Fantasy Football Injury Report Week 3

With the NFL season well underway, fans are thrilled to see the physical brand of football being played once again in the midst of an extremely hectic year. However, that physicality along with the lack of a full training camp has resulted in a ton of injuries over the first two weeks. Let’s recap the Fantasy Football Injury Report Week 3 to look for key losses and players with added value this week.

We’ll list the injuries and insights game by game. Will update as the week goes along.

Fantasy Football Injury Report Week 3

Houston Texans vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (1:00 P.M. EST)

Wide receiver Will Fuller practiced on Wednesday after experiencing some leg issues that caused him to miss several snaps in week two. The fact that he is practicing means that he should be able to suit up for this game but one has to wonder just how healthy he truly is considering his injury history and lack of a single target last week.

Running back Duke Johnson returned to practice on Wednesday which is a big deal considering the fact that he missed last week’s game. His return would have a negative impact on David Johnson’s production since it would take away from some of his snaps.

Wide receiver Diontae Johnson did not practice on Wednesday as he is dealing with a toe injury. Johnson managed to record 92 receiving yards and one touchdown last week so he should be able to suit up for this game but he is currently being listed as questionable.

Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster did not practice on Wednesday as he is dealing with a knee injury. Smith-Schuster played last week and looked fine as he recorded seven receptions so he should be able to play in this game. However, he is currently being listed as questionable in the Fantasy Football Injury Report Week 3.

Tennessee Titans vs. Minnesota Vikings (1:00 P.M. EST)

Wide receiver A.J. Brown did not practice on Wednesday as he is dealing with a knee injury. His status will need to be closely monitored by fantasy owners since he was unable to play in last week’s game. Brown is a huge playmaker in the passing game but one can expect to see Corey Davis getting more targets if he is unable to play on Sunday against Minnesota.

Tight end Jonnu Smith did not practice on Wednesday as he is dealing with an ankle injury. Smith had one of the best games in his career last week as he recorded 84 receiving yards and two touchdowns so his ankle looked fine. Although he is currently being listed as questionable, it is pretty safe to assume that the coaching staff is just limiting his workload during the week so he can conserve some energy for Sunday’s game.

Chicago Bears vs. Atlanta Falcons (1:00 P.M. EST)

Wide receiver Julio Jones did not practice on Wednesday as he is dealing with a hamstring injury. Jones was playing through the injury but he appeared to re-aggravate it last Sunday so his status for Sunday’s game is a serious question mark. The injury is even more concerning when one factors in his lackluster performance in that game as he only recorded two receptions for 24 yards. Even if Jones plays, he will be nowhere near 100% so fantasy owners have to factor that in when setting their respective lineups.

Wide receiver Allen Robinson was a full participant at Wednesday’s practice despite having a slight knee issue. The injury would help explain why he only has 107 receiving yards through the first first two games of the season but it is definitely a positive sign that he will not be missing any practice this week leading up to his dream matchup against Atlanta’s defense on Sunday.

Las Vegas Raiders vs. New England Patriots (1:00 P.M. EST)

Wide receiver Henry Ruggs III did not practice on Wednesday as he is currently dealing with a knee issue. Despite Las Vegas’ impressive home victory against New Orleans on Monday night, Ruggs III did next to nothing as he only had one receptions for four yards. Now, he has a short week to overcome this injury before a matchup against Stephon Gilmore. Fantasy owners should look elsewhere regardless of his status for this game.

Offensive linemen Trent Brown, Richie Incognito and Rodney Hudson did not practice on Wednesday which is very concerning for their respective statuses in week three. All three of them are extremely solid at their positions and one can expect Las Vegas to struggle in the trenches if any of them are unable to suit up for Sunday’s game which would have a negative fantasy impact on quarterback Derek Carr and running back Josh Jacobs.

Wide receiver Julian Edelman was a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice as he is dealing with a knee injury. However, fantasy owners have nothing to worry about after he recorded a career-high 179 receiving yards against Seattle last week. The coaching staff is simply limiting his workload during the week to keep him fresh of this juicy matchup against Las Vegas’ below average secondary.

Running back James White did not participate in Wednesday’s practice. His parent were involved in a car accident over the weekend which resulted in the death of his father. To make matters worse, his mother is currently in critical condition at the hospital. White missed last week’s game and we cannot be sure at this point in time if he is going to play or not. Regardless of his status for week three, thoughts and prayers to his family.

San Francisco 49ers vs. New York Giants (1:00 P.M. EST)

Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo did not practice on Wednesday as he is dealing with an ankle injury. Garoppolo left in the middle of last week’s game and did not return so it is safe to assume that he will be unable to play in this game. As a result, Nick Mullens gets a boost in fantasy football as he will be the starting quarterback for Sunday as he gets to face a very underwhelming defense.

Running backs Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman are on Fantasy Football Injury Report Week 3. Coach Shanahan stated publicly that Mostert will likely be out for this matchup against the Giants. Coleman has already been placed on injured reserve which means that Jerick McKinnon should receive a massive increase in touches for the foreseeable future.

Defensive linemen Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas are officially out for the season after suffering season-ending injuries last week. To make matters worse, defensive end Dee Ford is out indefinitely with a back injury. Giants’ quarterback Daniel Jones should have more time to throw the ball from the pocket.

Tight end George Kittle returned to practice in a limited capacity on Wednesday which is good news since he missed Week 2. Kittle is one of the best tight ends in the league and San Francisco still has some health issues at the wide receiver position so one can expect the 49ers to look his way early and often in this game which is exactly what his fantasy owners are hoping for.

Running back Saquon Barkley officially tore his ACL which means that he will be out for the rest of the season. The Giants decided to bring in Devonta Freeman as the potential replacement so he should see a decent amount of work on Sunday which helps explain why he has been a hot commodity over the past few days on the waiver wire.

Wide receiver Sterling Shepard was placed on injured reserve with a toe injury which means that he will be out for at least the next three weeks. In his absence, expect a bit of a fantasy boost for Darius Slayton, Golden Tate and Evan Engram.

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Philadelphia Eagles (1:00 P.M. EST)

Defensive linemen Mike Daniels and Geno Atkins did not practice on Wednesday. That is concerning since both of them missed the Thursday night game against Cleveland. Daniels is currently dealing with a groin injury. Atkins is still waiting to make his season debut as he is dealing with a shoulder injury. Both of them are questionable for Week 3. If they are unable to play, expect Miles Sanders to have a huge day on the ground for the Eagles as the Bengals allowed 215 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns last week.

Wide receiver Alshon Jeffrey did not practice once again on Wednesday as he is still recovering from offseason foot surgery. While Philadelphia can definitely use him, they’ll need to find production elsewhere since he will definitely not be ready by Sunday.

Wide receiver Jalen Raegor will not play in this game after suffering a torn UCL in his thumb. That should keep him out for the next month or so. In his absence, expect a boost in targets for DeSean Jackson, Greg Ward and John Hightower.

Washington Football Team vs. Cleveland Browns (1:00 P.M. EST)

Offensive lineman Brandon Scherff was placed on injured reserve after suffering a knee injury on Sunday. He will be out for at least the next three weeks. Scherff has made the Pro Bowl three times in his career so he is arguably Washington’s best offensive lineman. Although it is tough to tell just how much of a fantasy impact that his absence will have on the skill position players, one should be a bit cautious while taking a “wait and see” approach.

Wide receiver Jarvis Landry was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice despite dealing with a slight hip issue. Landry played last Thursday despite barely practicing the week before. He managed 46 receiving yards. You should expect better numbers in Week 3 now that the worst of his hip issues seem to be in the rearview mirror.

Los Angeles Rams vs. Buffalo Bills (1:00 P.M. EST)

Wide receiver Cole Beasley did not practice on Wednesday as he is dealing with thumb and hip injuries. While Beasley has had a quiet 2020 campaign, he is still the slot receiver for Buffalo’s suddenly pass-heavy offense which is always a plus. If he is unable to play, then rookie Gabriel Davis would receive the biggest boost as he scored his first career touchdown in last week’s game.

Running back Zack Moss did not practice on Wednesday as he is dealing with a toe injury. Although he is the backup running back on the roster, he is still playing approximately 45% of the snaps which means that starting running back Devin Singletary would get a huge boost in snap percentage since he would be the only mouth to field in that backfield if Moss was unable to play in week three.

Running back Cam Akers did not practice on Wednesday as he is dealing with a somewhat serious rib injury which will most likely keep him out of Sunday’s game. Akers barely touched the ball last week as he just had three carries but the Rams have used a “running back by committee” this season so his absence would mean a boost to the others.

Running back Malcolm Brown is expected to play in Week 3 against the Bills despite having surgery to repair a fractured finger on his left hand. Although he should receive some touches, one has to wonder just how careful Los Angeles’ coaching staff will be regarding Brown’s workload so one can assume that he will be splitting touches with Darrell Henderson somewhat evenly on Sunday.

New York Jets vs. Indianapolis Colts (4:05 P.M. EST)

Wide receiver Breshad Perriman did not practice on Wednesday as he is dealing with an ankle injury. Perriman is considered “week-to-week” and he is doubtful for this game. Considering the fact that he has yet to record more than 17 yards in a game this season, I think it is safe to assume that no one was going to start him in one’s fantasy football lineups anyway.

Wide receiver Jamison Crowder did not practice on Wednesday as he is dealing with a hamstring injury. His status is definitely worth monitoring for fantasy owners since the Jets have minimal options on the depth chart so Crowder would likely receive a ton of targets if he was able to return for this game. However, this injury kept him out of last week’s game against San Francisco so he should be considered doubtful for Week 3.

Tight end Jack Doyle did not practice on Wednesday due to a groin injury which is concerning since he was forced to miss last week’s game. In his absence, Mo Alie-Cox was the starting tight end and he recorded 111 receiving yards so he should be an attractive option on the waiver wire assuming that Doyle will be unable to suit up once again this Sunday.

Carolina Panthers vs. Los Angeles Chargers (4:05 P.M. EST)

Running back Christian McCaffrey was placed on injured receive earlier this week with an ankle injury. While this is a devastating blow for fantasy teams who selected him with the first overall pick, the only damage control move is to pick up Mike Davis. While Davis will obviously fail to duplicate McCaffrey’s massive numbers, he is still better than nothing.

Quarterback Tyrod Taylor will likely be unable to play in this game due to some extremely odd circumstances. Taylor was given a pain-killing injection during pregame warmups last Sunday and the team doctor accidentally punctured his lung. As a result, he should be unable to play for the next couple of weeks which means that rookie quarterback Justin Herbert should be getting some fantasy buzz moving forward.

Detroit Lions vs. Arizona Cardinals (4:25 P.M. EST)

Wide receiver Kenny Golladay was limited in practice with a hamstring injury which is a great sign for fantasy owners. He is shaping up to make his season debut on Sunday. As the number one receiver on the depth chart, he should be targeted a lot in Sunday’s game since oddsmakers expect the Lions to get blown out. Plus, Arizona’s defense struggled containing Terry McLaurin last week so Golladay is an easy start if he ends up being active.

Wide receiver Christian Kirk was unable to practice on Wednesday due to a groin injury. Kirk looked pretty good in week two as he recorded 60 receiving yards but he has still been pretty underwhelming from a fantasy perspective up to this point. However, Detroit’s defense is one of the worst in the league so Kirk would be in a solid position to get back on track if he is able to suit up.

Dallas Cowboys vs. Seattle Seahawks (4:25 P.M. EST)

Offensive lineman Tyron Smith did not practice on Wednesday due to a neck injury which is worth monitoring since he was inactive for week two. Although Seattle has one of the worst defensive lines in the league, Smith is one of the best tackles in the NFL so he would definitely be able to give Prescott and Elliott some extra room on the left side if he was able to play on Sunday.

Safety Jamal Adams and cornerback Tre Flowers dislocated fingers in last week’s game against New England. Coach Carroll stated that both of them will be able to play in this game. Although Seattle’s defense got torched last week, we can only imagine how much worse it would look in Week 3 if its best two defensive players didn’t play. As for fantasy owners, don’t start Seattle’s defense this week anyway.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Denver Broncos (4:25 P.M. EST)

Wide receiver Chris Godwin was a full participant in practice on Wednesday after missing last week’s game with a concussion. Godwin is arguably a top-ten receiver in the entire league and he is always in a position to succeed since Mike Evans takes some of the defensive attention away from him so he should be started in all fantasy lineups if he is active once again.

Wide receiver Courtland Sutton officially tore his ACL in Sunday’s game against Pittsburgh so he will be out for the remainder of the regular season. In his absence, expect a bit of a fantasy boost for KJ Hamler, Jerry Jeudy and Tim Patrick who might be able to provide some value from the waiver wire with the added targets.

Quarterback Drew Lock suffered a rotator cuff strain in the middle of the Steelers game and he is expected to be miss the next couple of weeks. Lock left the game early and was replaced by Jeff Driskel who played pretty well as he threw for 256 passing yards along with two touchdowns. While Driskel will not turn into a fantasy savior or anything, he is still a decent “last resort” option moving forward due to his underrated mobility.

Green Bay Packers vs. New Orleans Saints (8:20 P.M. EST)

Wide receiver Davante Adams missed practice on Wednesday due to a hamstring injury and there is growing concern regarding his status for Sunday Night Football. While it is too early to tell if this was a safety measure or if it is a serious injury, fantasy owners should be very careful when it comes to using him this week since it will be too late to find a replacement for him if he is a late-scratch on Sunday night. If Adams is unable to go, Allen Lazard and Marquez Valdes-Scantling would receive a fantasy boost.

Wide receiver Michael Thomas missed practice on Wednesday due to an ankle injury which is not surprising since it appeared that his injury was going to require multiple weeks in order to fully recover from. As a result, it is safe to assume that Thomas will be unable to play on Sunday but he is listed as doubtful at this point in time. If he is unable to play, Tre’Quan Smith and Emmanuel Sanders should receive a fantasy boost.

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Baltimore Ravens (8:15 P.M. EST)

Wide receiver Sammy Watkins tweeted that he was healthy despite leaving last Sunday’s game against Los Angeles after a hard collision. At first glance, it appeared that Watkins might have suffered a concussion but he is allegedly feeling fine so he should will take away some touches from the likes of Demarcus Robinson and Mecole Hardman if he is able to suit up. As of right now, Watkins is being listed as questionable so fantasy owners should monitor his status over the next few days.

Offensive lineman Ronnie Stanley claimed that he is fully healthy after dealing with ankle and hip injuries over the first two weeks of the regular season. Although he has been able to play in both games, he is one of the best offensive lineman at his respective position in the league so getting him back to full strength prior to this insane Monday Night Football matchup should definitely improve Baltimore’s chances of getting the victory as he should help open up some running lanes for the various running backs on the roster.