Below is a no-nonsense quick-hitting analysis of current player injuries that could impact performance on game day. For any questions related to this article such as “should I drop [player A] for [player B]?” please refer to the staff’s weekly projections. In reality, there isn’t much information available yet; however, definitely bookmark this as it will be updated and fleshed out through Sunday morning. This first version is primarily players who should be on your injury radar before waivers run with more analysis to come.
Running Backs
Marlon Mack- Achilles
He tore his Achilles on Sunday. He’s out for the 2020 season.
Miles Sanders- Hamstring
Before Week One, Scott had a “lower body” injury and now it’s fair to wonder if he also is dealing with a hamstring injury as he left the Washington game with an injury. As for Sanders, things just aren’t adding up. Exactly how severe was this hamstring injury? Why didn’t he at least travel on Sunday? Was it due to COVID travel restrictions or the injury? Is he going to be ready by Sunday? After nearly a month of resting and a week full of “limited” practices, we’ll have to see Sanders get in at least one full practice before feeling confident in him. Watch the injury report and check back with me as Corey Clement might be a free-square come Sunday.
Update: Just like that, Sanders is back to a full practice today. All it took was nearly a month off, not travelling with his team to a city less than three hours away, countless sleepless nights, even more fantasy football losses, and one injury to his backup. This injury still warrants monitoring throughout the week as it’s proven to be a headache on top of hamstring injuries having a high recurrence rate. The amount of volume his first week back could also be a worry for Sanders, but you’re probably not benching him again.
Final Update: Sanders isn’t listed on the final injury report. The hope is he takes on a full workload after nearly a month of no contact.
Le’Veon Bell- Hamstring
Bell allegedly injured his hamstring on Sunday, which makes sense given that he’s had tightness since camp. Even though Gase has said that Bell could miss up to two weeks, it’s tough to know what to believe given the fact that players miss anywhere from zero to three weeks due to hamstring strains. Furthermore, if players had a recurrence of a hamstring injury, they’re likely to miss even more time than they did when the initial injury happened. Wait for the week to progress but potentially be prepared to be without Bell.
Update: Bell was placed on the IR, so he’ll miss at least the next three games and potentially more. This is an injury that has followed him since the offseason.
{{Justin Jackson|RB|LAC}|- Quad
This one is tricky to deduce because it’s unknown whether this is a quad contusion (potentially up to three weeks) or a quad strain (could be back in Week Two). Regardless, it seems like rookie Joshua Kelley has quickly taken over the number two spot there.
Update: Still no practice but let’s be honest- Joshua Kelley is the backup to own in that backfield.
Final Update: Jackson is doubtful for Sunday.
Duke Johnson- Ankle
Dookie left last week’s game with an ankle injury and it’s unclear whether it was a lateral ankle sprain or a high ankle sprain. The big difference is that players generally return to play around one week after a lateral sprain and about 15 days after a high ankle sprain. Keep an eye on his participation and check back with me before the week’s end.
Update: Dookie was back at practice today indicating that his ankle injury (not actually visible on All 22) may have been a lateral ankle sprain as the average return to sport for that injury is less than a week. Keep watching his practice activity this week.
Final Update: Duke is questionable for Sunday and was practicing in a limited fashion this week.
James Conner- Ankle
*sigh*
I was genuinely hoping we wouldn’t do this dance in 2020. And yet here we are and Conner missed most of Week One with an ankle injury. Until more specifics are known, expect to be without Conner.
Update: The Steelers verbalized that they aren’t concerned with the injury and yet he still has not practiced as of Wednesday. Tomlin came out and said that they’ll “leave the light on” which is an odd way to describe a situation. I’m not usually one to read into coach-speak (that’s a lie, I do it all the time) but leaving the light on sounds like it’s up to Conner whether or not he’ll “come on home” to play in Week Two. In other words, it’s a flip of the coin whether he’ll be active this week. One thing is certain: he’ll need to practice at least once in some capacity to even have a chance.
Final Update: Conner isn’t on the final injury report. Good luck figuring out who to use in that backfield.
Phillip Lindsay- Toe
Lindsay finished Monday night early due to a foot injury. The possibilities are all too wide to make any type of projection as of now. It could be anything from turf toe to a Lisfranc sprain even an ankle sprain listed as “foot.” The issue with this is that missed time ranges anywhere from one week to one year. Until we get more information, plan for the worst when it comes to the UDFA.
Update: Lindsay didn’t practice today and it’s becoming increasingly clear that this is a concern. Seeking a second opinion and not practicing at all make it difficult to see him suiting up on Sunday. Considering the fact that the average return to play time after a turf toe injury is 28 days makes it even harder to imagine. For context, Devonta Freeman had turf toe in 2019 and missed two games while Davante Adams missed four. Watch Lindsay’s practice reports though as crazier things have happened.
Final Update: Lindsay is out on Sunday and there’s a chance we won’t see him for another few weeks.
Lastly, in efforts to avoid being an alarmist I won’t place his name in bold letters, but why did Alvin Kamara cede 15 carries to Latavius Murray? In 2019, Murray averaged nine carries per game. Could this have something to do with Kamara’s back?
Tight Ends
George Kittle- Knee
Kittle briefly exited Week One with a hyperextended knee, something he’s dealt with before. The list of hypotheses includes hamstring, PCL, and/or bone bruise. In reality, he came back to play and since Kittle is missing a screw, has two more loose, and holds himself together with duct tape every year somehow still playing like a monster, I’m not too concerned yet.
Update: In the last 48 hours I’ve actually grown more concerned about Kittle. Why does he hyperextend his knee so often? What damage is he continuously causing? How much pain is he playing through? Last year, San Fran wasn’t concerned about a hyperextension leading into Week Ten but then Kittle didn’t play. Fastforwarding to today, the team already announced Kittle won’t practice at all this week. That’s a very quick decision that was implemented immediately. I take stock about 1000x more into actions a team makes versus words they say and Kittle not practicing for an entire week drowns out any words of “non-concern”. Now, this isn’t to say the knee is necessarily a long term concern (yet), but it’s an injury that makes me raise my eyebrows today more than it did on Sunday. However, make no mistake- if Kittle is active on Sunday you’re playing him- but there’s a non-zero chance he sits. Why? Well, because as Graham Barfield pointed out so eloquently in the company chat today regarding the Niners matchup against New York this week: “They could rest him and still win by 2 TD”. True dat, G. True dat.
Final Update: Hopefully you made alternative plans for Kittle as of the last update as he’s officially out on Sunday. There’s a chance he misses Week Three as well.
Gerald Everett- Back
Everett left Week One action with a back injury that is not considered significant as of today. Any time a player doesn’t return to a game and the team claims it’s no big deal, I always want them to prove it. If not, Tyler Higbee would get a Week Two boost.
Update: There was no sign of Everett at practice on Wednesday and just like the Niners, the Rams are showing us better than they can tell us how they feel about this “non-significant” injury.
Final Update: Everett was a full participant at practice and is expected to play.
Jack Doyle- Ankle
Doyle didn’t practice Wednesday due to an ankle injury and should be watched this week to decipher whether it’s a lateral or high ankle sprain.
Final Update: Doyle has officially been ruled out for Sunday.
Wide Receivers
Jarvis Landry- Hip
This one is a bit of a mystery. Typically the surgery that Landry had doesn’t result in long term issues but of course unlikely doesn’ mean impossible. Other issues this “hip” injury could be are groin-related. Additionally it could just be the hip surgery being a bit sore from seeing action for the first time in nearly a year. Either way, this shouldn’t necessarily hold Landry out as the DNP comes on a short week. Of course I always expect the unexpected, but he should be good to go.
Michael Thomas- Ankle
Reportedly Thomas suffered a high ankle sprain and is going to try and play through it. Yikes. This isn’t to say that he can’t be successful given his talent and overall target share in that offense, but this definitely is something to monitor in the long term. The average return to sport time for a high ankle sprain is actually 15 days despite the commonly cited 4-6 week mark. However, in this study, all 32 NFL physicians agreed this injury lingers long after players return. Thomas’ potential range of outcomes in terms of production now include all of them. As the week progresses we’ll see exactly how much practice time Thomas gets in to gauge his projection on Monday night. Read more about ankle sprains here.
Update: It’s all but official that Thomas will be out for at least the next two weeks. Make sure to look out for him being placed on the IR but he might not let the Saints do that out of pure pride. When he returns, you might see a dip in routes run or snap percentage as this is an injury that lingers. Prep to be without your first round pick for the next two weeks (at least) unless the reports are overblown.
Final Update: Thomas doesn’t need to practice to play, but I would be surprised if he suits up. I expect this high ankle sprain to take the average 15 days to recover at least.
JuJu Smith-Schuster- Knee
JuJu has a history of knee issues and on the list of hypotheses from his 2019 injury is an MCL or meniscus issue. This sounds scary and it can be but this seems more like a veteran rest day after a game than anything else for now.
Final Update: Not on the final report.
Diontae Johnson- Toe
He’s on the report with a toe injury and he didn’t practice Wednesday. This one is a tad more concerning than his teammate’s because he was dealing with a “foot” issue that was probably this exact same injury. Turf toe comes in all shapes and sizes and if he has a mild case that hasn’t gone away, well, that bothers me. We’ll keep monitoring his status just make sure this is on your radar.
Final Update: Johnson was a full go at practice on Friday. But this is an injury we should keep an eye on as it has stuck around since camp.
Chris Godwin- Concussion
Godwin’s symptom behavior is the reason why the concussion protocol is non-linear in nature and reset every setback. Not reporting symptoms on Monday or Tuesday, Godwin entered the protocol on Wednesday. His back is up against the wall to play this week as the protocol is (rightfully) stringent in nature. His fighting chance resides in the fact that he’s got no history of previous concussions but I would make plans to be without him.
Final Update: Godwin is out for Sunday and we’ll need to monitor his Week Three status as he’s not a slam dunk to clear protocol yet.
Mike Evans- Hamstrings
Evans, to be frank, was playing with fire on Sunday and it wasn’t because he and Gronk ordered the spicy-chicken nachos the night before. His re-injury risk on Sunday was legit and the fact that he was still limited on Wednesday shows he’s not yet 100%. For more confidence in Evans for cash and smaller GPP games, I want to see him practice in full this week.
A.J. Brown- Knee
Not much information on this just yet and it could be several different things so keep an eye on this report to stay up to date. Temper the concern though as he still practiced in some capacity.
Final Update: Prepare to be without Brown this week and potentially next week. This is an extremely painful (though not long term) injury.
Corey Davis- Hamstrings
Davis on the other hand did not practice and it’s slightly concerning due to his history of hip and hamstring injuries dating back to 2017. It could be Davis is still reeling from his Undertake .gif-like resurrection from Monday night, but this is still something to monitor as he didn’t practice at all on Wednesday.
Final Update: Not on the final injury report. Be cautious not to be overweight on him this week though.
Julio Jones- Hamstring
He was limited on Wednesday but as a veteran with a hamstring strain, this is likely closer to nothing than something
Final Update: Julio should be out there on Sunday with minimal concern.
John Brown- Foot
The concern with Brown missing practice on Wednesday is that “foot” could mean about a hundred different things. Remember, Phillip Lindsay was originally ruled out in Week One with a “foot” injury that ended up being his toe. Brown has dealt with turf toe in the past, so it’s a possibility to monitor moving forward. In reality though, this could end up just being a veteran rest day.
Final Update: Brown wasn’t on the final injury report but keep an eye on him this week.
Courtland Sutton- AC Sprain
No surprise that Sutton sat out on Monday night given the fact that the average return to sport time for AC joint sprains is 10-28 days. Look for Sutton to potentially make a return in Week Two depending on his activity this week. I wouldn’t feel comfortable starting Sutton in Week Two even if he is active due to re-injury concerns, but make sure to check back.
Update: Sutton got in a limited practice on Wednesday and is much closer to suiting up this week. He’s also much further along in the rehab and healing process today than he was last week. Still, Sunday is merely the bare minimum timeframe for him to return- it isn’t a slam dunk. Additionally, it’s still so early that I would hesitate to use him in cash lineups due to the re-injury risk.
Final Update: Sutton was reportedly “close” last week and is now on day 18 since the sprain. Although the door is open for his return, I’m not confident in his ability to play his full allotment of snaps and perform well before I see it for myself. This injury can be fickle and he still hasn’t practiced in full.
{Kenny Golladay|WR|DET}}, DeVante Parker- Hamstrings
These two have hamstring strains and aren’t necessarily trending up. Golladay went from limited to no practice last week which does not bode well for his outlook this week as of today. Parker tried to play through his injury and now is at risk to miss at least Week Two as it stands currently. I’m watching these two very carefully this week. If either of them play in Week Two, I wouldn’t personally trust them in cash games or to hit any overs on yardage props. At least not in their first week back. Specifically for Parker, the concern is that the average amount of missed time after a player re-aggravates a hamstring injury is about eight days longer than the initial injury.
Update: Golladay still hasn’t practiced as of today. His setback last week is now becoming a legitimate concern. He’s got to practice in a limited fashion at least once this week for me to feel any type of short and long term confidence in him.
Final Update: Golladay is out for Sunday. This could be an extended absence so keep an eye out.
Update: Parker on the other hand was limited in practice but the Dolphins would be prudent to let him rest at least this week so he doesn’t fall into a vicious cycle of re-injury. Even if he plays, there’s no way to trust him in any format. Hamstrings are a b…last.
Final Update: Parker was limited all week. I would be surprised (though not shocked) if he plays on Sunday. He’s an extremely volatile option if he’s active.
Brandon Aiyuk, Golden Tate- Hamstrings
Both of these players practiced in a limited fashion last week due to hamstring injuries but did not play in Week One. Watch for their activity to potentially be ramped up this week as they work their way back.
Update: Aiyuk still hasn’t practiced. They’re really taking it slow with this rookie. Don’t plan on having him this week. Tate was limited yet again at practice and even though his chances of playing are decent, we’d feel much better if he practiced in full capacity at least once.
Final Update: Pants off for Aiyuk being active on Sunday.
Final Update: Tate was still limited all week and is volatile as a play in Week Two.
Russell Gage- Concussion
Gage took a shot to the head on Sunday — his second in as many years. The concern is that he can’t clear concussion protocol by Week Two given he’s had two brain injuries within one year. Watch his activity and check back with me at the end of this week.
Final Update: Not on the final injury report but it’s a scary thing any time a player has to go into the protocol. Keep in mind that “passing” the protocol is not indicative of cerebral damage which means players are still at most risk in the following week to sustain a concussion. This isn’t predictive, but something to keep in mind.
Brandin Cooks
This quad injury isn’t going away any time soon for Cooks and his five targets at four yards per target are reflecting that. He was limited yet again this week and continues to be a true injury risk due to his well-documented concussion history.
Final Update: Cooks continues to be limited in practice and is now questionable for Sunday. Not much to say here until we see Cooks on the field again. We can’t trust him until.
Jamison Crowder- Hamstring
Mr. 69 nice yard touchdown reception in Week One was limited due to a hamstring strain on Wednesday and this is something to monitor as he has an extensive history of hamstring strains.
Final Update: Crowder is out for Sunday and this could cost him a couple of weeks as he wen from a limited practice to not practicing two days in a row.
Amari Cooper- Foot
Cooper practiced in full on Friday after yet another limited practice on Thursday due to his foot. This is what you sign up for when drafting Cooper. Dances with the injury report due to his plantar fasciitis. It’s a reason why it’s so difficult to trust Cooper in cash games.
Henry Ruggs III- Knee
Ruggs had a nasty injury in Week One and is now listed on the injury report with a knee issue. He hasn’t practiced this week so it’s not looking good for the rookie as of now.
Kickers
Randy Bullock- Calf
Perhaps the most noteworthy (and perplexing) injury from Week One is the calf strain Bullock picked up during a chipshot that would have sent the Bengals into overtime on Sunday. It seems that Bullock will play as of now, but with Cincy signing free agent boot Austin Seibert, you could cut the tension in that kicker room with a cleat. As it pertains to the injury, Bullock seems to have suffered a mild strain that and is fortunate as the average return to sport time for calf strains, depending on the severity, can range from 30 days or even 50 days depending on the study you’re reading. If you have Bullock on your team, it’s hard to justify keeping him as you’ll be rolling with the rare KPBC (Kicker Punter By Committee) and as we know for fantasy purposes, volume is king. Chalk this up to another NFL injury that altered the trajectory of a once promising fantasy contributor.
