Benjamin Franklin famously said that the only things we can be sure of in life are death and taxes. He must have forgotten about football injuries.
Fantasy football is a glorious game, but it can also sometimes be a bitter pill to swallow, particularly when your stars get hurt. Of course, injuries are especially awful for the players themselves, who suffer through the pain/rehab and have their careers on the line. But this is a fantasy sports website, and if you’ve never had a devastating injury wreak havoc on your fantasy team, you’re either the luckiest person alive or you haven’t been at this very long.
Rather than simply sitting on your couch and cursing the fantasy Gods, this column will be there all season long to help you navigate the inevitable injuries to come. Check here for a game-by-game look at the latest injury news and analysis, including a best guess at whether your fantasy players will suit up, backup plans if they don’t, and waiver wire pickups who could benefit from a teammate’s injury misfortune.
It’s only Week 1, so the infirmary list is probably as short as it’ll be all year. But we’ve already seen season-ending injuries to Julian Edelman, Spencer Ware, Cameron Meredith, and Ryan Tannehill, and several fantasy stars are banged up heading into their first regular season game. There’s also the whole Andrew Luck saga, which has no end in sight. And you don’t need to be a Founding Father to know that the next injury is always right around the corner.
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Jaguars at Texas (Sunday, 1 pm ET)
Jacksonville: Leonard Fournette missed the final three preseason games with a foot injury, but he wasn’t even listed on the Jaguars’ final injury report, so he looks set for a heavy workload in his pro debut. T.J. Yeldon has been dealing with a hamstring injury but returned to a limited practice on Thursday. He’s listed as questionable. If Yeldon plays, he’ll be in line for passing-down duties against Houston. If not, there might be a bit more work left over for Chris Ivory.
Houston: Alfred Blue, who is suffering from a high-ankle sprain, has been ruled out for Sunday’s game and is reportedly out indefinitely. Blue’s absence might matter less for starter Lamar Miller than for third-round rookie D’Onta Foreman, who dealt with a groin injury in camp but is now fully recovered. Miller should get the bulk of the carries on Sunday, but Foreman could now have an extended opportunity to serve as his backup, which makes Foreman an intriguing stash in fantasy leagues. Will Fuller will also miss the game with a broken collarbone that should keep him out several more weeks. Meanwhile, DeAndre Hopkins, Braxton Miller, and C.J. Fiedorowicz have all been dealing with minor ailments but are fully expected to play.
Ravens at Bengals (Sunday, 1 pm ET)
Baltimore: Joe Flacco is good to go after dealing with a back injury during the preseason. Jeremy Maclin (hand), Breshad Perriman (hamstring), and Danny Woodhead (hamstring) were listed on the injury report as well, but they are all fully expected to play on Sunday.
Cincinnati: Tyler Eifert (knee), Jeremy Hill (ankle), and Tyler Boyd (hamstring) all practiced fully and are expected to play. Rookie first-round pick John Ross is listed as questionable but will likely miss the game as he recovers from a knee injury. Bengals coach Marvin Lewis has not ruled Ross out for this week, but a more realistic return date is Week 3, at which point Ross will be worth keeping an eye on in standard leagues.
Eagles at Redskins (Sunday, 1 pm ET)
Philadelphia: The Eagles are fully healthy heading into Week 1.
Washington: Jamison Crowder is questionable after tweaking his hip. Coach Jay Gruden said that they’ll see how Crowder looks on Saturday before making a decision on his status, adding, “Anyone questionable is a concern.” But CSN Mid-Atlantic beat reporter Rich Tandler was optimistic about Crowder’s chance of playing, and Crowder himself believes the injury is minor and expects to play. Fellow WRs Josh Doctson and Ryan Grant figure to receive more looks if Crowder’s injury turns out to be worse than anticipated.
Raiders at Titans (Sunday, 1 pm ET)
Oakland: Amari Cooper was limited on Wednesday with a sore knee, but he was upgraded to a full practice on Thursday and is good to go. Sebastian Janikowski was also listed with an injury earlier in the week with a sore back, but that might have just been an excuse to hold kicker tryouts while the team played hardball with Janikowski over his contract. He’s listed as questionable, but it’d be a bit surprising if he actually missed the game.
Tennessee: Pro Bowl left tackle Taylor Lewan was limited in practice with a twisted ankle, although there’s been no indication he’ll miss Sunday’s game. Tennessee has decent offensive line depth, but if Lewan did sit out, it would still be a bit of a downgrade for the fantasy outlook of the Titans’ skill position players.
Cardinals at Lions (Sunday, 1 pm ET)
Arizona: The Cardinals are close to full strength. Left guard Mike Iupati was limited in practice because of a triceps injury. Iupati said he expects to play, but coach Bruce Arians had deemed him a game-day decision. David Johnson is obviously a must-start regardless.
Detroit: The Lions look fully healthy on the offensive side of the ball. Zach Zenner is the only skill position player on the injury report, and he’s been practicing fully.
Steelers at Browns (Sunday, 1 pm ET)
Pittsburgh: The Steelers’ starters have a clean bill of health heading into Week 1. Le’Veon Bell is still working on his conditioning after holding out most of the preseason, so he may cede a few more carries than usual to rookie James Conner. Conner, a third-round pick, could be worth a look as a handcuff for Bell owners given the success DeAngelo Williams had while Bell was suspended last year.
Cleveland: The Browns’ offense is also in solid shape to begin the season. Run-blocking stalwart Joel Bitonio is looking like he will play after returning from a knee injury that cost him several weeks of practice time.
Falcons at Bears (Sunday, 1 pm ET)
Atlanta: The Falcons are mostly healthy to begin the year, with no starters on either side of the ball listed on the injury report.
Chicago: Left guard Kyle Long is listed as questionable, and Chicago Tribune reporter Rich Campbell says he’ll be “surprised” if Long plays. Long’s absence would be a downgrade for Jordan Howard, but Howard still belongs in all fantasy lineups based on volume alone.
Jets at Bills (Sunday, 1 pm ET)
New York: The Jets opted to list a dozen players on the injury report, but every single one of them practiced fully on Thursday (Safety Rontez Miles missed Friday’s practice). The injury report includes Bilal Powell and Matt Forte, but both running backs will be available on Sunday.
Buffalo: The Bills have some big names on the injury report, but they all will play. LeSean McCoy missed a portion of practice on Thursday with an illness, but he’s in no danger of missing Sunday’s game. Meanwhile, Tyrod Taylor cleared the concussion protocol in plenty of time to start against the Jets, and Jordan Matthews has been practicing in full and should be in the lineup for his Bills debut.
Colts at Rams (Sunday, 4:05 pm ET)
Indianapolis: Andrew Luck has been ruled out for Week 1 and there is still no timetable for his return. Owners of Luck, T.Y. Hilton, and the rest of the Colts offense will just have to continue to anxiously hope for the best. Center Ryan Kelly is also week-to-week following last month’s foot surgery, which won’t do Frank Gore and the running game any favors. Backup center Deyshawn Bond has received positive reviews, but he’s in line to be just the fifth undrafted rookie center this millennium to start for his team in Week 1. Chester Rogers has been ruled out with a hamstring injury, so Kamar Aiken will slot into the third receiver spot in what will likely be a struggling passing game.
Los Angeles: The Rams have nobody listed on their injury report. Refreshing, isn’t it?
Seahawks at Packers (Sunday, 4:25 pm ET)
Seattle: Thomas Rawls has been practicing fully this week but is considered a game-time decision, and even if he plays, it’s anybody’s guess how the Seahawks will divvy up carries between their four backs. Tyler Lockett is set to return from last season’s broken leg and will compete with Paul Richardson for targets behind Doug Baldwin and Jimmy Graham.
Green Bay: The Packers should have their full roster available on Sunday. Right tackle Bryan Bulaga missed time in the preseason with an ankle injury and is listed as questionable, but he looks to be ready for action.
Panthers at 49ers (Sunday, 4:25 pm ET)
Carolina: Cam Newton is officially listed as questionable as he continues to recover from the shoulder surgery he had in March, but coach Ron Rivera said earlier in the week that Newton was “ready” and it would be highly surprising if he did not start.
San Francisco: The 49ers do not have any offensive players listed on the injury report this week.
Giants at Cowboys (Sunday, 8:30 pm ET)
New York: Odell Beckham Jr.’s status is the biggest injury question of Week 1. He is listed as questionable and is a true game-time decision. Because the Giants play on Sunday night, Beckham owners need to do everything they can to get Sterling Shepard on their rosters as a fallback option. If Shepard isn’t available, Beckham owners should look to add another insurance option that is playing on Sunday or Monday night, such as Brandon Coleman, Travis Benjamin, Cole Beasley, or Terrance Williams. If Beckham sits out, the biggest beneficiary is probably Brandon Marshall, who should be peppered with targets in what projects to be a high-scoring contest.
Dallas: The Cowboys’ offense is completely healthy — and they’ll even have Ezekiel Elliott for what’s looking like the entire season.
Saints at Vikings (Monday, 7:10 pm ET)
New Orleans: Left tackle Terron Armstead is ahead of schedule in his return from a torn labrum in his shoulder, but he won’t be available in Week 1. That means rookie Ryan Ramczyk will be in charge of protecting Drew Brees’ blindside. Brees will also miss Willie Snead, who isn’t injured but is suspended for the first three games of the season. Snead’s absence leaves more targets to go around for Ted Ginn, Brandon Coleman, and Coby Fleener.
Minnesota: The Vikings don’t have any offensive players listed on the injury report this week.
Chargers at Broncos (Monday, 10:20 pm ET)
Los Angeles: None of the Chargers’ offensive starters are listed on the injury report this week.
Denver: Devontae Booker is expected to return to practice soon after undergoing a CT scan on his wrist, but he didn’t practice on Friday and is unlikely to suit up for Week 1. Jamaal Charles and Demaryius Thomas were also listed on the injury report, but both will be available on Monday night. Booker’s absence leaves Charles as the clear change-of-pace option behind C.J. Anderson, with the potential for more work if Anderson struggles. It remains to be seen if Charles can come anywhere close to his past level of performance, but he’s worth owning in standard leagues while we wait to see how the Broncos’ backfield plays out.
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Andrew Seifter is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Andrew, check out his archive and follow him @andrew_seifter.
