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Pending Monday Night Football, we're through three weeks of the NFL's regular season, and injuries are beginning to pile up. Our fantasy football injuries report highlights several players with fantasy significance and their latest status heading into Week 4.
Guys like Mac Jones, Dalvin Cook, and David Montgomery are new additions to injury reports after being banged up in Week 3, while Dak Prescott and Keenan Allen have been out since Week 1. As always, it's important to keep up with the latest injury news, as things can change in a hurry.
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Dalvin Cook Injury Update
Dalvin Cook (shoulder) left his Week 3 game against the Detroit Lions early, setting up Alexander Mattison to be the lead back in the comeback win. However, Cook's injury isn't expected to be serious, and he could play as early as next week against the New Orleans Saints. His shoulder was apparently dislocated, which has happened several times throughout his NFL career. While the injury is painful, it is something that can be treated quickly. Expect to see Cook rocking a shoulder brace moving forward, but for now, there's no need to panic as Cook fantasy manager.
That said, Alexander Mattison would become a virtual must-start if Cook is out, as we've seen monster fantasy performances from him when he's been put in a workhorse role. Even if Cook doesn't miss time, Mattison is a solid bench stash in case of a serious Cook injury. Feel free to drop a borderline rosterable wide receiver for a potentially bonafide stud in Mattison if he's suddenly the Vikings' RB1.
David Montgomery Injury Update
David Montgomery (knee/ankle) left the contest against the Houston Texans early and could be questionable heading into Week 4 against the New York Giants. Since he didn't return to action after leaving the game, his status will be up in the air. Bears head coach Matt Eberflus is calling Montgomery "day-to-day", but it's tough to take that as fact since the update came directly after the game.
That said, he could truly be day-to-day and won't miss any time, but it's smart to keep up with the latest injury updates until we get further word. If he's inactive, Khalil Herbert will be a strong RB2 candidate after scoring 30.9 PPR fantasy points in the absence of Montgomery.
Joe Mixon Injury Update
Joe Mixon (ankle) came into Week 3 somewhat banged up, and his touches seemed to be limited as Samaje Perine ate into his workload. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said he simply had a sore ankle, so there's no sense of panic just yet when it comes to his injury status. That said, the Bengals have a quick turnaround against the Miami Dolphins on Thursday Night Football, so his latest updates will be important to keep up with.
Ultimately, as long as he's active, he's hard to bench. He still saw seven targets in the win against the New York Jets, which is elite usage for fantasy RBs in PPR leagues. If he's trending toward being out, Samaje Perine is a strong starting candidate in an RB2 or flex spot. Again, Mixon's injury is not expected to be serious, though.
D'Andre Swift Injury Update
Detroit Lions running back D'Andre Swift (ankle, shoulder) was questionable to suit up in Week 3, but he did play and saw just 10 touches in a loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Swift entered the game with an ankle injury and limped off the field to be evaluated by trainers at one point, but he reportedly may have picked up a shoulder injury in the contest as well.
The third-year back appeared to have received treatment on his shoulder after the game and was not using his left arm much in the locker room. Fantasy managers should keep a close eye on his status heading into a Week 4 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks. If Swift were to miss any time, Jamaal Williams would be a must-start
Dak Prescott Injury Update
Dak Prescott (finger) is going to be a trending player for fantasy injury updates until his inevitable return, but there are a ton of conflicting reports about when that may be. Jerry Jones hinted toward a Week 4 return, while other league sources are calling Week 6 against the Philadelphia Eagles the earliest possible return date. That said, it's tough to know what's going to happen with this situation, so it's best to keep our eyes and ears out moving forward.
When Prescott does return, he'll be a risky fantasy play to start, as it's tough to know how his injury will affect his play. He's a top-12 QB option when healthy, but fantasy managers might want to see how he looks before immediately inserting him in lineups if there are decent streaming options that week. For now, Cooper Rush is nothing more than a desperation play at QB.
Josh Allen Injury Update
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (hand) was observed leaving the X-ray room following Sunday's divisional loss to the Miami Dolphins. The signal-caller was hit in the hand late in the game. Although there hasn't been an official word on the severity of Allen's injury, he helped ease some concerns by saying "he's fine."
The 26-year-old had a solid showing despite the Bills entering the loss column for the first time this season, finishing with 400 yards and two touchdowns off 42-for-63 passing while running for 47 yards off eight carries. Hopefully, there will be an encouraging update soon. However, until then, there will be some worried fantasy managers.
Justin Herbert Injury Update
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert completed 25 of his 45 pass attempts for 297 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in a Week 3 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. He also added seven yards rushing on one carry and lost a fumble. Herbert's availability for the game was one of the day's biggest storylines as he is still recovering from a rib injury he sustained in Week 2.
He decided to give it a go but was outperformed by second-year quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Still, Herbert managed some impressive completions, as he always does. Head coach Brandon Staley acknowledged after the game that Herbert's injury could linger for a while, but as long as he is on the field, he should continue to be started as a QB1 in fantasy lineups.
Mac Jones Injury Update
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Mac Jones is believed to have suffered a high ankle sprain, which could lead him to being placed on short-term IR. His injury isn't a huge blow for fantasy managers in traditional leagues, but in two-QB/superflex leagues, this will league many managers without a plug-and-play QB2.
Brian Hoyer will likely start for New England if Jones misses time, so in those league formats, he'll be the option to roll with. That said, Patriots' pass-catchers Jakobi Meyers, Nelson Agholor, DeVante Parker, Jonnu Smith, and Hunter Henry could see major hits in their fantasy outlooks. Someone will have to catch the ball and be productive, but it's tough to know how to evaluate each of them with a new man under center for the Patriots. This will be a situation worth monitoring.
Tua Tagovailoa Injury Update
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (back) briefly exited Sunday's Week 3 matchup after a quarterback sneak. The quarterback was stumbling around, which is a sign of a possible concussion. The NFLPA is looking further into the matter considering Tagovailoa returned to the field minutes after sustaining the injury. Tagovailoa mentioned that he believes he hyperextended his back during the game. Regardless, the Dolphins have a short week, so fantasy managers will have to monitor his status closely.
If he's ready to go on Thursday, we've seen his ceiling as sky-high, and the matchup with Cincinnati could set up to be a shootout with so much pass-catching talent on the field.
Keenan Allen Injury Update
Keenan Allen (hamstring) was a limited participant in practice last week but ultimately was ruled out of the matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Since he has started to take part in practice, his return to the field should be coming.
The Chargers passing game is struggling without him, so whenever he does return, expect him to get a ton of targets from the get-go. He'll be quickly ranked as a top WR option in PPR leagues upon his return. If he remains out any longer, Joshua Palmer is worth considering at flex after a stellar Week 3 game.
Jakobi Meyers Injury Update
Jakobi Meyers (knee) missed his first game due to injury in his career in Week 3 and has a shaky fantasy outlook moving forward if Mac Jones (ankle) is out for an extended period of time. Meyers was a hot waiver wire add after he exploded in Week 2, but with Brian Hoyer under center, it's best to tamper expectations.
That said, he could still have a ton of PPR value if Hoyer targets him as heavily as Jones has, so we can't write him off, either. Meyers was questionable heading into the matchup with the Baltimore Ravens, so he's probably not far from making his return to the game field.
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