The RB injury report for Week 9 might have some fantasy football managers panicking as they look ahead to the weekend. With six teams on a bye, seeing the likes of Jonathan Taylor, D’Andre Swift, and Derrick Henry all listed could have managers concerned.
Let’s take a look at the latest NFL injury updates for those three fantasy options and examine the progress of Cordarelle Patterson, Chuba Hubbard, and James Conner heading into Week 9.
RB Injury Report Heading Into Week 9
Please note that practice status listings are as follows: DNP – did not participate, LP – limited participant, FP – full participant.
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Jonathan Taylor, IND | Ankle (DNP)
After suffering an ankle injury during the game on Sunday, Indianapolis Colts RB Jonathan Taylor was a non-participant in Wednesday’s practice. The concern around this injury doesn’t appear to be as serious as that surrounding the ankle sprain that cost Taylor two games earlier in the season.
In his media availability, head coach Frank Reich described it as a tweak, saying Taylor is not 100% and that the team will monitor him throughout the week and see where he is at. That leaves us in some level of limbo as to Taylor’s availability against the New England Patriots in Week 9.
MORE: Fantasy Injury IR Updates Week 9
If Taylor is active, it will be hard not to start him in fantasy lineups. However, we have no real idea of how many snaps he will play or how effective he will be. In many ways, it might actually be easiest for fantasy managers if he sits. Although, with six teams on a bye this week, most fantasy rosters are already stretched pretty thin at this point.
If Taylor is absent, the Colts will have some combination of Deon Jackson, Zack Moss, Phillip Lindsay, D’vonte Price, and Jordan Wilkins available. The final three of those are on the practice squad, so they would either need to be elevated or signed by 4 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Jackson would carry the most fantasy value of the group, having Flex value in 12-team leagues, especially with all the bye weeks. When Taylor missed two games in Weeks 5 and 6, Jackson had 25 rushing attempts for 104 yards with a rushing touchdown. He added 108 receiving yards on 14 receptions and 14 targets.
D’Andre Swift, DET | Shoulder/Ankle (DNP)
It was somewhat of a surprise to see D’Andre Swift as a non-participant at the Detroit Lions Wednesday practice. Swift played in Week 8 after being a full participant all week at practice.
During head coach Dan Campbell’s media availability, he said Swift “feels betters now than he was last week, so that’s a good sign.” Campbell added that the Lions would see Swift work through the week, and that “he’s going to be better.” Either that is an elaborate smokescreen from Campbell, or the non-participation for Swift on Wednesday is as much a rest and maintenance day as it is anything to be concerned about.
We will need to monitor Swift’s status throughout the week to see if he will play Sunday. Chances are, if he plays, he will still be limited and in a split role with Jamaal Williams. It is tough not to start Swift if he is active, but it feels like a very boom-bust situation with him right now.
If Swift is out, then Williams is a must-start in all leagues. Meanwhile, Craig Reynolds likely provides the backup to Williams but would have limited value.
Another surprise name on the Week 9 RB injury report is Tennesse Titans’ RB Derrick Henry. Coming off a monster game against the Houston Texans, Henry is listed as a limited participant with a foot injury. While this is likely a rest and maintenance situation, Henry did miss multiple games last season with a foot injury.
Mike Vrabel did not seem overly concerned about Henry’s injury, which is another positive sign. Mostly, this is just something to raise an eyebrow about and keep an eye on. It would not be a surprise to see Henry off the injury report come Friday.
Cordarrelle Patterson, ATL | Knee
We will not see Cordarrelle Patterson officially listed on the Atlanta Falcons’ injury report until they activate him from injured reserve (IR). That might not be until Saturday, so we may not get daily tracking of his progress. However, it was good to see Patterson return to the practice field Wednesday. The Falcons now have 21 days to activate him from IR.
We did not get any further updates on Patterson’s status from head coach Arthur Smith ahead of practice. However, after practice, Patterson spoke to the media and told reporters that he is about 90%. Barring a setback, we should expect to see Patterson on the field in Week 9.
MORE: RB Red-Zone Attempts Entering Week 9
The next question is: how much will he play? The combination of Tyler Allgeier and Caleb Huntley has done a solid job in his absence. While neither has been consistently spectacular, they have done enough to deserve some sort of role going forward. Combine that with the Falcons likely wanting to ease Patterson back into game action, and it could be a tough week for his fantasy managers.
Despite a nice matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, it might be prudent to consider waiting one more week on Patterson before throwing him back into starting lineups.
James Conner, ARI | Ribs (LP)
The Cardinals held a behind-closed-doors walkthrough practice today, so this is a projected injury report. Seeing James Conner listed as limited after he was downgraded to a non-participant last Friday is a positive step.
Conner has not played since Week 5 but was a surprise game-time decision for the Week 7 Thursday Night Football matchup. While he ultimately did not suit up, the hope was that it meant he would be back soon. However, after suffering what appeared to be some sort of setback late last week, we are left uncertain as to his current status.
The Cardinals will be hoping to get Conner back this week, but fantasy managers should be cautious. While the matchup is good, we could easily see Conner splitting time with Eno Benjamin and even Keaontay Ingram.
It would be a surprise if the Cardinals threw Conner straight back in after a three-week injury layoff. What makes Conner such a tough fantasy asset to judge is that he is often a touchdown-dependent producer. Therefore, if he falls in the end zone once, he can have a successful fantasy performance. Conner should come back to a goal-line role if he returns, but starting him would be a dangerous move.
If Conner misses the game, Benjamin is a 12-team Flex option. Meanwhile, Ingram has 16-team consideration after Darrel Williams was placed on IR this week.
Chuba Hubbard, CAR | Ankle (LP)
Having missed Week 8 with an ankle injury, Chuba Hubbard was back at practice to open Week 9. Hubbard appeared to have the first crack at being the lead back in Carolina after Christian McCaffrey left. However, D’Onta Foreman found the end zone three times last week in his absence, changing the picture slightly.
Assuming he has no setbacks, Hubbard should be on track to play this weekend. The key will be how much the Carolina Panthers throw him into the game if Foreman continues to play well. Hubbard’s presence on Sunday would cloud the situation for Foreman’s fantasy managers.
Ultimately, it would be hard to trust Hubbard this week, regardless of whether he is cleared Friday or is a game-time decision. If Hubbard misses the game, Foreman is a serious starting option in all league sizes.
Damien Harris, NE | Illness (DNP)
Damien Harris opened Week 9 listed as a non-participant on the New England Patriots injury report. While the situation can be viewed as just an illness, we have seen illness designations be quite disruptive over the last two weeks.
Both Darrell Henderson and Davante Adams struggled to overcome illness-related issues in Week 8, so Harris playing and seeing many touches should not be viewed as a given at this point.
MORE: Week 9 Fantasy Football Rest-of-Season Rankings
We will need to see how the situation progresses. If Harris is fully cleared by Friday, it should be a similar situation to last week in the Patriots backfield. If Harris is out or limited, Rhamondre Stevenson has must-start value in all league sizes.
J.D. McKissic, WAS | Neck (DNP)
Neck injuries for running backs are never ideal. From a fantasy perspective, though, the impact seems minimal. Antonio Gibson appears to have taken a significant portion of the receiver role. McKissic has been a small part of the offense in recent weeks and has all but lost his fantasy value at this point.
