Week 3 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 3 and take a look at what fantasy managers can expect heading into Week 4 and beyond.
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 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 Derek Carr
AC Joint Sprain: Unlikely to play Week 4
Carr injured his right shoulder when he was tackled in the backfield with a defender’s body weight on top of him, driving his right throwing shoulder into the ground. Carr was taken to a local hospital for precautionary testing, but fortunately, Carr was able to avoid a more significant injury. AC joint sprains can be played through with an injection for pain control, but the fact that this is Carr’s throwing shoulder makes it unlikely he plays in Week 4. Even if he is active in the next week or two, expect Carr’s arm strength and accuracy to be negatively affected. Jameis Winston will start if Carr is sidelined.
Players impacted: Jameis Winston, Chris Olave, Michael Thomas
QB Jimmy Garoppolo
Concussion: Week-to-week
The Raiders starting QB is questionable for Week 4 after entering the league’s concussion protocol on Monday morning. Jimmy G took several hits on Sunday night against Pittsburgh, but he finished the game. It is worth noting that the QB was evaluated for a concussion during the game but was cleared to return before being evaluated a second time following the game. It’s possible Garoppolo reported delayed symptoms, which would put his Week 4 status in doubt. The Raiders take on the Chargers next week, and if Jimmy G can’t clear protocol, it’ll be Brian Hoyer under center against LA.
Players impacted: Bryan Hoyer, Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers
QB Patrick Mahomes
Right Lateral Ankle Sprain: Will play Week 4, mobility may be limited
A defender made contact with Mahomes in the backfield on Sunday, causing him to roll his right ankle in the process. The injury happened just before halftime, but he stayed into finish the drive before coming out for the second half with his ankle heavily taped. Mahomes likely would have been able to finish the game had the score been remotely close but with KC up several scores, it made sense for the team to pull him early. Look for Mahomes to be listed on the KC injury report this week, but his Week 4 status is not in doubt. He will play, but his mobility might be affected. Worth noting, this injury is to the same ankle that Mahomes injured in the playoffs last year against Jacksonville, but it is not a high ankle sprain and not nearly as severe.
Players impacted: Travis Kelce, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Skyy Moore, Kadarius Toney
RB Gus Edwards
Concussion: Week-to-week
Edwards carried the ball 11 times for 51 yards before exiting early with a concussion in the 4th quarter. He did not return after being evaluated in the locker room. Gus Bus now enters the NFL’s concussion protocol and should be considered questionable for Week 4. Teammate Justice Hill did not play in Week 3 because of a turf toe injury. Most turf toe injuries linger for multiple weeks, so there’s a chance the Ravens are down to Melvin Gordon and Kenyan Drake as their lead RBs next week if Edwards can’t clear protocol.
Players impacted: Lamar Jackson (rushing), Melvin Gordon, Kenyan Drake
WR Mike Williams
Torn ACL: Out for the year
Williams was having an awesome day against the Vikings prior to his injury. Unfortunately, his season is over after he tore the ACL in his left knee this past Sunday. Williams will undergo ACL reconstruction surgery in the next few weeks and begin rehabbing for the 2024 season. Given that Williams’ injury occurred early in the year, he’s got a good chance to be ready for next year’s regular season opener, but he’ll be limited throughout the off-season. The Chargers will place Williams on IR in the coming days.
Mike Williams’ injury mechanism is classic for a torn ACL. MRI today to evaluate the extent of the injury 🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/M58hZBVcSA
— Matthew Betz (@TheFantasyPT) September 25, 2023
Players impacted: Justin Herbert, Keenan Allen, Joshua Palmer, Quentin Johnston
WR Jonathan Mingo
Concussion: Week-to-week
The Panthers rookie WR left Sunday’s game against the Seahawks with a concussion and did not return. Last season, we saw the vast majority of players with a concussion miss the following week given the NFL’s strict concussion protocol policy. Mingo has a chance to play next week, but he’ll have to progress through each step of the protocol to do so. For now, consider Mingo questionable for next week’s game against the Steelers. Rookie QB Bryce Young also has a chance to miss this game after he sat in Week 3 with an ankle injury that was described as a 1-2 week recovery.
Players impacted: Andy Dalton, Adam Thielen, D.J. Chark, Hayden Hurst
WR Rashod Bateman
Hamstring Injury: Questionable for Week 4
With Odell Beckham (ankle) out of the lineup yesterday, Bateman had a chance to step in and early some targets. He ended up with just one reception for six yards. Following the game, Bateman was reportedly limping in the locker room according to The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec. Bateman spoke to reporters following the game and described his injury as “tightness.” While that may sound encouraging, Bateman is still in danger of missing practice time ahead of Week 4, and there’s even a chance he misses next week’s game depending on the severity. Bateman is still recovering from his Lisfranc surgery, and any hamstring injury is going to further prevent him from returning to his pre-injury level of explosiveness in the short-term.
Players impacted: Lamar Jackson, Mark Andrews, Zay Flowers
WR Deebo Samuel
Rib Contusion: Day-to-day
Samuel emerged from Thursday Night Football against the Giants with a rib injury after he was tackled hard, falling on top of the ball. After being evaluated on the sideline, he returned and later scored a deep TD, a sign that his injury is not serious. Following the game, Deebo got X-rays, which were negative for a fracture. He’s likely dealing with a rib cartilage contusion. With a few extra days to recover given the Thursday night game, Samuel is not in danger of missing Week 4, but the team could limit his practice reps this week.
Players impacted: Brock Purdy, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle