Sunday was an especially rough day for fantasy football managers who have some of the game’s top running backs on their rosters. What are the injury updates for David Montgomery, Christian McCaffrey, and Rhamondre Stevenson heading into Week 7?
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Latest Fantasy Injury Updates
David Montgomery, RB, Detroit Lions
One of the biggest stars this fantasy season is Detroit Lions RB David Montgomery. Montgomery has been a delightful surprise for the 5-1 Lions, finishing as a top-20 RB in four out of five weeks. He missed Week 3 due to injury only to return in Week 4 as RB2 with three TDs.
Unfortunately, Montgomery left Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a rib injury. He finished the day with only 14 yards on six carries and one catch, and with rookie Jahmyr Gibbs already inactive, Craig Reynolds took over the backfield. He was ineffective, finishing the day with ten carries for 15 yards, but he will still deserve a glance on the waiver wire — six teams go on a bye this week, and RB injuries continue to pile up.
Head coach Dan Campbell said the initial X-rays were negative, but on Monday said that Montgomery “is expected to miss some time.” Gibbs looks to be trending towards playing next Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens, so with Montgomery out and Reynolds looking ineffective, Gibbs might finally get that uptick in snaps that fantasy managers have been craving.
Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers
You heard a collective gasp across the fantasy community when McCaffrey left Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns in the third quarter. He attempted to return, played a snap, but then jogged to the locker room, ending his day. It was later revealed that he had sustained an oblique and rib injury.
The specifics of the damage are unclear — whether it is a rib, an oblique, or a combination of both. McCaffrey will undergo an MRI on Monday, and head coach Kyle Shanahan will eagerly wait for the results.
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The San Francisco 49ers play the Minnesota Vikings next Monday, and if CMC is indeed out, expect Jordan Mason and Elijah Mitchell to step up to handle the backfield. Also, expect a healthy dose of George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk as WR Deebo Samuel battles his own injury.
Mason and Mitchell stepped in after CMC left the game, but neither was effective, as the Browns defense slowed the Niners all day. Mason had the best fantasy stat line, finishing with five rushes, 27 yards, and one TD.
Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, New England Patriots
If you held on to Rhamondre Stevenson during the doldrums of this fantasy season, you were rewarded with an RB8 performance on Sunday. He finished with 46 yards on the ground, 24 yards receiving, and one rushing TD.
Before scoring his TD, Stevenson briefly left the game to be evaluated for head and ankle injuries. He headed to the blue tent after being shaken up on a 15-yard run to start the third quarter but quickly returned and scored shortly after.
The injury does not seem to be an issue currently, and the New England Patriots will need Stevenson next week when they take on the Buffalo Bills. If Stevenson is limited or held out, Ezekiel Elliott would be the next man up. Elliott finished the week as RB17, with 49 all-purpose yards and one TD.