The Week 3 RB injury report has some high-profile names on it following the release of the NFL’s first injury updates of the week. Let’s take a look at which players have landed on the NFL injury report and what those injury updates mean for fantasy football managers heading into Week 3 of the 2022 season.
RB injury report heading into Week 3
D’Andre Swift, DET | Ankle (Non-participant)
D’Andre Swift once again starts the week absent from practice. This should be no real surprise given that he missed two days of practice last week. Swift was still able to play a sizeable role for the Detroit Lions on game day, but his 51 percent snap share was a drop of 16 percent from Week 1.
In Week 2, Detroit’s top running back was able to post a 14.7 fantasy point return in non-PPR formats despite the limited snap count. That production was thanks to two huge plays — a 50-yard run and a 22-yard touchdown reception. The expectation at this point is that Swift will be active again in Week 3 and should be good to start in your fantasy lineups.
Alvin Kamara, NO | Ribs (Limited)
After Alvin Kamara missed Week 2 for the New Orleans Saints, he returned to the practice field on Wednesday in a limited capacity. The general feeling is that the Saints were just being extra cautious by not playing Kamara last Sunday. His return to practice is another positive sign that he should be active in Week 3.
If Kamara is back on the field this week, then he is a player that you should certainly consider plugging straight back into your starting lineup. He might not be back to 100 percent this week, but he is still a valuable commodity in a divisional matchup with the Carolina Panthers.
James Conner, ARI | Ankle (Limited)
Ahead of practice on Wednesday, head coach Kliff Kingsbury described James Conner as being day-to-day. After Conner hurt his ankle in Week 2, he remained on the sidelines rather than heading to the locker room. That is a good indication that Conner’s injury was not considered serious. If he suits up this week, Conner remains a solid starting RB2 option but likely needs to find the end zone to really provide value.
However, if Conner misses the game, then Darrel Williams could be an intriguing Flex play in 14-team leagues. Eno Benjamin has value in 16-team leagues, regardless of the status of Conner.
Leonard Fournette, TB | Hamstring (Limited)
Despite being limited all last week, Leonard Fournette played and saw a full workload against the Saints, so there’s no reason to sound the alarm bells with him listed as limited on the Buccaneers’ opening injury report of the week. Fournette is a player we can expect to see Tampa Bay manage during practice in order to ensure he can handle a full complement of snaps on game days.
Assuming he starts again, Fournette remains a must-start for fantasy managers. David Montgomery and Dalvin Cook both had good days against the Green Bay Packers’ run defense. Additionally, with the Buccaneers struggling for healthy options at WR, Fournette could be heavily leaned upon in this contest. If he were to miss time, Rachaad White would be an intriguing 12-team Flex play as the presumptive starter.
J.K. Dobbins, BAL | Knee (Full)
J.K. Dobbins was once again a full participant in practice for the Baltimore Ravens. This marks four practices in a row he has been a full participant. However, the Ravens still held him out of Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins. The hope for fantasy managers is that this will be the week he returns to action. However, given how cautious the Ravens have been, there is no guarantee that Dobbins will play a significant role.
If Dobbins is out again, there is seemingly no fantasy value to be found in this backfield. Kenyan Drake, Mike Davis, and Justice Hill have all struggled to produce over the first two weeks.
Dontrell Hilliard, TEN | Hamstring (Limited)
After missing Week 3, Dontrell Hilliard was listed as a projected limited participant on the Titans’ injury report. This first report was just an estimation, as the Titans held a walkthrough to open the week. Hilliard is a player to watch going forward, as his pass-catching role behind Derrick Henry could provide valuable PPR upside in deeper fantasy leagues.
