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The Week 3 NFL slate is near, meaning it's time to check in on the official game designations for players that will affect start-or-sit decisions in fantasy football. It's early in the season, and fantasy managers need to make it a habit to keep up with the latest injury headlines. Our injury updates and reports for Week 3 as of Friday, September 22, 2023, will give you the latest updates on key guys.
As always, some players have more "real" risk of missing Week 3 than others, but things change quickly, so it's important to stay up to date. Odell Beckham Jr., Aaron Jones, Bryce Young, Anthony Richardson, and more and more are all in danger of missing Week 3. Fantasy managers should be ready to pivot should things go south.
To keep close tabs on all of the news across the NFL, make sure to favorite or bookmark the fantasy football player news page, or download the free RotoBaller fantasy football mobile app with push notification alerts on all the latest news. Let's look at the updates for some top fantasy assets at all positions and see whether they may play in Week 3.
Be sure to also check our other Week 14 fantasy football waiver wire pickups articles:- Running Back Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 14
- Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 14
- Tight End Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 14
- Quarterback Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 14
Odell Beckham Jr. Injury Update
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (ankle) has officially been ruled out for the Week 3 matchup against the Colts. Originally, the team believed that this injury wasn't going to cause the veteran wideout to miss any time. He was unable to practice at all this week which led up to ruling him out altogether.
Beckham has yet to make his presence felt with this receiving corps as he only has five catches for 66 yards through two games. While he's on the sidelines, Nelson Agholor, who posted a solid game in Week 2, will see more opportunities. Agholor is still just a deeper league, low-end flex option as Mark Andrews and Zay Flowers will likely see their value increase even more.
Aaron Jones Injury Update
Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones (hamstring) is being listed as questionable to play in Week 3 on Sunday at home against the visiting New Orleans Saints. Jones didn't practice all of last week and was inactive in the Week 2 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. He missed practice on Wednesday but was able to return to a limited session on Thursday, which gives him a chance to play this weekend.
The 28-year-old could be a true game-time decision, so fantasy managers will need to check back Sunday morning before finalizing their weekly lineups. Jones is trending as a shaky RB3/flex in Week 3 because of his hammy injury, but if he's active, it's hard to recommend sitting him after he went for 41 yards and a touchdown on nine carries on the ground while adding two catches for 86 yards and another score through the air in the season opener. If he sits again, AJ Dillon will get another crack as the lead back.
Bryce Young Injury Update
Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Bryce Young (ankle) has officially been ruled out for the Week 3 game on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks, and there's a chance he could also be sidelined next week. Veteran backup Andy Dalton will make his first start for the Panthers in a hostile environment on the road in Seattle, so fantasy managers shouldn't expect much from the offense in this one. At best, Dalton will be on the fantasy radar as a low-end QB2 option for those in superflex leagues.
Jake Luton is expected to be called up from the practice squad to serve as Dalton's backup on Sunday. The Panthers could go with a more run-heavy game script with Young not playing, which would be good news for RBs Miles Sanders and Chuba Hubbard.
Anthony Richardson Injury Update
Indianapolis Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson (concussion) has officially been ruled out for the Week 3 game on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens due to a concussion that he sustained in the Week 2 win over the Houston Texans. With Richardson sidelined, veteran Gardner Minshew will make his first start in a Colts uniform on the road in Baltimore. The 21-year-old Richardson had two rushing scores and was well on his way to a big game last week before he became concussed.
He remains in the league's concussion protocol and it remains to be seen if he'll be cleared in time to play in Week 4 at home against the Los Angeles Rams. Minshew will be in play as a low-end QB2 option for those in leagues that start two quarterbacks.
Amari Cooper Injury Update
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper (groin, shoulder) has officially been removed from the injury report after logging back-to-back limited practices on Thursday and Friday. He'll remain the go-to option for Deshaun Watson and could even see more action than before since the run game took a hit after Nick Chubb (knee) went down for the season.
Cooper can be deployed into lineups as a high-level WR2 as he played 62% and 72% of the team's snaps in the first two games respectively. He's already seen 17 targets and should see plenty more in this contest against the Titans.
DeAndre Hopkins Injury Update
Tennessee Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (ankle) has been listed on the injury report as questionable heading into their Week 3 matchup against the Cleveland Browns. The veteran wideout went in the wrong direction this week as he went from full participant on Wednesday to a DNP on Friday.
The good thing to note is that he didn't practice last week either and ended up on the field for kickoff. Fantasy managers will want to monitor his status, but if he does suit up, then he should be considered a lower-level WR3.
Amon-Ra St. Brown Injury Update
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (toe) is officially questionable to face the Atlanta Falcons in Week 3. While it's worrisome that he carries an injury designation into Sunday, the belief is he is more "probable" than "doubtful". Assuming he plays, fantasy managers should lock him into lineups, even at the risk of the toe injury holding him back.
He was overall WR1 upside in most matchups. If Josh Reynolds (groin) doesn't play, he could see an absurd number of targets.
Christian Watson Injury Update
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson (hamstring) has drawn a questionable tag for the Week 3 game on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. Watson has been held out of the first two games of the year, but he practiced on Wednesday and Friday this week while being rested on Thursday.
The 24-year-old second-year pass-catcher could end up being a game-time decision, so fantasy managers will need to check back on Sunday morning before deciding whether to plug him into their lineups. Watson is expected to be quarterback Jordan Love's top target this year when healthy, but he'll be a risky flex play for fantasy managers if he makes his debut on Sunday because of the fact that he could be eased into the offense with a hamstring injury that has been bothering him since late in training camp.
David Montgomery Injury Update
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (thigh) is listed as doubtful to face the Atlanta Falcons in Week 3. The former Chicago Bear has been effective for Detroit so far, scoring two touchdowns in two games. However, he looks unlikely to play in this contest.
Assuming he's out, rookie Jahmyr Gibbs becomes a virtual must-start in a game in which he should see his biggest workload to date.
Jamaal Williams Injury Update
New Orleans Saints running back Jamaal Williams (hamstring) has been ruled out for the Week 3 game against the Green Bay Packers. With the veteran back sidelined for this contest, rookie Kendre Miller and backup Tony Jones Jr. look to split the backfield work.
The Saints haven't been able to get much going on the ground so far this year, as Williams has only posted 74 yards on 27 carries. Both Miller and Jones are hard to trust in this offense and shouldn't be on the fantasy radar unless for those managers who might be in desperate need of backfield help.
Jakobi Meyers Injury Update
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels said that wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (concussion) is good to go to play in the Week 3 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the team's home opener on Sunday Night Football. Meyers was able to clear the league's concussion protocol and returned to a full practice on Thursday, setting the stage for him to return after missing the Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
The 26-year-old made a nice impression in his debut for the Raiders in the season opener, catching nine of his 10 targets for 81 yards and two touchdowns before suffering a concussion. He'll return to the No. 2 role behind Davante Adams against Pittsburgh and is back on the fantasy radar as a WR4/flex option for managers this weekend.
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