NFL DFS Injury Report: Week 3
Joshua Slatky, PA-C, ATC is a physician assistant at Northwest Georgia Orthopedics and Sports Medicine and avid DFS player. In his work as a physician assistant and athletic trainer, he has worked with sports teams from high school to various college levels, to the NFL.
Well… Week 2 was a bloodbath. Eight different starting running backs were injured with three of them ending up on IR. The Browns and the Patriots are both down to their 3rd string QB, and after a breakout game, Corey Coleman went down during Wednesday’s practice with a broken hand. There were also several key defensive players injured last week. The most notable was DeMarcus Ware who broke his forearm. He has already had surgery but will but out for the next few weeks.
This is the first week of the season with such a high number of injuries. Going forward, it will be important to keep up with practice reports. Many players, especially veterans, are taking off on Wednesdays. Like every week, I will have a formal update to this article on Friday after Sunday’s game injury reports are released. Check back then for the latest assessment of player status. I will also be putting out as many updates as possible through twitter. Follow me @slakdogg for the latest. I will take questions there as well.
Best of luck in all of your Week 3 contests!
Last Updated: Friday PM
Color Coding
GREEN: Nearly certain to play. Unlikely to have an on-field limitations.
YELLOW: Likely to play. May have some snap count or mild on-field limitations.
ORANGE: Questionable to play. If able to play, likely to be significantly limited in snap count and/or on-field performance.
RED: Unlikely to play or already ruled out.
Arizona Cardinals
1.J.J. Nelson (WR) – YELLOW – Nelson continues to deal with a shoulder injury. Even if active, he is a low end DFS option.
2.Larry Fitzgerald (WR) – GREEN – Fitzgerald did not practice Wednesday with knee pain. This is the same as last week and will be a theme throughout the season.
Atlanta Falcons
1. Julio Jones (WR) — YELLOW — Jones continues to pop up with nagging injuries. While limited with an ankle sprain, he has now dealing with a calf strain. All reports are that the calf strain is mild. As mentioned in previous articles, I don’t think that Jones has had the explosiveness that I have been accustomed to seeing. Further, he played on only 77% of the offensive snaps, which is quite low for #1 wide out. With that said, I do expect him to play Sunday.
UPDATE: Jones did not practice Friday, but with a Monday game, I am still optimistic that he will practice limited Saturday and play Monday.
Buffalo Bills
1.Sammy Watkins (WR) – YELLOW / ORANGE – Watkins continued to look hampered by his foot Thursday against the Jets. He had only five targets, two catches, and twenty yards. Certainly unimpressive numbers. The long recovery week will likely be to his benefit. He will probably be limited during practice this week, but he should play. I am taking a wait and see approach. This may cost me since Watkins can blow up for a big game at any point, but I have not seen sufficient on-field performance to roster him yet. Watkins acknowledged to the media on Tuesday that his foot is hurting him and it is affecting his on-field performance.
UPDATE: Watkins did not practice Friday. Rex Ryan is still saying that Watkins is a game time decision but based on his failure to practice all week, I doubt he plays. I would downgrade him to RED / ORANGE
2.Charles Clay (TE) – GREEN – Clay did not practice Wednesday. This is a weekly event and should not affect his status for Sunday.
UPDATE: Greg Salas showed up on the injury report Thursday with a groin strain. He was limited Friday. This has a bigger impact on the Bills offense with the Watkins news. Salas had 4 catches for 89 yards and a touchdown in week 2. YELLOW
Carolina Panthers
1. Jonathan Stewart (RB) – RED – Stewart left Sunday’s game against the 49ers in the first quarter with a hamstring strain. He did not return. Head Coach Ron Rivera has already come out stating that Stewart will miss a game or two. Cameron Artis-Payne has been healthy scratched the first two weeks of the season. I expect him to be active and splitting carries with Fozzy Whittaker and Mike Tolbert. Last year when Stewart was out, all three helped fill the role, but as we all know, Cam Newton also picked up his running game to fill the void. Newton is likely to be the biggest beneficiary.
Chicago Bears
1. Jay Cutler (QB) — RED – Cutler sprained the thumb on his throwing hand on Sunday night. This is a particularly bad injury for a quarterback as it significantly affects grip and feel on the ball. I do not think that he will play this week, but the Bears are notoriously good at keeping injury information secret. He did not practice Wednesday, but a veteran sitting out Wedneday practice is commonplace. His injury will also affect skill position players negatively. Typically, this would benefit running backs, but Jeremy Langford was under impressive Sunday night.
2.Ka’Deem Carey (RB) – ORANGE / RED – Carey was putting pressure on Jeremy Langford before going down with a hamstring strain in the first half Sunday night. He did not practice Wednesday. Further practice progression through the week will give indication if he will play Sunday, but I suspect he will be out.
3.Eddie Goldman (NT) — RED – Goldman will be out about four weeks with a high ankle sprain. Losing the big interior run stuffer is a blow to the strength of the Bears defense.
4.Lamarr Houston (LB) — RED – Houston is out for the year with a torn ACL further depleting the Bears D.
5.Danny Trevathan (LB) — RED — And the hits just keep coming… Trevathan had thumb surgery Wednesday and will be out a couple of weeks. When he gets back, he will probably have to wear a club to protect the repaired thumb.
6.Defensive Backs (DB) — Chris Prosinski, Adrian Amos, Kyle Fuller, Tracy Porter, Sherrick McManis, and Bryce Callahan are all listed on the injury report as questionable. The Bears pass defense is already weak. This could be an area to exploit this week by the Cowboys.
UPDATE: Alshon Jeffery did not practice Thursday and was limited practice on Friday with knee soreness. The return to practice Friday indicates he will play. His real limitation may be the absence of Jay Cutler. YELLOW
Cincinnati Bengals
1.C.J. Uzomah (TE) — GREEN – Uzomah missed practice Wednesday with bruised ribs. I think he will be ready to go Sunday against the Broncos.
2.Tyler Eifert (TE) — RED – Eifert returned to practice on Wednesday for some limited work. I do not think he is going to be ready to come back Sunday, but he is clearly getting closer.
3.Darqueze Dennard (CB) — ORANGE – Dennard returned Week 2 after missing Week 1 with an ankle injury. Wednesday, he was limited due to a hamstring strain. This appears mild, but truly could go either way as the week progresses. The next two practice days will a key indicator for his status this weekend.
Cleveland Browns
1. Josh McCown (QB) — RED – McCown suffered an AC separation in his non-throwing shoulder Sunday. Impressively, he continued to play but was in significant pain after the game. While this is obviously less serious than a throwing shoulder injury, AC separations are very painful. Based on early reports I expect him to miss at least a couple of weeks. AC separations can be injected in some circumstances allowing players to play, but this is more dangerous in a quarterback as compared to a lineman for example. Cody Kessler is going to get a look at QB. The Browns did sign Charlie Whitehurst off the street but I would not think he would be up to speed by Sunday to be anything more than an emergency QB.
2.Corey Coleman (WR) — RED — Coleman broke his hand in practice Wednesday. This is a terrible injury for a receiver in the process of breaking out. It is very unlikely he plays this weekend.
UPDATE #1: Reports came out Friday that Josh McCown has a non-displaced clavicle fracture. This is an unfortunate finding that will likely keep McCown out for the next 2 months.
UPDATE #2: Patrick Murray (K) — RED — injured his knee in practice Friday. Reports are that the Browns intend to sign former Eagles kicker Cody Parkey for Sunday’s game against the Dolphins.
UPDATE #3: Joe Haden (CB) — RED / ORANGE — injured his groin Thursday in practice. He did not practice Friday which is always a poor sign for the hope of playing Sunday.
Dallas Cowboys
1. Orlando Scandrick (CB) — YELLOW / ORANGE – Scandrick is dealing with hamstring strain in both legs. He did go through some light drills Wednesday. This will require monitoring but he is unlikely to be at full speed even if he goes this weekend.
UPDATE: Scandrick did not progress his practice status through the week. I would downgrade him to RED / ORANGE. This would give a mild boost to the Bears offense, and they will need all the boost they can get.
Denver Broncos
1. Virgil Green (TE) — YELLOW – Green suffered a calf strain Sunday. It doesn’t appear to be serious, but if you have been keeping up, you know that calf strains are unpredictable. They are less impact full on a tight and then a wide receiver or running back. Thus, I expect cream to play this weekend. He sat out Wednesday but that does not worry me too much at this point.
UPDATE: Green did not practice this week and was downgraded to OUT
2.DeMarcus Ware (LB) – RED – Ware broke his ulna Sunday and had surgery to put a plate on the bone Tuesday. He is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. This will impact Denver’s ability to put pressure on the quarterback which will in turn put more pressure on the defensive backfield to cover for longer.
Detroit Lions
1. Ameer Abdullah (RB) – RED – Abdullah has a foot sprain and has been put on injured reserve. I figured this was bad when I saw that Abdullah was traveling to Charlotte, NC to see foot and ankle specialist Dr. Robert Anderson. This is analogous to a pitcher going to see Dr. James Andrews. Usually the end-result is not a good one and now the season is over for Abdullah.
2.Eric Ebron (TE) — GREEN / YELLOW – Ebron sat out of practice on Wednesday with a sore back. This comes after playing 96% of the snaps Sunday. Ebron has a long injury history, so this is probably just precautionary after carrying a heavy load Sunday.
Green Bay Packers
1.Clay Matthews (LB) — YELLOW – Matthews injured his ankle Sunday and missed Wednesday’s practice. Matthews is a tough guy. I have no thoughts of him missing Sunday but he could be a bit limited.
2.Sam Shields (CB) — YELLOW — Shields is in the concussion protocol. Most concussions clear within a week, but there is always a bit of unpredictability. Friday’s injury report will be key for clarity.
Houston Texans
1. Braxton Miller (WR) – RED – Miller has a strained hamstring and has not practiced yet this week. This is an ominous sign for a short week and I can’t see him playing against New England Thursday.
2.JJ Watt (DL) – GREEN / YELLOW – Watt continues to deal with low back pain. He did play 91% of the defensive snaps Sunday. Naturally, the short week is not helpful, but his toughness can’t be questioned. I expect him to play with little or no limitation.
3.Brian Cushing (LB) — RED – Cushing has an MCL sprain. He was out last week and is expected to miss the next few weeks as well.
Indianapolis Colts
1.Donte Moncrief (WR) — RED / ORANGE – Moncrief left Sunday’s game in the first quarter with a shoulder injury. He had an MRI and has been diagnosed with a scapula fracture. Reports are that he will miss 4-6 weeks, but I expect it to be at least 6. Phillip Dorset will slide into the WR2 role with Moncrief out.
2.Darius Butler (CB) — ORANGE – Butler injured his hamstring on his way to a pick-6 Sunday. He did participate limited Wednesday, which is encouraging for this weekend.
UPDATE: Butler has been ruled OUT for Sunday.
3.Vontae Davis (CB) — YELLOW / ORANGE – Davis returned to practice Wednesday after being inactive Week 2. This is a forward step toward getting back on the field for Week 3.
Jacksonville Jaguars
1. Chris Ivory (RB) — ORANGE — In last week’s article, I gave kudos to the Jacksonville medical staff and media departments. I have seen speculation regarding Ivory’s hospitalization ranging from appendicitis to a penis injury. It’s pretty difficult for me to give analysis without any real information. He did return to some position work Wednesday. I will be watching the practice reports for the remainder of the week for any indicator of possible play status for this weekend. As he missed all of last week, my early week suspicion is that he does not play or is on a snap count limit, but this will become clearer through the week.
UPDATE: Ivory continued to progress through the week. I still think he will be on snap count, but I am ready to move him to YELLOW
2.Allen Robinson (WR) — GREEN – Robinson missed Wednesday with an illness. There are no other details that I have been able to find. As noted above, the Jags have hidden things well in the past. The illness could be anything, but I think he will return to practice over the next couple of days in preparation for Sunday.
3.Prince Amukamara (CB) — RED / ORANGE – Amukamara missed Week 2 with a hamstring injury. This further depleted the weak Jaguar pass defense that gave up 4 passing touchdowns to Phillip Rivers (without Keenan Allen) last week.
Kansas City Chiefs
1.Jamaal Charles (RB) — RED — Charles was inactive again last week. Andy Reid told the media that Charles told him directly that he was not ready to play. Charles has been practicing on the scout team. This tells me that he is improving but still a way from returning to the RB1 status we are accustomed to with him. Even if he is active this week, I expect the Chiefs to ease him back into the play.
2.Eric Berry (S) — GREEN – Berry had some mild knee swelling after Sunday’s game. He was held out of practice Wednesday but indications are that he will be ready for Week 3.
Miami Dolphins
1. Arian Foster (RB) — RED – We were all waiting, and it didn’t take long for Foster to get hurt. He has a strained groin. The initial report I saw said that he was only expect to miss one or two games. However, with Foster’s injury history and the nature of groin injuries, I would not be surprised to see it last longer than that. I do wonder if the Dolphins will rush him back as they have clearly not been thrilled with Jay Ajayi thus far.
Minnesota Vikings
1. Adrian Peterson (RB) — RED – Peterson has a bucket-handle meniscus tear in his right knee. The standard of care for this type of tear is to repair the cartilage. Unfortunately, from a football perspective, this means a 3-6 month recovery. Also, sorry for the premature twitter post where I initially said he would be out 3-4 weeks. This is the difference between having the torn part of a meniscus removed versus repaired. The Vikings have already announced Jerick McKinnon will start Sunday.
2.Xavier Rhodes (CB) — YELLOW – Rhodes returned to practice Wednesday after missing the first two weeks with a knee injury. The Viking defense has been strong this season and the return of Rhodes should only bolster the defensive backfield.
3.Kyle Rudolph (TE) — GREEN / YELLOW – Rudolph was limited Wednesday with a groin injury. This is believed to be minor and, he should be good to go Sunday.
New England Patriots
1.Rob Gronkowski (TE) — ORANGE — Gronkowski was inactive for Week 2 as he continues to recover from a hamstring strain. He was limited Tuesday and Wednesday in practice. That doesn’t mean much since his has been practicing on a limited basis all year but has not played yet. On the short week, I do not think he plays, but don’t forget… we are dealing with the Patriots, so anything is possible. We have an advantage with the Patriots playing Thursday. Inactives will be released and that information can be used if you are playing the Thursday-Monday slate.
2.Jimmy Garoppolo (QB) — RED – Garoppolo has an AC sprain of his throwing shoulder. As discussed with McCown, these are very painful injuries. As the Patriots do, they are being coy about the situation, but especially considering the short week, I can’t see any way that he can play this week against Houston. I fully expect Jacoby Brissett under center Thursday night.
New Orleans Saints
1. PJ Williams (CB) — RED – Williams was placed on IR after a nasty head injury and subsequent concussion. The Saints are already one of the worst defenses in the league. This only makes them more susceptible.
UPDATE: Willie Snead (WR) — YELLOW — Snead missed practice Friday. With the Saints playing Monday night, Snead will have the opportunity to practice Saturday. The coaching staff has indicated they expect Snead to be ready for Monday’s game against the Falcons.
New York Giants
1. Rashad Jennings (RB) — YELLOW / ORANGE – Jennings injured his thumb Sunday which limited him through the game. He has been wear a protective splint, but the Giants have stated that they expect him to play Sunday. The hand limited him in Week 2, so I expect it to continue to nag him in Week 3.
New York Jets
1. Brandon Marshall (WR) — YELLOW – Marshall missed Wednesday’s practice with knee and foot pain. He left the field for a short time in Week 2 but returned to put together a solid game. I expect that he will play.
Oakland Raiders
1. David Amerson (CB) — GREEN – Amerson is in the concussion protocol but participated in practice Wednesday, a good indicator that he will likely be ready to play Sunday.
Philadelphia Eagles
1. Zach Ertz (TE) – RED / ORANGE – Ertz was inactive Week 2. As I stated last week, I suspect he will be out for a couple of week. I doubt he plays this week due to the potential risk associated with a 1st rib injury.
UPDATE: Ertz has been ruled OUT for week 3.
San Diego Chargers
1. Danny Woodhead (RB) — RED – Woodhead tore his ACL Sunday and will be out for the year.
2. Antonio Gates (TE) — YELLOW / ORANGE— Gates missed practice Wednesday with a hamstring strain. Initially, I felt that he was just getting veteran treatment, but there have been reports that the injury may be more significant than that. There have been rumblings he could miss Sunday’s game against the Colts. This is a prime spot for Gates as he closes in on the tight end touchdown record. Friday practice will be key, but there are real concerns with a 36 year old, oft injured player with a soft tissue injury.
UPDATE: Gates did not practice this week and is listed as doubtful on the game injury report. I would downgrade him to RED with an eye toward inactive lists Sunday.
San Francisco 49ers
1.Ray Ray Armstrong (LB) — RED – Armstrong was placed on IR with a pectoral tear. The 49ers defense has been better than expected thus far this season, but this a blow to the middle of the defense.
Seattle Seahawks
1. Doug Baldwin (WR) — YELLOW – Baldwin’s knee MRI was negative. He was limited Wednesday, but he should be on the field Sunday. His knee seemed to bother him Sunday, so it will be something to watch. The Seattle offense has looked poor early in the year, so any limitation to Baldwin could even further slow them.
2.Thomas Rawls (RB) — YELLOW / ORANGE – Rawls has a lower leg contusion. He looked terrible before the injury in Week 2. Contusions can be very painful. I would look for at least a snap count split between Rawls and Christine Michael.
UPDATE: Rawls was unable to get back on the practice field this week. I am moving him to RED, opening the door for Christine Michael to carry to load Sunday.
3.Jimmy Graham (TE) – YELLOW – Graham played 78% of the snaps in Week 2, up significantly from Week 1. The Seahawks appear dedicated to getting Graham back fully integrated into the offense.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1. Doug Martin (RB) — RED – Martin has a hamstring strain and is expected to miss at least the next 3 games. This is a great opportunity for Charles Sims to take a bigger role in the offense.
Tennessee Titans
1. Kendall Wright (WR) — ORANGE — Wright returned to practice on Wednesday after missing Week 2 with a hamstring injury. I am not totally confident that he returns to the field this week, but it is possible if he progresses through practice this week.
UPDATE: Delanie Walker — RED — returned to practice only to miss practice again on Friday. This is a clear downgrade and not a good sign for Sunday. I will update with inactive reports, but I doubt he plays at this point.
Washington Redskins
1.DeSean Jackson (WR) — GREEN – Jackson sat out Wednesday with knee and ankle pain. This looks like no more than veteran treatment.
2.Kendrick Goldston (DL) — RED – Goldston was placed on IR with a hamstring tear. The Redskins have already had a hard time stopping the run. Losing the middle stuffer is a big loss.