Fantasy Football Injury Report (Week 7)

Every Monday during the NFL season, the Injury Report goes through the injuries around the NFL position-by-position as they relate to your season-long fantasy football teams. 

Friday Update

Colts running backs Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines are on track to play in Week 7. This takes last week’s RB1 Deon Jackson out of play. 

Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins missed practice for the third straight day Friday. Kenyan Drake was the back who stepped up for Baltimore last week, but Justice Hill is also there, and Gus Edwards could be activated Sunday. The urge to use Drake based on his success last week is understandable, but he’s not exactly a lock to lead this backfield in touches again. 

Lions wide receiver Josh Reynolds was at practice Friday while D.J. Chark missed practice once again. Chark was also seen in a walking boot, and there’s beat writer speculation that he’ll miss multiple games. With Chark out, and until rookie Jameson Williams debuts, Reynolds is the lone downfield receiver in Detroit and has trust and chemistry with quarterback Jared Goff going back to their days in Los Angeles. It’s totally safe to use Reynolds in your lineups with Chark out. 

Buccaneers tight end Cameron Brate was ruled out for Week 7. This puts rookie Cade Otton on the radar as a tight end streamer. He caught six of seven targets for 43 yards filling in for Brate in Week 5. Given Tampa Bay’s pass-heavy offense, Otton could be in line for a decent number of targets once again. 

Original Injury Run

Quarterback

Washington quarterback Carson Wentz suffered a fractured finger on his throwing hand in the Thursday night win over the Bears. His availability moving forward is up in the air, according to Ian Rapoport. Taylor Heinicke or rookie Sam Howell would take over if Wentz misses time. 

Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett is in the concussion protocol after leaving Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers with a head injury. Expect Mitch Trubisky to get the start for Pittsburgh in Week 7. 

Running Back

Colts running back Deon Jackson is RB1 on the week going into Monday Night Football. He left Sunday’s game with a quad injury, but tweeted after the win that he’s “all good.” Jackson’s value is entirely tied to the availability of Jonathan Taylor, who wasn’t able to suit up against the Jaguars. We’ll be monitoring the health of both these backs for the rest of the week.

Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins had his knee tighten up, which is why he didn’t play in the second half against the Giants. Coach John Harbaugh said it could have been the turf, as the field at MetLife Stadium appeared to be in rough shape Sunday. This doesn’t seem to be good news for Dobbins, who will be difficult to trust going forward after playing only 27% of snaps and receiving only seven touches (all carries, zero targets). Further complicating matters is the impending return of Gus Edwards, which will happen either this week or next week, and the fact that the Ravens play on Thursday Night Football in Week 8. That’ll be a quick turnaround for Dobbins and his tight knee. 

Wide Receiver

Cardinals wide receiver Marquise Brown suffered a potentially season-ending foot injury, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Arizona also traded for former Panthers wide receiver Robbie Anderson, which seems to confirm the extent of Brown’s injury. DeAndre Hopkins is set to return this week, but the Brown injury still gives Anderson a pulse in fantasy, while Rondale Moore will also benefit from those vacated targets going forward. 

Tight End

There was a scary scene in the Buccaneers game as tight end Cameron Brate went down with a neck injury and had to leave the game on a backboard. Brate went home on the team flight and was in good spirits after the game, according to Ian Rapoport. Still, this is the second week in a row that Brate is leaving the game with either a head or neck injury. If Brate is ruled out for Week 7, Cade Otton should be added in all leagues. Otton caught 6-of-7 targets for 43 yards against Atlanta the first time Brate got hurt this year. 

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