Inside the Tent - Week 2 NFL Injury Insight

Well, well, well, Week 1 sure was a whirlwind. If the entire 2018 season is anything like Week 1, we're in for a good one ladies and gentlemen. Unfortunately, some fantasy-relevant players were banged up and fantasy owners suffered as a result. With that being said, if the season is indeed like Week 1, then you'll definitely want to check this column to see how your fantasy stars are recovering from their injuries.

At RotoBaller, we can't stress enough the importance of keeping up with injuries and playing your best lineup week after week. Players are going to get injured, that's an unavoidable fact. What's avoidable though is making the wrong roster decisions based on the injuries surrounding your fantasy squad. If you want to dominate your leagues and win some dough in daily contests, you have to be proactive with injury research.

That's where I come in to serve you, the readers! I'm Aaron Burger, a third-year Doctor of Physical of Therapy student, graduating in May. About a year ago, I decided to combine my love, fantasy football, with what I've been learning for three years now, injuries and the human body. Each week, I'll be checking in on fantasy's biggest injuries to keep you informed. Be sure you also have RotoBaller bookmarked and follow us on social media to catch all the latest breaking NFL news updates.

Week 2 Injury Insight

Updates from Week 1's Inside the Tent

• Marlon Mack
  • Mack was limited in Wednesday and Thursday's practices after missing Week 1 with a hamstring strain. He likely will hold a questionable tag until Sunday and is a risky play Week 2 considering how the Redskins bottled up David Johnson last Sunday.
• Sony Michel
  • The touted rookie was also limited in Wednesday and Thursday's practices. Michel, according to NBC Sports Boston, says he is preparing as if he is playing this week which is a positive sign. Rex Burkhead is in concussion protocol so the Patriots may push Michel to play considering their only other options in the backfield are James White and Kenjon Barber.
• Rex Burkhead
  • As mentioned above, Burkhead is in the concussion protocol. He played Week 1 carrying the ball 18 times for 64 yards and catching one pass for 5 yards. It will be worth monitoring his status throughout the week as it can sometimes be tricky to come out of concussion protocol. The Patriots line up against the Jaguars so the matchup is not ideal for any of the Patriots running backs.
• Doug Baldwin
  • Baldwin actually injured his other knee in Week 1 and is dealing with a Grade 2 MCL sprain. He will be out anywhere from two to four weeks depending on the severity and how he heals. Grade 2 means the ligament is partially torn so there is definitely some damage and swelling that needs to be dealt with.
• Will Fuller
  • The Notre Dame product didn't suit up against the Patriots in Week 1. This week, he practiced in a limited fashion Wednesday and Thursday. When speaking to the media, Fuller said, "You don't want to rush it back," and then, "I feel real confident." So, take that however you want to. Fuller's status will be worth monitoring until the Texans' 1 PM kickoff against the Titans.
• Alshon Jeffery
  • Jeffery participated in individual drills Wednesday which is definitely a good sign. He said last week, "Some days I feel great, and some days ... a shoulder injury is pretty tough." He went on to say that he is still a few weeks away from coming back so we will have to wait for the Eagles’ top receiving threat to make it back onto the field.
• Carson Wentz
  • Carson Wentz continues to turn in limited practices for the Eagles and he looks like a long shot to suit up this week. It’s being reported he has an appointment on Friday and the Eagles believe he will be cleared for contact. Week 3 may still be a possibility for the young gunslinger.

Week 2 Injury Updates

Aaron Rodgers - QB Green Bay Packers

• Injury: Rodgers is dealing with a sprained MCL or ACL and the severity at this time is unknown. Considering he came back into the game Week 1 and led the Packers to a miraculous comeback, it is most likely not a full tear (Grade III Sprain).
• News: Rodgers was not able to get on the practice field this week at all. With that being said, HC Mike McCarthy said Rodgers doesn’t have to practice in order to play Sunday. With Rodgers being one of the most cerebral players in the game, this seems like a given. Still, it’s always good to get a nod of confidence from the coach. The Packers and Vikings kick off at 1 PM EST on Sunday so updates in the morning about Rodgers’ availability will be crucial.
• Outlook: Even if Rodgers is able to suit up Sunday, I’m not the biggest fan of his matchup or situation. The Packers are at home and coming off a huge divisional win which is great, but the Vikings are coming into town with their tenacious defense. Add that to Rodgers likely not playing at 100% and this could be a down game for #12. Still though, if you have Aaron Rodgers, you’re going to play the guy. Just don’t expect him to burn the house down.

Marcus Mariota - QB Tennessee Titans

• Injury: Mariota left in the third quarter with an elbow injury after handing the ball off to RB Derrick Henry. After watching the video and considering he's practicing, it was likely a contusion or Grade I sprain of an elbow ligament.
• News: Mariota was able to practice in full on Wednesday so that's a great sign that he will be ready to go Sunday. All the Blaine Gabbert owners will likely have to wait until another week to start the former Missouri Tiger. Seriously though, any time a guy gets a full practice in on Wednesday, we can feel fairly confident that he will play that Sunday.
• Outlook: This week, the Titans square off against a division opponent in the Texans who in 2017 weren't too impressive when it came to passing defense. JJ Watt and Jadeveon Clowney are back though and Tyrann Mathieu was added in the offseason to create turnovers and make plays. He did just that last week against the Pats with an interception and fumble recovery. Lock Mariota in as a QB2 this week in what could be a higher scoring game.

Leonard Fournette - RB Jacksonville Jaguars

• Injury: Fournette suffered a hamstring strain in Week 1. He was seen grabbing his right hamstring and left the game during the second quarter. Hamstring injuries can be troublesome at times considering athletes use this muscle group for sprinting and slowing down.
• News: The LSU product did not practice this week and referred to himself as a game-time decision. He was seen running at practice on Thursday so that’s a positive sign. HC Doug Marrone told reporters that Fournette doesn’t have to practice in order to play so it will be worth checking for updates Sunday morning into the afternoon although kickoff isn’t until 4:25 PM EST.
• Outlook: Even if he does play, it would be smart to have Fournette on some sort of “pitch count” as to not flare up his hamstring. T.J. Yeldon was serviceable last week and provides a receiving option out of the backfield as well. If you’re a Fournette owner, hopefully you grabbed Yeldon off waivers as he could be a great Week 2 sleeper.

Devonta Freeman - RB Atlanta Falcons

• Injury: Freeman injured his right knee in the Thursday Night opener Week 1. Structurally, everything is believed to be fine but it is worth noting he has a history of PCL and MCL injuries from 2017.
• News: Freeman was not able to suit up to practice at all this week and it was announced Friday afternoon that he will not play in Week 2. This definitely raises some concern considering he had a few extra days to recover. His status for Week 3 and beyond will be something to monitor.
• Outlook: Fantasy owners will want to lock Tevin Coleman into their lineups this week with Freeman out. Backing up Coleman will be rookie Ito Smith from Southern Miss. The Falcons face the Panthers and the Falcons may try to use the ground game to lessen the opportunities for Cam Newton although the Panthers have been stingy when it comes to rushing defense in recent years.

Davante Adams - WR Green Bay Packers

• Injury: Adams landed on his shoulder during Green Bay’s comeback win on Sunday Night football and was able to gut it out until the game was over. Given the mechanism of injury, it could be a labral issue or ligamentous issue. Both the labrum and the ligaments around the shoulder help to add stability to an otherwise very mobile joint.
• News: Adams didn’t practice Wednesday with what was being called an “undisclosed” injury. Later Wednesday, it was revealed Adams was dealing with a shoulder injury. He turned in limited practices on Thursday and Friday and is officially questionable for Sunday. On Thursday, he told reporters, “It’s still day to day. I felt good today at practice, so we just have to keep making progress til Sunday and hopefully I’ll be ready to run."
• Outlook: I can definitely see Adams out there in Week 2 considering he was able to practice in a limited fashion on Thursday and Friday. The two things that worry me are Xavier Rhodes shadowing him as well as Aaron Rodgers’ knee injury. Adams is still a solid start but expectations should be lowered a bit. Hopefully, he can find the end zone to provide a solid floor.

Doug Baldwin - WR Seattle Seahawks

• Injury: Doug Baldwin suffered a Grade II MCL sprain in his right knee. The MCL is a ligament on the inside part of the knee that adds stability and prevents excess movement. Mind you, this is the opposite knee he was having trouble with during the preseason. He could be sidelined anywhere from 2-4 weeks depending on the severity of the current sprain and how the knee that kept him out during the preseason is healing.
• News: The good news is that he didn’t completely tear his MCL as that would be a Grade III. Head Coach Pete Carroll said to reporters, “ He’s really gonna go a few days at a time here...Let’s see what happens. We’ll wait and see." Baldwin was rolled up on while he was blocking so he couldn’t prepare for the impact.
• Outlook: Going forward, the Seahawks WR corps is pretty depleted. Brandon Marshall and Tyler Lockett are solid pickups if you were lucky enough to either draft them or get them off the wire. Also, one of the surprises of Week 1 was Will Dissly who Russell Wilson could utilize for third downs and chunk plays.

Marquise Goodwin - WR San Francisco 49ers

• Injury: Goodwin suffered a quadriceps contusion, or bruise, during Week 1’s matchup with the Vikings. These can be difficult to recover from quickly, due to swelling, depending on the severity.
• News: The 49ers’ speedster missed Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday’s practices so it was looking like a toss-up whether he would play on Sunday or not. We finally got an answer when it was reported Friday afternoon that Goodwin would take Week 2 off in order for this bruise to heal.
• Outlook: With Goodwin out, expect some more targets to funnel to veteran Pierre Garcon as well as George Kittle and rookie Dante Pettis. The Detroit defense allowed the New York Jets, led by rookie Sam Darnold, to put up 48 points on Monday Night Football so there will be scoring opportunities for Jimmy G and company.

Greg Olsen - TE Carolina Panthers

• Injury: Olsen re-fractured his surgically repaired right foot in the Week 1 contest against the Cowboys. It's being reported Olsen is not considering having surgery at this time but didn't roll out having surgery after the season. Olsen once again is suffering from a Jones fracture which affects the bone on the outside of the foot, or the 5th metatarsal. Surgeries for this type of fracture are often not 100% successful as is Olson's case.
• News: The Panthers didn't place him on IR so it's clear they share Olson's hope that he may play this season. The Panthers tight end missed eight games last season and only produced one fantasy relevant game after he came back catching nine balls for 116 yards and a TD.
• Outlook: At one point, Greg Olsen started 80 games in a row but this Jones fracture has caused major problems for him these past two seasons. Now, as he likely will be out 7-9 weeks, Ian Thomas will look to fill Olsen’s big shoes. Thomas could be worth a waiver pickup considering the Panthers lack of receiving options outside of Christian McCaffrey.

Delanie Walker - TE Tennessee Titans

• Injury: Walker suffered a dislocated ankle accompanied with ligament damage and a fracture during Tennessee's Week 1 matchup against the Dolphins. I don't recommend watching the video. His ankle was rolled up on by a tackler and twisted outward.
• News: It was confirmed Monday that Walker would be out for the season after requiring ankle surgery to repair ligaments and reduce the dislocation. Walker will likely be non-weight bearing and sport a boot for weeks to come.
• Outlook: Walker's recovery will be something to monitor considering he's already 34 years old. Jonnu Smith figures to be the Titans’ pass-catching tight end for 2018. There's some appeal here as the tight end is frequently featured in the Tennessee offense. Smith definitely has talent, and if someone's you consider if you lost Walker for the year.

 
Give me a follow on Twitter at @FFAchesAilments - check back next week and all season for insight regarding fantasy's biggest injuries!

More Fantasy Football Analysis