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Well, it was fun while it lasted! This was a tough week of injuries around the league. Incredibly tough on the Chargers. 2 weeks, 2 ACLs. Hopefully, you avoided most of the injury bug that is going around and good luck in week 3.

Quarterback

Josh McCown – Shoulder injury- Multiple week absence

Rough loss for the Browns who showed some life in the first half of the game. Cody Kessler is the next man up and will make the start this weekend. Bump down for all Browns players. Expect to see lots of pressure from Miami to force the Rookie to make some plays. Hopefully, McCown can make his way back by week 5 for Josh Gordon’s return.

Jimmy Garoppolo – Shoulder- Questionable

To my surprise, Jimmy participated in walk trough’s Tuesday morning but I would not expect him to start this week. Rookie Jacoby Brissett will get the nod. I would like to say this hurts everyone on the Patriots, but with Bill Belichick anything is possible.

Andy Dalton – Ankle – Played through injury

Was injured in the second half vs the Steelers and played through. Was limping after the game and will most likely be limited in practice this week. He will be good to go vs Denver on Sunday.

Jay Cutler- Ligament Damage right Thumb – Possibly out for weeks

Smoking Jay looks like he will be missing some time which leaves the door open for Hoyer the Destroyer. I do not see this hurting any of the fantasy options (what little there are) in Chicago. I expect Hoyer to pepper Jeffery with targets and the Bears will continue to be a below average team.

Running Backs

Danny Woodhead – Torn ACL- Out for the Season

Our favorite gym rat Danny is out for the year. Huge loss for owners in PPR and those zero RB drafters. Melvin Gordon will see 3 down duties and I expect Woodhead's passing targets to get spread around that offense. Melvin is trending up to RB1 play now and Tyrell Williams and Travis Benjamin will see more targets.

Jonathan Stewart – Hamstring – Left game and out at least a week or two

Stewart was forced out of the third drive of the game with a Hamstring issue. This left the ground game to Fozzy Whittaker who rushed for 100 yards after getting the nod. Whittaker will be a hot add this week but I expect a timeshare of Fozzy and Cameron Artis-Payne until Stewart is back.

Adrian Peterson – Torn Meniscus – Unknown timetable

I am sure we have all seen the highlights of AP being helped through a bar to the locker room in Minnesota’s new state of the art stadium. There are a lot of conflicting reports on the timetable for return so we are sitting in wait and see mode. McKinnon will be the hot add this week but do not sleep on the TD vulture Matt Asiata. I expect McKinnon to continue his role of change of pace back and the Vikings using Asiata in the red zone and between the tackles until AP is back.

Doug Martin – Hamstring – Unknown Timetable

Martin suffered a “slight tweak” and will be getting an MRI Tuesday. He seems unlikely to suit up against the Rams but good news for owners is the injury does not appear to be too serious. Charles Simms will get the nod and a heavy workload on Sunday. If he is available pick him up, especially in PPR where even with Martin he is a borderline flex play.

Ameer Abdullah – Foot – Unknown Timetable

He left Sundays game with a foot injury. X-Rays came back negative, but Abdullah is visiting with the famous foot doctor, Robert Anderson. Not a good sign that they are seeking additional help here. Theo Riddick and Dwayne Washington will step into a timeshare here. Riddick may be owned but Washington is a guy to keep an eye on after showing some flashes of greatness in the preseason.

Arian Foster – Groin-  Unknown Timetable

According to sources, it is unlikely Foster will play this week but is just dealing with a groin strain. Regardless, this should not come as much of a surprise to owners. It wasn’t a matter of “if” Foster would get hurt, it is “when” will he go down. Look for some combination of Ajayi, Drake, and Pead in the backfield this weekend.

Thomas Rawls – Leg Contusion- Should be good to go

Thomas Rawls exited the game after a poor performance and was replaced by Christine Michael (Who looked explosive). Rawls will be good to go vs the 49ers this weekend but expect a timeshare with Michael who has been the most effective rusher for the Seahawks through 2 weeks.

Rashad Jennings – Hand – Should be good to go

Jennings only played 34 snaps this weekend against New Orleans due to the injury but he should be able to wrap this up and get out there for week 3 against Washington. 

Wide Receivers

Donte Moncrief – Concussion/ Shoulder – Unknown Timetable

Originally taken out of the game for a possible concussion, it was later determined that a shoulder injury kept Moncrief out of the game. He had an MRI on Monday but no news has been released on the results. If he misses time, Phillip Dorsett becomes a must-add in all formats.

Julio Jones – Ankle – Julio doing Julio things

Julio owners should know the drill. He is going to get hit, he is going to look like a 70-year-old man getting up, then he is going to run a deep post and score a touchdown. Julio will be fine.

Brandon Marshall – MCL – Might take a week off

After what looked to be a gruesome knee injury, Marshall came back into the game Thursday. He is unsure if he will play this week and it is a situation to monitor. Can’t question his toughness after coming back on the field after that play.

Doug Baldwin – Knee – Day to Day

MRI results came back negative and Baldwin said, “I’m good”. The only issue is I am not sure that offense is good. Regardless of his playing time hopefully you have other options available while we wait for Wilson to get the offense moving

Tight End

Virgil Green – Strained Right Calf – Day to Day

After leaving the stadium in a walking boot, it seems Green missed serious injury and should be in the lineup on Sunday.

Eric Ebron – Concussion - Good to go

Eric Ebron left the game Sunday but then returned late. He will be good to go against the Packers and is turning into a sneaky TE1.

Photo credits - http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/17583949/minnesota-vikings-running-back-adrian-peterson-suffers-right-knee-injury

http://celebcafe.org/danny-woodhead-out-for-season-with-torn-acl-7293/

Injuries are a huge part of the fantasy football season. This year, they have already taken a bite out of the fantasy production of many teams with extended injuries to such players as Adrian Peterson, Keenan Allen, Danny Woodhead, Ameer Abdullah, and more. The hits just keep coming! This week we’ll look at a few key injuries that may change the direction of some fantasy match-ups.

Cam Newton (QB, CAR)

Newton is in the league’s concussion protocol and has a number of tests to go through and pass before he can suit up on Monday Night Football. Still likely to play, but it puts a lot of owners in a tough spot if he ends up sitting out!

Carson Palmer (QB, ARZ)

Palmer is no ‘Spring Chicken’ and he is also in the concussion protocol for now. The difference for Palmer is that he is scheduled to play on Thursday. If he doesn’t go, Drew Stanton will fill in and likely make the Cardinals look even worse than they already have this season.

Trevor Siemian (QB, DEN)

Siemian has been one of a few surprises this season, putting up some great numbers recently. With a sprain in his non-throwing shoulder, Siemian could easily start under center on Sunday but the Broncos’ healthy new toy Paxton Lynch is also chomping at the bit to play after getting his first NFL snaps in week 4. Regardless, Kubiak has said, “Trevor is our starting Quarterback”, so as of right now we should expect him to resume active duties.

Dez Bryant (WR, DAL)

A hairline fracture (and not having Tony Romo as QB) are both keeping Bryant from being especially fantasy relevant so far this year. With only Jerry Jones speaking up on the issue, we have no idea whether or not Bryant will start against the Bengals in week 5. Even if he did start, Bryant may be a suggested sit depending on your bench depth.

Kevin White (WR, CHI)

A sprained ankle has sidelined Bears’ wide receiver Kevin White for now – watch for more news later this week. White has yet to score a TD in the NFL, but with Hoyer playing QB his stats have improved over the beginning of the season. One of these games could prove to be a breakout for White if he avoids serious injury.

Zach Ertz (TE, PHI) & Tyler Eifert (TE, CIN)

Both Ertz and Eifert are scheduled to return to fantasy rosters everywhere. Temper expectations for Eifert in what could be his first game of the season this week, but the Bengals desperately need more targets on that offense and there’s a reason why Eifert is already nowhere to be found on waiver wires. Ertz has been sidelined with a rib injury since week 1, but he’s an exciting prospect with rising star QB Carson Wentz controlling his fantasy destiny. Could be a good year for Ertz.

Chris Johnson (RB, ARZ)

Now on IR indefinitely for a sports-hernia injury, this just means more carries for David Johnson.

Dwayne Washington (RB, DET)

A sprained foot and ankle could sideline Washington for a few games. Be aware of the situation, as The Lions are rapidly losing depth at the position and may look to someone like Karlos Williams or make a trade for other talent at the position if they cannot get healthy.

Doug Martin (RB, TAM)

Looks like Martin will miss one more week (the following week is a bye for the Bucs) and so Sims will continue to fill in as the lead back in Tampa Bay. Not a great play against Carolina, however.

Rob Gronkowski (TE, NE)

News is starting to bubble up in the media about Gronkowski’s hamstring injury and subsequent lack of fantasy production. Not many people expected him to be this hampered early in the season, but if he can’t perform this week with Brady under center it’s already past time to panic.

Jordan Cameron (TE, MIA)

Cameron is out with another concussion and his past history of them means that we can’t expect him back anytime soon. Deep league? Dion Sims is not a terrible choice at the position against a Titans defense with some holes in it.

Here's a sneak peek of tonight's Fantasy Finish Line Podcast with Dave and I. We'll discuss news, all the rapid changes in rosters in the league, and random stuff that comes up along the way. Make sure to tune in at 9pm on YouTube.

• Where do we start? First off, there’s the covid news. Aaron Rodgers tested positive, and he’s out for Week 9’s game against the Chiefs. The Packers 3rd string QB is out too, and it’s certainly possible that Jordan Love can test positive before Sunday as well. Blake Bortles was signed earlier today and spent training camp with the Packers, so he’ll slot in if everything goes haywire for the Packers. Davante Adams was placed on the covid list on 10/25 so should be cleared to return this week. Adams and Jones remain a must start against a poor Chiefs defense. Allen Lazard has been taken off the covid list, so that’s a good sign for Adams being available on Sunday.

• Henry Ruggs….lots has been said about him, but fantasy wise - Bryan Edwards and Hunter Renfrow should see a bit more usage, but I expect Zay Jones to be the one to get the deep targets. Ruggs was in on 65-80% of snaps, but only saw about 5 targets per game. Renfrow should see an increase in snaps as he was more of a 55-65% guy and could see a bump to his 7 targets per game.

• Saquon Barkley is also on the covid list, so even if his ankle is rehabbed, he won’t be returning this week. The Giants are on bye the following week. Also with the Giants, Kenny Golladay returned to practice today, and Sterling Shepard looks like he’ll be out at least through the bye next week. The WR group for the Giants continues to be a revolving door, and your decision on who to start will likely go right up to game time on Sunday.

• Dak Prescott is back at practice this week, it would appear that the Cooper Rush era will be put on hold for now. Michael Gallup has been designated to return from IR, but still has not been active.

• Calvin Ridley stepped away from the Falcons indefinitely, and abruptly, on Sunday morning. It’s always important to watch those inactives! The biggest beneficiary of this will probably be Russell Gage, with Kyle Pitts now being the primary target in the offense. I expect Gage’s snap count to go way up, and his zero targets last week to be a fluke. 

• Odell Beckham Jr. appears to be on the way out in Cleveland. They did not find a trade partner for him, so, considering the team asked him not to come in, he will likely be put on waivers and then cut if nobody claims him. Plenty of teams would probably take a chance on him, with the Saints high on that list, but it seems like his days in Cleveland are done. He’s averaging less than 6 targets per game, and playing less than 70% of snaps. His presence won’t be missed. Jarvis Landry will continue to be the only weekly start catching passes for the run-heavy Browns.

• Christian McCaffrey has been designated to return from IR, right on schedule with his initially reported timeline. This doesn’t need to officially happen until Saturday in order to play on Sunday, so keep an eye on the news. As usual, McCaffrey should be in your starting lineup if he’s playing.

• DeAndre Hopkins is not practicing this week. He only played in 15 snaps last Thursday night, apparently on some of those he snuck in and wasn’t supposed to be on the field. He’s one of the few players that can perform well if he does not practice all week, so just keep an eye on his status on Sunday - he does play a late afternoon game. He needs to be in your lineup if he’s playing. Kyler Murray also did not practice today, but he should be good to go this week after injuring his ankle late in the game last Thursday night.

• Is there such a thing as WR burnout? Michael Thomas led the league in receptions in 2018 and 2019, with a record-breaking 149 catches in ‘19. Since then he’s played in just 7 games and has announced that he won’t be returning in 2021. He’s still under contract for 2022 and will be 29 at that time. Expect the Saints to make a play for Odell Beckham once he is finally cut, or any other free agent WR for that matter.

• Derrick Henry suffered a (fantasy) season ending injury on Sunday and is supposed to be out for 6-10 weeks. An extremely optimistic outlook might have him back in time for the fantasy playoffs, but I find that to be unlikely at best. If you have the luxury of a free IR spot, then definitely use it. Otherwise I think it’s safe to drop him and let someone else waste a roster spot on him in the hopes he returns in Week 16 or 17 of the NFL season. If the Titans are in the playoffs at that time, they would be smart to just hold him until the playoffs start. If they are eliminated, then there’s no reason to bring him back. Jeremy McNichols stands to see a big increase in carries, and the passing game will probably also see a boost for the Titans. It remains to be seen how the Titans want to use Adrian Peterson, and how much use he actually gets.

• Jameis Winston tore his ACL in the Saints win against the Bucs and is out for the rest of the season, and probably out of New Orleans, practically speaking. For now, we’ll see a combination of Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian under center for the Saints. This doesn’t affect the Saints fantasy players much because nobody was doing anything other than Kamara anyways! (True - Marquez Callaway has been a flex play from weeks 3-5 but that’s about it, only putting up 3 fantasy points in each of the last two matchups).