While rankings and projections are beneficial, few things are more important in fantasy football than following injury updates. Injuries not only impact the player in question but the teammates and the offenses around them. Here’s an update on some critical injury reports to watch and their fantasy football impact.
Update 11/12/2021: For the most recent news on fantasy-relevant players, make sure to check out our up-to-date Week 10 Fantasy Injury Report.
Fantasy Football Injury Report: QB update
Let’s go through the injuries currently impacting quarterbacks. Monitor these situations throughout the week and have contingency plans, if necessary.
Sam Darnold, Carolina Panthers
As it turns out, Sam Darnold is who we always thought he was. Head coach Matt Rhule said Darnold had an MRI on his shoulder, and he’s day to day. It sure sounds like P.J. Walker is going to start going forward, and the Panthers are masking what is essentially a Darnold benching by blaming the injury.
Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence went to the locker room in Sunday’s win over the Bills with a low-ankle sprain. Lawrence missed a handful of plays but ultimately returned. He will undoubtedly appear on the injury report this week, but he’s not at risk of missing the team’s Week 10 game.
Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals held out Kyler Murray due to a sprained ankle. Colt McCoy rewarded their decision by lighting up the 49ers in a game Arizona controlled throughout. Murray did not appear particularly close to playing, so we’ll have to see how much he participates at practice this week.
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
Jordan Love made his first career start last week and looked quite overmatched. Aaron Rodgers will start Sunday against the Seahawks as long as he can clear COVID-19 protocols.
Due to his unvaccinated status, Rodgers cannot be activated any earlier than Saturday — and only if he records back-to-back negative tests. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network expects Rodgers to play.
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
We learned Sunday morning that Tua Tagovailoa has a fracture in his left middle finger. It’s not a long-term injury, but it cost him the Dolphins’ Week 9 game against the Texans. With the team playing on a short week, it’s likely Tagovailoa misses one more game before returning in Week 11.
Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
Russell Wilson tweeted out a short video recapping his injury and recovery, seemingly foreshadowing a return to action. Shortly afterward, Adam Schefter of ESPN tweeted out that Wilson’s doctor cleared him to play. We’ll get confirmation later in the week, but everything points to Wilson getting back on the field against the Packers.
Zach Wilson and Mike White, New York Jets
The Jets tentatively expect Zach Wilson to return to practice this week. He is not a lock to play, though. Backup Mike White sustained what appeared to be a nerve injury last Thursday as he struggled to grip the football. It sounds like it was just a one-night thing, and White is the favorite to start this week. Robert Saleh said he would make a decision Wednesday.
Fantasy Football Injury Report: RB update
Which running backs are dealing with injuries that may affect their game status? Let’s see which RB committees are hobbled heading into Week 10.
Chase Edmonds, Arizona Cardinals
According to Rapoport, Chase Edmonds sustained a high ankle sprain in the first quarter of the Cardinals’ win over the 49ers. That’s pretty much a worst-case scenario for Edmonds.
Related | NFL Week 9 Fantasy Football Takeaways: James Conner dominates and Patrick Mahomes hits rock bottom
High ankle sprains are 4-6 week injuries and especially difficult for running backs to return from. Edmonds is likely out for the remainder of the fantasy regular season, and there’s no telling how effective he will be if he returns for the fantasy playoff run. Eno Benjamin stands to see increased usage, but expect a whole lot of James Conner going forward.
Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys
Ezekiel Elliott played a season-low 53% of the snaps in the Cowboys’ home loss to the Broncos. He was in and out of the game with a knee bruise. Zeke could be seen on the sidelines with his knee heavily wrapped. Mike McCarthy said Elliott will be okay. He should play this week.
David Montgomery, Chicago Bears
The Bears activated David Montgomery from injured reserve, which was a bit of a surprise with the team on bye next week. Nevertheless, Montgomery is back and should be a solid RB2 down the stretch.
Latavius Murray, Baltimore Ravens
Latavius Murray did not participate in the Ravens’ walkthrough Monday. He is likely out for at least another week.
James Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars tested out James Robinson’s injured heel in pre-game warmups and elected not to play him. Given that it was described as a pain tolerance issue, it feels like Robinson has a good chance to return after just a one-week absence.
However, the Jaguars signed Jordan Wilkins to their practice squad, suggesting they may be preparing to be without JRob for another week.
Fantasy Football Injury Report: WR Injury Update
How are the fantasy-relevant wide receivers dealing with injuries? Let’s see which pass catchers may require a Plan B for Week 10’s action.
Antonio Brown, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Head coach Bruce Arians said Antonio Brown is still in a walking boot. While this could be precautionary, it’s not what we want to hear coming out of a bye. It sounds like AB is trending in the wrong direction this week.
Corey Davis, New York Jets
Saleh expects Corey Davis to return from a two-game absence this week. He will resume his role as a starter and a fantasy WR4.
A.J. Green and DeAndre Hopkins, Arizona Cardinals
A.J. Green remains on the reserve/COVID-19 list, but he seems likely to be activated at some point later this week. If so, he’ll be ready to suit up against the Panthers in Week 10.
DeAndre Hopkins did not appear particularly close to playing in Week 9 due to a hamstring strain. We will have to wait and see if he can practice this week.
T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts
The only update on T.Y. Hilton is that he remains in the concussion protocol. We’ll have to wait on more information on the veteran Colts receiver.
Fantasy Football Injury Report: TE Injury Update
Are there any tight end injuries we need to be concerned about? The TE market is already thin, so if you have a TE on this injury report, your alternatives will be grim in all likelihood.
Rob Gronkowski, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Arians said he’s not sure if Rob Gronkowski will be game-ready this weekend. Translation? He’s not going to play. At this point, fantasy managers should prepare to be without Gronk for the remainder of the season. By no means am I declaring him done for the season — but there should be no expectation he will return until he actually does.
Logan Thomas, Washington Football Team
Head coach Ron Rivera said how Logan Thomas’ hamstring responds to Monday’s activity will determine whether he practices on Wednesday. Thomas is tentatively expected to return this week, but we’ll need to see his practice participation levels to be sure.