Edwin Porras 
Week Nine is on the horizon and it’s the time of year when the casual DFS players begin to fall off while the highly competitive people (like yourself) are looking for that extra advantage. Cue the DFS Insider Injury Edge to gain that advantage as I’ll give a comprehensive medical analysis of every fantasy relevant player injury for Week Nine. Let’s optimize those lineups.
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James White
White popped up on the injury report and he was limited in practice on Friday. As a general rule, a midweek downgrade in practice participation is not good. Given that the injury is in relation to his toe, he is probably dealing with a classic case of “turf toe” which is disruption of the ligaments that run on the underside of the big toe. This makes it extremely painful to push off when running and jumping, but it’s worth mentioning that it’s likely not too severe. However, his pain level on Sunday will determine how productive he ultimately is.
To make matters worse, the Patriots are notorious for “miscommunication” when it comes to injury news, and there’s a non-zero chance that they simply used Friday as a rest day for the pass catching back. What’s all of this mean for you? It means that from an injury perspective, I’m fading White in cash games as his range of outcomes are wider than the Mississippi river. Consequently, a potential tournament play at just $3,900 on DraftKings is Rex Burkhead, who has 14 receptions in just four full games this season. Of course, Burkhead is nothing but a deep tournament play.
Davante Adams
Speaking of Adams, he’s got a very good chance at finally playing in Week Nine, but I want to emphasize that I’m fading him in cash this week. I want to see him dig off the line of scrimmage and sprint for a full game before officially declaring him “back”. However feel free to use Aaron Rodgers’ favorite target in tournament lineups as he is astonishingly still third in targets despite missing five games. In fact, he trails Aaron Jones by just six targets for the team lead.
DeSean Jackson
Next on the DFS Insider Injury Edge is DeSean Jackson. The reality is that Jackson might require offseason surgery for this groin/abdomen issue that has now kept him out for six games. With these kinds of injuries even if active, he’s not going to be 100%. He’s a better NFL wide receiver- keeping defenses honest using his speed- than DFS play, even in tournaments. I’m not confident Jackson will be active this week, but regardless I’m fading him due to the nature of this injury and the likelihood that it has not resolved completely. As a result, Dallas Goedert ($3,100 on DraftKings) will likely continue to absorb targets as defenses key in on Zach Ertz, making Goedert a deep tournament option at tight end.
Adam Thielen
Thielen suffered a hamstring injury in Week Seven and has not played since then. He practiced all week though it was in a limited capacity and Friday was no exception. I’ve mentioned repeatedly that hamstring strains can sideline players for up to three weeks, so do not be surprised if Thielen is inactive again on Sunday. However if he is active, I’m fading him in cash and only using him in tournaments until I see that he’s truly recovered. The $7,800 price tag on DraftKings is just too much for me at this time. The last discussion point here is his teammate, Stefon Diggs. If Thielen is inactive, Diggs is a smash in cash at just $7,600 on DraftKings against a below average Kansas City Chiefs team. If Thielen is active, I’m only using one or the other (not both) in tournament lineups).
Dede Westbrook
I believe that Westbrook’s injury is coming from a potential irritation of nerves from the neck, radiating to his shoulder. This can cause numbness, tingling, and pain in both the neck and shoulder. For this reason, there’s a chance he is inactive, but either way I’m fading Westbrook completely. If Westbrook does not play in London on Sunday, Chris Conley is a fine option in single game tournaments at just $6,800 as he scored a season high 23.3 DraftKings points last week when Westbrook went down.
That’s it for this week’s DFS Insider Injury Edge. The goal here is to give you more context about fantasy relevant injuries to help you set your lineups on Sunday. Make sure you check back with me for updates on the status of certain players or any developments. Week Nine is your week to cash in.
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Image courtesy of Jeffrey Beall.
