Good Morning! This past Sunday was a bit rougher on the fantasy teams than the last slate of games, taking out 11 players. Some of these players were already banged up and we were aware of their situations, but most are new to the list. I cover each player’s situation and try to give you an idea of who the replacement will be and their fantasy value.
QBs: Dak Prescott, Sam Darnold, Jameis Winston
RBs: James Robinson, Jamaal Williams, Damien Williams, Justin Jackson
WRs: TY Hilton, Jalen Reagor, Denzel Mims
TEs: Rob Gronkowski, Pharaoh Brown
Carolina Panthers: Sam Darnold (QB) - It’s been a tale of two months for Sam and his new club. The first month of the season was bright and it looked like Darnold may have finally begun to be what the Jets thought he could be. But the last few weeks have definitely changed the tune. He was injured in the fourth quarter against the Falcons yesterday, suffering a concussion. PJ Walker came in for him, the second week in a row the XFL star has done this. PJ is 4/14 and has only 35 total yards in his two games of action this season. Last year he won a game, going 32/56 and 366 total yards in four appearances.
Chicago Bears: Damien Williams (RB) - Since the veteran back returned from COVID, he simply isn’t the same player. He's totaled two rushing yards on 5 carries and had one reception over the two games. On Sunday he left with a knee injury, giving way to Khalil Herbert as the main back. The club did sign Chris Thompson to their practice squad recently, which may be a solid candidate to spell Herbert. He's a pass catching back, coming off of a 40/300 pace with the Jaguars last season.
Dallas Cowboys: Dak Prescott (QB) - The star quarterback was ruled out at game time on Sunday Night. I hope you added Daniel Jones or went another route as I suggested earlier in the week, risking a 50/50-coin flip in a late game is a ballsy move that earns you a deserved loss. Cooper Rush made his first career start and won the game. He threw for over 300 yards, turning the ball over twice and throwing two touchdowns.
Detroit Lions: Jamaal Williams (RB) - A late game time decision by the Lions left Williams inactive against the Eagles. He had been dealing with a thigh injury for some time and played through it, but couldn’t do it yesterday. Jermar Jefferson spelled D’Andre Swift, the 7th round pick outperforming the starter. Jefferson totaled 29 yards on six touches and scored a touchdown.
Houston Texans: Pharaoh Brown (TE) - Another player who was a game time decision, Brown was held out of action by the Texans against the Rams. This gave way to Brevin Jordan as the backup to Jordan Akins. Jordan is the squad's 5th round pick from Miami, a raw tight end with potential. He would bring in three of his 4 targets yesterday, including one for a score.
Indianapolis Colts: TY Hilton (WR) - I have to imagine TY just wants this season to be over. It's not his year, and that’s clear as damn day. He has been injured for most of the year with now a third separate issue. He suffered a concussion yesterday against the Titans and did not return to the game. Zach Pascal was given more looks as a result, going back to the WR2 position he’s been in for the majority of the season. He’s on pace for 55/550/6.
Jacksonville Jaguars: James Robinson (RB) - Arguably the best player for the Jags in 2021, Robinson has been a consistent and reliable fantasy option on the club. He only was able to get through a handful of touches against the Seahawks on Sunday before exiting with a heel injury. Carlos Hyde is the back up and came in as relief. Hyde put up 72 total yards on 15 touches, and has averaged over four yards a carry all season long.
Los Angeles Chargers: Justin Jackson (RB) - For those that added Jackson as a means to protect yourself from Ekeler being inactive, you weren’t overly disappointed on Sunday. He would get injured after only three touches, but he had 79 total yards. I could expect a lot worse results than a 7.9 from a random backup. Nevertheless, Jackson was injured and Larry Rountree was given an increase in touches as a result. The rookie returned to the team in Week 8, only mustering 11 yards on four touches. Joshua Kelley was the odd man out in this one and will play next week if the team needs another back.
New Orleans Saints: Jameis Winston (QB) - The former first overall pick suffered a “significant” knee injury against his former team on Sunday. If he is out for the season, the club will be turning to Trevor Siemian. Siemian won the game yesterday, throwing for over 150 yards and a touchdown. Taysom Hill is the normal back up but has a concussion at the moment. Hill started four games last season, going 3-1 in those opportunities. He’s a gadget player and the first “athlete” we’ve seen in a long time in the NFL.
New York Jets: Denzel Mims (WR) - The former 2nd round pick saw an uptick in looks on Sunday with the injury to Corey Davis. Mims was targeted three times and brought in two. He would suffer an injury however, and leave the contest. That allowed Braxton Berrios to come into the game and score a touchdown.
Philadelphia Eagles: Jalen Reagor (WR) - Without Miles Sanders this past week, the Eagles went with a different form of attack. They attempted to utilize Reagor as a gadget player, rushing him twice for 21 yards. But this also would lead to the ankle injury that took him out of the game. Quez Watkins saw an increase in action, starting opposite Devonta Smith with Reagor out. Watkins caught both of his targets.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Rob Gronkowski (TE) - I believe that Gronk’s return to play is over. He “retired” the first time because his body simply couldn’t take the physicality anymore of this game. He returned to action with the Buc’s and was able to give them a run. But now he’s done. He was targeted once before leaving the game yesterday with a back injury, not what was keeping him out for the last few weeks to begin with. Cameron Brate continues to get more targets than OJ Howard in the tight end hierarchy, but his catch rate remains a joke.