The fantasy football WR injury report heading into Week 8 is absolutely loaded after an attritional Sunday. There are several names to keep an eye on when it comes to injury updates to open the new week.
Let’s take a look at which players we need to be thinking about in terms of injuries when it comes to fantasy lineups and waiver wires in Week 8. Among the biggest names to suffer injuries Sunday include Amon-Ra St. Brown, DK Metcalf, Mike Williams, and Allen Lazard.
WR Injury Report Heading Into Week 8
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Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR | DET (Concussion)
There’s not much we can do here but wait and see with Amon-Ra St. Brown’s concussion. The average this year has been just over seven days, which would put him out of Week 8. However, we have seen some players able to return. Therefore, St. Brown is a name to watch on the injury report at the back end of the week.
With DJ Chark placed on IR this week, Kalif Raymond would be in line to be the starter alongside Josh Reynolds, assuming St. Brown misses time. The Lions face the Miami Dolphins in Week 8, which presents an option for Raymond to be a deeper-league streamer if St. Brown is out.
DK Metcalf, WR | SEA (Knee)
We saw DK Metcalf taken to the locker room on a cart, where he was quickly ruled out with a knee injury. The only update we got after the game from Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll was that the X-ray was negative.
Metcalf underwent further testing on Monday and got some good news. Carroll told 710 AM Seattle Sports that Metcalf does not need surgery but did suffer a patellar tendon injury. There currently is no timeline to return for Metcalf.
Marquise Goodwin and D’Wayne Eskridge saw increased snaps following the injury. While Goodwin’s two touchdowns and 67 receiving yards will grab the headlines, he could be a tough option to rely on for consistency going forward.
Mike Williams, WR | LAC (Ankle)
Things did not look good for Los Angeles Chargers WR Mike Williams, who had to be helped to the sideline in the fourth quarter of their game against Seattle. Williams was barely able to put any weight on his leg as he was helped from the field and then into the locker room.
After the game, Williams told Daniel Popper of The Athletic that he has a sprained ankle. Further tests on Monday will determine the significance, but we should be expecting some sort of absence for Williams. The Chargers are on a bye in Week 8, so it will be a case of how many weeks he is out beyond that.
MORE: Week 8 WR Fantasy Football Rankings
If Williams misses time, expect to see more of Joshua Palmer and DeAndre Carter, who have been seeing extra snaps in Keenan Allen’s absence. It would be a surprise if Palmer is not back in Week 9 after missing this game with a concussion.
Yet, it will be intriguing to see whether Palmer starting games recently was a like-for-like replacement for Allen. If so, then we could see Carter playing more in place of Williams. Carter is worth a speculative add on the waiver wire after a three-reception, 37-yard performance in Week 7.
Allen Lazard, WR | GB (Shoulder)
We saw Allen Lazard leave on Sunday with a shoulder injury. He was listed as questionable to return but did not play another snap, despite the game being close. We also didn’t get an update after the game and will need to wait for an MRI on Monday.
There was speculation that it could be a labrum injury, which would see Lazard miss the next couple of games. The Packers do not have a bye until Week 14, so fantasy managers face losing Lazard for the next couple of weeks. If he is out, then Romeo Doubs and Sammy Watkins would be the main beneficiaries.
We also saw Amari Rodgers and Samori Toure play this week. However, it’s tough to see them having significant fantasy value outside of 16-team or deeper leagues. The other element in play is the Packers either signing or trading for a No. 1 WR this week. That would significantly alter how we look at this group in Week 8 and beyond.
Russell Gage, WR | TB (Hamstring)
Russell Gage left with a hamstring injury in the fourth quarter. At that point, he had played 41 snaps, with five targets, four receptions, and 39 yards. Gage’s fantasy value was essentially just as a fringe 14-team Flex option with the way the Buccaneers were using him.
Therefore, there is no massive fantasy impact here. We might see Scotty Miller getting more snaps, but it could also accelerate the plans for pushing Julio Jones to get back onto the field. For as long as Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are healthy, the third WR for the Buccaneers will be tough to trust.
Corey Davis, WR | NYJ (Knee)
While Corey Davis left the game in the first quarter with a knee injury, it is not thought to be serious. But the fact he did not return makes this worth noticing this week. The biggest beneficiary if Davis misses time is Garrett Wilson, who shifted into more of an outside WR role after Davis’ injury.
MORE: Week 8 RB Injury Report: Latest on Breece Hall, Mike Boone, and More
We saw Braxton Berrios, Jeff Smith, and Denzel Mims getting more touches after the injury. However, it’s tough to trust any of them as players to add, especially if Davis is not set to miss considerable time.
Nico Collins, WR | HOU (Groin)
Nico Collins left the Houston Texans game in the fourth quarter with a groin injury. We did not get an update after the game, so the hope is that he can be back next week. The usual reports that Brandin Cooks is a trade candidate confuses the situation. If Cooks is gone, then Collins has a shot to have significant fantasy relevance.
If Collins is out and Cook is traded, then Chris Moore and Phillip Dorsett could see a lot of playing time. If that is the case, both can have boom weeks, but trusting them to produce will be tough to do on a weekly basis.