Injury Recap: Week 3
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.
Jimmy Garoppolo (QB, San Francisco 49ers)
Injury: Knee, Torn ACL
Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a torn ACL in his left knee on a scramble while trying to rally the 49ers against the Chiefs. Garoppolo’s absence for the remainder of the season will decrease the fantasy value of Marquise Goodwin, Pierre Garçon, and George Kittle significantly. C.J. Beathard will not support a high level fantasy offense like predicted earlier this preseason, which will also dampen fantasy production from a mostly touchdown-reliant option in Alfred Morris. Matt Breida will be the least affected of the 49ers fantasy options, as game scripts with Beathard at QB indicate that the 49ers will be playing from behind most of the time. Such a game script favors more passing situations where Breida should see more play time than Morris.
Tyrod Taylor (QB, Cleveland Browns)
Injury: Head, concussion
Tyrod Taylor’s concussion may have been a blessing in disguise for the Browns, as his injury allowed Baker Mayfield to lead a comeback and secure the first Browns win (along with free beer for Clevelanders) since Johnny Manziel started at QB. The Browns have already named Mayfield their starter for week 4, which will likely bench Taylor for most if not the rest of the season. Players like Jarvis Landry and David Njoku should see a spike in their production now that the Browns are led by a QB who isn’t afraid to throw over the middle of the field.
Deshaun Watson (QB, Houston Texans)
Injury: Ribs, Bruised Ribs
Deshaun Watson didn’t miss any significant portion of the Texans game vs, the Giants on Sunday, but he did bruise his ribs in a game where he continued to take a lot of hits. Going into week 3, Watson was the most hit QB in the league, and it was not encouraging to see an average Giants D line with 1 sack through the first 2 weeks hit him as frequently as they did (3 sacks, 11 QB hits). It doesn’t seem like this injury is as significant as Lesean McCoy’s bruised ribs that forced him to miss time this week, but it is concerning that Watson is getting banged up this early in the season. He should be good to go for week 4, but it’s unlikely that any QB, especially one like Watson with a propensity to run and an injury history, can take such a beating throughout an entire season. In the case that he does sustain a significant injury, both DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller’s fantasy production would fall.
Matt Breida (RB, San Francisco 49ers)
Injury: Knee, undisclosed
Matt Breida went down in the first half of the 49ers game with a scary looking, non-contact knee injury. He returned to the game and continued to play at a high level, finishing with over 100 yards from scrimmage. No serious concerns have been raised over Breida’s injury so he should be good to go for next week.
Rex Burkhead (RB, New England Patriots)
Injury: Neck, undisclosed
Rex Burkhead has been officially placed on IR after suffering a neck injury early in the Patriots-Lions game on Sunday. He is eligible to return after 8 weeks, but it's possible that he stays out longer. While this time table might make him a popular pick up late in the fantasy season near playoff time, it's likely that the Patriots don't give him a substantial role after committing to a game plan featuring Sony Michel and James White as their primary options out of the backfield. With Burkhead out of the line up, Sony Michel's fantasy production should see a significant uptick as the team's primary rusher, with James White still filling his role as the pass catching option. As long as Burkhead is out, Michel should be considered a low end RB2, high end flex play operating in a underperforming yet overall high powered offense.
AJ Green (WR, Cincinnati Bengals)
Injury: Groin, undisclosed
AJ Green left the Bengals game vs the Panthers in the third quarter with a groin injury, but luckily the injury appears to be minor. He should be expected to practice in a limited fashion this week, but should be able to suit up for next week. Even with a potential questionable designation on Sunday, the Bengals will want to play Green next week against a good Falcons team to help stay atop the AFC North.
Evan Engram (TE, New York Giants)
Injury: Knee, MCL Sprain
Evan Engram is yet another good fantasy tight end to go down with injury, although he avoided more significant injuries sustained by his counterparts in Greg Olsen and Delanie Walker. Engram will miss 2-4 weeks with this injury, forcing fantasy owners to pick up a replacement for an already weak position. Rhett Ellison will see increased snaps in the wake of Engram’s injury, but should not be considered more than a crapshoot to get a TD. Sterling Shepard will see more targets and catches now that he is Eli Manning’s only reliable option in the middle of the field.
Other fantasy relevant injuries:
Sean Lee (LB, Dallas Cowboys)
Injury: Hamstring, undisclosed
Sean Lee is no stranger to injury, and his injury woes continued this season now that he is expected to miss a few weeks with a hamstring injury. Sean Lee has been the best player on the Cowboys defense for years, and over the past few years the defense has played significantly worse when he isn’t on the field. The Cowboys defense has been a nice surprise so far for fantasy owners (#8 DST through 2 weeks), but their performance should drop with Lee sidelined.
Ricardo Allen (S, Atlanta Falcons)
Injury: Achilles, Torn Achilles
Ricardo Allen is another Falcons defender to go down with a season ending injury, along with Safety Keanu Neal and Linebacker Deion Jones. Allen came into this season off of a good 2017 season that earned him a nice extension on his contract (3 years, $19.5 million). This injury has obvious repercussions on the Falcons DST, but Allen’s absence will likely lead to more games where Matt Ryan is forced to throw to keep the Falcons competitive, enhancing his fantasy value (see Ryan’s week 3 explosion).