Another week of action by the wayside, and it was pretty clearly the least injury-plagued week endured so far through the 2023 season. Bye weeks look like they have arrived at the perfect time, allowing some extra rest for already injured players and guys trying to work their way back. Luckily, there were no “stars” hurt in Week 7, a far cry from what we had witnessed through the first six weeks. Hopefully, it can remain that way for the foreseeable future.

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NFL Injury Updates & Fantasy Football Impact

Deshaun Watson (QB – CLE)

Deshaun Watson (somewhat surprisingly) started for the Browns against Indianapolis on Sunday, but it was short lived as he left very soon after with another shoulder injury. In addition, Watson presumably endured a head injury as well, as he was put through the concussion protocols (which he subsequently passed). Prior to his exit, Watson looked particularly awful, completing just one of five passes for five yards and throwing an interception.

Fantasy Impact: At this point, it is quite debatable whether Watson should be starting NFL games not just because of his injury, but frankly because of how downright dismal he has looked on a football field even when healthy. This is not to say backup QB PJ Walker has been much better in his own right, but Watson has simply looked like a former shell of himself throughout the first seven weeks of the season. With the Browns’ QB situation continuously in flux, it will be hard to trust any skill-position guys a la Amari Cooper, Elijah Moore, and David Njoku on any sort of consistent basis going forward.

Jerome Ford (RB – CLE)

One ray of light for Cleveland on Sunday was Jerome Ford, who housed a 69-yard touchdown run on the Browns’ opening drive. Unfortunately, Ford would later leave with an ankle injury that looked rather concerning. Backfield-mate Kareem Hunt would eventually score twice for the Browns, helping to lead them to a 39-38 victory over the Colts.

Fantasy Impact: The dreaded high-ankle sprain is the concern here for Ford’s prospects moving forward. It would be a devastating blow to a player that looked like he was truly breaking out as the Browns’ lead back. His status will need to be closely monitored for updates, as well as his potential practice schedule throughout the week. Kareem Hunt becomes an immediate priority add if Ford is to miss extended time given the unfortunate blow.

Christian Watson (WR – GB)

Unable to seemingly stay healthy just two short seasons into his career, Packers’ WR Christian Watson went down with an injury on Green Bay’s final drive against the Broncos on Sunday afternoon. He was seen immediately clutching his knee in pain, and unfortunately it was not the first time he’s injured that specific knee.

Fantasy Impact: Watson’s official diagnosis will surely shine a light on his prospects going forward, and that will likely be announced in the next day or so. It would be fair to expect an MRI coming for Watson very soon. Two other Packer’s pass catchers were banged up on Sunday including WR Jayden Reed and TE Luke Musgrave, suddenly leaving the Green Bay corps very thin. Players such as Dontayvion Wicks, Samori Toure, and Josiah Deguara could all be tasked will stepping up if any of these aforementioned players are set to miss extended time.

Additional Notes:

• Atlanta RB Bijan Robinson was apparently dealing with an illness that forced him to be completely phased out of the gameplan against Tampa Bay. It was a brutal blow to his fantasy managers, but hopefully nothing more than a one-week hiccup.
• Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle left the team’s Sunday night matchup with the Eagles after suffering what looked to be a lower-back injury. Luckily, he was able to return late in the second half and did not look too much worse for the wear.
• Eagles’ QB Jalen Hurts also looked to suffer a bit of a knee issue that forced him to finish SNF with a knee brace. He was quoted after the game mentioning that he was “fine.” His practice status worths keeping an eye on ahead of Week 8.