Every year NFL weeks 1-3 rain down injuries and completely transform NFL and Fantasy teams alike. 2024 has been no different and in some ways almost looks worse than before. Last year we saw QBs going down left and right. This season it seems to be a mix of RBs and WRs with other positions mixed in. Either way they are star players who now must have replacements. In week 1 we saw injuries to guys like Kenneth Walker III, Jordan Love and Puka Nacua make waves throughout the NFL. So, who did we lose this week and what can we expect from them going forward?
AJ Brown – Hamstring
Brown was downgraded to OUT for Monday Night Football due to hamstring tightness he felt after Friday’s practice. Initially it was reported that “It got a little tight”. The problem with hamstring tightness in WR’s is that tightness never really goes away in 2 days’ time. Now we know he was out for MNF but I wouldn’t rule out this being a 2-3 week injury or at a minimum having Brown be somewhat limited compared to his usual workload when he returns. If he is on your Fantasy team my guess, is you already scrambled to pick up a last minute add but you may want to stash a top waiver guy for next week as well.
Eagles WR AJ Brown told ESPN’s @saltersl that he does expect to miss a couple of weeks due to the hamstring injury he suffered Friday.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 17, 2024
Isiah Pacheco - Fractured Fibula
Pacheco fractured his fibula and now will be out a minimum of 6 weeks. The current reported time is 6-8 and I would put him more towards the longer end of that. The good news is that unlike ligaments, once the fibula heals, normally, he will be able to return and shouldn’t have any performance decrease. The bad news of course is 8 weeks is a long time and you are going to have to replace him…KC already is.
Deebo Samuel - Calf Strain
Deebo has a calf injury. After CMC this is concerning for the 49ers who took their first 2024 loss to the Vikings this weekend. Like McCaffrey, Deebo can do everything for San Francisco from catching passes to lining up in the backfield and now with both out the 49ers will be relying much more on Joran Mason and Brandon Aiyuk. Also, calf strains have a nasty way about them so expect Deebo to have a decreased performance of about 20-25% when he returns to the field for the first 1-2 games back.
Cooper Kupp - Ankle
Kupp can’t stay on the field anymore. The last two years he has been riddled with Ankle and Hamstring injuries counting for a ton of missed time on the field. This ankle injury will be no exception with the idea of IR being thrown around by head coach Sean McVay. That means this is a serious ankle injury and tells me that even if they don’t put him on IR he is done for the next 3 weeks and then they will test him. If they do then obviously out 4 weeks minimum. With both him and Puka out the Rams are in BIG trouble and so are a lot of Fantasy teams now.
#Rams WR Cooper Kupp, who left Sunday’s game early with an ankle injury, is expected miss an extended period of time and could land on Injured Reserve, coach Sean McVay said. Another star out for LA. pic.twitter.com/mxKRN8hBnF
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 16, 2024
Joe Mixon - Ankle
Mixon injured his ankle during a hip drop tackle by the defense. He needed imaging to confirm High vs Low ankle and severity. At this point though you can expect him out next week for sure and likely 2-3 weeks if it is a low ankle sprain which is probable but 4+ if it’s a high ankle. Also expect performance drop upon return as ankle sprains tend to limit cutting and as a RB, well that makes it hard to do your job.
Evan Ingram - Hamstring
Ingram was ruled out with a hamstring injury he sustained in pre-game warm-ups. I essentially treat hamstring injuries in tight ends the same as wide receivers. It’s a recipe for disaster. I expect him to miss another 1-2 weeks and then if he doesn’t rest it enough or fix the underlying problem, we could see a re-injury down the line.
Tua Tagovailoa - Concussion
Tua’s situation isn’t one that we see very often. Yes, concussions we see a lot, but Tua is at the point where everyone he gets is a massive future health concern. The big question is should he retire? It’s easy to sit here and say yes of course, life after football and your health is most important. But hey, I’m not him and what he would be turning down would be hard for everyone to walk away from. So, at this point he is in concussion protocol and he will take the time he needs to rest and recover and then make his decision on his future. One thing I will say is regardless of whether it could have protected him from what happened or not…If he returns, he better have a guardian cap on and better slide from now on. I mean at least do the least you can and protect yourself.
Justin Jefferson - Quad Contusion
Jefferson suffered a contusion causing him to exit the game. Following the game he said he "wasn't worried" and they are listing him as day-to-day. Good news for an excited Vikings fanbase who saw their team take down a dominant 49ers squad. We know that Jefferson will do anything to take care of his body include sitting out so I could see him missing a week if this really tightens up on him over the week. If it truly is just a contusion though there really shouldn't be much to worry about for fantasy owners and Viking fans alike. When he does return, expect maybe about a 5% decrease in overall production, almost barely noticeable.
