Week 2 Fantasy Football Injury Recap
As The Fantasy Footballers’ lead injury analyst and sports physical therapist, I’ll be recapping the previous week’s injuries and giving a projected timeline for recovery all season long. Let’s look at the biggest injuries from Week 2 and take a look at what fantasy managers can expect heading into Week 3.
If you’re looking for more detailed injury analysis, check out JoinTheFoot.com for additional premium resources, including access to the Injury Blitz Podcast hosted by yours truly. This bonus podcast, available to all #FootClan Premier and Ultimate members, is a short, yet informative injury podcast that drops late in the week in order to provide all the injury updates you need to set your lineup each week.
QB Joe Burrow
Left Turf Toe Surgery: Out 3+ months
Unfortunately, injuries continue to affect Burrow’s availability for the Cincinnati Bengals. The star QB left Week 2 against the Jaguars with a Grade III turf toe injury in his left foot. The Grade III injury signals a complete tear of the ligaments at the base of the big toe, which is why surgery is required to stabilize the joint. Without the ability to extend the big toe, pushing off and running is virtually impossible. The recovery here has largely been reported as 12 weeks or three months, but fantasy managers need to understand that this is the absolute earliest we could see Burrow. The most likely scenario is that he doesn’t play another regular season snap for Cincy. Perhaps he could return for the post-season if the Bengals can get there, but for fantasy football purposes, his year is over for all intents and purposes.
Players impacted: Jake Browning, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins
QB J.J. McCarthy
Right High Ankle Sprain: Likely out 2-4 weeks
The Vikings’ QB injured his right ankle Sunday night against the Falcons when he was scrambling along the left sideline. During the play, the defender rolled up on McCarthy’s right lower leg, resulting in that high ankle sprain. He did leave the field to get his ankle taped and was able to return to the game, but high ankle sprains generally swell and get worse for the first few days after the initial injury. As a result, it’s going to be very difficult for him to play in Week 3, leaving Carson Wentz to start in his place. McCarthy has an outside chance to play in Week 4, but given Minnesota’s investment in the young QB and the fact that he missed his entire rookie year because of injury, I don’t expect the Vikings to put him out there until he’s close to or at 100%. My early take here is that McCarthy sits in Weeks 3 and 4 and has a chance to play in Week 5. That said, it is worth noting that Minnesota has a Week 6 bye, so the team could opt to hold him out until Week 7 and give him an extra week of rehab and recovery.
Players impacted: Carson Wentz, Justin Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson
QB Justin Fields
Concussion Protocol: Questionable for Week 3
The back of Fields’ helmet slammed off the turf at MetLife on Sunday against the Bills, which led to him leaving the game for a concussion evaluation. He was eventually ruled out and did not return. Speaking Monday, head coach Aaron Glenn confirmed that Fields is in the league’s protocol. Going back to the last three or four seasons, it’s generally about a 50/50 chance for Fields to clear protocol ahead of Week 3. If he’s not able to progress through the league’s protocol, Tyrod Taylor will start for Gang Green against the Bucs.
Players impacted: Tyrod Taylor, Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall
QB Jayden Daniels
Right Knee Sprain (Specifics Unknown): Questionable for Week 3
It was a tough outing for the Washington Commanders on Thursday against a great Green Bay defense. Jayden Daniels appeared to take a hit and then favor his right leg and knee as the game went on. He obviously stayed in the game and was able to finish, so the hope here is that this is not a long-term injury, though it’s not a guarantee he plays in Week 3. Should he play in Week 3, expect Daniels’ mobility and efficiency as a runner to be negatively impacted. If Daniels can’t go in Week 3, Marcus Mariota will start, and if that scenario comes to fruition, I do not expect Daniels to miss an extended period of time.
Players impacted: Marcus Mariota, Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel, Zach Ertz
RB Austin Ekeler
Torn Achilles: Out for the year
You never want to see a player get injured, but when it happens at the very end of the game when it’s pretty much out of reach, it stings a little more. Ekeler tore his Achilles late in the 4th quarter last Thursday night against the Packers. Obviously, he’ll undergo surgery, and he’s out for the year. For those with Awesome Excellence in dynasty leagues, he’ll be 31 this time next year, and sadly, advanced NFL age + this type of recovery dooe not lead to favorable outcomes. The most likely scenario here is that Ekeler is either hanging ’em up, or signing a cheap one-year deal where he’s largely ineffective for fantasy.
Players impacted: Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Chris Rodriguez Jr., Jeremy McNichols
RB Aaron Jones
Hamstring Strain: Out at least Week 3, Doubtful for Week 4
The veteran RB left Sunday Night Football against the Falcons with a hamstring injury and did not return despite being listed as ‘Questionable.’ Historically speaking, younger players tend to return from soft tissue injuries a little bit faster than veteran players, so it would not be surprising at all to see this soft tissue injury turn into a multi-week absence. Worth noting, Jones does have a history of prior hamstring injuries during his long career in the NFL. He’s missed time in training camp with a hamstring injury in 2018 and 2021 then injured the hamstring again during the 2021 season.
Players impacted: Jordan Mason
WR Jayden Reed
Fractured Collarbone: On IR, Out 6-8 weeks
Reed landed hard on his right shoulder last Thursday night against the Commanders, resulting in a fractured clavicle. He’ll undergo surgery on Tuesday (9/16) and will miss roughly two months. Generally speaking, the recovery here after this stabilizing procedure is pretty straightforward, and you can begin PT more quickly than if you take a non-surgical approach to a fractured collarbone. Look for Reed to return to the field at some point in late October/early November, and if there’s a silver lining to this injury, it’s that Reed will now have an extra couple of months for his Jones fracture in his foot to heal.
Players impacted: Jordan Love, Matthew Golden, Tucker Kraft, Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks
