The following will be a quick-hitting recall of last week’s previous injuries with any tidbits of news or assessment that can be gleaned during the early stages of the week. This article exists to cover only new injuries to fantasy-relevant players as most weeks some player injuries end up slipping through the cracks or are just relevant enough to crop up in a meaningful way down the road. Later this week the Injury Report will be published that will include all player injuries new and old. And remember- don’t over-react to the Wednesday practice report.
These teams are on bye this week:
Washington Football Team
Arizona Cardinals
Houston Texans
Jacksonville Jaguars
Julio Jones - Hip
Jones was having his hip tugged on by a trainer on the sidelines last week implying he likes the feeling of the hip being offloaded. This means running and compressing the hip feels uncomfortable. Jones also has a history of groin strains and at his age with a recent hamstring strain, it’s something to monitor. But just like we saw with DeAndre Hopkins last week- can you really sit a star who plays?
Andy Dalton - Concussion
Dalton, suffering his first documented concussion, actually has a chance to play on Sunday after a vicious hit. He can pass concussion protocol as late as Sunday morning, so keep your eyes peeled on my twitter account or the Fantasy Points Discord chat for updates.
Estimated early week odds he plays: 50%
Kenyan Drake - Ankle
Drake suffered a high-ankle sprain on Sunday. Which is why the Cardinals are “treating it like a high-ankle sprain”. So, plan on him returning to practice in a couple of weeks but missing roughly three to four games. Additionally, the deficits that follow players after this injury, unless teams are ultra conservative like Carolina, will be in play once he returns. This might be the changing of the guard in that backfield.
Phillip Lindsay - Concussion
Like Dalton, this is Phillip Lindsay’s first documented concussion, which works in his favor to pass protocol before Sunday. This is of course based on averages and if Lindsay can return to jogging without symptoms by Friday, he has a chance.
Estimated early week odds he plays: 50%
Jeff Wilson Jr - Ankle
San Fran said Wilson will go to the IR with a high-ankle sprain.
Carlos Hyde - Hamstring
These injuries cost players an average of 13 missed days. The Seahawks called this “tightness” which is relative and considering Hyde is 30 years old (age is a risk factor for injury/re-injury) I’m conservatively planning on him being out and fading him even if he plays. I can sleep with the results.
Estimated early week odds he plays: less than 50%.
Chris Carson - Foot
In the same interview about Hyde, Carroll said “there’s something there we could see” in regards to Carson’s MRI results. This likely means connective tissue damage indicating at least a grade II. Even though imaging doesn’t correlate well with pain and disability, it’s probably safe to assume Carson misses this week and potentially the following week. The average return to play time for these injuries is about 36 days, but don’t panic as this study had a wide standard deviation and the sample is small. In reality, it could be as little as 10 days. It’s early in the week, but I would be surprised if he plays. Keep in mind that the attached tweet that was in relation to Mixon wasn't the wrong process. Mixon was a full practice participant prior to Sunday but still sat. As it stands today, this implies his was slightly less serious than Carson’s.
Estimated early week odds he plays: 25-49%
Travis Homer - Knee
I didn’t think at any point during this season I would be discussing a Travis Homer knee injury, but 2020 knows no bounds. The team says there’s no structural damage but that might not include general swelling and joint effusion. In other words, a bone bruise meaning this will be a pain tolerance thing. Homer has a chance, but not a slam dunk yet. Watch his practice report.
Estimated early week odds he plays: 50%
Tim Patrick - Hamstring
It’s tough to say what Patrick’s mysterious “leg” injury was in college, but we can’t rule out it was a serious hamstring strain. Recurrence is extremely common and much like Hyde, he could miss 13 days. However, Patrick is younger so has a better chance.
Estimated early week odds he plays: less than 50%
Diontae Johnson - Ankle
Johnson suffered a run-of-the-mill lateral ankle sprain on Sunday. Of course, the young star gave us the classic “I’ll be fine” which is great, but we need to see him walk the walk first in practice. To Johnson’s credit, the average return to sport for lateral ankle sprains is less than 7 days, so he has a legitimate shot to play and still be productive.
Estimated early week odds he plays: greater than 50%
Deebo Samuel - Hamstring
Samuel has been ruled out by his coach for the next two weeks which matches the earlier cited 13 days missed for a hamstring strain.
