In a game like football, that embraces speed and hits, injuries are inevitable. It’s unfortunate, but the hope is that no player suffers any debilitating ailment. FullTime’s Fantasy Football Injury Rundown goes over all the injuries from this past week’s action and breaks down their potential impact moving forward.
Also, a great starting point for staying updated on the latest injuries is to bookmark our NFL Injury Report.
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Now, let’s break down all the latest fantasy-relevant injury news in this week’s Fantasy Football Injury Rundown. Also, we will continually update this list as more news is confirmed.
Fantasy Football Injury Rundown: Week 3
Nick Chubb (RB) Cleveland Browns – Unfortunately, Chubb’s 2023 season is over after a devastating left knee injury. Chubb previously came back from a catastrophic injury to the same knee at Georgia. However, it is too early to tell if that will have any impact on the recovery of Monday’s injury. Jerome Ford becomes the top waiver wire priority for Week 3. Also, there are some rumblings of a reunion with Kareem Hunt.
Browns’ HC Kevin Stefanski told reporters that he expects RB Nick Chubb to be out for the season with a significant knee injury.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 19, 2023
Saquon Barkley (RB) New York Giants – A sprained ankle is expected to sideline Barkley for 2-3 weeks. Even though he is reportedly doing better than expected in his recovery, there is no chance Barkley will play on short rest in Week 3. The positive here is Barkley avoided a high-ankle sprain and that he’s trending positively. Matt Breida would log starts for any games Barkley misses.
Austin Ekeler (RB) Los Angeles Chargers – What was quite an under-the-radar ankle injury last week looks much more concerning heading into Week 3. In comments to the media after LA’s second-consecutive loss, Brandon Staley said there is no timetable for when Ekeler could be back in the Chargers’ lineup. This is obviously a big blow for fantasy managers and the Chargers, who have a pivotal game against the winless Vikings this week. Joshua Kelley dominated snaps in Week 2 and should continue to act as the club’s main back as long as Ekeler is absent.
Joe Burrow (QB) Cincinnati Bengals – It could be a while before we see a fully healthy Joe Burrow. Cincinnati’s QB is still dealing with that calf injury. Zac Taylor indicated that Burrow is questionable to play in Week 3. With the Bengals scheduled for Monday, fantasy managers should consider all other options.
Anthony Richardson (QB) Indianapolis Colts – Richardson’s second game was off to a promising start before he self-reported concussion symptoms and left the game in the second quarter. The first-round rookie is in the league’s concussion protocol. It could be difficult for him to be cleared in time to suit up in Baltimore. As of now, it’s looking like Gardner Minshew is likely to draw the Week 3 start. We will keep the FullTime Fantasy Discord channel appraised.
David Montgomery (RB) Detroit Lions – A quad injury will keep Montgomery out for a game or two. This may, or may not mean a bigger role for Jahmyr Gibbs. After Montgomery exited on Sunday, Craig Reynolds began seeing snaps immediately. Also, the club promoted Zonoan Knight from the practice squad on Tuesday. Fortunatley, the injury isn’t particularly concerning, so it may only cost Montgomery 1-2 games.
Brandon Aiyuk (WR) San Francisco 49ers – A CT scan revealed that Aiyuk’s clavicle is intact. This is good news. Aiyuk’s availability on Thursday will come down to pain tolerance. We will have an update in Discord once there is some clarity.
Jamaal Williams (RB) New Orleans Saints – Williams hurt his hamstring in the second quarter and was unable to return to action. Williams has been inefficient but got a lot of opportunities in his game and a half. If he misses Week 3, Tony Jones would likely draw the start, with Kendre Miller likely to make his debut. Also, this is the final week that the Saints won’t have Alvin Kamara, who is due to return in Week 4. Williams’s potential to be an RB2/3 is on very shaky ground.
Brandin Cooks (WR) Dallas Cowboys – After sitting out Week 2 with a sprained MCL, Cooks is trending toward a Week 3 return per Jerry Jones. This would actually be a surprise as MCL injuries generally take 2-3 to fully recover from. We would advise proceeding with caution this week in regards to starting Cooks.
Diontae Johnson (WR) Pittsburgh Steelers – Johnson was placed on Injured Reserve by the Steelers. The earliest he will return is Week 7. Pittsburgh’s offense has looked stagnant. But Johnson is too good of a player to cut bait. Fantasy managers with IR slots have no choice but to play the waiting game.
Chris Evans (RB) Cincinnati Bengals – Evans missed Week 2 with a hamstring injury. Trayveon Williams earned a 22% snap share with Evans sidelined.
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