Shark Bites are the latest fantasy football news & NFL updates. Draft Sharks has been in business since 1999. And when we started, redraft was the dominant form of fantasy football. Check out what we've learned about this most basic form of fantasy football along the way.
Raiders CB Nate Hobbs (ankle) is active for tonight's game against the Lions. It'll be his first action since suffering his injury back in Week 3. Hobbs remained limited throughout the practice week, so there's likely some risk both of a reduced initial role and re-injury. We'll watch both areas in projecting him for Week 9 and beyond.
Raiders K Daniel Carlson (groin) is active for tonight's game vs. the Lions. He only got in a limited practice on Saturday and was listed as questionable. But Carlson is available if you were waiting on him.
Falcons HC Arthur Smith said after Sunday's loss to the Titans that QB Desmond Ridder wasn't removed from the game for "performance issues." It's unclear exactly what that means. Ridder was reportedly evaluated for a concussion but was cleared to return. No other injury was announced. “We've got a lot of confidence in Des," Smith added. We'll keep an eye on the situation this coming week. QB Taylor Heinicke played well in the second half today, completing 12 of 21 passes for 175 yards, one TDs, and 0 INTs.
Vikings RB Alexander Mattison worked behind RB Cam Akers early in Sunday's win over the Packers. Akers logged 8 first-half carries to Mattison's 4, as well as the only RB target before halftime. Mattison dominated second-half work, however, taking 12 rushes to just one for Akers. Neither guy did much with their touches. Mattison finished just 16-31 rushing and caught his lone target for a mere 2 yards. Akers scored the lone rushing TD but averaged just 2.1 yards per carry across his 9 attempts. He also didn't see a second-half target. It's best to avoid this backfield in fantasy as much as you can.
Falcons QB Desmond Ridder was benched at halftime of Sunday's game vs. the Titans. He was evaluated for a concussion but cleared, per Tori McElhaney of the team's website. Ridder went 8-of-12 for 71 scoreless yards in the first half. He's been replaced by QB Taylor Heinicke. We'll see how he fares and who Atlanta rolls with under center in Week 9 and beyond.
The Raiders have ruled LB Divine Deablo (ankle) out for Monday night's game against the Lions. That should make Luke Masterson a full-time (or near full) player in Deablo's absence. Masterson stepped in for 62% playing time last week in the game Deablo left early. You can now find Masterson in our Week 8 LB rankings.
Raiders K Daniel Carlson (groin) is listed as questionable for Monday night's game vs. the Lions. He only got in a limited practice on Saturday. Look elsewhere for your Week 8 fantasy kicker.
Raiders K Daniel Carlson (groin) has yet to practice this week. We’ll see how he’s listed on Saturday’s final injury report for the Monday nighter vs. the Lions, but you should start looking elsewhere for your Week 8 fantasy kicker.
Raiders LB Divine Deablo left Sunday's loss to the Bears with a left ankle injury. We'll see about the severity heading into a Week 8 clash with the Lions.
Falcons QB Desmond Ridder had a solid day throwing the ball in the Week 7 win over the Bucs, completing 19 of 25 passes for 250 yards, 0 TDs, and 0 INTs. He added 38 yards and a score rushing – and almost had a second rushing TD but fumbled right at the goal line. He’s up to three rushing TDs on the season. Ridder gets a Titans defense in Week 8 that should push the Falcons to throw more than usual. He'll be a nice QB2 play in that one. Ridder gets positive matchups the following two weeks vs. the Vikings and Cardinals before a Week 11 bye.
Raiders TE Michael Mayer notched 13 yards on 2 grabs in Sunday's loss to Chicago. It’s a major step down from Mayer’s Week 6 line (5-75), but he wasn’t set up for success alongside Brian Hoyer. The rookie saw only 4 targets – third on the team behind Jakobi Meyers (13) and Davante Adams (12). He’ll look to rebound next Monday night at Detroit. We’ll see if Jimmy Garoppolo (back) can return for that one.
Colts QB Gardner Minshew racked up 305 yards and 2 TDs passing in Sunday's narrow loss to the Browns. Minshew added two rushing scores among his three attempts for 29 yards -- one of which came from 17 yards out. It was a particularly stellar performance for Indy's QB2 considering that it came against a league-best Cleveland defense and just a week after he played terribly in a loss to Jacksonville. What should you take away from this? Don't expect Minshew to deliver starter-level fantasy production every week. But this game reminds us that he can be a viable fantasy option. His production came unconventionally against the Browns, including the TD passes from 59 and 75 yards out. Minshew went just 15 of 23 passing overall, also taking 4 sacks and throwing an INT. His next five matchups also look negative by our adjusted fantasy points allowed, surrounding a Week 11 bye. Don't bet on Minshew landing inside the top 12 of our weekly QB rankings.
Raiders CBs Nate Hobbs (ankle) and Jakorian Bennett (shoulder, knee) have been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Bears.
Raiders TE Michael Mayer saw his breakout game come in Week 6 vs. the Patriots. The rookie hauled in 5 of 6 targets and led the team with 75 receiving yards on Sunday. WR Jakobi Meyers also had a solid game with 5 receptions for 61 yards and a TD. We'd be remiss not to highlight the impact of the 6 targets Mayer saw in the contest. Before this weekend, WRs Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers were the only Raiders' pass-catchers who had seen 5 or more targets in a game this season. Mayer isn't a must-start option on Week 7 vs. the Bears, but he's worth a speculative waiver wire add, if nothing else.
Falcons QB Desmond Ridder completed 28 of 47 passes for 307 yards with 2 TDs and 3 INTs vs. the Commanders in Week 6. It’s encouraging that the second-year starter has now gone over 300 passing yards in each of the past two weeks. Unfortunately, poor accuracy and decision-making have led to Ridder ranking second among QBs with 6 INTs on the season. He’ll be worth a look in deeper 2QB/superflex leagues in Week 7 vs. the Buccaneers.
Colts QB Gardner Minshew threw for 329 yards in Sunday's loss to the Jaguars, but that's about the only nice thing you could say about his performance. The fill-in went 33 of 55 (60%), with 3 INTs and a lost fumble -- and Minshew was fortunate to not throw even another pick or two. He should be nowhere close to your fantasy lineup (if you can help it) for home dates with the Browns and Saints the next two weeks.
Vikings RB Alexander Mattison controlled the backfield work in Sunday's win over the Bears. He handled 18 of 19 Minnesota RB carries and drew 7 of 8 RB targets. Mattison gained just 44 yards on the ground, though, averaging 2.4 yards per rush. His 7 targets ranked second on the team. Mattison caught four for 28 yards. Cam Akers logged just 1 carry for 8 yards and caught his lone target for 7 more. Akers had been creeping in on Mattison's playing time before this week, so that's a positive development for Mattison managers. A Week 7 matchup with the 49ers makes the whole backfield worth trying to avoid, though.
Raiders CB Jakorian Bennett (shoulder) is active for today's game against the Patriots.
The Raiders have ruled CB Nate Hobbs (ankle) out for Sunday's game against the Patriots. It'll be the third straight game without Hobbs.
Raiders WR Jakobi Meyers hauled 7 of 10 targets for a team-high 75 yards with a TD on Monday night vs. the Packers. Fantasy managers hoping for a big “revenge game” from WR Davante Adams went to sleep disappointed. The former All-Pro had been targeted 33 times over the last two games but only saw 1 target in the first half of Week 5. He ended the game with 4 catches for 45 yards. Definitely a bit of a bummer. Next week, Adams will have a chance to bounce back against the Patriots.
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