Welcome to the first week of Injury Report Recap! Every Friday, I’ll be going through the injury reports that teams release to explain how they will affect your fantasy matchups. One quick disclaimer: all fantasy points that I’ll mention will be for Half PPR. Let’s dig in!
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Dolphins at Bills (Sunday, 1:00 PM EST)
Dolphins: WR Jakeem Grant (hamstring) QUESTIONABLE, CB Xavien Howard (knee) QUESTIONABLE
Bills: No fantasy-significant injury report listings.
Both Devin Singletary and Tyler Kroft cleared the Bills’ injury report on Friday after both practiced the whole week. That means Singletary will make his return against a porous Dolphins defense that’s currently surrendering 30.9 points per game to the position, second-worst in the league. The veteran presence of Frank Gore caps his upside, but Singletary is an interesting high-risk flex play this week. Meanwhile, Kroft’s return probably knocks waiver-wire darling Dawson Knox out of fantasy relevance. Howard’s status will be worth monitoring for John Brown owners, as the star corner could limit Brown’s upside if he plays. Flores said that he wants to “avoid a setback” with Howard, so I’d keep an eye out for any late-breaking updates on his status for Sunday. I doubt Grant’s availability will affect the Dolphins’ fantasy production too much, but he’s drawn just under five targets per game, so his status could either bump the other Dolphins’ pass-catchers’ value up or down.
Jaguars at Bengals (Sunday, 1:00 PM EST)
Jaguars: WR Marqise Lee (ankle) OUT, TE Geoff Swaim (concussion, ankle) OUT, WR Dede Westbrook (shoulder) QUESTIONABLE.
Bengals: WR A.J. Green (ankle) OUT, CB Dre Kirkpatrick (knee) OUT, CB William Jackson III (shoulder) OUT, DE Carl Lawson (hamstring) OUT, DE Carlos Dunlap (knee) DOUBTFUL.
Not too many surprises here. Green owners know how long his return has been taking. On the Jaguars’ side, Bobby Sylvester’s darling Geoff Swaim took a massive hit last week against the Saints and will miss this week along with Marqise Lee, which will leave Gardner Minshew without some of his better weapons. Dede Westbrook’s questionable status is concerning, but we’ll see if he can suit up on Sunday. Wide receivers D.J. Chark and Chris Conley would benefit in his absence, as they will square up with a Bengals defense without cornerbacks William Jackson III and Dre Kirkpatrick. That said, Darqueze Dennard is expected to return on Sunday, and I’d look for the Jaguars to run against the Bengals’ banged-up defensive front.
Vikings at Lions (Sunday, 1:00 PM EST)
Vikings: No fantasy-significant injury report listings.
Lions: DL Mike Daniels (foot) OUT, DB Quandre Diggs (hamstring) QUESTIONABLE, CB Darius Slay (hamstring) QUESTIONABLE.
The Vikings enter Sunday’s game pretty healthy, while the Lions have a couple of noteworthy injuries on defense. Mike Daniels is set to miss this third-straight game. When healthy, Daniels can be an asset in the running game, so his continued absence helps Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison’s upside. Owners of Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen should follow Quandre Diggs and Darius Slay’s statutes carefully. Last week, Quandre sat out Monday night while Slay returned to action, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see at least one of them on Sunday. But the Vikings expect some aggressive play from the Lions’ secondary, so I wouldn’t be surprised to seem them feature more Cook and Mattison.
Raiders at Packers (Sunday, 1:00 PM EST)
Raiders: WR Tyrell Williams (foot) OUT, OL Trent Brown (calf) DOUBTFUL, OL Gabe Jackson (knee) QUESTIONABLE.
Packers: WR Davante Adams (toe) OUT, WR Geronimo Allison (concussion) DOUBTFUL, WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling (ankle/knee) QUESTIONABLE.
It’s a nightmare scenario at wide receiver for Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. Their top-three options going into the season could all miss Sunday’s game, which will limit Rodgers’ upside at QB. The most likely of the trio to play, Valdes-Scantling, played through the pain on Monday night but failed to practice all week. It should be a good week to start either Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams, but the only Packers wideout I’d consider firing up is Allen Lazard. The Raiders will be without Tyrell Wiliams once again, but they’ve played fine football without him. Williams owners should be concerned, however. He has plantar fasciitis in his foot, and head coach Jon Gruden says that it’s “not getting much better.” Recently-acquired Zay Jones has an opportunity to impress without Williams around, and tight end Darren Waller should continue to see more usage despite the foot injury that limited him on Thursday’s practice.
Rams at Falcons (Sunday, 1:00 PM EST)
Rams: RB Malcolm Brown (ankle) DOUBTFUL.
Falcons: CB Desmond Trufant (toe) OUT.
The Falcons will have to defend against Sean McVay’s aerial attack without Desmond Trufant’s help, and they already give up an average of 36.3 points per game to the wide receiver position. While Jared Goff’s struggles have been well-noted, I doubt that the Falcons’ pass rush will do enough to bail out their secondary. Goff will also have Todd Gurley back this week, and touchdown vulture Malcolm Brown is not expected to play. It should be a high-scoring affair as the Falcons try to keep up with McVay’s offense, but look out for what the Rams’ newly-acquired Jalen Ramsey can do for the Rams on Sunday. He can’t shut every Falcon down, but he might be able to keep Julio Jones or Calvin Ridley in check.
Texans at Colts (Sunday, 1:00 PM EST)
Texans: OL Tytus Howard (knee) OUT, OL Greg Mancz (concussion) OUT.
Colts: WR Parris Campbell (abdominal) OUT, S Malik Hooker (knee) DOUBTFUL, OL Quenton Nelson (hip) QUESTIONABLE.
Sleeper wideout Parris Campbell is week-to-week, and he’ll be out again Week 7. The receiver earned a season-high eight targets in Week 4, so he might have some fantasy value when he returns, but he’s probably not worth rostering until then. His continued absence will benefit the Colts’ other fringe wideouts like Deon Cain and Zach Pascal, but I wouldn’t waste my time with any of them. Quenton Nelson’s status might be worth monitoring for Marlon Mack owners because the star offensive lineman is a vital part of the Colts’ running game. The Texans are also short at offensive line, which could be a problem given Watson’s history as a frequently sacked quarterback. Although Watson turned things around in Week 5, Howard’s recovery from his MCL tear will be worth monitoring for Watson owners.
49ers at Redskins (Sunday, 1:00 PM EST)
49ers: WR Deebo Samuel (groin) OUT, FB Kyle Juszczyk (knee) OUT, RB Raheem Mostert (knee) QUESTIONABLE.
Redskins: RB Chris Thompson (toe) OUT, TE Vernon Davis (concussion) OUT.
I hope that you weren’t counting on either Chris Thompson or Vernon Davis this week, but I have a feeling that if you were, your fantasy season wasn’t going too well anyway. Fortunately, both Case Keenum and Adrian Peterson cleared the Week 7 injury report despite not practicing on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the 49ers will be without Deebo Samuel on Sunday, so look for George Kittle and Dante Pettis to see a couple more targets. Kyle Juszczyk’s knee injury could limit the 49ers’ rushing ability, as he’s a Pro Bowl run blocker when on the field, so lower your expectations for Tevin Coleman and Matt Breida until he gets back. Raheem Mostert hasn’t been fantasy-relevant since Coleman’s return, but if he sits out, Coleman or Breida could pick up a couple more carries. Also worth noting is that Kittle cleared the injury report despite missing practice earlier this week.
Cardinals at Giants (Sunday, 1:00 PM EST)
Cardinals: RB David Johnson (ankle) QUESTIONABLE, WR Christian Kirk (ankle) QUESTIONABLE, TE Maxx Williams (ankle) QUESTIONABLE.
Giants: WR Sterling Shepard (concussion) OUT.
Head coach Kliff Kingsbury declared David Johnson a game-time decision for Sunday, and he said that if the game had been today, Johnson wouldn’t have played. Christian Kirk, while not a game-time decision, will still be a game-day decision. If Chase Edmonds is still a free agent in your league, add him immediately. I wouldn’t panic if you’re a Kyler Murray owner, however. He could be without a weapon or two on Sunday, but the Giants’ defense gives up a fifth-worst 20.6 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. That said, Saquon Barkley owners, rejoice! He’s back, and he’s got a matchup against the Cardinals’ swiss-cheese defense. Evan Engram will also return this week for the Giants, which should take some of the pressure off of Barkley’s back. It’s not all good news for the G-Men, however, as Shepard’s concussion already has his Week 8 status in doubt. Until Shepard comes back, Golden Tate should be a volume-driven WR2 from the slot.
Chargers at Titans (Sunday, 4:05 PM EST)
Chargers: DT Brandon Mebane (knee) OUT, DT Justin Jones (shoulder) OUT, DE Melvin Ingram (hamstring) DOUBTFUL.
Titans: TE Delanie Walker (ankle) QUESTIONABLE.
The Chargers will head into Sunday’s game with a banged-up front seven, which should help out Derrick Henry and the Titans’ rushing offense. The Chargers are surrendering 23.8 points per game to opposing running backs, seventh-worst in the league, so these injuries could hold them back even further. Meanwhile, Titans tight end Delanie Walker missed practice on Friday after being limited on Wednesday and Thursday. He also got into it with the team’s Twitter account on Monday, but he’s since expressed confidence in quarterback Ryan Tannehill, so I doubt his head’s out of the game. His downward trend in practice this week is far more concerning, and if he does miss time, backup Jonnu Smith could see fantasy-relevant production.
Saints at Bears (Sunday, 4:25 PM EST)
Saints: QB Drew Brees (thumb) OUT, RB Alvin Kamara (ankle) OUT, TE Jared Cook (ankle) OUT.
Bears: QB Mitch Trubisky (shoulder) QUESTIONABLE.
Teddy Bridgewater will have to win without star running back Alvin Kamara’s help this week. The running back missed practice all week after his shaky performance at Jacksonville last Sunday. Kamara is week-to-week at this point, and Latavius Murray has RB2 value in his absence. Michael Thomas is the other beneficiary of this week’s injury report, as he’ll likely see an increased target share without Kamara or Jared Cook around. Bears’ quarterback Mitch Trubisky could make his return this week, but we’ll have to wait and see how it works out. While Trubisky practiced twice, the Bears have a competent backup in Chase Daniel.
Ravens at Seahawks (Sunday, 4:25 PM EST)
Ravens: WR Marquise Brown (ankle) QUESTIONABLE, OL Ronnie Stanley (knee) QUESTIONABLE.
Seahawks: TE Will Dissly (Achilles) OUT, OL Duane Brown (biceps) QUESTIONABLE.
Marquise Brown missed all of the Ravens’ practice sessions this week, but the coaching staff still gave him a questionable designation on Friday. I’m not convinced that Hollywood Brown will make his return against the Seahawks, and I’d look for the Ravens to keep running the ball with Lamar Jackson, Mark Ingram, and Gus Edwards. That said, star left tackle Ronnie Stanley’s status is worth monitoring if you’re planning to start either Ingram or Edwards, but he was a full participant in Friday’s practice. The Seahawks are in a similar spot, as they could be without left tackle Duane Brown. Concerningly, Brown failed to practice all week. Because both Jackson and Russell Wilson are mobile quarterbacks, I’m more concerned about what these injuries will mean for each team’s backfields.
Eagles at Cowboys (Sunday, 8:20 PM EST)
Eagles: WR DeSean Jackson (abdomen) OUT, CB Avonte Maddox (concussion, neck) OUT, CB Ronald Darby (hamstring) QUESTIONABLE.
Cowboys: WR Amari Cooper (ankle/quad) QUESTIONABLE, OL La’el Collins (knee) QUESTIONABLE, OL Tyron Smith (ankle) QUESTIONABLE, OL Zack Martin (back/ankle) QUESTIONABLE.
Both Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup are expected to play on Sunday as the Cowboys match up with the Eagles’ roastable secondary. Although the Eagles are getting Jalen Mills back this week, they’ll still be without Avonte Maddox, and Ronald Darby’s status is still up in the air. It’s also the perfect time for the Cowboys’ offensive line to return to action, which Collins and Smith are expected to do, as they’ll look to give Ezekiel Elliott some holes against the Eagles’ tough rushing defense. DeSean Jackson’s lengthy absence continues, and Doug Pederson seemed to acknowledge that Jackson might not ever be at 100 percent again this season. “I’m not going to push him,” Pederson added. I guess we’ll have to wait and see when Jackson suits up again.
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Isaiah Sirois is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Isaiah, check out his archive and follow him @is_sirois.
