The Training Room: Week 1 Injury Updates

Sep 03, 2018

We are officially into Week 1 of the regular season and the injury bug has hit pretty hard for a few players with big fantasy implications. Because the NFL has gotten rid of the probable designation, most all of the players who have some sort of injury will be considered questionable. We'll do our best to try and sort things out for you to determine if a player is more on the "probable" side of questionable or if they are more on the "doubtful" side of questionable. Let's dive right in!

UPDATED 9/8/18

Player	Position	Team	Injury	Recovery Timetable	Potential Pickup	Comments
Jerick McKinnon	RB	49ers	Torn ACL	OUT FOR SEASON	Alfred Morris, Matt Breida	This one hurts. A lot of people were expecting big things from McKinnon in Kyle Shanahan's offense, but now we'll have to wait a full year to see him in an official regular season game. Alfred Morris seems to be the frontrunner for lead back duties but Matt Breida should get his opportunities as well.
Carson Wentz	QB	Eagles	ACL Reconstruction	OUT FOR WEEK 1, week to week	Nick Foles	Wentz has yet to be cleared for contact and although he's progressing well, the Thursday night opener seemed like the ultimate best case scenario. With that being said, he is still only 9 months removed from his surgery and the Eagles will do whatever it takes to make sure he's as close to 100% before putting him back on the field. They felt comfortable enough not to put him on IR, but it looks like the Eagles could sit him for at least 3 games if not more depending on when he gets the green light for contact.
J.D. McKissic	RB	Seahawks	Broken Foot	Placed on IR	Chris Carson, Rashaad Penny, C.J. Prosise	McKissic broke his foot during the preseason and the original timetable was only supposed to be 2-4 weeks. However, foot injuries are notorious for healing slowly due to poor blood supply, so the Seahawks opted to put him on the shelf in hopes that he can come back 100% when he's eligible to. This might give some better clarity for C.J. Prosise, but the backfield still remains crowded.
Greg Olsen	TE	Panthers	Strained Low Back	Questionable for Week 1 but expected to play	Ian Thomas	Olsen was a late addition to the injury report on Saturday, but the expectation is that he will play barring any setbacks. It sounds like Olsen might be playing at less than 100% on Sunday, so take that into consideration when using him. The Panthers will be cautious with him to make sure they don't lose him for any extended amount of time.
Will Fuller	WR	Texans	Strained Hamstring	Game Time Decision for Week 1	Bruce Ellington, Keke Coutee	Fuller is still dealing with a hamstring issue that he was dealing with during the preseason, which doesn't bode well for his potential availability. Because Fuller stretches the field, his hamstring will likely be a primary limiting factor if he does end up playing, so I'd continue to keep an eye on his status for Sunday. My guess is the Texans sit him out, but if he does play he'll definitely not be 100%.
Delanie Walker	TE	Titans	Sprained Toe	No Longer On Injury Report	Jonnu Smith	Walker has been taken off the injury report list and will be a full go for Week 1 against the Dolphins. Use him as you normally would be also be aware that Walker does have history of getting banged up as the season progresses.
Evan Engram	TE	Giants	Concussion	Returned to full practice	Rhett Ellison	Engram has passed through all the phases of the concussion protocol and has returned to full practice. He'll face off with a tough Jacksonville defense to start off the season.
Marlon Mack	RB	Colts	Strained Hamstring	Limited practice participant, likely a game time decision	Jordan Wilkins, Nyheim Hines	Mack was able to practice both Thursday and Friday, which is a step in the right direction for his availability Sunday. However, he'll still need to go through pre-game warmups to ensure no setback or increased discomfort. He's a risky play as the Colts will likely be cautious with him so I'd potentially look at your other options available.
Elijah McGuire	RB	Jets	Broken Foot	Placed on IR	Bilal Powell, Isaiah Crowell	Like McKissic, McGuire also broke his foot during the preseason and will be sidelined until at least midseason. I'm liking Powell's chance of being utilized more due to his pass catching ability and overall usage compared to Crowell so if he's still available try and snatch him up!
Josh Gordon	WR	Browns	Strained Hamstring	Limited practice, day to day	Jarvis Landry, Antonio Callaway	Although Gordon states that he is 100%, the Browns are possibly putting him on a pitch count to reduce the likelihood of a re-aggravation and potentially losing him for more games. Gordon is also not expected to start so he could be a lower tiered option if you have him on your roster.
Jay Ajayi	RB	Eagles	Sprained Foot	Practiced in Full	Corey Clement	Ajayi has been practicing with no restrictions and is a full go to open up the season against the Falcons.
Sony Michel	RB	Patriots	Sprained Knee	Questionable for Week 1	Rex Burkhead, James White	Let the Patriot games begin. Michel has been practicing in limited fashion, but there is still no clear indication if he'll play this weekend or not. He's looking to be a game time decision in addition to Rex Burkhead, which is not ideal if you have either of them.
Saquon Barkley	RB	Giants	Strained Hamstring	Not listed on injury report	Jonathan Stewart	Barkley looks to be 100% recovered from his hamstring issue that he sustained in the preseason. He'll face a tough defense to start the season but he's a must start.
Tyrell Williams	WR	Chargers	Sprained Foot	Not listed on injury report	Mike Williams	Williams seems to be over his foot issue and will be starting opposite Keenan Allen this Sunday against the Chiefs
Austin Sefarian-Jenkins	TE	Jaguars	Core Muscle Injury	Practiced in full Friday, expected to play Week 1	Niles Paul	ASJ missed practice earlier in the week but returned on Friday which means he should be out on the field against the Giants on Sunday. I'd keep tabs on his status moving forward though as core muscle injuries have a tendency to hang around, especially for the position that he plays.
Ed Dickson	TE	Seahawks	Strained Quad	Put on Reserve/NFI list	Nick Vannett	Dickson was set to return to practice this week after dealing with a quad strain, but it looks like that plan is going to be placed on hold. There hasn't been any specifics as to why he was put on the reserve/NFI list, but he'll miss 6 games now.

Injuries

The Training Room: Week 1 Injury Updates

BETSPERTS MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY GROUP