Our Week 1 fantasy football injury report has been relatively light at the running back position. Over the past week, there were just five players at the position listed with injuries who had an immediate impact on fantasy managers. However, by the time official game reports were released, only two of those players were questionable, with the others cleared. Let’s examine the latest injury updates at running back as we approach the Sunday slate of Week 1.
RB fantasy football injury report heading into Week 1
J.K. Dobbins, BAL | Knee
Official game status: Questionable
Update: J.K. Dobbins is inactive for the Ravens’ Week 1 game against the Jets.
There have been questions all offseason about J.K. Dobbins’ availability for Week 1 of the 2022 season. As the Baltimore Ravens RB has worked his way back from a 2021 preseason knee injury, it was always likely he would be limited at best for the first game of the season. As recently as a couple of weeks ago, it was considered doubtful that Dobbins would be available, with the Ravens adding veteran RB Kenyan Drake as cover.
This week, head coach John Harbaugh revealed that Dobbins had made fantastic progress in the past 10 days and was pushing to be active. That said, Dobbins being active does not guarantee fantasy value. He is expected to be on a restricted snap count and could struggle to get double-digit touches. With such limited playing time, Dobbins’ ceiling will be capped, and he will not have a great floor, either. Regardless of his status in Week 1, Baltimore’s RB1 is a very risky player to start this week.
Kenneth Walker III, SEA | Hernia
Official game status: Questionable
Walker underwent surgery for a hernia early in training camp, and he’s yet to practice since then. He’s officially listed as questionable heading into this week’s matchup against the Denver Broncos. But at this point, it’s unlikely he sees any significant workload if he even takes the field at all.
For the time being, presumed starter Rashaad Penny is set to see a heavy dose of snaps while Travis Homer and DeeJay Dallas play complementary roles.
Chase Edmonds, MIA | Groin
Official game status: Cleared
It was surprising to see Chase Edmonds on the injury report with a groin issue on Wednesday. However, any concern soon abated as Edmonds was back at practice in full capacity by Thursday. After getting in another full session on Friday, he carries no designation into the weekend.
Edmonds should now be in a position to be the Miami Dolphins’ lead back, but there are concerns that the team could deploy a committee involving Raheem Mostert and Myles Gaskin. In some ways, Edmonds being healthy clouds the picture because if he were absent, Mostert would likely be the lead back in Week 1. It’s likely that both see significant playing time against the New England Patriots.
Christian McCaffrey, CAR | Shin
Official game status: Cleared
Christian McCaffrey sparked panic when he popped up on the injury report with a shin injury on Thursday. However, after practice, head coach Matt Rhule revealed the injury was nothing more than a cut caused when McCaffrey was caught by a cleat. He managed to be a full participant on both Thursday and Friday, and he carries no injury designation into Week 1.
Miles Sanders, PHI | Hamstring
Official game status: Cleared
Concern had been growing around Miles Sanders’ Week 1 availability as he dealt with a hamstring injury in the preseason. As soon as we entered the regular season practice schedule, it became clear that Sanders was simply being protected by the Eagles as a precaution.
Sanders was a full participant all week and carries no injury designation into the weekend, but there are still questions surrounding how this backfield will operate. Kenneth Gainwell consistently had a role in the offense last year and is expected to once again be heavily involved. Veteran Boston Scott could spell Sanders in stretches as well.