Dynasty Injury Impact: Week Nine

By Michael Zingone

Posted on November 6, 2018

In this series, we’ll cast a wide net to cover many different injuries that occurred during each week of the NFL regular season and what the implications are for your fantasy teams. If there were large injuries during the week, we’ll be sure to have a detailed piece in addition to this article. If there is any injury on your mind that you believe I missed, please feel free to comment below and I’ll give you my thoughts!

It’s hard to believe, but the fantasy football playoffs start in almost exactly one month in many leagues! We’ve passed through the NFL trade deadline, and yours – if you have one – is likely right around the corner. While there won’t be any more roster shakeups from trades, injuries can still cause major turnover.

Now, more than ever, it’s important to evaluate your roster not only for stars but for depth in case of injury. There’s nothing worse than having a star-powered team get derailed in the final weeks of the season, but having players to help combat the injury bug is a crucial step to winning a championship. With this in mind, let’s dive into this week’s key injuries.

A.J. Green, WR CIN

Injury: Toe

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I briefly mentioned Green’s toe injury in the bottom section of last week’s injury impact article. However, the Bengals’ star wide receiver’s injury is worse than originally thought and reported early that week. The Bengals had their bye this week, but that came with added detail on what the rest of the season may look like to Green. Green will reportedly be sidelined at least a few weeks, and there’s a chance he needs season-ending surgery. He and the team are trying to avoid that as much as possible, but it has not been ruled out.

The Bengals have already been of the worst luck with offensive skill position injuries this season. Joe Mixon, Giovani Bernard, Tyler Eifert, Tyler Kroft, and John Ross have all already missed time (some longer than others). Ross returned to practice Monday and will likely be available for week ten. Ross’s health is not a given, and he has seven career receptions. The Bengals would love for their former first-round pick to finally contribute in the box score if Green is out.

Tyler Boyd would be the de facto number one option in this offense. I do not believe, though, that Green missing time would be a good thing for Boyd’s production. I have seen some people proclaim Boyd to be a WR1 the rest of the 2018 season, and I just can’t buy it. While Boyd is enjoying quite the breakout season, he remains a complete unknown as the focal point to the defense. The most likely scenario is that Boyd currently benefits from Green drawing main attention. I would give pause to the idea that Boyd benefits from Green’s injury.

Aside from John Ross, who is no more than a hope and a prayer at this point, C.J. Uzomah and Josh Malone appear to be gaining the most opportunity should Green miss time. Uzomah has had an up and down season but has shown as a viable pass catcher in spurts. He would settle in as a high-end TE2 for me the rest of 2018. Malone is an intriguing second-year prospect who has yet to get a real opportunity in the NFL. Posting over 900 yards and 11 touchdowns in his senior year at Tennessee, Malone has the upside you’d want in a fourth-round NFL draft pick. There’s a good chance he’s on your waiver wire. In an otherwise bland waiver wire week, Malone has the potential to help your dynasty teams in the short and long term.

Chris Carson, RB SEA

Injury: Hip

Coming into the game questionable, Carson didn’t make it long before having to sit out the rest of this week’s contest against the Chargers. In his place, Mike Davis was the clear leader in the backfield, racking up 107 yards on 22 touches, including seven receptions. Davis has shown as a capable running back for a team committed to running the football. He should be the lead back if Carson were to miss time and will be a viable flex play should that occur.

Much to dynasty owners’ dismay, Rashaad Penny is once again the odd man out in this backfield. It’s truly astonishing that the Seahawks have yet to feature Penny in any game. Alas, this is the situation we are in. Penny is a worthwhile buy-super-low if any disgruntled owners are willing to part for a fraction of their acquiring value. As it stands right now, though, Penny still must wait for yet another injury to be given meaningful snaps.

Raheem Mostert, RB SF

Injury: Forearm

The Raheem Mostert fantasy experience was worth every penny if he provided nothing more than an epic Matthew Berry rant. Mostert will be out for the remainder of 2018 after suffering a season-ending forearm injury on Thursday. With yet another injury to the 49ers backfield, Matt Breida and Alfred Morris will continue to be the two main contributors. The former is the clear dynasty asset you want of the two. However, this backfield has a chance to look completely different in 2019 and beyond. Matt Breida is an emerging talent, but he’ll need to prove his durability still week-in and week-out if he is to be a long-term option for the team and for dynasty owners at running back.

Paul Richardson, WR WAS

Injury: Shoulder

Always having the talent to perform well on the field, Richardson’s career has been littered with injuries. Richardson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury on Sunday. A former second-round pick, Richardson signed a fairly large five-year, $40m contract this off-season. In only the first year of the aforementioned deal, Richardson will surely be back next season as a Redskin. The team would have a $9m dead cap hit should the release him.

This could open up more targets for Josh Doctson as a more consistent downfield player for the Redskins. Dynasty owners are hoping to see him in a more featured role. As a former first-round NFL and rookie draft pick, Doctson has not loved up to expectations. The other pieces in this offense are well known at this point. Jordan Reed, Jamison Crowder, and Chris Thompson will see most of the passing work if all healthy, but that’s a big if. Last week, Maurice Harris performed very well (ten catches for 124 yards) and should be a viable option if your team is struggling at the receiver position in the short term.

Other notable injuries, but of lesser fantasy significance: Charles Clay (Hamstring), Chris Ivory (Shoulder)

Overall, it was a fairly good week from an injury standpoint for dynasty owners. Green’s injury will surely send a ripple through your leagues, but the other players mentioned were likely not key cogs to your championship run. Nonetheless, as we previously discussed, having the depth to get you through injuries – like Green’s – can be the difference between a playoff team and a championship team. Make sure to check out here and all of DLF’s content to keep giving you the edge you need. We’ll be back next week to discuss week ten injuries.

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