Week 1 Preseason – NFL Fantasy Football Injuries and Suspensions
The first week of the NFL Preseason has come to a close; here are some takeaways you can use before your other league members know what hit them. Keep in mind that even though some of these players are injured, it is still the preseason and you shouldn’t be overly worried if you drafted already. It is always better to know where the health of your team is at, rather than finding out Sunday morning at 10:01 AM when you cant substitute the player out.
QB Injuries
Geno Smith NYJ
Although his jaw is broken and will be out for 6-10 weeks, he was in a good enough mood to take to Instagram and post a photo with the caption, “ILL BE BACK!” He seemed to feel better since he was spotted playing catch right after having surgery, but Jets head coach Todd Bowles didn’t like this at all. Having Ryan Fitzpatrick as the starter won’t affect the fantasy value of any other Jets players, including Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker. We’ve seen Marshall have success with Orton, McCown, Henne, Cutler and even Matt Moore.
Tom Brady NE
The name that people can’t stop talking about. In terms of fantasy, he is still a dynamic player that has a lot to choose from, ranging from Gronk to Edelman. Suspended until Week 6 (Patriots have a Week 4 Bye), pairing him with a low-end QB1 or high-end QB2 is a solid draft strategy.
WR Injuries
Dez Bryant DAL
Even though he was sidelined during their first game for a hamstring injury, head coach Jason Garrett declined to state when he will return to practice. We do know Dez will miss the second preseason game, but the injury is likely not serious and he should be ready to go for the regular season opener.
Alshon Jeffery CHI
This dominant wide out from last season has a day-to-day injury with his calf. He will be 100% when the real deal comes around on the contrary. It isn’t a long-term injury according to Bears GM Ryan Pace.
Kevin White CHI
The Bears had big hopes for this rookie who was supposed to be Brandon Marshall’s replacement. Kevin White is going to have surgery to repair a stress fracture in his shin and there is speculation he will miss the entire season. He will start the season on the PUP list and miss the first six weeks. There have been sleeper reports of Eddie Royal emerging, and the news to White and Jeffery only increase Royal’s value.
DeSean Jackson WAS
Although he is fitting in great in Washington, he sprained his AC joint and will be sidelined for the next 1-2 weeks. He will be ready for the season opener against the Miami Dolphins.
Other notable wide receiver injuries:
- Brandon LaFell NE – foot, day-to-day
- Julian Edelman NE – Day-to-day
- Victor Cruz NYG – Knee, questionable for Week 1
- Michael Floyd ARI – Dislocated fingers, hopeful for Week 1
- Dwayne Bowe KC – Hamstring, week-to-week
- Breshad Perriman BAL – Strained tendon, day-to-day
RB Injuries
Le’Veon Bell PIT
Bell is going to miss two games due to his suspension, however he will likely be a Top 3 fantasy RB for Week 3-16. He deserves a Top 4 draft pick in all formats.
C.J. Anderson DEN
This injury is more recent, entering camp as the top back, Saturday morning he was hit with a “shoulder bang” and left practice. Although it looked bad, he is day-to-day and Gary Kubiak said that Anderson wanted to come back after his initial evaluation, but to play it safe and make sure it won’t resurface, he gave him the rest of the day off.
Joique Bell DET
Due to the injuries and amazing depth at Detroit’s RB position, Joique Bell’s stock is steadily dropping. He is day-to-day with a knee and Achilles problem. He has been improving his side work and should be back to 100% by Week 1 kicks off.
C.J. Spiller NO
Even though Mark Ingram is the starting running back on the Saints, Slipper is looking to carve out a major role and replace the pass-catching roles Reggie Bush, Darren Sproles and Pierre Thomas played previously. Spiller’s injury is nothing to trifle with. He had arthroscopic knee surgery on Friday. After looking at the results, the organization determined that he was done for the preseason. Although this sounds bad for his fantasy stock now, when regular season comes around he should be that solid back again.
Todd Gurley STL
You can’t spell “ACL” without Rams. First it was Sam Bradford with the ACL and now their starting back has an ACL injury. He is running on the sideline but needs to strengthen his quadriceps muscles around his knee. This is leading the team to believe that he is going to miss the first couple games of the season. After that, we can expect Gurley will be eased into the lineup and that’s why he needs to be handcuffed with Tre Mason if drafted.
Devonta Freeman, Tevin Coleman and Antone Smith ATL
These two players are the heart and sole of the running back core in Atlanta, For Freeman it’s believed that his injury isn’t as serious as they initially thought. He is listed now as week-to-week. On the other hand, we have Tevin Coleman, his hamstring isn’t as easy as Freeman’s. Coleman will be back in a minimum of two weeks. And now that Antone Smith injured his hamstring during preseason, Terron Ward is the starting back for now.
Other notable Running backs with an injury are:
- Fred Jackson BUF – Hamstring, to miss “couple weeks”
- Arian Foster HOU – Groin surgery, to return “no later than second half of the season”
- LeGarrette Blount NE – Suspended one game, minor knee injury, has returned to team drills
TE Injuries
Zach Ertz PHI
This third year TE made a note worthy leap in his career last season. He had groin surgery and could be ready to go for the regular season opener.
Julius Thomas JAC
Orange, I mean Teal Julius’ injury isn’t as bad as a lot of people made it seem. It is a “stable fracture” on the back of his hand. Head coach Gus Bradley says he hopes to have his new TE back on the field for Week 1.
Larry Donnell NYG
This sleeper TE has been battling an Achilles tendon problem and has yet to practice with the team. Expect his TE12 ranking to take a plunge if this injury lingers.
Jordan Reed WAS
Reed has a hamstring injury that he is dealing with and hopes to play in the next preseason game. He’s listed as day-to-day for now.
Other notable tight ends that will miss time:
- Antonio Gates – Suspension, to return Week 5
- Jace Amaro – Shoulder sprain, week-to-week
- Logan Paulsen – Turf toe, out for season
It’s best to have your league’s draft date close to the Week 1 season opener, but regardless of the draft date, make sure you stay up on your injury and suspension news before drafting a player.
Top banner photo credit: Eltiempo10
