Good Morning! As usual, the Saturday injury report is always the longest of the week. I cover each player that could not get a full practice in at all this week, and those who are on the injury report for other various reasons. I identify who may replace the player in the offense and their potential fantasy value.
QBs: Kyler Murray, Tua Tagovailoa, Sam Darnold
RBs: James Robinson, Latavius Murray, Elijah Mitchell
WRs: DeAndre Hopkins, Deebo Samuel, Amari Cooper, AJ Brown, Ceedee Lamb, Robert Woods, Cole Beasley, Kenny Golladay, Sammy Watkins, Rashod Bateman, Donovan Peoples-Jones, John Ross
TEs: Noah Fant, Jonnu Smith, Albert Okwuegbunam, Harrison Bryant
Arizona Cardinals: DeAndre Hopkins (WR)/Kyler Murray (QB) - Both star players will be game time decisions on Sunday with their injury situations. Neither practiced in a full capacity at any point this week. I would have a bit of fear if I am a Murray owner going into this. The game time is the later time slot on Sunday at 4pm, leaving you limited options at the position. Maybe you add Big Ben as an emergency add? I wouldn’t want to add Colt McCoy even if he’s playing with the Cards. AJ Green is out, and Hopkins is questionable. This leaves Christian Kirk and Rondale Moore as the starting wideouts. Kirk has had double digit fantasy performances five of eight weeks this season.
Baltimore Ravens: Latavius Murray (RB)/Rashod Bateman (WR)/Sammy Watkins (WR) - Going into their Week 9 matchup with the Vikings, the Ravens may be missing three skill position players. Murray is banged up and likely will not play at this point. Ty’Son Williams is expected to play in the game in Murray’s place, joining Devonta Freeman and Le’Veon Bell. Williams has averaged 5.5 yards per carry this season, the most efficient of the three. Bateman was a new addition to the injury report, joining Watkins with lower body injuries. Rashod did not practice at all on Friday and that may push Sammy Watkins back into the lineup. Currently Devin Duvernay is the healthy WR2 if Bateman or Watkins cannot play this week. He has been efficient this season in terms of catch rate (68%), and may be able to make good on his targets.
Buffalo Bills: Cole Beasley (WR) - The slot wideout is banged up with a rib injury, missing practice multiple days this past week. Despite his return on Friday, I think at best he’ll be on a pitch count. Look towards Emmanuel Sanders and Gabriel Davis to get an increase in opportunities opposite Stefon Diggs. Sanders has four double digit fantasy performances this season.
Carolina Panthers: Sam Darnold (QB) - Going into the weekend, there is a question mark surrounding whether Darnold will be able to play on Sunday. He still has to get over the final steps of the concussion protocol as he’s practiced all week as a limited participant. If he cannot do that, coupled with his shoulder injury, PJ Walker will get the start. He made one start last season in relief of Teddy Bridgewater, winning that game. He struggles with efficiency, a career completion percentage <50% and a TD:INT ratio of 1 to 5.
Cleveland Browns: Donovan Peoples-Jones (WR)/Harrison Bryant (TE) - The wideout was not able to get into practice at a full clip throughout the week, dealing with a groin injury. There is a gaping hole left by Odell Beckham’s release yesterday, putting the WR2 slot up for grabs. If DPJ cannot play this week, Rashard Higgins or Anthony Schwartz will take the role. Higgins was utilized last week, targeted four times versus Schwartz zero-point fantasy performance. Bryant is one of the most underutilized tight ends in the league given his potential. Last week he didn’t practice at all, likely allowing David Njoku to get more looks behind Austin Hooper.
Dallas Cowboys: Amari Cooper (WR)/Ceedee Lamb (WR) - Both star receivers did not practice in a full capacity this past week, Lamb actually suffering a sprained ankle during the lead up. This will mean that Ceedee will need to practice again today, and still carry a game time decision designation into Week 9. Cooper will likely play. If neither can play, Cedrick Wilson and Noah Brown will likely start on the outside. Wilson has been targeted 10 times over the last two weeks, bringing in seven of those targets as receptions for 126 yards.
Denver Broncos: Noah Fant (TE)/Albert Okwuegbunam (TE) - The pair of tight ends have not been participating in practice this week at a full clip. Fant is out with COVID, and Albert has a knee injury. I imagine that the latter will get into the action regardless due to Fant’s situation. Okwuegbunam is a solid tight end, putting up three games with 3 or more receptions in five weeks this season. Without Fant in the way, he will get the lion's share of the targets from Bridgewater.
Jacksonville Jaguars: James Robinson (RB) - Going into Week 9, Robinson will be questionable with a heel injury. Given that they are going against a staunch Bills defense, I would probably steer clear of Carlos Hyde as a replacement. Hyde has averaged 4.2 yards per carry, but I don’t think he will find much success this weekend. There is some value there as a PPR option after his four-reception game in Week 8.
Los Angeles Rams: Robert Woods (WR) - The gritty wide out was absent from practice more often than not this week with a foot injury, finally hitting the field on Friday. I would think at best he is on a pitch count this weekend, or may not play at all. Van Jefferson may be available in your league and is worth a look with a bigger role across from Cooper Kupp in Week 9. Jefferson has received at least six targets in four of his last six games.
Miami Dolphins: Tua Tagovailoa (QB) - The starting quarterback has been dealing with not only a rib injury this week but also a finger issue as well. This finger injury is on his throwing hand, and the team is hoping it’s something he can play through. If he cannot get through it, Jacoby Brissett may return under center for the Dolphins. Brissett started multiple games earlier in the year, completing a high amount of his passes but not doing much in terms of getting the ball down field. In three starts he went 67% for 734 total yards, five touchdowns and three turnovers.
New England Patriots: Jonnu Smith (TE) - This is another week that Smith did not get in a full practice prior to Sunday. He played last week, but had a very limited impact on the game with only two targets. Hunter Henry is starting to run away with the position and snap count. If Smith cannot go this week, Devin Asiasi will likely be TE2.
New York Giants: Kenny Golladay (WR)/John Ross (WR) - Normally I wouldn’t go so deep into the depth chart to add Ross to this list, but the Giants WR corps is not in a good place right now. Shepard and Pettis are both ruled out for this game, and in Pettis’s case longer term than that. Golladay did not practice in full this week but hopes to play in Week 9, and Ross suffered an injury in practice and hopes to be good to go. If neither can play, Darius Slayton and Kadarius Toney will be the starters. Toney is on a 75/950 pace this season if he could have stayed healthy. Slayton has been a key contributor in the offense three of the five weeks he’s played this season, being targeted six or more times in those contests. Collin Johnson then becomes the WR3.
San Francisco 49ers: Deebo Samuel (WR)/Elijah Mitchell (RB) - If I am a fantasy owner of either of these players, red flags and alerts should be going off everywhere this week. Samuel admitted himself that he’s in a bad spot heading into this week's game despite practicing yesterday. He put up a great week on the calf last week but he even said it himself that it’s worse than it was then. Mitchell has been avoiding contact in practice, and given their depth at the position I could see him being relegated to inactive status. JaMycal Hasty is a solid back that can take over the role as RB1 if necessary. Hasty offers a dual threat out of the backfield as well for the club.
Tennessee Titans: AJ Brown (WR) - In a concerning chain of events yesterday, Brown was absent from practice with a knee injury. This is likely the same knee issue that has bothered him in the past but it had not been hampering him this week until yesterday. Given the time of the game is SNF, replacing him will be tough. I imagine Nick Westbrook-Ikhine will get a shot at WR2 if Brown is out, coming off of a performance last week that included a touchdown.
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