Dynasty Injury Update
Wow. After a pretty quiet week one, we all of a sudden have a lot to talk about. Rather than separate a ton of different information into multiple articles, let’s simply use this platform to talk about everything all at once – and again, it’s a lot. We have had some very significant injuries in the NFL and (obviously) that is going to have a big impact in dynasty leagues moving forward.
Let’s run down each of these and discuss how they impact our dynasty squads.
Tua Tagovailoa Suffers Another Concussion
The scariest of all these injuries long-term is clearly the concussion suffered by Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. After a relatively quiet season injury-wise last year, many had hoped these head injuries for him were simply in the rearview mirror. Unfortunately, Tagovailoa suffered another in-season concussion while trying to make the line to gain on a fourth down and again was seen in the “fencing position,” indicating a serious brain injury.
Since this has happened, Tagovailoa has indicated he has no intention to retire. This is clearly good news for dynasty managers, but that doesn’t end the concern. In some ways, it’s hard to fathom why Tua would risk his long-term future (and life) with his history, but it’s also clear he’s playing the game because he loves it, plain and simple. Tagovailoa is going to remain a dynasty hold moving forward but his ADP and ranking is going to slide as again we see a player who could be one hit away from retiring, Hopefully we never see him have to exit like Steve Young but anyone who has seen this pattern is going to cringe any time he takes a hit. Skylar Thompson will start moving forward and the Dolphins signed long-time Raven Tyler Huntley today, indicating they don’t expect Tagovailoa back soon.
In the end, dynasty managers simply have to hold on to Tua and hope for the best. Humans need to do the same.
Christian McCaffrey goes to IR
After McCaffrey was a surprise inactive for Monday Night Football in week one, he was hoping to play in week two. Instead, the Achilles tendinitis he’s been dealing with got worse and the 49ers put him on IR, keeping him off the field for at least a month. This is a monster development in dynasty leagues as Jordan Mason has all of a sudden become capable of shifting the balance of power in dynasty leagues. Through two games, Mason has 247 rushing yards, trailing only the resurgent JK Dobbins to lead the NFL. Mason has shown to be more than capable of carrying the offense and is an easy “set it and forget it” option moving forward. As for McCaffrey, this is going to hurt his ADP and ranking as it seems he’s starting to show his age. In fact, I find it hard to believe he ever makes it back into the overall top ten at this point. Meanwhile, Isaac Guerendo should be on rosters everywhere, just in case he carves out a bigger role or Mason gets injured.
Marquise Brown likely out for the Season
The Chiefs attempted to completely revamp their wide receiver corps with Brown and rookie Xavier Worthy this off-season. Unfortunately, Brown suffered a shoulder injury that just didn’t seem to heal after treatment. To make things worse, it seems surgery was effective but the rehab is going to last longer than expected as well. At this point, it’s being reported the Chiefs have no plans of having Brown back this entire season. This is terribly disappointing for “Hollywood” as he was hoping to rejuvenate his career and was on a one-year contract. It’s quite possible he never ends up playing a game for the Chiefs as he’ll hit free agency again this off-season. Regardless, his dynasty value is going to deteriorate even more and the values of players like Rashee Rice and Worthy are looking up.
Chiefs lose Isiah Pacheco
Pacheco has been one of the unsung heroes of the Chiefs in recent years but he fractured his fibula in this week’s game, a brutal blow to the Chiefs and dynasty managers. While not as significant as a ligament tear, reports are indicating Kansas City expects him to miss at least 6-8 weeks of action. Pacheco’s dynasty arrow should honestly stay intact. However, this is going to make the short-term very interesting for the Chiefs (and dynasty managers). Carson Steele is quickly going to become the hottest name on this week’s waiver wire. In addition, Samaje Perine is going to inevitably be mixed in. Making things more interesting is the fact former Chief Kareem Hunt is going to visit the facility tomorrow and could sign on to help. Dynasty managers need to be watching this very closely as whoever gets the lion’s share of carries (and the goal line work) is going to have major short-term fantasy appeal until Pacheco returns.
Cooper Kupp joining Puka Nacua on the shelf
Seriously? Late today, Rams Head Coach Sean McVay said Kupp is a candidate for injured reserve. This has all the looks of a high ankle sprain for Kupp, who is quickly garnering a reputation for ankle ailments. It seems as if him going on IR may be a foregone conclusion and dynasty managers shouldn’t be counting on him for the next month or longer. This is a major short-term blow to Kupp’s value as he honestly looked like he could make a run at being the overall WR1 yet again this season. Instead, his dynasty value is going to start sinking again as the veteran seemingly can’t stay healthy at this point in his career. Kupp remains a hold in dynasty leagues but the quick “sell” window just shut. Meanwhile, the Rams are going to be scrambling for pass catchers as they’re also without Puka Nacua, who is already on injured reserve himsewlf. As a result, Demarcus Robinson, Tyler Johnson, and rookie Jordan Whittington are all going to get some major short-term value bumps and their targets this week will be a major storyline. Dynasty managers need to plan accordingly on the waiver wire this week.
Ken is on Twitter at DLF_KenK
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