Fantasy football managers were given a fright on Thursday, with DK Metcalf appearing on the injury report for the Seattle Seahawks. Metcalf was listed as a limited participant with a hip injury, putting his status for Week 14 in doubt. Let’s examine the latest updates regarding Metcalf’s injury and examine the options for fantasy managers this week.
Is DK Metcalf’s Hip Injury a Major Concern?
Metcalf was one of two notable additions to the Seahawks’ injury report on Thursday. The WR joined his QB, Geno Smith, as a mid-week downgrade. That combination could have huge potential ramifications for the Seahawks’ passing game this week. What we don’t currently know about the pair is the severity of the injuries.
While Smith spoke to the media before practice, there was no real sign that this downgrade was coming. That can mean the injury occurred during practice, or it’s a minor situation that the Seahawks simply rested on Thursday. Those same options relate to Metcalf’s injury as well.
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We’ll get a much clearer picture of what this midweek downgrade means when Seattle practices on Friday. If Metcalf is back as a full participant, then it was likely as much about rest as anything else. If he’s limited, it would suggest an injury that flared up during practice on Wednesday or Thursday but is more of a niggle than a major issue.
Metcalf was a non-participant in practice on Friday, but afterward, head coach Pete Carroll said the team chose to shut him down out of precaution. He then added that Metcalf should be fine for Week 14 and would be expected to be on the field, barring a setback.
What Is the Fantasy Outlook for Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Marquise Goodwin?
The matchup this week against the Carolina Panthers is an intriguing one for the Seahawks WRs. Of the 26 teams playing this week, the Panthers have allowed the seventh-fewest fantasy points to opposing WRs in the past month (25.67 per game). Going back through the last five games, the Panthers have only allowed over 25 fantasy points to the position once in that stretch.
However, Metcalf and Tyler Lockett have proved almost impossible to bench this year. In half-PPR scoring, Metcalf has scored double digits in each of the last five games, only failing to reach that mark twice since Week 3. Meanwhile, Lockett has scored a touchdown in each of his last five games, finding a consistency he rarely did with Russell Wilson under center.
If both Metcalf and Lockett are on the field, then to some extent, you don’t rely on the matchups. Both have proven themselves to be valuable enough contributors that fantasy managers are likely starting them regardless, especially with six teams on bye this week. Additionally, in Underdog Fantasy Best Ball formats, Metcalf could be an intriguing value, with the injury uncertainty knocking his value down a little.
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Where things become interesting is if Metcalf cannot play this week and Marquise Goodwin is thrust into a bigger role. Goodwin himself has been on the injury report this week with a hand injury but was upgraded to a full participant on Thursday.
Goodwin has flashed a couple of times this year but has not had the same opportunities as Metcalf and Lockett. But if Metcalf were to miss the game, Goodwin would be expected to take on a bigger role.
In the two games he’s played over 50% of the snaps in the last five weeks, Goodwin has scored double-digit fantasy points, finding the end zone three times in the two games combined.
If Metcalf does end up missing the game, Goodwin would come into consideration in 14-team leagues and deeper. He would remain just outside 12-team contention for the most part, simply because of the matchup. While Lockett and Metcalf are largely matchup-proof, Goodwin is less so.