Injury Recap: Week 1
While no one wants it to happen, each week players are bound to go down with injuries. In each weekly Injury Recap article, we will go over the fantasy relevant players that got injured, how significant each injury is, and which players will benefit/suffer from this injury.
Aaron Rodgers (QB, Green Bay Packers)
Injury: Knee, undisclosed
Rodgers suffered a gruesome-looking injury Sunday night when Bears’ defensive end Roy Roberts-Harris fell on Rodgers’ left knee. Rodgers was not only able to come back on the field, but also erased a 20 point deficit to win the game in the second half. While this second half performance may suggest Rodgers is ok, there is still a chance he misses significant time if tests today reveal something severe. It isn’t unheard of for players to finish games despite suffering significant knee injuries (Joe Flacco in 2015). At this point, it seems like Rodgers should be good to go for week 2, but the potential for missing time is still there.
Marcus Mariota (QB, Tennessee Titans)
Injury: Elbow, undisclosed
Like Rodgers, Mariota was also able to return to action after injuring his elbow thanks to a late hit by the Miami Dolphins. Two drives and two interceptions after the injury, Mariota was removed from the game as it was clear something was wrong. Mariota’s status for next week looks questionable at best, and without Mariota receiving options Corey Davis and Rishard Matthews will take a hit.
Leonard Fournette (RB, Jacksonville Jaguars)
Injury: Pulled Hamstring
Fournette pulled his hamstring in the 2nd quarter against the New York Giants, but revealed to Josina Anderson of ESPN that he only stayed out because the coaches “were being cautious”. Head coach Doug Marrone also indicated that he is “pretty optimistic” that Fournette will be good to go for the Jags week 2, AFC Championship rerun against the Patriots, although it’s likely Fournette is eased back into his starting job. For that reason, T.J. Yeldon is worth a pickup if he's still on waivers.
Doug Baldwin (WR, Seattle Seahawks)
Injury: Knee, Pattially torn MCL
Shortly after the game started, Doug Baldwin went down with an injury to his right knee. He came back into the game in the second quarter but was shut down for the second half. Baldwin has been dealing with knee soreness throughout the preseason, but this MCL injury happened in the other, healthy knee. He will likely be out for a couple weeks, with season long fantasy questions considering neither of his knees are currently at 100%. Receivers Tyler Lockett and Brandon Marshall will see increased action while Baldwin is out.
Marquise Goodwin (WR, San Francisco 49ers)
Injury: Quad, right quadriceps contusion
Marquise Goodwin injured his right quad in the 1st quarter, and while he was able to return, he was mostly used as a decoy, seeing few targets post injury. The fact that he was able to return and play the rest of the game indicates that the injury is minor. He will appear on the 49ers injury report this week, but should be able to suit up for the week 2 matchup against the Lions.
Desean Jackson (WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Injury: Head, Concussion
Jackson wasn’t considered a viable fantasy option up to this point, but his 5 catch, 146 yard performance along with 2 touchdowns shows he’s still got what it takes to perform in this league. Unfortunately, Jackson suffered a concussion in the game which makes his status for week 2 gloomy. If he doesn't play next week, Chris Godwin could be a great sleeper play.
Greg Olsen (TE, Carolina Panthers)
Injury: Foot, undisclosed
After missing most of 2017 with a broken foot, it appears that Greg Olsen reinjured the same foot in the Panthers week 1 matchup against the Cowboys. Olsen stayed on the sideline for the rest of the game, sporting crutches and a broken foot. This, along with the report that Olsen was visibly upset on the sideline, indicates that Olsen will probably miss a significant chunk of the season. Rookie tight end Ian Thomas will replace Olsen in at least the next few games, and could be worth a pick up with Cam Newton at QB.
Delanie Walker (TE, Tennessee Titans)
Injury: Ankle, Dislocated Ankle
Coming of years of consistent production, Delanie Walker failed to avoid injury in 2018, suffering a dislocated ankle. He will be out for the remainder of the season. Jonnu Smith will be the likely starter in his place. Corey Davis and Rishard Matthews will likely see an increase in targets in light of this injury, but Mariota will likely suffer after losing his most reliable target.
Other fantasy relevant injuries:
Seantrel Henderson (OT, Houston Texans)
Injury: Ankle, Broken Ankle
The Texans suffered a couple significant injuries along with a loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday, the first being a broken ankle for Seantrel Henderson. Henderson may not be a stand out offensive lineman, but any injury to an already weak offensive line could have a significant impact on the guys behind the line, most notably Deshaun Watson and Lamar Miller.
Daryl Williams (OT, Carolina Panthers)
Injury: Knee, undisclosed
The Panthers’ offensive line injury woes continued through week 1 after Daryl Williams was carted off the field. A 2nd team all-pro lineman in 2017, Williams’ injury, along with the other line injuries, brings serious questions to Cam Newton and Christian McCaffrey’s fantasy prospects.
Kevin Johnson (CB, Houston Texans)
Injury: Head, Concussion
Kevin Johnson will likely be out 4 to 6 weeks with a concussion. As the starting CB for a weak secondary, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Texans let up a lot of passing yards over the next couple weeks, hurting the Texans Defense.