Week 9 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 9 and take a look at what fantasy managers can expect heading into Week 10 and beyond.
Don’t forget to 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 Josh Allen
UCL Sprain + Ulnar Nerve Injury: Timeline yet to be reported
The video below shows this in more detail, but Josh Allen injured his right elbow during a strip sack on Sunday against the Jets. His arm gets forced backwards by a defender, creating a lot of torque on the elbow. This mechanism can lead to an injury to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), and a stretch on the ulnar nerve (the funny bone). This nerve is responsible for grip strength and when injured, can lead to pain in the forearm and hand as well. You could see Josh Allen shaking his hand and wrist immediately after the hit. As for the UCL injury, this is the “Tommy John” ligament, which is commonly injured in baseball pitchers. However, just because this ligament may have been sprained, does not necessarily mean he’ll need surgery or his season is over. A mild sprain of the ligament would force Allen to miss a few games while on the other end of the spectrum, a complete rupture of the ligament would require season ending surgery. Reports on Monday suggested that Allen will be “limited” this week but that he is still undergoing tests. My hope is that because of this report, the injury will be more on the mild side and Allen will be able to return after rehabbing for a few weeks. It is worth noting that Allen dealt with the same injury in 2018, so he at least has familiarity with how to properly rehab this injury. That year, he missed four games. For now, we’ll wait for more information, but fantasy managers of Allen should absolutely be making backup plans for Week 10 at a minimum.
Josh Allen's elbow injury is important to monitor this week. Look at the torque on the elbow when he's hit. This can lead to a UCL injury and/or an ulnar nerve injury. He missed 4 games in 2018 with a UCL injury
Allen – “There was some slight pain, but I’ll get through it.” pic.twitter.com/L8WgGP1MWX
— Matthew Betz (@TheFantasyPT) November 7, 2022
Players impacted: Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis, Dawson Knox
RB Aaron Jones
Left Ankle Sprain: Likely to play in Week 10
Jones exited early in the Packers loss to the Lions on Sunday with what appeared to be a traditional inversion (low) ankle sprain. He was seen with a boot on his left foot following the team’s game, but according to Adam Schefter on Monday morning, tests on Jones’ ankle came back negative and he “should be able to play this week.” We’ll have to monitor the Packers’ injury report throughout the week as they get prepared to take on the Cowboys in Week 10.
Players impacted: A.J. Dillon
WR Romeo Doubs
Right High Ankle Sprain: Out 4-6 weeks
Doubs exited in the first half with a right high ankle sprain and was carted to the locker room before being ultimately ruled out. He was seen on crutches and in a walking boot after the game and now faces a recovery timeline of 4+ weeks, suggesting that this is a grade II injury. There’s a real possibility that Doubs doesn’t return to 100% for the remainder of the season, and there’s also a good chance the team places him on IR. Regardless, he can be dropped in redraft leagues with shallow benches or without an IR spot.
Players impacted: Allen Lazard, Sammy Watkins
WR Christian Watson
Concussion: Out Week 10, Potentially a multi-week absence
Watson left Week 8 early with a concussion and entered this game questionable. He ulimately did clear concussion protocol but exited early again this past Sunday against the Lions with another concussion. That’s now two concussions in a week, which is concerning for the player’s short and long term health. Subsequent concussions in a short time frame often leads to an extended absence, so fantasy managers can expect the Packers to be without Watson for Week 10 at a minimum. With Romeo Doubs also likely to miss and Randall Cobb still on IR with his high ankle sprain, Rodgers will face a Cowboys defense with an extremely banged up pass catching core.
Players impacted: Allen Lazard, Sammy Watkins
TE Evan Engram
Back Injury: Day-to-day
Engram left for a portion of the Jags game on Sunday with a back injury. He did return, but he looked uncomfortable and was largely ineffective when he returned to the game. The team is calling him “day-to-day” which doesn’t provide much information on the severity of his current injury. Back injuries, however, are notable for gradually getting worse for a few days before improving, so fantasy managers will need to monitor Engram’s practice status ahead of Week 10 against Kansas City.
Players impacted: Trevor Lawrence, Christian Kirk