Dynasty Injury Report: Week Two
The injury bug was out in full force in week two, being a nuisance like an angry mosquito on a hot and muggy summer night. Players appeared to be dropping one by one like dominos. We are at a point where it’s very rare to find a dynasty team that hasn’t been affected by an injury or a player who opted out for the 2020 season.
With all that being said, let’s look at the aftermath from week two:
QUARTERBACK
Jimmy Garoppolo, SF
Garoppolo suffered a high ankle sprain against the Jets. There’s a chance that he may play through the injury. High ankle sprains are less critical to quarterbacks compared to the running back and wide receiver positions. Considering the 49ers are banged up, we should expect a negative impact in his Garoppolo until the injury issues are resolved.
Drew Lock, DEN
The Broncos was using this season to evaluate Lock and to determine if he’s going to be the franchise’s long-term starting quarterback. The sprained AC joint that he suffered in week two will keep him out of the lineup anywhere between two and six weeks. This is a major blow to the Broncos because they will now count on Jeff Driskel – or newly-signed Blake Bortles – to run the offense until Lock comes back from the injury.
Courtesy of DLF’s ADP Over Time App
Lock’s dynasty value wasn’t through the roof to begin with. Now might be the time If you wanted to try and acquire him for a discount. He’s not considered one of the most sought-after players in dynasty and it might be more cost-effective to work the waiver wire if you are in need of a quarterback this season.
Running Back
Saquon Barkley, NYG
Barkley tore his ACL in week two against the Bears. His season is over and will finish the season on injured reserve. He is expected to make a full recovery and be ready for the 2021 season. This is still a blow that will impact a lot of fantasy managers’ rosters since he’s been one of the top players drafted in startup drafts for the last two years.
The loss of Barkley will also impact Daniel Jones. As we all know, Barkley is very talented in the passing game and would normally bail Jones out as a check-down option. His ability to grind the tough yards between the tackles will impact the team’s ability to keep the chains moving. The Giants will rely more on Jones’ arm to get them through the season. Will he be able to answer the bell and get the Giants over the hump?
Dynasty gamers now have a buying opportunity for Barkley. His price tag will not drop to bargain-basement levels, but his managers will be more likely to listen to trade conversations. Before the injury, Barkley was almost untouchable in dynasty. Now, dynasty managers have a chance to acquire Barkley via trade.
Christian McCaffrey, CAR
After getting an MRI on Monday, the news broke out stating that McCaffrey suffered a high ankle sprain that will keep him out of the lineup for several weeks. With him being off the field, the team is projected to lean even more on the passing game. DJ Moore and Robby Anderson will play pivotal roles in the team’s success. Curtis Samuel has seen a 14 percent target share while seeing just 79 air yards. We could see him receive a bump in production as well.
Most dynasty managers are expecting McCaffrey back in their lineups sometime this year. Since he is one of the most lucrative assets in all of fantasy sports, don’t expect to receive a discount in the trade market for him. If it was a season-ending injury, then you might find an owner on tilt. However, since he’s expected to be back in uniform for the Panthers in 2020 many fantasy gamers will be optimistic that he can deliver enough results to get their teams into the playoffs.
Raheem Mostert, SF
Mostert recorded the fastest run in five years while scoring an 80-yard touchdown Sunday against the Jets. Unfortunately, he endured an MCL sprain and is unlikely to play in week three. Teammate, Tevin Coleman, is dealing with a knee sprain and there’s a chance both running backs won’t be available this week against the New York Giants.
Jerrick McKinnon should receive a large bump in volume this week. He’s a very explosive who could provide a boost in the box score if he can get the ball in open space.
We shouldn’t see much of a decrease in Mostert’s value on the trade market. He will be back on the field sooner than later. It’s not unusual for a running back to experience a setback during the season. Most dynasty managers expect to see one of their running backs to get nicked up over the course of a 16-game season.
Phillip Lindsay, DEN
The Broncos running back will be out two to four weeks with a toe sprain. He was unable to play in week two against the Steelers and will more than likely not be on the field this week against the Buccaneers. Dynasty managers will need to monitor his status and prepare accordingly.
WIDE RECEIVER
Courtland Sutton, DEN
After rolling into week two working through a shoulder injury, Sutton experienced a much greater setback when he tore his ACL while trying to tackle Joe Haden on an interception return. Sutton is now out for the rest of the season but expected to make a full recovery for the 2021 season.
Courtesy of DLF’s ADP Over Time App
Depending on what happens during the rest of the season, we might see Sutton lose some steam when it comes to dynasty value. If anything, this would create a buying opportunity and make him easier to obtain in startup drafts next off-season.
Since he was a top-50 player before the start of the season, there’s a chance he dips down to around the 75 range of ADP six to eight months from now. When players are out of sight they are out of mind and he’s a player you might be able to obtain for a scalable discount.
Davante Adams, GB
Adams is dealing with a hamstring issue that he experienced in the third quarter against the Lions on Sunday. At this time, we don’t know how serious the injury is but his status is up in the air for week three.
Prior to the Packer’s week five bye, they will be playing against the Saints on Sunday night and Falcons the following Monday. If the injury is more serious, then there’s a good chance, we see him return in week six after the bye. On the contrary, we could see him on the field this week if the hamstring isn’t devastating enough to keep him out of the lineup.
Julio Jones, ATL
Jones has been playing through a hamstring injury which has noticeably been affecting his play. His reps in practice have been limited and fantasy managers will need to monitor his status going forward.
AJ Brown, TEN
The Tennessee Titans ruled out Brown for Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars due to a bone bruise to the knee. He was unable to practice all last week. Fantasy gamers are encouraged to monitor Browns’ status through practice reports until we receive more information about his current knee issue. From gauging this situation, it appears it’s not a long-term issue, but we never truly know.
Parris Campbell, IND
The second-year wide receiver is out indefinitely with a PCL injury. There’s a chance we could see him back later in the season, but as of right now we have to count on him being out of our lineups. Indianapolis placed him on IR with the eligibility to return in three weeks. Without a definitive timetable for return, we must count him out of lineups until he returns. The former Ohio State wide receiver was on track for a breakout season, recording six catches for 71 yards while owning 20 percent of the targets in week one.
Will Fuller, HOU
Fuller is dealing with a hamstring injury. Although it’s not likely, there’s a chance he could be on the field for week three. The team added Devin Smith and Dwayne Harris to their practice squad this week which could be an indicator that they need the extra depth to get through their next couple of games.
Dynasty gamers are unfortunately used to Fuller getting injured. The injury shouldn’t make him much cheaper on the trade market because at this point the high probability of him getting injured is baked into his price tag.
TIGHT END
George Kittle, SF
For some good news, the 49ers believe Kittle has a good shot of playing in week three against the New York Giants. The MCL sprain kept him playing in week two, but the reports looking like he’s going to be back in the lineup on Sunday.
CJ Uzomah, CIN
During the Thursday night game against the Browns, Uzomah tore his ACL and will miss the rest of the season. This means the time is now for Bengals’ 2019 second-round pick from Washington, Drew Sample. He will see a massive increase in snap share and will get the chance to provide an impact for our fantasy rosters. He’s an easy add if he’s still on the waiver wire.
