We are now entering the sixth week of the 2022 NFL season, and daily practice reports are becoming longer and longer as injury updates pour in. New England Patriots running back Damien Harris left last week’s game with a hamstring injury. What is the latest on Harris’ status, and should fantasy football managers prepare to be without him in Week 6?
Damien Harris Injury Update
Very early in the Patriots’ 29-0 demolition of the Detroit Lions, Harris exited the game with a hamstring injury. He played all of six snaps before departing.
Hamstring strains are notoriously tricky. The fact that the Patriots didn’t even play the “questionable to return” game and just ruled him out was the first bad sign. Then, on Tuesday morning, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Harris is likely to miss multiple games.
MORE: Early Fantasy Football Start/Sit Week 6
Naturally, I’m sure we all expected to see Harris absent from Wednesday’s practice. Surprisingly, that’s not what happened. Harris was able to get in a limited practice, which raised a few eyebrows, to say the least.
With that said, Patriots practice reports must be taken with a grain of salt. Two weeks ago, Mac Jones sprained his ankle and was expected to miss 4-6 weeks. Last week, he was listed as limited at practice despite it being fairly clear that he wasn’t going to play.
Similarly, Jakobi Meyers got in limited practices ahead of both Weeks 3 and 4 but didn’t play in either game. This is just the Patriot way. We don’t actually know what “limited” means.
Rhamondre Stevenson Dominated This Backfield in Harris’ Absence
One thing fantasy managers can count on is Rhamondre Stevenson as an RB1 for however long Harris is out.
Last week, Stevenson played 90% of the offensive snaps. He carried the ball 25 times for 161 yards. Stevenson was a true workhorse.
While the plan certainly won’t be to play Stevenson that much, it’s a near certainty his usage will increase without Harris in the lineup. Fantasy managers should view him as a must-start regardless of Harris’ status, but can raise their expectations considerably if Harris can’t go.
Will Damien Harris Play in Week 5 vs. the Browns?
If you asked me on Tuesday, I would’ve said no shot, he’s 100% out. Today, I still don’t think he’s playing, but the limited practice does give me a little bit of pause.
It’s entirely possible, if not likely, that Harris ends up registering limited practices all three days this week. The team could still rule him out on Friday. They could also opt for gamesmanship, list him questionable, and take this all the way to Sunday morning.
At this point, all fantasy managers can do is wait and see what happens at the Patriots’ next two practices. Be prepared for two more limited sessions and a cloud of uncertainty. Be sure to track what beat reporters are saying, as they can provide more insight than a label on a practice report.
As for my guess, I believe Pelissero’s initial reporting will prove to be correct, and Harris will end up missing multiple games. Fantasy managers should plan to find a replacement for Harris in Week 6.
