As we enter Week 9 of the fantasy football season, injuries are unfortunately continuing to be a big part of the game. Being up to date on injuries can be the difference between a win and a loss. One position to keep on in Week 9 is the tight end.
A good tight end is not only a quarterback’s best friend, but it can be a fantasy manager’s best asset, as well. If you don’t have Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, or T.J. Hockenson, then making the right decisions at tight end this year has been difficult.
Let’s take a look at the current injury statuses of Darren Waller, Taysom Hill, and Logan Thomas as we head into Week 9.
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Darren Waller, New York Giants
Waller has been very good for the New York Giants this year. He has 36 catches for 384 yards and one touchdown so far, but last week, he suffered a hamstring injury in the loss to the New York Jets.
The one thing that has slowed Waller down the past few seasons is injuries. This time it’s a hamstring injury that is bothering Waller, and that’s not that teams mess around with.
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Right now, it doesn’t sound good for Waller. He told reporters that it could potentially be several weeks that he misses. For fantasy managers, it’s disappointing, especially since the Giants are going up against his old team, the Las Vegas Raiders.
Assuming Waller doesn’t go, then Daniel Bellinger could be New York’s starting TE. He has only four catches for 22 yards this year, however, so you may want to look somewhere else for your Waller fantasy replacement.
Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints
Hill is coming off a huge game against the Indianapolis Colts last week. He had 44 passing yards, 63 rushing yards, and two touchdowns. He also caught a 14-yard pass.
Hill is a jack-of-all-trades player for the Saints, and his versatility opens things up for this offense. Unfortunately, he’s currently dealing with a hip injury that had him limited in practice on Wednesday, so he is someone to keep an eye on for the next 24-48 hours.
Friday practices are a great indicator of what a player’s status really is. They are generally a walk-through — a dress rehearsal of sorts where the team is finalizing a game plan. They need to have the guys who are going to be getting plays called for them on the field. If Hill is unable to go, then WR Juwan Johnson could get more targets.
Check in on Hill’s practice ability on Friday, and we’ll get a better idea of where he’s at.
Logan Thomas, Washington Commanders
Thomas is coming off one of his best games of the season. He caught six passes for 44 yards and a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles last week.
Thomas’ numbers have been a little inconsistent this year, but he’s shown the ability to be a top-eight TE on any given week. However, like the other two tight ends mentioned above, and the reason for his mentioning in this article, he’s also dealing with an injury.
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Thomas is having to deal with a heel injury that limited him in Wednesday’s practice. He also isn’t the only Commanders’ pass catcher on the injury report — WR Curtis Samuel is also limited with an ailment.
If Thomas isn’t able to go on Sunday, the Commanders’ second-string TE is currently John Bates, who had one catch for 17 yards against the Eagles.
Like with Hill, check the injury report over the next 24-48 hours to see if Thomas is practicing or not. And with all these injuries, be sure to check on the PFN Fantasy News Tracker for updated coverage.
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