We got the latest update regarding J.K. Dobbins’ injury on Friday of Week 7, and the news is not good for the Baltimore Ravens‘ RB. Having missed all of last season with a torn ACL, Dobbins is set for another layoff due to further issues with his knee. Let’s examine the latest news regarding Dobbin’s injury, his timeline for return, and what it all means for fantasy football managers.
J.K. Dobbins’ Injury Will See Him Potentially Miss a Month or More
After the Ravens’ Week 6 game with the New York Giants, head coach John Harbaugh told reporters that Dobbins felt his knee tighten up. At that stage, the hope was he would be able to return sooner rather than later. However, it became apparent during Week 7 that Dobbins was not set for an immediate return.
Dobbins did not practice all week and was ruled out for Week 7. Shortly afterward, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted that Dobbins is expected to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery and could be sidelined for four to six weeks. This is a major blow for the third-year RB, who has played 19 games so far in his NFL career.
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That original timeline was set to keep Dobbins out through at least Week 10. However, once he was placed on the IR, it was guaranteed he would miss at least four games. That keeps Dobbins out through Week 11 at a minimum due to the Ravens’ bye in Week 10.
Additionally, if that timeframe is on the six-week side, then we may not see Dobbins until the Ravens host the Denver Broncos in Week 13. Of course, all of that is dependent on his surgery going as expected and the Ravens RB experiencing no setbacks during his recovery.
What Impact Does Dobbins’ Injury Have on Fantasy Managers?
The biggest immediate impact is that fantasy managers are now without Dobbins for at least three games and potentially even five or more. Dobbins missed the first two games of the season as the Ravens’ eased him back into the season. Therefore, to this point, fantasy managers have only got four games out of Dobbins.
The timing of this injury means that by the time Dobbins returns, he might be virtually irrelevant if the team is on the verge of being eliminated from the fantasy playoffs. Therefore, if the Dobbins’ manager in your league is off to a bad start, he might be willing to trade away the Ravens’ RB for cheap. Dobbins does not carry much value, but a minimum price acquisition to get him is not a bad idea as a speculative move.
In the short term, Kenyan Drake appears to be back as the Ravens’ number one back. He handled the workload when Dobbins was on the sideline last week and impressed. Drake finally looked close to being back to his old self as he continues to recover from an ankle injury.
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The problem is that the Ravens’ backfield remains crowded, even without Dobbins. Justice Hill is set to return this week, and Mike Davis is still a threat to take away touches. In addition, Gus Edwards is not thought to be that far away from returning from his own knee injury.
Therefore, while Drake is a player that should be a target for fantasy managers if he is available, he is still a risk. The Ravens never seem to like giving any single back more than a 50 percent workload, and that is unlikely to change. Dobbins, Hill, and Edwards could all have fantasy value over the next four to six weeks, but knowing which one is the one to start on any given week will be tough.