Sunday NFL football is just days away! And with it comes the decisions of who to start and who to sit in our fantasy football lineups. Of course, the health of our players goes a long way in these decisions.
With a stack of injury reports coming up over the last few days, we have compiled the updates you need to know for quarterbacks and tight ends heading into this weekend. Let’s dig in and find out who’s healthy, who may be out, and any other news on your fantasy QBs and TEs.
Be sure to check out other positional injury updates: RB | WR
Injury Updates for Top Fantasy Football QBs
Here is the latest news on fantasy-relevant quarterbacks entering Week 1 of the 2023 season.
Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals
After a scary non-contact injury weeks ago, Cincinnati Bengals fans and Joe Burrow managers feared the worst: that Burrow may miss significant time in the regular season. But as we approach the team’s opener in Cleveland against the Browns, Burrow is cleared to play and will start.
Burrow was a full participant in the Bengals’ practice on Friday. He will look to start the year on a good note as Cincinnati’s quest to reach a third straight AFC Championship Game begins on Sunday.
Brock Purdy, QB, San Francisco 49ers
Another quarterback, another championship-game starter from 2022, and another cleared-to-play status. Brock Purdy has healed from his UCL injury that ended the rookie’s Cinderella season in the NFC Championship Game last January. He is set to be the starter on Sunday when the San Francisco 49ers visit Pittsburgh.
Purdy, the last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, has the full confidence of head coach Kyle Shanahan and will be the Niners starter all season. It will all start Week 1 with Purdy active against the Steelers.
We will have to watch and see if Mr. Irrelevant is still the real deal in Year 2 or if the clock has struck midnight and the carriage has turned back into a pumpkin.
Injury Updates for Top Fantasy Football TEs
Here is the latest news on fantasy-relevant tight ends entering Week 1 of the 2023 season:
Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens
Editor’s Note: Mark Andrews is inactive for the Ravens Week 1 game.
Mark Andrews has essentially missed the entirety of the Baltimore Ravens’ preseason and training camp. What was originally listed as an undisclosed injury, we now know Andrews has an injured quadriceps.
The star tight end is officially listed as questionable for Sunday at home against the Houston Texans. The good news for Andrews’ managers is that the game is at 1:00 p.m. ET. If Andrews does end up sitting, you will have any option on your bench to take his place in your lineup.
MORE: FREE Fantasy Football Start/Sit Optimizer
If you aren’t confident in your backup tight end, you may want to make a free agent or waiver add before Sunday to prepare for the worst. It is never a bad idea to have a backup plan. As for who could be available, Juwan Johnson, Taysom Hill, and Logan Thomas all have favorable matchups as replacements in Week 1.
Darren Waller, TE, New York Giants
Editor’s Note: Waller is expected to play Sunday, per Rapoport and Mike Garafolo
Suddenly popping up on Friday afternoon’s injury report is a tight end that is not foreign to the injury list. New York Giants tight end Darren Waller is officially listed as questionable for the team’s Sunday night game at home against the Dallas Cowboys.
Waller is suffering from a hamstring injury. Popping up this late in the week and leaving him questionable, the news isn’t great for Waller managers. Hamstrings can be tricky, and the talented tight end may need to wait a week for his Giants debut.
Waller’s situation is also hard for fantasy managers as the Giants play on Sunday night. If Waller is said to be a game-time decision come Sunday morning, you may need to sub him out with a tight end playing earlier in the day just to be safe.
George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers
Editor’s Note: George Kittle is active for the 49ers Week 1 game.
Three tight ends in, and we have another elite talent on the list. George Kittle is questionable for the 49ers opener in Pittsburgh against the Steelers. He is dealing with a groin injury.
Kittle has been limited in practice, going through drills on the side most of the week. With a groin injury, Kittle could face a battle with movement that is side to side on the field. The Niners could hold Kittle out for a week with his injury history and with Super Bowl aspirations this season. They don’t want to make the injury worse in Week 1.
Kittle’s game is at 1:00 PM EDT on Sunday, so you will have plenty of time to sub in a replacement if he is ruled out that morning.
Zach Ertz, TE, Arizona Cardinals
Editor’s Note: Zach Ertz is active for the Cardinals Week 1 game.
Our final injury note is another veteran tight end who has had major success previously in his career. Zach Ertz is questionable for the Arizona Cardinals debut in Washington, D.C., with a knee injury.
Once one of the premier tight ends in fantasy, Ertz has been hobbled by injuries for the last couple of years. While productive when he is on the field, that action is few and far between. We will have to wait and see if the 32-year-old tight end is healthy enough to suit up come Sunday morning.