Unfortunately, J.K. Dobbins’ injury concerns continue to frustrate fantasy football managers in the 2022 NFL season. Dobbins was listed on the Baltimore Ravens injury report as a non-participant Wednesday after their head coach John Harbaugh said his knee tightened up last week.
Let’s take a look at the latest news regarding Dobbins’ injury, whether we should expect to see him in Week 7, and the fantasy implications if he does or does not play.
Update: J.K. Dobbins has been ruled out for Week 7 and will reportedly miss the next 4-6 weeks. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, he will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery next week.
J.K. Dobbins Injury Update: What Is the Latest News on His Knee Issue?
The Ravens did not provide a further update on Dobbins’ knee injury on Wednesday other than to list him as a non-participant in practice. The last we heard about his knee issue was that it tightened up during the game Sunday. Dobbins was also absent from practice on Thursday. Therefore, his Friday status is crucial to determine if he will be playing in Week 7.
The last time we saw Dobbins not practicing on a Wednesday was in Week 5 with a chest issue. After that, Harbaugh stated that they would look to give Dobbins some rest at times on Wednesday, and he returned as a full participant on Thursday.
Therefore, Dobbins missing Wednesday’s practice was not a complete disaster, but it did mean he remains on the radar as a concern for fantasy managers.
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What Are the Fantasy Implications of Dobbins’ Current Injury Concerns?
The Ravens’ backfield has been frustrating for fantasy managers. No back has averaged more than nine carries per game through the first six weeks, and only Dobbins is seeing an average of 10 opportunities (carries + targets) per game.
The presence of multiple backfield options, as well as Lamar Jackson averaging 9.33 rushing attempts per game, is capping the upside of every Ravens RB this season.
Only twice in the first six games has a Ravens’ RB managed to score double-digit fantasy points across the three scoring formats. Dobbins did so in Week 4 before Kenyan Drake reminded everyone of his class in Week 6.
The problem is that the output has been extremely inconsistent. Drake had just 9.1 fantasy points in half-PPR scoring before his Week 6 breakout. Equally, Dobbins has just 10.9 fantasy points in his other three games combined this year. The presence of all these weapons, plus some inefficiency, is limiting their weekly upside.
The Ravens have a fantastic matchup for their RBs in Week 7. The Cleveland Browns have allowed an average of 26.4 fantasy points to the position this year. That is the third-highest number this season and has seen the Browns allow more than 35 fantasy points per game to the position over the past three weeks.
MORE: Early Start ‘em Sit ‘em Week 7
Therefore, there’s a great chance here for a Ravens’ RB to have a breakout game. The problem is that if Dobbins is active, we have no idea how much he will touch the ball. He has double-digit touches just once in his four games this year. The most frustrating was Sunday Night Football in Week 5, where Dobbins had just eight rushing attempts, despite the game being tight and him averaging 5.5 yards per rush attempt on those carries.
Further complicating it all is that Justice Hill is set to return this week. Hill looked good in the three weeks before he got injured, taking 17 rushing attempts for 121 yards. He was a full participant in practice Wednesday and is expected to suit up for Week 7. Therefore, we could be looking at a backfield of Dobbins, Drake, and Hill this week.
All of this means that if Dobbins is active, it’s hard to trust him in 12-team leagues. The matchup makes him a Flex option in 14-team leagues, but the unknown element of his usage makes him a risky play.
If Dobbins misses the game, then the same is the case for Hill and Drake. The matchup will make managers want to start them in 12-team formats, but the usage uncertainty makes it a huge risk. Both are 14-team Flex considerations but are extremely boom-or-bust options, which is frustrating for fantasy managers.
If Hill or Drake are available on the waiver wire, both are worth stashing. Drake has the better pedigree and appears to be over his ankle issue from last year. However, Hill has flashed potential when given the opportunity. If Dobbins misses extended time, both could have starting-level value in the coming weeks.