The NFL regular season is finally upon us and Week 1 is in the books. As always, injuries play a crucial role when it comes to constructing our fantasy lineups. Here’s the status of players with the most interest to the fantasy community after the first weekend of NFL games:
Robert Griffin, QB Browns – Griffin was placed on injured reserve with a broken bone suffered in his non-throwing shoulder Sunday against the Eagles. He’s going to be evaluated in a month. Griffin is eligible to come off injured reserve after eight games. RG3 had a miserable Week 1 performance completing 12-of-26 passes for 190 yards and an interception. Josh McCown now takes over an underrated passing offense in Cleveland.
Russell Wilson, QB Seahawks – Wilson injured his ankle against the Dolphins. He was able to finish the game but Wilson needed X-rays after it was over. Some reports suggest Wilson could be out for two weeks. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said the injury is nothing serious. The bottom line is Wilson’s availability for Week 2 versus the Rams is in question. Undrafted rookie Trevone Boykin will get the start if Wilson is out.
Jamaal Charles, RB Chiefs – Charles missed Sunday’s game against the Chargers while he continues to recover from ACL surgery. Charles isn’t a lock to play this week against the Texans. Spencer Ware will continue to start and dominate touches if Charles is unable to play.
Chris Ivory, RB Jaguars – Ivory missed Sunday’s game against the Packers with an illness and he was still hospitalized on Monday. He’s undergoing more tests. His status won’t be known until the tests are done. T.J. Yeldon will see a majority of touches in the Jaguars backfield for as long as Ivory is out.
Keenan Allen, WR Chargers – Allen suffered a torn ACL on Sunday and will miss the rest of the season. He missed eight games last year with a lacerated kidney. Allen was off to a strong start Sunday with six catches for 63 yards. Travis Benjamin and Tyrell Williams will now see more targets with Allen out for the year. Williams is still available in most fantasy leagues.
DeVante Parker, WR Dolphins – Parker was inactive Sunday because of a hamstring injury. His status for Week 2 is unclear but he was never close to playing against the Seahawks. Kenny Stills will continue to start with Parker out. Stills had a rough game Sunday with two bad drops, so look for rookie Leonte Carroo to have a bigger role in the offense as well.
Mohamed Sanu, WR Falcons – Sanu was seen limping badly by reporters after Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers. There was no further update on Sanu’s status. He’s coming off an impressive debut with the Falcons, catching five balls for 80 yards and a touchdown. Sanu will be one of the top waiver wire targets this week assuming he’s not dealing with a serious injury.
Demaryius Thomas, WR Broncos – Thomas injured his hip in the opener against Carolina. Thomas took part in on-field work Monday and will return to practice on Wednesday. Thomas is expected to start this week against a decimated Colts secondary barring a setback.
Sammy Watkins, WR Bills – Watkins played on Sunday but he’s still not 100 percent recovered from offseason foot surgery. One report said Watkins might be shut down for the rest of the year. Bills coach Rex Ryan said Watkins is sore but the team has no plans to shut him down right now. Watkins then announced he had his foot checked out and he’s fine. Fantasy owners will need to pay close attention to Watkins’ weekly status moving forward. He’s questionable for Thursday night’s game against the Jets.
Markus Wheaton, WR Steelers – Wheaton missed Monday’s night game against the Redskins with a shoulder injury. Wheaton’s Week 2 status is also in question. If Wheaton can’t play against the Bengals, the trio of Sammie Coates, Darrius Heyward-Bey and Eli Rogers will continue to fight for targets opposite Antonio Brown.
Zach Ertz, TE Eagles – Ertz suffered a rib displacement near his collarbone and will miss Sunday’s game against the Bears. Ertz is currently week-to-week with the injury, so there’s a chance he could miss multiple games. His absence is a big blow to rookie quarterback Carson Wentz. Wentz targeted Ertz seven times on Sunday. Brent Celek will get more looks in the passing game with Ertz out.
Rob Gronkowski, TE Patriots – Gronkowski missed the Patriots opener against the Cardinals with a hamstring injury. The injury has been lingering for the past couple of weeks, so the timetable for his return is unclear. The Patriots are hoping to have Gronk back in the lineup for Sunday’s game versus the Dolphins. He should be considered questionable. Martellus Bennett replaced Gronkowski versus the Cardinals but only caught three passes for 14 yards on five targets.
