Fantasy Football Injury Report (Week 1)

Every Monday during the NFL season, the Injury Report goes through injuries around the NFL position-by-position as they relate to your season-long fantasy football teams. We will circle back late in the week with a late-week update chronicling what has changed.

Friday Update

This will be a short update as there were only a few injury situations this week. J.K. Dobbins practiced in a limited capacity Friday and is listed as questionable. He can’t be trusted to have a full workload this week even if he suits up — if he doesn’t, Mike Davis would be the back to have for this week against the Jets. 

Chris Godwin had his knee brace removed earlier this week, but Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said Friday the decision if he plays or not will come “right up to game time.” That’s not what you want in Week 1, as the Buccaneers play Sunday night, but it bodes well for Godwin’s chances of playing sometime this month. It seems likely that he’ll have his snaps and touches limited whenever he returns. 

Michael Thomas is questionable with a hamstring injury for the Saints. Head coach Dennis Allen said Friday that he was “trending in the right direction.” Thomas basically hasn’t played in two years. Your guess is as good as mine on this one. 

On Drake London, the decision will come Saturday. He’s practiced every day this week, though, and Falcons head coach Arthur Smith said he’s progressing. 

In the open part of Cardinals practice Friday, Zach Ertz was on the field and Rondale Moore wasn’t. That’s a complete turnaround from where we were earlier in the week with Ertz getting back on the field in recent days and Moore injuring his hamstring in practice Thursday. Seems like Moore is out, and Ertz is in.

Original Injury Breakdown

Quarterback

None – Rams head coach Sean McVay said quarterback Matthew Stafford had “no limitations” in practice in the leadup to Thursday night’s game with the Bills, according to Jourdan Rodrigue of the Athletic. Stafford was limited by his throwing elbow during the offseason but seems past that issue now. McVay even added that he wouldn’t hesitate to ask Stafford to throw the ball 50 times this week if needed. Stafford is poised to repeat as a top-12 fantasy quarterback in his second season in Los Angeles. 

While nothing is official with the New York Jets, “all signs” point to Joe Flacco starting in Week 1, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post. Zach Wilson had surgery to repair a torn meniscus, and while he’s still yet to be ruled out this week, it’s unlikely that he’ll draw the start at this point. His timetable to return to the field will depend on his availability and the play of Flacco. 

Running Backs

J.K. Dobbins, Baltimore Ravens – Dobbins was activated from the PUP list in early August, but there hasn’t been much good news on him since then. There were reports that he wasn’t taking part in team drills and speculation Mike Davis could lead the team in carries early in the season. The Ravens also brought in Kenyan Drake after he was cut by the Raiders. Most recently, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network said that Dobbins’ status for Week 1 is certainly in doubt. That’s not what you want to hear if you drafted Dobbins. Managers who drafted the Baltimore RB will have to check back later in the week to see how he practiced before his availability is determined. 

Wide Receivers

Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Godwin is recovering from a torn ACL and MCL. He didn’t participate in the preseason, and Tampa Bay added Russell Gage and Julio Jones this offseason. Check back on Godwin’s status in the Friday update, as he’s no lock to play Week 1. Even if he practices and is available this week, it’s unlikely that he wouldn’t be limited to a snap count. 

Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals – Higgins underwent shoulder surgery in March to repair a torn labrum. He returned to team drills at practice in mid-August, but he missed practice last week. Higgins should be fine, but we need to see him practice this week. 

Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints – Thomas has missed almost the entire last two seasons. Now he’s dealing with a hamstring injury, but it’d be a surprise if he didn’t play, according to Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com. 

Drake London, Atlanta Falcons – London suffered a knee injury during the preseason opener and hasn’t done anything on the field since. Falcons head coach Arthur Smith told reporters he “feels good about where he’s at.” Well, that makes one of us. Seriously, is anyone buying this? It feels like the next update is going to be London seen entering the locker room on crutches. Check back on Friday and we’ll see if he hits the practice field this week, but I would be stunned if he plays on Sunday. 

Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers – Samuel missed practice last week with a bone bruise. He doesn’t seem to be in danger of missing Week 1, but check back on Friday to make sure he practiced this week. 

Michael Gallup, Dallas Cowboys – Gallup is recovering from a torn ACL. While he will be inactive this week, he avoided the PUP list and will see the field at some point in the first month of the season. As FTN’s Vlad Sedler tweeted last week, you’re probably too low on Gallup. 

Van Jefferson, Los Angeles Rams – Jefferson had knee surgery this offseason. Ian Rapoport mentioned the possibility of him playing this week, but also noted that Sean McVay said they’re taking it a day at a time. Jefferson is more of a DFS dart throw than someone you’re counting on for points in the first week of season-long formats. If he’s active on Thursday, I’d expect him to be limited on a snap count. 

Rondale Moore, Arizona Cardinals – Moore has an undisclosed injury that kept him off the field this preseason. Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury mentioned he’d like to see something out of a handful of players early this week that shows they’re on pace to play, and Moore was one of them. We simply have to check back on Friday and see how much Moore practiced this week, if at all. He could be in line for more work if healthy, as the Cardinals offense lost Chase Edmonds and Christian Kirk to free agency and DeAndre Hopkins is suspended for the first six weeks of the season. 

Tight Ends

Zach Ertz, Arizona Cardinals – Ertz was another player Kingsbury mentioned as wanting to see practice early this week. Ertz is dealing with a calf injury. This is bad timing for Ertz, as he did almost all of his damage last year while Hopkins was out in the second half of the season. With Hopkins missing the first six games, it’s paramount for Ertz’s value that he’s on the field for the first six games. 

Be sure to check back for the Friday update and hit us up in the FTN Fantasy Football Discord with any additional injury questions.