NFL Quick Hits: Gametime decision likely for Colts' Hilton
Of all the big will-he-or-won't-he stories heading into Week 2, Colts WR T.Y. Hilton is the biggest. Hilton (knee) missed Thursday's practice as well as Friday's. Head coach Chuck Pagano sounds hopeful that Hilton will be ready to go against the Jets, but Hilton says he'll be a gametime decision.
With the Monday game, you'll want to err on the side of caution with Hilton unless the news gets more positive over the weekend. Fortunately, likely beneficiary Donte Moncrief is owned in just 24.7 percent of FOXSports.com leagues if you'd like to make a pickup that lets you wait on your Hilton decision. Another option you can use to wait on Hilton - as a flex play, anyway - is Jets RB Bilal Powell, (2.2 percent owned), who ran 12 times for 62 yards last week, and caught a couple of passes. Powell plays second fiddle to Chris Ivory in the Jets' backfield, but if the Colts get a lead, Powell could be busy in the passing game.
In other news ...
What we learned Thursday night: Peyton Manning might have lost his fastball, and he dinks and dunks a lot, but he's not quite done as a productive fantasy QB. Also, while C.J. Anderson owners can be understandably angry and/or worried, they shouldn't panic. Anderson was running with a sprained toe, and when healthy, he should be the Broncos' lead back.
Bills RB LeSean McCoy left Thursday's practice after feeling soreness in his nagging left hamstring. When asked if he expected McCoy to play, head coach Rex Ryan said, "I certainly hope so." Karlos Williams would start if McCoy can't, but the bigger concern is McCoy playing while not getting a full workload. For now, I've got McCoy ranked at RB13.
Saints RB C.J. Spiller (knee) was limited in practice again on Thursday, and while some reports have him tracking toward a return this week, Spiller isn't certain that will be the case. Stay tuned, PPR owners.
Bucs WR Mike Evans says the hamstring that kept him sidelined in Week 1 is 100 percent. Plan to roll with Evans if you own him, and hope the Saints get a big lead so the Bucs have to throw a lot.
Rams RB Todd Gurley (knee) has been practicing and is "almost there" according to beat writer Jim Thomas, but will probably debut in Week 3 or 4. Look for Tre Mason to start at Washington.
This MassLive.com report from Monday suggests a 50/50 split between LeGarrette Blount and Dion Lewis in the Patriots' backfield. If true, it would be more about the matchup against the Bills' tough run defense rather than a sign of how things will go all season.
Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians says that WR Michael Floyd (hand) will have an expanded role, and according to this video, beat writer Kent Somers won't be surprised if Floyd's workload doubles from his nine-snap Week 1 outing. Patience, Floyd owners.
Johnny Manziel starts at QB for the Browns. Grab the Titans' DST, everywhere.
QB Ryan Mallett will play on Sunday for the Texans. Arian Foster probably won't, but he's getting close. Next week, maybe.
Redskins TE Jordan Reed was limited in Thursday's practice after injuring a quad muscle, but the problem appears to be minor. Yes, I know we've heard this before. He's probably fine.
Titans TE Delanie Walker (hand) didn't practice again on Thursday, and his status for Sunday is very much in doubt. Chase Coffman could be a DFS tournament flier if Walker doesn't play.
DFS nuggets (salaries from DraftKings): There are some great QB/WR stacks to use - Ryan/Julio, Brees/Cooks, Eli/OBJ, etc. ... I kind of like the cheaper Joe Flacco and Steve Smith for a total of $12,4000 against the Raiders ... Cardinals RB Chris Johnson ($3,800) is a nice buy. Much as we want David Johnson to be the guy in place of Andre Ellington, he isn't yet, according to Arians ... Some of my other favorite low-priced options are Jets RB Chris Ivory ($4,700), Cowboys WR Terrance Williams ($4,200), Saints WR Brandon Coleman ($3,300) and Lions TE Eric Ebron ($3,300). Williams, Coleman and CJ2K should be popular, though ... If you want to save a few hundred bucks on a DST, consider the usually bad Saints ($2,800) againstJameis Winston.
Make sure to play against D.J. Foster, Ryan Fowler, Adam Meyer and me on DraftKings this week. The entry fee is just $2, and a handful of spots remained as of Friday morning. Enter now!
Need help over the weekend? Find us on Twitter (@jhalpin37, @FOXSportsFowler, @FOXSportsMeyer, @FOXSportsFoster), check out our Week 2 rankings and come to our chat on Sunday from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. ET (I'll have the 11 o'clock hour). We'll have your questions covered, but can't stress enough that waiting until 15 minutes before kickoff is a bad plan.
See you back here Tuesday morning. Good luck in Week 2!
