FFToolbox - Report: Browns WR Josh Gordon's suspension reduced to 10 games, pending approval of drug policy plus 9 more

Link to Fantasy Football Toolbox Updates

Report: Browns WR Josh Gordon's suspension reduced to 10 games, pending approval of drug policy
Buccaneers RB Doug Martin goes through another practice, listed as questionable
Following child abuse charges, Vikings RB Adrian Peterson deactivated for Week 2
Week 2: Fantasy Stock Watch
UPDATE: Vikings RB Adrian Peterson indicted with 'reckless or negligent injury to a child'
Colts backfield to be 'equal share' between RBs Ahmad Bradshaw, Trent Richardson
Saints WR Kenny Stills looking like game-time decision for Week 2
Colts WR Reggie Wayne practices in full Friday
Bears WR Brandon Marshall doesn't practice Friday; WR Alshon Jeffery limited
Browns WR Josh Gordon's suspension expected to be reduced

Report: Browns WR Josh Gordon's suspension reduced to 10 games, pending approval of drug policy

Posted: 13 Sep 2014 12:27 AM PDT

You know it's been a tough week in the NFL when the passage of a new drug policy is considered quot;the good news." It was reported earlier Friday that the league and its 32 player representatives had approved the policy. Then they hadn't. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello tweeted Friday night that an agreement has not been reached yet. While nothing is official, it will be soon. And when that time comes, Josh Gordon's year-long suspension will reportedly be reduced to 10 games. According to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Gordon has already been notified that the length of his suspension has been reduced to 10, pending the policy's approval. FANTASY ANALYSIS: Some of the expected changes in the new policy -- raising the threshold for a positive marijuana test result, listing amphetamine use as a substance abuse violation instead of a performance-enhancing drug violation -- mean that Wes Welker and other players suspended for such violations that occurred this year will reportedly be reinstated immediately. But again, it's not official, and those players will likely be unavailable for Week 2 even if all parties sign off on the new policy before Sunday. With Gordon, his suspension only gets reduced, not wiped out, because his violation(s) happened prior to 2014. He has already served one game, so if this report is true, he will be back in Week 12. However, he may face additional discipline this season for a July DUI, and it's obviously no guarantee that Gordon will stay on the straight and narrow for another couple of months. Having Gordon available for the final 5-6 weeks of the fantasy season is better than not having him available at all. But with bye weeks coming up and teams focused on nothing else but winning now, there is a question that every Gordon owner must answer: Can you afford to keep him on your bench until the middle of November? He should be picked up in all leagues, but how many teams can basically play a man down for three-fourths of the season? In the end, the payoff for holding on to Gordon might very well be a championship. But until then, it's going to be an agonizing wait.

Buccaneers RB Doug Martin goes through another practice, listed as questionable

Posted: 12 Sep 2014 09:31 PM PDT

Doug Martin is expected to have the opportunity to redeem himself after a 9-yard performance in Week 1. The knee injury he sustained against the Panthers calmed down enough to allow Martin to practice on Thursday and Friday. Martin is expected to play, but he is officially listed as questionable and will be a game-time decision for Tampa Bay's late-afternoon kickoff versus the Rams. FANTASY ANALYSIS: You can pick up Bobby Rainey for insurance, but it seems like Martin is closer to quot;probable" than "questionable." If you own him, you probably have to start him. He's going to get a good amount of touches if he can stay on the field, and I can't really recommend benching a running back you selected in the second or third round after only one game. The Rams limited Adrian Peterson to fewer than 4 yards per carry, but Martin is still on the RB2 radar with ease.

Following child abuse charges, Vikings RB Adrian Peterson deactivated for Week 2

Posted: 12 Sep 2014 07:29 PM PDT

Just two hours after Adrian Peterson was indicted by a grand jury on child abuse charges, the Vikings have announced Peterson will not play Sunday versus the Patriots. Matt Asiata will start in his place and presumably share carries with athletic rookie Jerick McKinnon. FANTASY ANALYSIS: In the shadow of the Ray Rice episode, along comes a story about a more prominent player -- one of the league's most prominent players -- charged with beating his child. And the reports of what Peterson allegedly did to his 4-year-old son are very graphic. The Ravens released Rice; do you think the Vikings have given thought to releasing Peterson? If you think not, I'd like to know why. Because he's more valuable to his team than Rice was to his? Because he's owed too much money? Because we don't have video of him beating his son? I have a hard time understanding those who say what Rice did was totally wrong but Peterson was just doling out parental discipline. For fantasy purposes, Asiata is about as run-of-the-mill as they come. He is a slow, plodding runner with limited pass-catching chops. McKinnon is the player to watch because of his 4.4-40 speed and raw athleticism, but these two will probably split carries against New England, and neither is more than a desperation flex play. If your team is in a jam and you must start a Vikings RB, I'd take Asiata because he'll probably get more carries and his 234-pound frame is an easy call down by the goal line.

Week 2: Fantasy Stock Watch

Posted: 12 Sep 2014 03:42 PM PDT

Fantasy player evaluations which include recommendations on whether to buy, sell or hold!

UPDATE: Vikings RB Adrian Peterson indicted with 'reckless or negligent injury to a child'

Posted: 12 Sep 2014 03:20 PM PDT

Vikings running back Peterson has been indicted with quot;reckless or negligent injury to a child" in Montgomery County, Texas. Child Protective Service tells TMZ Sports that they are investigating Peterson in connection with an incident at his home in Texas involving an 11-year-old boy. Peterson missed Vikings practice on Thursday. Sources told ProFootballTalk that the indictment is related to Peterson disciplining his son with a "switch." FANTASY ANALYSIS: This is extremely concerning, given the subject and the public's mood towards the NFL right now. There are still a lot of unknowns to this issue. At this point, it's unclear if Peterson will be suspended, but the NFL front office cannot afford to show leniency to this kind of offense right now. Keep an eye on the situation, as it seems there's a chance Peterson won't be on the field Sunday. Vikings RB Matt Asiata would be first in line for carries if Peterson does not play.

Colts backfield to be 'equal share' between RBs Ahmad Bradshaw, Trent Richardson

Posted: 12 Sep 2014 02:25 PM PDT

Colts running back Trent Richardson had this to say when asked about the split between he and fellow running back Ahmad Bradshaw: quot;I think it's going to be a good, equal load. Ahmad knows that once I get tired or once I'm winded, when I look to that sideline or he looks to the sideline, we know how to complement each other. ... We work well together." Head coach Chuck Pagano said what a head coach is supposed to say when asked to weigh in. "From game to game, it'll be different depending on the score and how we're using different personnel groups. They're both more than capable of being every-down backs. Whether it's Ahmad out there or Trent out there, I feel good about both those guys." Bradshaw played on 44 snaps and tallied 85 total yards Sunday night at Denver while Richardson only played 29 snaps and gained 51 combined yards. FANTASY ANALYSIS: The Colts played much of that game in come-from-behind mode, which definitely favored Bradshaw's fantasy value. Seventy of his 85 yards came on his five receptions. The good news for Richardson owners is that he had twice as many carries as Bradshaw, six to three. Bradshaw looked like the more effective back Sunday night, but Richardson is going to continue to get opportunities. The fantasy world is waiting for him to regain that mojo that had everyone taking him in the first round of 2013 drafts. You shouldn't hold your breath waiting for that. Until one of these guys emerges as a feature back for the Colts, neither is better than a flex play or a bye-week filler.

Saints WR Kenny Stills looking like game-time decision for Week 2

Posted: 12 Sep 2014 02:08 PM PDT

According to Saints reporter Nick Underhill of the New Orleans Advocate, wide receiver Kenny Stills (quad) plans to travel to Cleveland with the team. His status for the game against the Browns remains uncertain, but he is listed as probable on the Saints' injury report. Stills did not play in Week 1 and has been limited in practice all week. FANTASY ANALYSIS: At this point, Stills is losing what little fantasy value he has. With the presence of stud tight end Jimmy Graham, consistently producing wide receiver Marques Colston, emerging rookie wide receiver Brandin Cooks, and last year's leader in running back receptions, Pierre Thomas, Stills is looking like the fifth option in the Saints' passing attack. The fantasy world has high hopes for Stills this season after he caught five touchdowns and tallied more than 600 yards as a rookie in 2013. Ultimately, the best thing for Stills is to get on the field and make some plays. quot;Out of sight, out of mind" is accurate, even in fantasy. This is especially true if other guys on your team are putting up numbers, as the Saints weapons are. Once he's fully healthy for a couple weeks, Stills is seeing fewer snaps and targets than Cooks, it would probably be safe to drop him at that point.

Colts WR Reggie Wayne practices in full Friday

Posted: 12 Sep 2014 01:50 PM PDT

After taking the day off Thursday for what appears to be general rest, Colts WR Reggie Wayne was back at practice Friday and was listed as a full participant. Wayne had nine catches for 98 yards in the team's Week 1 loss at Denver and should be ready to go for the Colts Week 2 game against Philadelphia. FANTASY ANALYSIS: This could be a common occurrence for the 35 year-old veteran wideout this season. He knows the offense and has a good rapport with quarterback Andrew Luck, so it's not necessary for him to practice in full every day throughout the season. At his age, rest is probably as valuable as practice on a weekly basis. As long as Wayne is practicing on Fridays, he should be trusted as a low-end WR2/high-end WR3. Wayne looks like a solid play this week in the Colts' Monday Night Football tilt with the Philadelphia Eagles. The game should be a shootout, and Indianapolis should be looking to take advantage of an Eagles secondary that allowed Jaguars rookie wide receiver Allen Hurns to burn them for 4/110/2 in Week 1.

Bears WR Brandon Marshall doesn't practice Friday; WR Alshon Jeffery limited

Posted: 12 Sep 2014 12:32 PM PDT

It looks like fantasy owners may have some tough decisions to make Sunday on a couple of the game's best wide receivers. Bears wideouts Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery are both listed as questionable and both will be game-time decisions for Chicago's matchup against the 49ers on Sunday night. Marshall had hoped to practice Friday, but he was unable to do anything more than some light jogging on his sprained right ankle during the day's walkthrough. Officially, he didn't practice at all this week. Jeffery's status is a little better but still uncertain. He was able to make it through limited practice Friday for his first on-field action of the week. When asked whether he will play Sunday night, Jeffery only said, quot;We'll see. A game and practice is different." He suffered a hamstring strain in Week 1. FANTASY ANALYSIS: This is a potentially dangerous situation for fantasy owners. You always want to start Marshall and Jeffery whenever they are active, even if they aren't at 100 percent. But the Bears' kickoff time cuts down on the options owners have available to them. If you can afford to wait on Marshall and/or Jeffery, do so. But for most of us, a final decision will probably have to be made six or seven hours before we know if either receiver is officially active. We'll pass along any news that helps clear up this situation either tonight or tomorrow, but have a secondary option at the ready. If you are looking for an in-house solution, Santonio Holmes is probably your guy at WR, especially since another Bears wideout, Josh Morgan, is listed as doubtful. Of course, tight end Martellus Bennett and running back Matt Forte will still be involved in the passing game, perhaps to a greater degree this week.

Browns WR Josh Gordon's suspension expected to be reduced

Posted: 12 Sep 2014 09:17 AM PDT

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, when the players vote on a new drug policy for the NFL, as early as today, some players will have their current suspensions reduced or repealed. Josh Gordon will likely have his season-long suspension reduced to between 6-10 games. Eight is considered the most likely number. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:8.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:107%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} FANTASY ANALYSIS: If you picked Gordon up on waivers or late in the draft, you will likely have the final answer on his status soon. Hopefully you have a deep enough team that can spare a bench spot if the suspension is reduced to eight games. If so, it would be wise to hold on to him. He may be the player you need for your final push to the playoffs, or you can trade him for increasing value approaching midseason. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:8.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:107%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}