Fantasy Football: Week 1 Injury Recap
Allen Robinson, WR, JAX
Torn ACL
On Robinson’s first (and only) catch of the game, he reeled in a nice catch and run but came up gingerly on the sideline after a non-contact injury to his left knee. The Jaguars have confirmed that Robinson did indeed tear the ACL in his left knee. He will undergo season-ending surgery and be placed on IR. One positive in this situation is that Robinson will have about a year exactly to be ready to go for 2018, leaving him plenty of time to properly rehab and come back healthy next season. In a contract year, it’s unknown where Robinson will be playing in 2018 and beyond.
Other players impacted: Allen Hurns, Marqise Lee, Blake Bortles
David Johnson, RB, ARI
Wrist Sprain
David Johnson, the consensus number one pick in all formats, may not see the field for quite some time. Initially, DJ’s injury was diagnosed as a “wrist sprain,” which is a very vague diagnosis. Either way, the injury clearly affected the Cards’ running back, who fumbled shortly after the injury. More injury details surfaced today with reports indicating that Johnson could be headed for IR. Bruce Arians, the Arizona head coach, indicated that Johnson’s injury is similar to that of rookie, T.J. Logan, who is currently on IR for the Cardinals with a dislocation in the wrist. Often times, this requires surgery to repair damage to ligaments in the wrist, hence the lengthy recovery time. Johnson is currently seeking a second opinion but things don’t look good as of now. At the time this post is published, there may be more definitive details, so stay tuned. I expect a known timetable before Wednesday.
Other players impacted: Kerwynn Williams, Andre Ellington, D.J. Foster
Danny Woodhead, RB, BAL
Hamstring Strain
Woodhead was on his way to a productive PPR day early in the game but left early with an injury to his left hamstring. He was running an out route near the end zone, planted to change direction, and immediately reached for the back of his left thigh. The Ravens listed him as doubtful to return, and he never made his way back to the field. At the age of 32 coming off of an ACL reconstruction, Woodhead was a big concern for me entering this season, which I discussed here. It’s not uncommon for players coming off of an ACL to have recurring soft tissue injuries around the knee and hip. It’s worth noting here that Woodhead dealt with hamstring injuries off and on during training camp, so this doesn’t appear to be going away anytime soon. Recurring hamstring injuries tend to be more severe the second time around, making the rehab process even longer. I would expect him to be out a minimum of 4-6 weeks.
Other players impacted: Terrance West, Javorius Allen
Kevin White, WR, CHI
Broken Shoulder Blade
The injury bug strikes again for White, who will now miss the rest of the season with a fractured scapula. This is now White’s third fracture in as many years, with the previous fractures affecting his lower leg. The former 7th overall pick in the 2015 draft has now appeared in just five career games in three seasons. His NFL future is shaky at best.
Other players impacted: Kendall Wright, Deonte Thompson, Markus Wheaton, Zach Miller
Danny Amendola, WR, NEP
Concussion
Amendola was off to a great start has ‘Julian Edelman lite’ playing in the slot for New England, but his Week 1 ended early in the 4th quarter with a concussion. He is now in the league’s concussion protocol and is considered “week to week.” Concussions are one of the toughest injuries to predict a recovery timeline due to the variability in symptoms. Basically, the Pats’ wide out will need to pass certain benchmarks in order to be cleared to play and progress to the next level of the concussion protocol. He will need to be symptom free at rest (no headaches, dizziness, sensitivity to light, nausea, etc.) and then gradually be re-introduced to sport specific exercises without symptoms. As reported, this is a week to week situation to monitor, but one thing working in favor for Amendola is that he has an extra three days to be ready for Week 2 given that the Patriots last played on Thursday night.
Other players affected: Phillip Dorsett, Chris Hogan
Maddie Meyer/ Getty Images
C.J. Fiedorowicz, Ryan Griffin, and Stephen Anderson TE, HOU
Concussion
Like Amendola, all of the Texans’ starting tight ends exited early in Week 1 against the Jaguars with a concussion. They will enter the league’s concussion protocol and be on a week to week basis as well. However, given that the Texans play on Thursday night, the chances of either Fiedorowicz, Griffin, or Anderson playing in Week 2 are slim. Their chances of playing in Week 3 are more realistic.
Other players affected: Evan Baylis will be called up from the practice squad to start. I expect more targets for the wide receivers not named Deandre Hopkins (Jaelen Strong, Braxton Miller)
Deshaun Watson, QB, HOU
Ankle Sprain
It’s unclear exactly when it occurred during the game, but Watson was seen walking with a limp after the Texans loss to the Jaguars in Week 1. Monday’s practice report indicated that Watson was able to get in a limited session, which is a promising sign. It is likely that, if healthy, Watson will start on Thursday night over Week 1 starter, Tom Savage. With a short week, this situation is worth monitoring.
Other players affected: Tom Savage