Welcome to the fantasy football IR injury report. Injuries are all too common in professional football. Sometimes, they are long-lasting, requiring NFL teams to place players on injured reserve. In this column, we will provide weekly updates on every relevant fantasy football player on injured reserve.
To stay up to date on the latest injury news, check out PFN’s injury tracker.
Which Players Are on IR in Week 3?
Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers
Last Saturday, Christian McCaffrey was formally placed on IR. He’s been dealing with a calf strain and Achilles tendinitis, but it’s the latter that has caused the long-term issues.
The #49ers are placing star RB Christian McCaffrey on injured reserve. He will miss at least the next four games. pic.twitter.com/XoUawYVxKH
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) September 14, 2024
McCaffrey is out for the next four weeks, but reports are he is expected to be out longer than that. Fantasy managers should brace for being without the best player in fantasy for at least half the season, if not more. Jordan Mason remains a weekly back-end RB1 for as long as CMC is out.
Jonathon Brooks, RB, Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers’ rookie running back is coming off a November ACL tear. Jonathon Brooks has been working hard to get back on the field. He will play this season, but the earliest that can happen is Week 5.
Chuba Hubbard remains the Panthers’ RB1, but his fantasy upside is limited, as Bryce Young has not made any strides after a dismal rookie season and a Year 2 benching.
MORE: Kyle Soppe’s Week 3 Start/Sit Advice for Every Fantasy-Relevant Player
Given the performance of this offense, we can expect Brooks to quickly earn the lead-back role upon his return. However, his fantasy upside will be capped if the Panthers can’t figure things out offensively as a team.
Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns
From 2020-2022, 42 running backs carried the rock at least 300 times. Chubb had as good of a case as any of them to be considered the top rusher over that stretch (minimum 300 carries). He ranked:
- First in yards per carry (5.3)
- Second in rushing yards per game (89.6)
- Third in rushing touchdowns per game (0.7)
For further context, when watching Derrick Henry, it’s easy to assume that he’s the toughest tackle in the history of mankind. Well, over those three years, Chubb averaged 5.4% more yards per carry after contact than The King.
At 28 years old, it’s reasonable to think that there is still gas left in the tank — if his knee says so. In 2023, two of the top four running backs in PPR points per game were at least 28 years old (Alvin Kamara and Raheem Mostert), giving us hope that while the age curve certainly doesn’t favor aging backs, there are still exceptions.
The prevailing wisdom seems to be that Chubb will miss a significant chunk of the season and then be eased into his usual workload. Savvy fantasy managers know that this game is more of a marathon than a sprint, and those same people tend to trust themselves when it comes to their ability to piece together a roster as they wait for things to take shape come the postseason.
This is nothing more than speculation on my part, but with a Week 10 bye, I’m operating under the thought that Chubb has a chance to be a bell cow by Week 11. That gives him roughly one month to get into peak form for the fantasy playoffs.
- Week 15 vs. Kansas City Chiefs
- Week 16 at Cincinnati Bengals
- Week 17 vs. Miami Dolphins
- Week 18 at Baltimore Ravens
Notice anything in that schedule?
They are all elite offenses that Cleveland will not want to engage in a track meet. For me, that means a lot of ground-and-pound, potentially with a reasonably fresh Chubb if his reps were managed properly prior.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
Clyde Edwards-Helaire is not dealing with any sort of physical ailment. He’s experiencing PTSD and has been courageous in how open he’s been about his struggles. As a result, the Chiefs placed him on the reserve/non-football illness as he works through the issue.
First and foremost, mental health is no joke. Good on CEH for recognizing that he is dealing with something that cannot be fully addressed while he’s also playing professional football. Hopefully, he’s able to work through his issues and get back on the field.
From a fantasy perspective, Edwards-Helaire had seemingly already lost the RB2 job before this. With Kansas City having added Samaje Perine, combined with the quality training camp of Carson Steele, CEH is unlikely to even return to a handcuff role. He doesn’t need to be rostered in fantasy leagues, even in the IR spot.
MarShawn Lloyd, RB, Green Bay Packers
MarShawn Lloyd battled multiple injuries in training camp and the preseason to finally make his NFL debut in Week 2. Unfortunately, he left as quickly as he arrived, spraining his ankle.
Lloyd’s ankle injury must be serious as the Packers placed him on IR on Tuesday. Emanuel Wilson will continue in the RB2 role. Fantasy managers in need of a roster spot can safely drop Lloyd.
Keaton Mitchell, RB, Baltimore Ravens
It’s been a rough start to Keaton Mitchell’s career. Mitchell missed the first five weeks of his rookie season due to injury; then, after playing in two games, he got hurt again.
Mitchell appeared in the Baltimore Ravens’ next six games and thoroughly impressed before tearing his ACL. He is currently on the PUP list and can’t play until at least Week 5 but is almost certainly going to be out longer than that. Justice Hill should continue operating as the change-of-pace back behind Derrick Henry until Mitchell can return.
Kendre Miller, RB, New Orleans Saints
I know this column is supposed to focus on players who are potentially fantasy-relevant, but let’s make an exception for a sophomore RB playing behind two 29-year-olds with rapidly declining efficiency.
The oft-injured Kendre Miller is dealing with a hamstring strain and will open the season on short-term IR, guaranteeing he doesn’t return until at least Week 5.
If you want to throw Miller on your IR spot, that’s perfectly fine. However, don’t hesitate to drop him the moment you need it for someone else who gets hurt during the season.
Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams
Evidently, we all should have been more concerned about Puka Nacua’s knee injury. Despite practicing in full leading up to the Rams’ Week 1 contest, Nacua was clearly not over the injury.
A rather innocuous sliding catch resulted in him aggravating the same knee. He missed a few plays before attempting to return, but was quickly pulled from the game and ruled out.
Nacua is also being described as week-to-week. For everyone’s sake, hopefully, Nacua sits for as long as he needs to completely get over the issue. If it was that easy to aggravate it once, it’s bound to happen again if he returns too soon.
Last week, head coach Sean McVay finally revealed what some Twitter doctors suspected all along — that Nacua sprained his PCL, and will go on IR. This is probably the best-case scenario for fantasy managers, as it would allow us to avoid the weekly game of IR-ing him on Friday, having to pull him off IR on Tuesday, and then waiting until Friday to be able to put him back.
A few days after going on IR, Adam Schefter reported that Nacua is unlikely to return when first eligible, and is likely to miss 5-7 weeks, depending on how quickly his PCL heals.
With Cooper Kupp spraining his ankle in Week 2, the Rams are getting very thin at wide receiver. We will have to see if one or both of Demarcus Robinson and Tyler Johnson have any fantasy value in the interim.
Tyler Higbee, TE, Los Angeles Rams
Tyler Higbee remains on the PUP list as he works his way back from a torn ACL and MCL. Given that the injury was sustained so late last season, it’s unclear when he will be able to return.
In the interim, Colby Parkinson is the clear TE1 for this team. He played 88% of the snaps in Week 1 and didn’t look much different than Higbee.
The Los Angeles Rams’ TE1 has always been on the fantasy radar during the Sean McVay era. If Parkinson continues to perform well, there’s no guarantee Higbee returns as a starter.
T.J. Hockenson, TE, Minnesota Vikings
It remains the status quo on Minnesota Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson, who tore his ACL and MCL last season.
Given the nature of his position, it’s easier for Hockenson to return than a guy like Chubb. However, Hockenson’s injury occurred in Week 17. An injury that late in the season makes it highly unlikely that he’ll be anywhere close to fully recovered anytime soon.
Hockenson opened training camp on the PUP list and remains there to start the year. He will miss Minnesota’s first four games. He will probably return at some point, but fantasy managers absolutely should not burn a roster spot on him, and he is only worth stashing in the IR spot.
Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins are opting to play it safe with their franchise quarterback. Despite the unpredictable week-to-week nature of concussions, the team placed Tua Tagovailoa on IR on Tuesday.
While it’s possible his concussion systems completely dissipate in a week or two, he is now out for the next four weeks minimum. Skylar Thompson will start in Week 3, but it would not be a surprise if Tyler Huntley wound up taking over in Week 4 or 5.