As the first NFL injury updates for Week 2 are released, our RB injury report examines the key takeaways for fantasy football managers. Which injuries should mean managers are prepared to be without a fantasy asset, and which ones appear to be less serious?
RB injury report heading into Week 2
D’Andre Swift, DET | Ankle
Wednesday started with the seemingly innocuous news that the Detroit Lions had signed Justin Jackson to their active roster. While that initially seemed like nothing more than a depth move, it would take on a deeper meaning when D’Andre Swift was absent from practice with an ankle injury.
Swift will be a name to monitor as the week goes on. In his absence, Jamaal Williams would become a virtual must-start, especially after he took the goal-line responsibilities in Week 1. Meanwhile, Justin Jackson and Craig Reynolds are both speculative adds in deeper leagues as they could have a role in the offense if Swift misses time.
Alvin Kamara, NO | Rib
After it was revealed earlier in the week that Alvin Kamara was dealing with a rib injury during the New Orleans Saints Week 1 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, the Saints RB was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday. There is no immediate concern that Kamara could miss the game, but he appeared out of sorts in Week 1.
If this injury lingers, it could impact the ceiling for Kamara. The Saints may look to try and limit his touches and, therefore, his hits. Mark Ingram is the backup, but he was also listed on the injury report as limited with an ankle injury.
J.K. Dobbins, BAL | Knee
For the first time, J.K. Dobbins was a full participant in practice. Dobbins is coming off a knee injury suffered in the preseason last year. While he was optimistic about returning to action in Week 1, the Ravens took the cautious approach. However, based on his full participation and Jeff Zrebiec’s report of him looking “really good” and “cutting well,” we should see Dobbins suit up in Week 2.
The biggest concern with Dobbins is workload. If he is active, the Ravens may still be hesitant to give him a full workload. They signed Kenyan Drake, and they can look to lean on the veteran to help ease Dobbins back in. If the game becomes one-sided either way, we could also see Dobbins resting on the bench to avoid hits on meaningless snaps. All of this uncertainty limits his ceiling for Week 2, but it is great to see him back as a full participant already.
Leonard Fournette, TB | Hamstring
Leonard Fournette was seen limping from the field as the Buccaneers’ defeated the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. Rachaad White finished the game, but little was made of it after the game. There also did not seem to be much alarm among the Buccaneers’ beat writers on Wednesday. That would indicate that Fournette should be good to go Sunday.
However, if the game turns into a blowout, we could see Fournette resting on the bench, limiting his ceiling. At this point, he remains a must-start for the weekend, but it is something to monitor.
After Najee Harris left Sunday’s game against the Bengals in the fourth quarter, there has been nothing but good news. Despite fears of either a high-ankle sprain or a re-aggravation of his Lisfranc injury from training camp, that appears not to be the case. Early reports out of the Steelers camp were that Harris would be fine and the RB confirmed as much during his media availability on Wednesday.
Christian McCaffrey, CAR | Rest
Do not be alarmed by Christian McCaffrey’s appearance on the Carolina Panthers’ injury report in Week 2. McCaffrey received a day off as the team looks to manage him this season. Given the recent injury problem and McCaffrey’s comfort within the Panthers’ scheme, this decision makes a lot of sense. Fantasy managers will likely need to get used to seeing McCaffrey listed as “did not participate” on a Wednesday going forward.
Mark Ingram, NO | Ankle
Ingram joined fellow RB Alvin Kamara on the Saints’ injury report from Wednesday. This is frustrating for Ingram’s fantasy managers because if Kamara were to miss time, Ingram should be the beneficiary. However, while dealing with his own injuries, that could limit his touches. The other RBs on the Saints’ depth chart are Dwayne Washington and Tony Jones Jr. In an intriguing twist, Washington was also listed as limited, having missed last week with a hamstring injury.
