It’s never too early to check in on player injury statuses ahead of the 2022 season, and our news desk has you covered. Let’s take a look at the latest injury news and notes around the NFL.
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Matthew Stafford’s elbow still has pain, QB on training camp pitch count
While speaking with the media on Monday, Los Angeles Rams HC Sean McVay said QB Matthew Stafford “is still in a little bit of pain.” Stafford did not throw during the Rams’ practice Monday and McVay said the team wants to take his injury “a week at a time” during training camp. (Source: ESPN)
Fantasy Impact: McVay stressed in his interview that the team isn’t concerned about Stafford’s injury and that they just want to be smart regarding his workload. McVay expressed that Stafford is capable of pushing through the injury and playing, but at this point in the offseason, there is no need to push their star QB. Stafford finished last season as the QB5 in fantasy, an impressive feat considering it was his first year in a new offense and the fact that he doesn’t offer much of any production on the ground. The Rams project to continue to have a high-powered offense in 2022, but Stafford will need to maintain his high passing TD total from last year if he is going to repeat as a top-five QB. Stafford’s 41 TD passes last season tied a career-high and will be challenging to duplicate, so unless almost everything breaks right, Stafford is likely to see some negative regression back to low-end QB1 range in 2022.
Najee Harris leaves practice early after getting stepped on
According to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor, Pittsburgh Steelers second-year RB Najee Harris left practice early on Tuesday after getting “stepped on” in an early team period. Harris was checked out on the sideline by the Steelers’ head athletic trainer and did not return to practice, but Steelers’ HC Mike Tomlin said: “it shouldn’t be a major deal.” (Source: ESPN)
Fantasy Impact: Injuries are a certainty in football, but fortunately for Harris and fantasy managers around the world, it doesn’t seem as though Tuesday’s injury should jeopardize any game action for Harris. In his rookie season, Harris was incredibly durable and handled a massive workload while rarely leaving the field. Harris wasn’t particularly efficient last season behind a poor offensive line, but an incredible volume of 307 carries and 94 targets propelled him to an RB3 finish in PPR formats. Earlier this offseason Harris made comments that implied that the Steelers may try to reduce his workload in 2022 in an attempt to better preserve their star RB, but without much competition for carries, Harris is expected to again receive a bell cows workload. Harris is currently ranked as the RB5 in PPR formats according to FantasyPros’ ECR.
Van Jefferson to undergo knee surgery Tuesday
Rams wide receiver Van Jefferson will undergo surgery on Tuesday to address a knee issue that has been bothering him, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. Jefferson will miss a few weeks, and his availability for Week 1 is in jeopardy. (Source: Ian Rapoport on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Head coach Sean McVay acknowledged that “there’s a chance” Jefferson suits up against the Bills in Week 1, but it’s way too early to tell. The now-26-year-old totaled 50 catches, 802 yards, and six touchdowns last season. Although he spent most of the year as the Rams’ No. 3 wide receiver, he certainly impressed regardless of his role. He heads into 2022 with an ADP of WR61 in half-PPR formats.
James Washington set to miss 6-10 weeks
Cowboys WR James Washington is expected to miss 6-10 weeks because of a leg injury that requires surgery. (Source: Todd Archer on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Washington suffered an injury to his right leg during training camp, and now we know that it will require surgery to heal. He is expected to miss 6-10 weeks of action, and that is less than ideal for the Cowboys, who are already lacking depth at WR. This news does, however, pave the way for Jalen Tolbert to have a sizeable role in Dallas’ offense from Week 1.
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