Show Navigation
Show Menu

Shark Bites

Giants LB Blake Martinez went down early in the 1st quarter of Sunday’s game against the Falcons with a knee injury. The team has ruled him out for the game, which does not bode well beyond this week. We’ll watch for the official diagnosis

Recent Shark Bites

Raiders LB Blake Martinez announced Thursday that he's retiring. It's a shocking move, given that Martinez had made his way into the Raiders lineup after getting his release from the Giants at the start of the season. Martinez appeared in line to start this Sunday against the Colts after the team placed Divine Deablo (forearm) on IR. It's not yet clear who the Raiders will have at LB this weekend. In addition to Deablo and Martinez, Denzel Perryman (hip, ribs) did not practice Wednesday. Jayon Brown -- a healthy scratch in Week 9 -- Luke Masterson and Darien Butler are next in line. Martinez played 5 seasons with the Packers (4) and Giants before losing most of 2021 to an ACL tear.

The Raiders have signed LB Blake Martinez to the active roster from the practice squad and reportedly plan to play him in Monday night's game against the Chiefs. LB Denzel Perryman also might be trending toward a return from the concussion that knocked him out of last week's game. Perryman put in a limited practice Thursday and then returned to full participation Friday. That all makes it tough to know how much LB Divine Deablo will play. He has been the full-timer in Perryman's absence. LB Jayon Brown might be trending toward getting out of the way because of a hamstring injury. After a limited Thursday practice, he missed Friday completely. We'll see about the status of the whole LB crew Saturday.

The Giants have surprisingly released veteran LB Blake Martinez. According to ESPN's Jordan Ranaan, the "decision was mutual." We'd bet on Martinez landing elsewhere, and we'll see exactly what the replacement plan is with the Giants. But this is a big move for the top of the current LB rankings.

Giants LB Blake Martinez tore his left ACL in Sunday's loss to the Falcons and will miss the rest of the season. That leaves Tae Crowder as the apparent top LB. He played 61 of 62 defensive snaps against Atlanta and led the team with 11 tackles (plus a pass defensed). Reggie Ragland came on for 65% playing time. The Giants might also consider altering S Jabrill Peppers' role, with Martinez down. Peppers has seen his playing time sag amid struggles in coverage, but he would offer above-average speed at LB and spent a season at the position at the end of college. Martinez will still be just 28 when next season begins, but his contract plus the injury could leave the Giants with an offseason decision to make. The final year on his deal carries a $14.2 million cap hit, according to Spotrac, vs. $5.5 million in dead money if New York trades or releases Martinez.

The Giants have activated LB Blake Martinez off the COVID list. We'll watch for any sign that Martinez is feeling after-effects, but he should be good to go for IDP usage. The team also placed LB Todd Davis on the reserve/retired list. The Giants had just signed Davis late last week.

Related Fantasy Football

2023 Dynasty Rookie Rankings

2023 Dynasty Rookie Rankings

50 minutes ago

With the NFL Draft in the books, here are our 2023 dynasty rookie rankings (top 60 overall and positional rankings).

Read More »
6 AFC Pass Offenses to Sort Out | Podcast

6 AFC Pass Offenses to Sort Out | Podcast

16 hours ago

Who are the pass catchers to target from the Ravens, Bills, Broncos, Jaguars, Chiefs, and Jets? And how can you embrace the unknown?

Read More »
Top Quarterbacks (QB) For Fantasy Football 2023

Top Quarterbacks (QB) For Fantasy Football 2023

11:15am EDT 5/30/23

If you want one of the top fantasy quarterbacks on draft day, you'll need to pay more than last year. Matt says you can find value beyond the top shelf, though.

Read More »
Premium Content Premium Content2023 Superflex Dynasty Rookie Rankings

2023 Superflex Dynasty Rookie Rankings

2:53pm EDT 5/28/23

Where do C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young, Anthony Richardson, and the rest of the QBs fall in the 2023 superflex dynasty rookie rankings?

Read More »
Top Running Backs (RB) For Fantasy Football 2023

Top Running Backs (RB) For Fantasy Football 2023

5:32pm EDT 5/26/23

Not all top fantasy running backs sit in Round 1 of fantasy football drafts. Find out who leads our rankings and which stud RB you might get at a discount.

Read More »
Top Fantasy Rookies 2023

Top Fantasy Rookies 2023

10:12am EDT 5/26/23

Who are the top fantasy rookies for 2023? And what can they deliver for your fantasy squads in 2023 and beyond? Let's review, position-by-position.

Read More »
Dominate your Fantasy League with
the Ultimate Tool Stack
In the heat of a draft, you want as much intel as possible. The key is integrating that into one simple, powerful tool.
Dominate your Fantasy League with
the Ultimate Tool Stack
In the heat of a draft, you want as much intel as possible. The key is integrating that into one simple, powerful tool.
3D Projections

3D Projections

3D Projections: True Dimension of Every Player’s Potential

Based on our award-winning projections, an axis of data points give insights far deeper than a ranking

View Our Accuracy Awards View Our Accuracy Awards »

Advice Draft Strategy

Advice That’s Actionable on Draft Day

Round-by-Round Draft Strategy Guides, Sleepers, Undervalued Players, Busts and Handcuffs

3D Projections

Draft War Room

Draft War Room: Intel Turned Into Killer Picks

Command your entire draft with a dynamic tool synced to your league. Updating and adapting in real time.

3D Projections

Keep Dominating Throughout The Season

Quickly find the free-agent gems, pull the trigger on the perfect trade & make the right start/sit decisions.

Keep Dominating
Draft Sharks

$6/month thereafter, billed semi-annually, one-click cancel anytime.

Turn your phone into a draft weapon with our FREE APP

Download on the App Store Get It on Google Play