune,Ā Langford was back at practice.
With fellow running back Jordan Howard showing out during Langford's absence, and the extra usage of Ka'Deem Carey, Langford no longer has legitimate fantasy value unless something were to happen to either of these running backs.
Like wide receiver Eddie Royal's slide, you can decide if it's a good idea to play Langford against the Vikings.
(Hint: Hell no).
Statistics courtesy ofĀ Pro Football FocusĀ andĀ ESPN.com.
Follow me on TwitterĀ @RichardJanvrin.
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