Fantasy

Minnesota Vikings safety Jayron Kearse was arrested Sunday and charged with driving while impaired and possessing a firearm without a permit.

Courtney Cronin of ESPN reported Kearse is currently being held without bail in the Hennepin County Jail.

"We are aware of Jayron's arrest and are gathering additional information at this time," the Vikings said in a statement.

According to the arrest report, an officer pulled Kearse over around 4 a.m. Sunday morning after observing him drive on a closed portion of the interstate. He was given a field sobriety test after showing signs of impairment and later recorded a blood alcohol concentration of .10, above the legal limit of .08. 

The officer found the firearm in a subsequent search of Kearse's vehicle. 

Kearse, 25, has compiled 11 tackles and two passes defended this season. In his fourth season out of Clemson, Kearse has played in 55 of a possible 56 games in his NFL career.

Fantasy owners with Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan will have to find a new starter before Sunday's games. 

The team announced Saturday that Ryan won't play against the Seattle Seahawks.

The 34-year-old suffered a sprained ankle in a 37-10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 7. 

The Falcons are still loaded with fantasy-relevant playmakers, though. Matt Schaub isn't high-quality starting material at quarterback, but he did show signs of promise late in that Rams game by going 6-of-6 for 65 yards and one touchdown. 

Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley and Austin Hooper are too talented for the Falcons to fall into oblivion. It's a testament to Jones' dominance that his pace of 91 receptions and 1,280 yards would mark his lowest total in receptions since 2017 and yards since 2013. 

Given Jones' size (6'3", 220 lbs) and physical style of play, he can get open in any situation regardless of who is throwing him the ball. His value will remain at WR1 even with Ryan out. 

Hooper is a tight end who could see his value jump with Schaub under center. Schaub loved using tight ends when he was starting for the Houston Texans. The QB's last great season came in 2012 when Owen Daniels ranked second on the team with 104 targets, 62 catches, 716 yards and led the squad with six receiving touchdowns. 

This has been a disappointing season overall for tight ends in fantasy with stars George Kittle, Travis Kelce and Zach Ertz not living up to their preseason hype. 

Hooper has been a pleasant surprise with the most fantasy points at the position (78.6), and he's already tied his career high with four touchdown receptions through seven games. 

History indicates Schaub will look for his tight end, allowing Hooper to maintain enough value to be in your starting lineup as a flex option each week. 

Ridley is the riskiest member of the bunch because it's hard to decipher how many targets will be available to Schaub's No. 3 option. The former Alabama star has been hit-and-miss all season with two games of three or fewer receptions and three contests with under 35 yards. 

Until it becomes clear how much of a factor Ridley will be, your best bet is to look at another option on your bench or a player on the waiver wire with a favorable matchup. 

The Minnesota Vikings' receiving corps will take on a different look in Week 8 with wide receiver Adam Thielen ruled out for Thursday night's game against the Washington Redskins.

Thielen suffered a hamstring injury in last week's 42-30 victory over the Detroit Lions. An official timetable for his return hasn't been provided, but the wideout previously said he was hopeful to play Thursday, so it doesn't sound like a long-term stint on the sideline will be needed.

Let's analyze how the Pro Bowler's absence is going to impact the Vikes' other aerial threats in the world of fantasy football for at least one week.

Stefon Diggs

Diggs' early-season frustrations could soon be forgotten as a stint on the sideline by Thielen would leave him as the team's unquestioned top target once again. And that would move him toward the No. 1 receiver fringe in fantasy thanks to his big-play ability.

Fantasy owners who expected to receive production closer to the 102 catches for 1,021 yards and nine touchdowns the University of Maryland product posted last year should get it, at least in the short term.

The biggest question about the Vikings receiver's fantasy value coming into the year surrounded whether there would be enough targets to go around in an offense with a high-end running back in Dalvin Cook. Those concerns proved warranted in the season's early weeks.

So, while Diggs should see an uptick in fantasy value any time Thielen is sidelined, his floor will be much lower whenever his fellow star wideout is back on the field.

Bisi Johnson

Johnson has shown a lot of promising signs since the Vikings selected him in the seventh round of the 2019 NFL draft. He's never going to get a high-volume role within the current structure of the offense because of the numerous targets, but he's emerging as a nice complementary weapon.

Alas, that's not going to translate into consistent fantasy value this year, even without Thielen. He could hold some flex appeal against weaker secondaries in the interim, but that's really the limit on his value unless Diggs were also to miss time, which would suddenly make him the team's No. 1 wideout.

He's only worth rostering in the deepest of leagues at this point. He'll be a boom-or-bust flex play against a middling Washington pass defense.

Kyle Rudolph

Rudolph had 20 touchdowns in a three-year span from 2015 through 2017. That's caused his lack of trips to the end zone quite a disappointment over the past two seasons, and he's slid from a must-start option at a weak position to a fringe starter.

Thielen not being on the field could spark a resurgence, though. The veteran tight end should be the Vikings' top red-zone target and should also see additional looks on third down.

All told, the lack of consistently productive tight ends makes even a moderate increase in scoring notable, and that should be the case with Rudolph. He should put up starter-level numbers for the duration of Thielen's stint out of the lineup.

Sony Michel was the big fantasy scorer for the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football against the New York Jets with three touchdowns, but several players showed they could be valuable commodities going forward.   

Fellow running back Brandon Bolden caught four passes for 39 receiving yards to go with one carry for two yards. It was the third straight week in which he saw five touches, and he had scored in each of the last two games, showing he has a real role in this offense.

However, it's still not enough to rely on him for fantasy purposes, and even this role could go away when Rex Burkhead returns from his foot injury. He should remain on waivers in all leagues.

The situation is different for Phillip Dorsett, who scored his fourth touchdown in five appearances this season.

Although he only caught three passes in the game, he ended up with 46 yards and clearly has Tom Brady's trust within the offense.

With Josh Gordon missing time due to a knee injury, he should continue to see plenty of snaps and enough targets to make him a reliable target. Even when Gordon returns, Dorsett could be a high-upside WR3 when facing favorable matchups.

He should, at the very least, be owned in all leagues considering the bye weeks that will continue to pile up in the coming weeks.

Jakobi Meyers is a bit riskier despite his five catches for 47 yards on Monday. Though he fits this offense well, his long-term upside is limited with Julian Edelman, Dorsett and Gordon ahead of him when they're healthy. Fellow rookie N'Keal Harry could also return soon, and it wouldn't be surprising to see New England add another body before the Oct. 29 trade deadline.

Unless you have plenty of bench depth, Meyers likely isn't worth the add in fantasy leagues.

After a quiet game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 6, New Orleans Saints star running back Alvin Kamara could miss some time while dealing with a high ankle injury, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

The issue will limit him in practice this week, although he "thinks he has a shot to play Sunday."   

The New Orleans Saints face the Chicago Bears in Week 7, a tough matchup for the offense without Drew Brees and potentially without Kamara.

From a fantasy perspective, this means Latavius Murray should be a priority pickup on waivers if he's not already on a roster.

Kamara was already limited last week, playing a season-low 59 percent of offensive snaps for the Saints, per Pro Football Reference. He ended up with 18 touches but only gained 66 total yards while rushing for just 2.8 yards per carry.

Murray was much more effective when he was on the field, rushing for 44 yards on eight carries and recording 35 receiving yards on three catches. He didn't get into the end zone, but it was the most action he's seen in New Orleans, and he made it count.

If Kamara is inactive, Murray would be a featured player who could see north of 20-25 touches to keep the pressure off Teddy Bridgewater. Even a limited Kamara would provide room for plenty of production on Sunday.

While the Bears are an intimidating matchup on paper, this is the same defense that was gashed by Josh Jacobs to the tune of 123 yards and two touchdowns in its last game. Although a bye week might've granted an opportunity to fix some holes, Akiem Hicks landing on injured reserve is a serious loss. This group is now beatable on the ground.

With a game against the Arizona Cardinals and a Week 9 bye coming, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Saints stay extremely conservative with Kamara's injury. That could allow Murray to feast over the next two weeks.

Daniel Jones and Golden Tate did something no other players have been able to do this season: beat the New England Patriots defense for a passing touchdown.  

That was welcome news for fantasy players relying on the New York Giants playmakers, especially since it was a 64-yard strike that featured Tate breaking free from multiple defenders. It was also the first time Tate has made an impact this year after he was suspended for the first four games and tallied just three catches for 13 yards in a Week 5 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

If there were ever a time for fantasy players to start Tate this year, even against one of the league's best defenses, it was Thursday.

Saquon Barkley, Sterling Shepard, Evan Engram and Wayne Gallman were all sidelined with injuries, which left New York dangerously short on offensive difference-makers. It also left Tate as the No. 1 option by default, which is not an unfamiliar role, and he finished with six catches for 102 yards and a touchdown.

The 2014 Pro Bowler topped 1,000 receiving yards in three of the last five years and was solid in 2018 with 74 catches for 795 yards and four touchdowns for the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions. He is a reliable veteran leader for the Giants offense and has a high floor for fantasy players.

Tate's ceiling isn't what it was in his prime, but he is worth starting in the flex position as long as Shepard and Engram are sidelined.

Jones should not merit the same starting consideration. While he was brilliant during his first career start with 336 passing yards and four total touchdowns in a Week 3 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he has come plummeting back to earth of late and struggled in Thursday's 35-14 loss at 15-of-31 passing for 161 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.

He threw for just one touchdown in each of the previous two games as well with two interceptions against Washington and another in the loss to the Vikings. He also threw two more picks in the first half against the Patriots before opening the third quarter with his third interception, and he struggled to look comfortable in the pocket outside of the one long touchdown connection.

Until the Giants get their full array of playmakers back, Jones should remain on the bench in fantasy leagues.

Need more help with your fantasy football lineup? Matt Camp solves your fantasy problems live on B/R Gridiron's new show, Your Fantasy Fire Drill. Download the B/R app now to submit your questions and tune in every Sunday at 11:30 a.m. ET.

Los Angeles Rams tight end Gerald Everett recorded more receiving yards in Thursday night's 30-29 loss to the Seattle Seahawks than he had through the first four weeks of the 2019 NFL season.   

Everett led all receivers with a career-high 136 yards by catching seven of his 11 targets for 20.6 point-per-reception (PPR) fantasy points. 

Before Thursday night, the 2017 second-round pick had 87 yards and one touchdown on 11 receptions. His high for targets in a game this season was previously last week's eight against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and he had compiled just 25.7 fantasy points through four games.

Everett's most impressive play came late in the third quarter when he muscled his way to a 32-yard gain that led to Todd Gurley's one-yard rushing touchdown:

Fantasy owners will be frustrated an outstretched Everett was ruled down at the 1-yard line. But they should be encouraged by what the 25-year-old's overall performance could be foreshadowing for the future, and those in need of a tight end should take notice. 

An especially encouraging sign was the fact that quarterback Jared Goff continued to go to Everett on the Rams' final drive after a brutal miscue led to an interception the possession prior. In fact, four of Goff's nine targets on the final drive went Everett's way.

While Everett sits behind Tyler Higbee on the depth chart, each tight end entered Week 5 with 15 targets and one touchdown. As a result, Brandon Hamer of Gridiron Experts included Everett as a waiver-wire pickup following his five catches for 44 yards and a touchdown against Tampa Bay in Week 4:

"Goff was looking Everett's way often this Sunday, and for the most part, Everett rewarded him with a solid line of 5-44-1. Everett out-snapped his competition in Tyler Higbee and took advantage of the increased target share. Everett hasn't seen over an 8 percent target share all year up until last week where he saw 14.3 percent. Hopefully, this is a sign of things to come, after [head coach Sean] McVay stated over the offseason that he wanted to involve Everett more this year. In a shallow position like tight end, Everett is worth a shot in the case that this increase in usage continues." 

Pertaining to fantasy, the problem is that the Rams' offense either runs primarily through Gurley or an extremely talented receiving corps headlined by Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods and Brandin Cooks. As Cameron DaSilva of Rams Wire wrote in March:

"Les Snead said recently that McVay would like to put two tight ends on the field together, it’s just difficult because the Rams have three quality receivers who are tough to take off the field. If there was ever a time to play the tight ends more, it was last season after Cooper Kupp went down, but Everett’s role was still limited."

Through Week 5, 19.9 percent of Goff's targets have gone to tight ends, with 11.8 percent specifically to Everett. For context, the leading fantasy tight end with 72.1 PPR points is New York Giant Evan Engram, who has accounted for 23.9 percent of his team's targets through four games.

So what could be different that would propel Everett to more usage?

Even though Kupp's ACL injury last season didn't result in more opportunities for Everett, that doesn't mean the same would be true if a major injury hit the Rams this season, especially with the way the tight end has performed the last two weeks. Cooks notably left Thursday night's game in the fourth quarter to be evaluated for a concussion, the team announced. 

Everett must now be considered worthy of a flier on the waiver wire. If he continues to perform as he did against the Seahawks, he could even flirt with becoming a weekly starter.

Need more help with your fantasy football lineup? Matt Camp solves your fantasy problems live on B/R Gridiron's new show, Your Fantasy Fire Drill. Download the B/R app now to submit your questions and tune in every Sunday at 11:30 a.m. ET.

After some concerns about its performance through the season's first three games, the Green Bay Packers offense came to life Thursday against the Philadelphia Eagles with 491 total yards in the 34-27 loss.   

Two big reasons for Green Bay's improved showing were Geronimo Allison and Jimmy Graham.

Allison finally came to life after recording just 24 yards and one touchdown on five receptions through three games. The fourth-year wideout was responsible for 50 of the Packers' 70 yards on their scoring drive right before the half:

Aaron Rodgers still isn't looking in Allison's direction often, but he did catch three of his four targets for 52 yards and that second-quarter score. This came after the 25-year-old didn't have a target in Week 1 against the Chicago Bears and had just one reception on three targets last week against the Denver Broncos. 

Prior to Week 4, Allison's best fantasy game of the season came in Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings when he recorded four catches, 25 yards and one score on four targets.

Meanwhile, Graham showed no lingering effects from the groin injury that limited him in practice the previous two days. The five-time Pro Bowler had season highs in targets (nine), receptions (six) and receiving yards (61), and he caught his second touchdown of the season on a dime from Rodgers:

Another encouraging sign for Graham? He was targeted twice inside the 10-yard line when the Packers were trying to tie the game in the fourth quarter. Even though he only caught one pass for three yards and didn't score, the fact Rodgers consistently looked in his direction indicates a level of trust that will eventually pay dividends. 

Green Bay's upcoming schedule bodes well for Graham to continue his fantasy ascent. Three of its next four opponents rank in the bottom half of the NFL in points allowed to tight ends in standard leagues. That group includes the Dallas Cowboys, Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs.

Since Allison appears to be fourth in the pecking order for targets—Graham, Davante Adams (10 receptions, 180 yards) and running back Aaron Jones (six receptions, 37 yards)—it's difficult to project him as a reliable option moving forward. 

Next week against the Cowboys looks especially difficult for Allison since they currently allow the sixth-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing receivers.

Your best option for points in the coming weeks is to keep Graham in the starting lineup. Allison is a good option to have on the bench if you need someone to fill in for a receiver going into a bye week. 

Need more help with your fantasy football lineup? Matt Camp solves your fantasy problems live on B/R Gridiron's new show, Your Fantasy Fire Drill. Download the B/R app now to submit your questions and tune in every Sunday at 11:30 a.m. ET.