What does the WR injury report for Week 8 look like for fantasy football managers after NFL teams released their first injury updates of the week?
Let’s take a look through the notable names from the Week 8 NFL injury reports, which include the likes of Deebo Samuel, Jaylen Waddle, Amon-Ra St. Brown, DK Metcalf, Davante Adams, Ja’Marr Chase, Allen Lazard, and others.
WR Injury Report Heading Into Week 8
Note that practice status listings are as follows: DNP – did not participate, LP – limited participant, FP – full participant.
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Deebo Samuel, SF | Hamstring (Out)
Perhaps the most surprising name among the WRs on the Week 8 injury reports is San Francisco 49ers WR Deebo Samuel. Dealing with a hamstring injury had Samuel absent altogether from practice, putting his status for Sunday up in the air.
When asked about Samuel’s hamstring on Wednesday, head coach Kyle Shanahan answered, “making progress.” That does not give us much insight into Samuel’s chance to play in Week 8. He remained absent from practice Thursday and will be a name to watch on the injury report Friday.
If Samuel does not play, there is not really a like-for-like replacement on the roster. From a fantasy perspective, the biggest winners in terms of opportunities should be Christian McCaffrey, Jeff Wilson Jr., Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle. Those four should share the bulk of the carries and targets that would have gone the way of Samuel.
Ja’Marr Chase, CIN | Hip (DNP)
There is not a lot of positive news when it comes to Ja’Marr Chase’s hip injury. He was a non-participant to open the week in practice, and the reports indicate he could miss four to six weeks.
Chase pulled up during the Bengals’ Week 7 game against the Atlanta Falcons but was able to return. However, following further examination, it appears the star WR will miss time. Even if he can return in four weeks, it could be six or seven weeks before he is back at full speed.
This injury means fantasy managers are essentially looking at not having Chase producing at full capacity until very close to the playoffs. If you are a team fighting to remain in the hunt, selling Chase for a player who can contribute to you fully over the next four to six weeks makes a lot of sense in redraft formats.
With Chase out, Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins will likely be the top two receiving options in Cincinnati. Mike Thomas should see an increase in playing time, but we have yet to see him command more than five targets this season. If he can get to seven or eight targets per game, he has a chance to be a 16-team Flex consideration.
Jaylen Waddle, MIA | Shoulder (Cleared)
Jaylen Waddle entered Week 8 limited with the same shoulder injury that saw him limited all last week. Despite being limited in practice, Waddle saw no significant playing time decrease. He finished with 88 yards on four receptions from five targets.
Waddle was a full participant on Friday and carries no injury designation into the weekend. The biggest risk now is that Waddle aggravates the injury in-game and is removed because of it.
Amon-Ra St. Brown, DET | Concussion (Questionable)
We saw Amon-Ra St. Brown leave the game Sunday under the flag of the concussion protocol. However, he was never actually diagnosed with a concussion, instead being removed for showing signs of ataxia (poor muscle control).
Therefore, we should see St. Brown able to progress through the protocol and play Sunday, barring a setback. He was listed as limited on Wednesday, which is a good sign he is on the path to playing this week. He remained limited on Thursday but still appears on track to play. St. Brown was further upgraded to a full participant on Friday but is listed as questionable for the weekend.
Josh Reynolds, DET | Knee (Cleared)
Unfortunately, Josh Reynolds was once again a non-participant on Wednesday. Reynolds has been dealing with this knee injury for a few weeks but has yet to miss a game. If he is absent or limited, Kalif Raymond would likely be his replacement. He returned to practice in a limited fashion on Thursday and was a full participant Friday. He carries no injury status into the weekend.
Reynolds is a 14-team Flex consideration. Meanwhile, Raymond would be a 16-team Flex consideration if Reynolds does not.
DK Metcalf, SEA | Knee (Questionable)
DK Metcalf did not participate as the Seahawks opened practice for Week 8. However, he was present for the team’s walkthrough, and head coach Pete Carroll said it was unclear about Metcalf’s status for this week.
It seems likely we will not see Metcalf this week, but the fact he was at the walkthrough means we cannot rule it out. His listing as questionable is also intriguing for his potential to be active Sunday. If he plays, the risk of re-injury will be high. making him a risky option.
Assuming he misses the game, Marquise Goodwin is an intriguing boom-bust play in 16-team leagues after catching two touchdowns last week.
Tyler Lockett, SEA | Hamstring/Ribs (Questionable)
While Lockett was listed as limited with this hamstring injury that has lingered for a couple of weeks, it should not have much impact this week. Barring a setback, we should expect to see Lockett on the field for the Seahawks in Week 8. He was upgraded to a full participant on Thursday.
However, Lockett ended up being listed as questionable on the final injury report. He had an added designation of “ribs” on that final injury report.
Davante Adams, LV | Illness (Questionable)
There appears to be a bug of some sort sweeping through the Las Vegas Raiders locker room. Davante Adams was one of a handful of players with an illness designation on Wednesday and Thursday. As it stands on Thursday, we should expect Adams to play this week.
We saw Adams return to the field in a limited fashion on Friday and carries the questionable tag into the weekend. If Adams were to be inactive, both Hunter Renfrow and Mack Hollins would see a boost in value, assuming they are healthy.
Hunter Renfrow, LV | Hip (Cleared)
We saw Hunter Renfrow added to the injury report with this hip issue last week. He managed to play through the injury, so this week’s listing appears precautionary. Barring a setback, we should see Renfrow active this week.
Mack Hollins, LV | Heel (Questionable)
Mack Hollins continues to deal with the heel injury he was listed with in Week 7. He played through the injury last week, and there is no reason right now he should not do so again. The biggest thing to look out for is a setback during the week. Assuming he plays, Hollins is a 16-team boom-bust option who has been an inconsistent producer this season.
Allen Lazard, GB | Shoulder (Out)
We saw Allen Lazard leave the game Sunday against the Washington Commanders with a shoulder injury. He never returned despite being listed as questionable. Lazard was a non-participant all week and has been ruled out for Week 8.
Sammy Watkins, GB | Hamstring (Cleared)
Sammy Watkins is also listed again with his hamstring injury. It is not clear if this is a lingering issue from his IR stint or if he re-aggravated the injury upon his return. Despite being limited all week, Watkins carries no status into the weekend. He could see considerable playing time alongside rookie WR Romeo Doubs with Lazard out.
Christian Watson, GB | Hamstring (Questionable)
The good news for the Packers is that Christian Watson was able to practice after missing three of the last five games with a hamstring injury. Given that just two weeks ago, Matt LaFleur was discussing how they had considered putting Watson on the IR, this is an intriguing turnaround. He was limited all week at practice and is questionable for Sunday.
MORE: Week 8 Fantasy IR Updates
With the Packers potentially short for options at WR this week, we could see Watson have significant playing time if active. Expectations are that both Romeo Doubs and Sammy Watkins will see the most playing time, but Watson could have deeper league value playing in the third WR role.
Michael Thomas, NO | Toe (Out)
The situation surrounding Michael Thomas on Wednesday was somewhat confusing. As he continues to battle back from his toe injury, Thomas was seen at practice in helmets and pads prior to team stretches but then left. In his media availability, New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen told reporters that Thomas is “improving and getting better.”
The fact Thomas was at practice is a positive step. The fact he didn’t participate in stretches is more confusing. Therefore, the practice report over the coming days will be intriguing to watch. Thomas did not practice all week and was ruled out Friday.
With Thomas not playing, Marquez Callaway should continue to see snaps on the outside. He is a deep league boom-bust type fantasy option, although the matchup this week with the Las Vegas Raiders is intriguing.
Jarvis Landry, NO | Ankle (Out)
Jarvis Landry also remains absent from practice and has been ruled out for Week 8. Tre’Quan Smith should start in his place and is in intriguing 14-team Flex consideration in a matchup against a Raiders defense that has struggled against the pass this year.
Jahan Dotson, WAS | Hamstring (Out)
After Jahan Dotson seemingly aggravated his hamstring in practice last Thursday, he is an unsurprising non-participant to open Week 8. Dotson has now missed the last three games and would seem on track to miss a fourth. He missed the entire week and was ruled out Friday.
One bit of good news for the Washington Commanders is that Dyami Brown was able to practice Wednesday. He saw an expanded role in Weeks 4 and 5 when Dotson first had his injury. In Week 5, Brown had a two-touchdown game against the Tennessee Titans. If Dotson is out and Brown plays, he would be a deep league boom-bust play for fantasy managers.
Corey Davis, NYJ | Knee (Out)
This knee injury for Corey Davis comes just as he was starting to become a semi-reliable 14 or 16-team fantasy option. He had been seeing four to five targets per game over the previous five weeks. While his ceiling was low, he did seem to have a consistent role in the offense.
If Davis misses time, then Garrett Wilson sees a boost in value. When Davis has missed time, Wilson has shifted into more of an outside role. When he has been lined up outside, Wilson has seen better efficiency on his targets. If Davis misses the game, then Wilson would be a 14-team Flex option.
Noah Brown, DAL | Foot (Questionable)
It is frustrating to see Noah Brown on the Cowboys’ injury report as a non-participant. Brown has been a surprising contributor for fantasy managers this year. However, his outputs have been inconsistent over recent weeks, with Michael Gallup working his way back in. Brown was a non-participant all week at practice but received a questionable tag heading into the weekend.
MORE: Week 8 RB Injury Update
In some ways, it might actually be beneficial for fantasy managers if he is out because deciding whether to start him is a major headache. In the past four weeks, he had had games with 64, 50, 10, and five yards. The range of fantasy outputs between those games is wide, and the targets have varied from two to seven.
With Brown out, we could see more playing time for Jalen Tolbert or KaVontae Turpin. However, neither would carry significant fantasy value in Week 8 simply because it is unclear who would get the most playing time. Turpin’s playmaking abilities make him the more intriguing boom-bust option in deeper leagues.
Nico Collins, HOU | Groin (Questionable)
There is more frustration for fantasy managers who drafted Nico Collins. After flashing his potential as an asset during the first six games of the year, he is a non-participant to open practice in week 8. Collins was absent from practice all week but received a questionable tag for the weekend.
The injury could lead to an extended spell on the sidelines. If that is the case, it will be hard to stash him in 12 or 14-team leagues when his upside has been limited so far in his career. If he misses time, then Phillip Dorsett and Chris Moore would see the biggest bump. However, they would be deep-league boom-bust type plays.
Nelson Agholor, NE | Hamstring (Questionable) and Kendrick Bourne, NE | Toe (Cleared)
The emergence of Tyquan Thornton and the usage of DeVante Parker have somewhat rendered this pairing borderline irrelevant for fantasy managers. It is worth noting just simply because if one or both is out, it could funnel more opportunities to Meyers or Thornton in Week 8.