What does the WR injury report for Week 8 look like for fantasy football managers after NFL teams released their first injury updates of the week? Let’s take a look through the notable names from the Week 8 Wednesday NFL injury reports, which include the likes of Deebo Samuel, Jaylen Waddle, Amon-Ra St. Brown, DK Metcalf, Allen Lazard, and others.
WR Injury Report Heading into Week 8
Note that practice status listings are as follows: DNP – did not participate, LP – limited participant, FP – full participant.
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Deebo Samuel, SF | Hamstring (DNP)
Perhaps the most surprising name among the WRs on the Week 8 injury reports is San Francisco 49ers WR Deebo Samuel. Dealing with a hamstring injury had Samuel absent altogether from practice, putting his status for Sunday up in the air.
When asked about Samuel’s hamstring, head coach Kyle Shanahan answered, “making progress.” That does not give us much insight into Samuel’s chance to play in Week 8. He will be a name to watch on the injury report Thursday and Friday.
If Samuel does not play, there is not really a like-for-like replacement on the roster. From a fantasy perspective, the biggest winners in terms of opportunities should be Christian McCaffrey, Jeff Wilson, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle. Those four should share the bulk of the carries and targets that would have gone the way of Samuel.
Jaylen Waddle, MIA | Shoulder (LP)
Jaylen Waddle enters Week 8 limited with the same shoulder injury that saw him limited all last week. Despite being limited in practice, Waddle saw no significant playing time decrease. He finished with 88 yards on four receptions from five targets.
Assuming he plays, he remains a solid starting WR. The biggest risk is really that he aggravates the injury in-game and is removed because of it. If he did miss the game, Trent Sherfield would likely be the main replacement.
However, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel also talked about an increase in chances for Cedrick Wilson. Sherfield would be a deep league boom-bust play if Waddle misses time.
Amon-Ra St. Brown, DET | Concussion (LP)
We saw Amon-Ra St. Brown leave the game Sunday under the flag of the concussion protocol. However, he was never actually diagnosed with a concussion, instead being removed for showing signs of ataxia (poor muscle control).
Therefore, we should see St. Brown able to progress through the protocol and play Sunday, barring a setback. He was listed as limited on Wednesday, which is a good sign he is on the path to playing this week.
Josh Reynolds, DET | Knee (DNP)
Unfortunately, Josh Reynolds was once again a non-participant on Wednesday. Reynolds has been dealing with this knee injury for a few weeks but has yet to miss a game. If he is absent or limited, Kalif Raymond would likely be his replacement.
Reynolds is a 14-team Flex consideration if he plays. Meanwhile, Raymond would be a 16-team Flex consideration if Reynolds does not.
DK Metcalf, SEA | Knee (DNP)
DK Metcalf did not participate as the Seahawks opened practice for Week 8. However, he was present for the team’s walkthrough, and head coach Pete Carroll said it was unclear about Metcalf’s status for this week.
It seems likely we will not see Metcalf this week, but the fact he was at the walkthrough means we cannot rule it out. If he plays, the risk of re-injury will be high. making him a risky option.
Assuming he misses the game, Marquise Goodwin is an intriguing boom-bust play in 16-team leagues after catching two touchdowns last week.
Allen Lazard, GB | Shoulder (DNP)
We saw Allen Lazard leave the game Sunday against the Washington Commanders with a shoulder injury. He never returned despite being listed as questionable. This early non-participation this week does not shine a huge light on his status. The phrasing of “we’ll see” from Matt LaFleur means Lazard is a player worth watching this week.
Sammy Watkins, GB | Hamstring (LP)
Sammy Watkins is also listed again with his hamstring injury. It is not clear if this is a lingering issue from his IR stint or if he re-aggravated the injury upon his return. La Fleur did not address the injury in his media availability, so the former is the most likely. Watkins could see considerable playing time alongside rookie WR Romeo Doubs if Lazard is out.
Christian Watson, GB | Hamstring (LP)
The good news for the Packers is that Christian Watson was able to practice after missing three of the last five games with a hamstring injury. Given that just two weeks ago, Matt LaFleur was discussing how they had considered putting Watson on the IR, this is an intriguing turnaround.
MORE: Week 8 Fantasy IR Updates
With the Packers potentially short for options at WR this week, we could see Watson have significant playing time if active. Expectations are that both Romeo Doubs and Sammy Watkins will see the most playing time, but Watson could have deeper league value playing in the third WR role.
Michael Thomas, NO | Toe (DNP)
The situation surrounding Michael Thomas on Wednesday was somewhat confusing. As he continues to battle back from his toe injury, Thomas was seen at practice in helmets and pads prior to team stretches but then left. In his media availability, New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen told reporters that Thomas is “improving and getting better.”
The fact Thomas was at practice is a positive step. The fact he didn’t participate in stretches is more confusing. Therefore, the practice report over the coming days will be intriguing to watch. If Thomas can practice in some capacity later in the week, then he will have a chance to suit up in Week 8.
If Thomas does not play, Marquez Callaway should continue to see snaps on the outside. He is a deep league boom-bust type fantasy option, although the matchup this week with the Las Vegas Raiders is intriguing.
Jarvis Landry, NO | Ankle (DNP)
Jarvis Landry also remains absent from practice and seems unlikely to play this week. Tre’Quan Smith should start in his place and is in intriguing 14-team Flex consideration in a matchup against a Raiders defense that has struggled against the pass this year.
Jahan Dotson, WAS | Hamstring (DNP)
After Jahan Dotson seemingly aggravated his hamstring in practice last Thursday, he is an unsurprising non-participant to open Week 8. Dotson has now missed the last three games and would seem on track to miss a fourth. If he is able to practice later this week, then it opens the chance of him playing Sunday against the Colts.
One bit of good news for the Washington Commanders is that Dyami Brown was able to practice Wednesday. He saw an expanded role in Weeks 4 and 5 when Dotson first had his injury. In Week 5, Brown had a two-touchdown game against the Tennessee Titans. If Dotson is out and Brown plays, he would be a deep league boom-bust play for fantasy managers.
It is frustrating to see Noah Brown on the Cowboys’ injury report as a non-participant. Brown has been a surprising contributor for fantasy managers this year. However, his outputs have been inconsistent over recent weeks, with Michael Gallup working his way back in.
MORE: Week 8 RB Injury Update
In some ways, it might actually be beneficial for fantasy managers if he is out because deciding whether to start him is a major headache. In the past four weeks, he had had games with 64, 50, 10, and five yards. The range of fantasy outputs between those games is wide, and the targets have varied from two to seven.
With Brown out, we could see more playing time for Jalen Tolbert or KaVontae Turpin. However, neither would carry significant fantasy value in Week 8 simply because it is unclear who would get the most playing time. Turpin’s playmaking abilities make him the more intriguing boom-bust option in deeper leagues.
Nico Collins, HOU | Groin (DNP)
There is more frustration for fantasy managers who drafted Nico Collins. After flashing his potential as an asset during the first six games of the year, he is a non-participant to open practice in week 8.
The injury could lead to an extended spell on the sidelines. If that is the case, it will be hard to stash him in 12 or 14-team leagues when his upside has been limited so far in his career. If he misses time, then Phillip Dorsett and Chris Moore would see the biggest bump. However, they would be deep-league boom-bust type plays.
Nelson Agholor, NE | Hamstring (LP) and Kendrick Bourne, NE | Toe (LP)
The emergence of Tyquan Thornton and the usage of DeVante Parker have somewhat rendered this pairing borderline irrelevant for fantasy managers. It is worth noting just simply because if one or both is out, it could funnel more opportunities to Meyers or Thornton in Week 8.
