FFToolbox - Week 2: Pickups of the Week plus 4 more

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Week 2: Pickups of the Week
Texans LB Jadeveon Clowney tears meniscus, could be out 4-6 weeks
Bears WR Alshon Jeffery suffers hamstring injury; HC Marc Trestman not concerned
Patriots RB James White healthy, labeled inactive for Week 1
Who's in and who's out of the early games in Week 1?

Posted: 08 Sep 2014 07:09 AM PDT

The best Fantasy additions available in the majority of leagues. This week's picks include Ryan Fitzpatrick, Joe Flacco, Isaiah Crowell, Benny Cunningham, and Josh Gordon.

Texans LB Jadeveon Clowney tears meniscus, could be out 4-6 weeks

Posted: 07 Sep 2014 10:46 PM PDT

Jadeveon Clowney couldn't make it through his first NFL regular-season game, and it looks like he might miss the next month or so. Clowney departed Sunday's Texans-Redskins game in the second quarter. He has been diagnosed with a torn meniscus, which will require arthroscopic surgery. According to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, he could miss 4-6 weeks. Clowney recorded one tackle for a loss before heading to the locker room under his own power. FANTASY ANALYSIS: It's tough news, because I would love to see more of Clowney with J.J. Watt, who was just unstoppable Sunday. The No. 1 pick in this year's draft played hard but also ran himself out of a few plays. He was blocked very well by Washington's line. He just didn't make much of an impact before leaving. Still, with as good as Watt looks, this defense is a nice option for Week 2 at the Raiders.

Bears WR Alshon Jeffery suffers hamstring injury; HC Marc Trestman not concerned

Posted: 07 Sep 2014 08:12 PM PDT

Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery was on his way to a monster game against the Bills on Sunday, but his body didn't cooperate. Jeffery suffered a hamstring injury that forced him to miss most of the second half. He caught five passes for 71 yards -- all coming before the break. After the game, head coach Marc Trestman didn't express concern about Jeffery's injury. quot;Alshon was prepared to go in there at specific times. I'll just leave it at that," Trestman said. According to Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com, Jeffery didn't appear to be walking with a limp or any type of discomfort in the locker room. FANTASY ANALYSIS: As with all of Sunday's injuries, more will be known Monday, but it sounds like the top-10 fantasy WR has avoided a long-term ailment. Hamstring injuries, however, can be tricky, so this will be worth watching during the practice week. Santonio Holmes and Michael Spurlock saw more playing time in Jeffery's absence, but they didn't do much and aren't worth an add. The Bears travel to San Francisco in Week 2.

Patriots RB James White healthy, labeled inactive for Week 1

Posted: 07 Sep 2014 10:06 AM PDT

NFL.com is listing New England Patriots RB James White as inactive for Week 1. He is a healthy scratch, which means RBs Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley will not be splitting any carries with the rookie. White began the preseason splitting time with Ridley, but fizzled out at the end, which has led to him earning a bench spot. FANTASY ANALYSIS: This is great news for Ridley and Vereen owners. White is known for his pass-catching ability as well as not fumbling. He could have taken away snaps from either of the featured Patriots RBs. With this news, feel free to start both this week and bench White. His dynasty value is much better than his redraft value at the moment.

Who's in and who's out of the early games in Week 1?

Posted: 07 Sep 2014 09:10 AM PDT

And we made it! Welcome back for another season, kids. Whether you are a defending champ or a first-timer, it's just an exciting day. It's Week 1. Today has that new-season smell. I hope you're as psyched for the action as we are. To help you out this morning, this post will be updated continuously between 11:30 a.m. Eastern and the early kickoffs with the latest news about today's injured stars. Obviously, the top name everyone's watching is Cam Newton. Can he go with his fractured ribs? Unfortunately, his game doesn't kick off until the late afternoon, but if we see anything about his status, we'll pass it along in this post. We'll also be updating the statuses of Rob Gronkowski, Tom Brady, Jordan Reed, Garrett Graham, Sammy Watkins and many others. Keep refreshing this page for all of the latest. -------------------------------------------------------------- -- It's not official yet, but NFL Network's Albert Breer reports, via a source, that Texans TE Garrett Graham won't play today versus the Redskins due to his back injury. Ryan Griffin and rookie C.J. Fiedorowicz are expected to fill in, but neither is a fantasy option despite the quality matchup. Update: It's official now. Fiedorowicz will start in place of Graham -- Steelers rookie WR Martavis Bryant told NFL Network's Aditi Kinkhabwala that he will not play today. He has a sprained shoulder and was limited late in the practice week. Bryant is off the re-draft radar right now. -- Tom Brady is good to go. And he'll be throwing to Rob Gronkowski. Both are active. Brady is set as a QB1. Gronk will see limited snaps, but even if he doesn't play a ton, he's too dominant to sit. Play him unless you have another top-five option. -- Ravens CB Lardarius Webb is out. That makes this matchup a little easier for A.J. Green. -- Redskins TE Jordan Reed is officially active despite a thumb injury. He is a solid TE1 in Washington's offense. -- Eagles RB Chris Polk is out due to a hamstring injury. The Eagles have listed only two backs as active: LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles. -- Bills WR Sammy Watkins is active, and he will play with bruised ribs. Even in a good matchup against the Bears, the rookie is only a mediocre WR3. Thanks, E.J. Manuel. -- The Patriots have listed WR Aaron Dobson and RB James White as inactive. These are small surprises as both are thought to be healthy. Bump up Julian Edelman and Kenbrell Thompkins a little bit with Dobson out. No White means a few extra snaps for Stevan Ridley. The Jaguars will actually start Allen Hurns, not Mike Brown, in place of the injured Cecil Shorts. Despite the start for the preseason standout, he is just a Hail Mary option. I would rather play Marqise Lee. -- Rams rookie RB Tre Mason is inactive. He'll be replaced by RB Trey Watts. Mason is buried on the depth chart right now. Zac Stacy and Benny Cunningham will handle the carries for St. Louis today versus Minnesota. The Bills' top cornerback, Stephon Gilmore, is inactive because of a groin injury. That's good news for Jay Cutler and Co. -- Saints WR Nick Toon is inactive. So, New Orleans have four WRs active: Marques Colston, Brandin Cooks, Robert Meachem, Joe Morgan. Morgan will reportedly start, but he's not a fantasy option right now. -- One note on Cam Newton: FOX Sports' Jay Glazer reports that the quot;plan right now" is for the Panthers to hold Newton out of this afternoon's game against the Bucs. If don't have a safety-net backup for the late-afternoon start, get Cam out of your lineup. Don't get burned with a zero. Derek Anderson would start in his place. Players who have already been ruled out for Week 1 include: Cecil Shorts, Kenny Stills, Odell Beckham, Marvin Jones and Lance Moore. You can read more about those players and the impact of their absences below. FANTASY ANALYSIS: -- Shorts was ruled on Saturday due to a hamstring injury. He is one of the more injury-prone wide receivers in the league. Three rookies -- Marqise Lee, Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns -- have the most fantasy value in this passing game today. They are all deep-league options. I prefer Lee. Each of them could produce in garbage time with the Eagles expected to win this game by a lot. -- Stills is down with a quad injury. The Saints obviously have enough players to replace him. Brandin Cooks may see a few extra targets. He is an incredibly intriguing WR3. -- Beckham missed the entire preseason due to a strained hamstring, and he is not expected to practice for another couple of weeks. The Giants' offense looked so bad during the preseason, it's hard to have faith in starting anyone other than Victor Cruz and perhaps Rashad Jennings against the Lions' solid defense in Detroit. -- Jones is working his way back from a broken foot. He should return in October. In his place, Mohamed Sanu will see most of the work. He is a so-so WR4 versus the Ravens. -- Moore is out due to a groin issue. The Steelers have enough guys to replace the veteran wideout, such as Antonio Brown, Markus Wheaton and tight end Heath Miller.