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Below, you will find our fantasy football injuries report for wide receivers in Week 1. The injury statuses for various NFL wide receivers are up in the air for Week 1, including Chris Godwin, Tee Higgins, Diontae Johnson, Michael Thomas, and Drake London.
With Week 1 approaching, missing any of these players could be detrimental for fantasy managers. Backup plans need to be in place, and knowing who could miss is crucial, so you know who to grab off of waivers to replace your wide receiver.
Let's look at the updates for some wide receivers and see whether they may play in Week 1.
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Allen Lazard Injury Update
Allen Lazard is dealing with an undisclosed injury that kept him sidelined last week. Head coach Matt LaFleur gave an update Monday on his status.
LaFleur said that he's hopeful rookie WR Christian Watson will play Sunday. He was non-committal with WR Allen Lazard, who was sidelined last week for undisclosed reasons.
— Tom Silverstein (@TomSilverstein) September 5, 2022
Lazard was running off to the side during individual drills Monday, but it looks as though he would have been considered a non-participant on an official injury report. This is a situation to monitor heading into the weekend. Wednesday's official injury report should help clear things up.
Chris Godwin Injury Update
Update: Chris Godwin practiced Monday without a knee brace. He has a chance to suit up in Week 1.
Chris Godwin has been recovering from an ACL and MCL tear he suffered in Week 15 last season. He did not participate in the preseason finale for the Buccaneers but was working independently. Beat reporter Jenna Laine of ESPN commented on how you can see how much his confidence has grown in his knee.
Chris Godwin isn’t playing today but he went through a private workout with the training staff and you can see how much his confidence has grown. He made a leaping, spinning catch along the sideline that he couldn’t have attempted without trust the knee would hold up. pic.twitter.com/zG4LPwoIRs
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) August 27, 2022
There is no clear indication he will suit up for Week 1 just yet, but if he does, there is a chance that it is in a limited capacity.
Tee Higgins Injury Update
Update: Tee Higgins returned to practice Monday after missing last week. He is on track to play.
Tee Higgins underwent shoulder surgery in March to repair a torn Labrum, missing the majority of offseason programs. He missed this past Wednesday's practice after he returned on August 14th to team drills.
Tee Higgins, WR (Questionable): Higgins (shoulder) doesn't appear to be practicing Wednesday, Ben Baby of https://t.co/dDSrWFNwYD reports. #nfl #injuries #espn
— The Fantasy Football Robot (@theffrobot) August 31, 2022
There has been no indication from the Bengals that Higgins will not suit up for the season opener. Still, he will need to log a limited practice between next Wednesday and Friday to instill fantasy managers with confidence that he will be on the field.
Diontae Johnson Injury Update
Diontae Johnson suffered a shoulder injury during the preseason finale against the Detroit Lions. Head coach Mike Tomlin did not seem too concerned about the injury when speaking to the press.
Tomlin: "A couple guys weren't able to finish the game due to injury. The guys you'll be asking about, Diontae (Johnson) and T.J. (Watt), we don't expect that to be serious. Maybe they could have come back into the game had it been different circumstances and so forth." #Steelers
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) August 29, 2022
Tomlin stated that if it were a regular season game, "maybe they could have come back into the game." Johnson should be good to go for the regular season opener but check Wednesday's practice report to see his activity leading up to the contest.
Michael Thomas Injury Update
Michael Thomas is dealing with a hamstring injury, missing the past two weeks of practice. Thomas was ramping up his practice routine before suffering the injury, earning praise from beat reporters. However, news has been optimistic about the receiver's status heading into Week 1.
Hearing positive news on the Michael Thomas front for the Saints. Will be surprised if he's not in the starting lineup vs. the Falcons in Week 1. Thomas has been sidelined by a hamstring injury.
— Jeff Duncan (@JeffDuncan_) September 1, 2022
All indications are that Thomas will be good to go, but with his recent injury history over the past two seasons, he could be on the field in a limited fashion as the Saints work him back into the offense. Monitor his practice status this upcoming week.
Drake London Injury Update
Update: Drake London returned to practice Monday. A good sign for his availability for Week 1.
Drake London suffered a knee injury during the preseason opener for the Falcons and has not participated in practice since. Initial reports were that the injury shouldn't affect his Week 1 availability, but he still has not participated in practice in any capacity.
Arthur Smith updates for why guys missed practice:
Kaleb McGary — illness
Jalen Mayfield — illness/back
Cordarrelle Patterson — rest plan
Darren Hall — personal/minor injuryCloser to decision on starting center.
Drake London — feels good about where he’s at
— Michael Rothstein (@mikerothstein) August 29, 2022
Head coach Arthur Smith has continually stated he feels good about where Drake is in his recovery. Still, fantasy managers will need to monitor practice reports during the upcoming week to feel confident placing him in their starting lineups.
Jaylen Waddle Injury Update
Update: Jaylen Waddle returned to practice Monday. He is on track to play in Week 1.
Jaylen Waddle has been sidelined with a lower-body injury. The Dolphins have been playing it safe with the second-year receiver, allowing him to rest the injury rather than push it to participate in practice.
mcDaniel on how confident he is waddle will be ready for NE
"very very very confident....again, the whole time we were trying to be extremely proactive. if we were to have a game last sunday, he would've played. if we had a game the sunday before, he probably would've played."
— josh houtz (@houtz) September 1, 2022
Head Coach Mike McDaniel is confident he could have played during the last two preseason games and is sure he will be ready to go for the regular season opener. Fantasy managers should monitor practice reports next week, but all signs indicate Waddle is suiting up for Week 1.
Deebo Samuel Injury Update
Update: Deebo Samuel returned to practice Monday. A good sign the injury is not a concern.
Deebo Samuel missed practice Thursday with a bone bruise located behind his knee. He is still conditioning during practice but not participating in team drills.
Deebo Samuel injured the back of his knee against the Texans. The 49ers are calling the injury a contusion. He most likely won’t practice this week.
— Grant Cohn (@grantcohn) August 28, 2022
There have been no indications Samuel is in danger of missing the regular season opener, but monitor practice reports Wednesday to see if he is back on the field with his teammates.
CeeDee Lamb Injury Update
CeeDee Lamb has been dealing with a laceration on his foot, an injury he suffered in practice. The injury is not serious enough for him to miss any regular season game time.
Since starters like Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb aren’t playing tonight, they’re getting in extra work pregame pic.twitter.com/y0twPqJQbW
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 26, 2022
Lamb has put in work during drills and should land, at the very least, as a limited participant during practice next week. He should be good to go for the opener.
Michael Gallup Injury Update
Update: Head coach Mike McCarthy said Monday that Gallup will not suit up for Week 1 or practice this week. He stated Gallup has "hit every target to date" in his recovery and "looks really good."
Michael Gallup has been recovering from a torn ACL he suffered on January 2nd. Reports have been positive on his recovery, and there is a chance he could play much sooner than many anticipated.
Mike McCarthy on Cowboys WR Michael Gallup (knee): “Looks excellent. He’s getting close. He’s hit every target. His rehab is going very smooth. Just staying on the plan. He’s still working in the rehab group.”
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 31, 2022
Gallup stated, "It's not a reasonable possibility," when asked about suiting up for Week 1. Still, after avoiding the PUP list, it is reasonable to expect he will be ready to go within the first month of the regular season.
Kadarius Toney Injury Update
Kadarius Toney has been sidelined with a leg injury, barely participating in camp and missing all of the preseason. He has since returned to practice this past Wednesday.
Giants’ Kadarius Toney ready to move past rocky rookie year: ‘I’ve got a lot to prove to myself’ https://t.co/FjBNCfgBLl
— Darryl Slater (@DarrylSlater) September 1, 2022
According to The Athletic's Dan Duggan, Toney "looks 100%." Toney should be ready to roll for the season opener, but monitor practice reports next week to see if Toney continues to practice.
Isaiah McKenzie Injury Update
Update: Isaiah McKenzie has been practicing since Sunday. He stated Sunday that " he feels ready to go for the Rams game."
Isaiah McKenzie is dealing with an undisclosed injury. Bills GM Brandon Beane said it would be difficult to hold McKenzie out, but "we'll see." McKenzie had an impressive offseason, potentially beating out veteran Jamison Crowder for the starting slot receiver role.
#Bills WR Isaiah McKenzie suffered a shoulder injury in practice today, source said. He’s having an MRI to determine the severity of the ailment. He had emerged as a key weapon last season.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 24, 2021
With Buffalo opening up the regular season against the Los Angeles Rams this upcoming Thursday night, McKenzie will need to put in a limited practice at the very least to suit up. Crowder will be the immediate pivot option if you need to start the slot receiver for the Bills. If McKenzie sits, Crowder could be considered a cheap upside option in daily fantasy formats.
Russell Gage Injury Update
Russell Gage is dealing with a leg injury he suffered nearly a month ago. While the injury was initially reported as "minor," no word has come out on his status for Week 1.
#Bucs WR Russell Gage speaks on coming back from his injury and where the chemistry is at with Tom Brady. pic.twitter.com/I23SNuJCXZ
— PewterReport (@PewterReport) September 1, 2022
Gage said he is 100% in the interview above, so the expectation is that he will be ready to roll for the season opener. However, monitor practice reports during the upcoming week. If he is limited in any way, he could see come out more frequently than initially thought.
Jakobi Meyers Injury Update
Jakobi Meyers is dealing with a leg injury that has made him a limited participant in practice. He was seen on the field sporting a sleeve on his leg when working out individually.
Jakobi Meyers left the Raiders game with an undisclosed injury but was at practice today sporting a sleeve on his left leg pic.twitter.com/Upk659LIIo
— Dakota Randall (@DakRandallNESN) August 29, 2022
There is currently no real concern that Meyers will miss Week 1, but monitor practice reports this week to be sure before starting him as a flex option.
Christian Watson Injury Update
Update: Head coach Matt LaFleur said he's "hopeful" Christian Watson will play Sunday.
Christian Watson dealt with a knee injury for most of camp, returning to team drills on August 21st. The rookie missed the entire preseason but is working his way back to be active for the regular season opener.
Matt LaFleur on why rookie WR Christian Watson did not play in the preseason finale: "Our medical staff thought it would be in his best interest to give him two more weeks before we put him in a game situation."
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) August 27, 2022
LaFleur's comments on letting Watson rest for two more weeks instead of having to suit up for the preseason finale would put Watson on track to be active in Week 1. However, with all the time missed and fellow rookie Romeo Doubs standing out during his absence, Watson will likely struggle to have fantasy relevance early in the season.
Van Jefferson Injury Update
Van Jefferson underwent a minor clean-up surgery on his knee at the beginning of August. The recovery time for the surgery is typically 4-6 weeks, so there is a chance Jefferson could play in the Thursday Night opener if he can log a limited practice.
Hearing WR Van Jefferson’s surgery went great, and my sense is that it’s realistic to believe he can return by the Sept. 8 opener. Obviously his experience in this offense means he can onboard back in quickly once cleared, & team won’t pressure him, but so far seems encouraging.
— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) August 3, 2022
Jefferson's status is up in the air until we see practice reports released, but if he misses the game, Ben Skowronek and Tutu Atwell should see increased usage in three-receiver sets.
Rondale Moore Injury Update
Update: Head coach Kliff Kingsbury said Rondale Moore was "doing better and did more today than he had done previously" on Monday. Moore has a chance to play in Week 1.
Rondale Moore has an undisclosed injury, and head coach Kliff Kingsbury said he "will be close" when asked about his Week 1 availability. The second-year receiver had received praise this offseason, with Kingsbury wanting him to be "more fully utilized across the offense."
INJURY UPDATE: @AZCardinals TE Zach Ertz (calf) could be ready for Week 1. WR Rondale Moore still dealing with an undisclosed injury
— The Fantasy Source 🔮🏈 (@FantasySource_) August 31, 2022
The Cardinals are already missing DeAndre Hopkins due to a suspension, leaving an opening for Moore to see an increased role in the offense. He will need to log a limited practice to have a chance to suit up in Week 1, so monitor practice reports this upcoming week.
Robbie Anderson Injury Update
Anderson suffered a quad injury over a week ago and has yet to return to practice. The Carolina beat seems optimistic that Anderson will return to practice shortly.
Some good injury news: Derrick Brown is fine. And Bradley Bozeman, Robbie Anderson and Ian Thomas all should be back this week.
— Joe Person (@josephperson) August 27, 2022
Anderson has a good chance to suit up as the second starting wide receiver for the Panthers regular-season opener. Still, he has missed valuable reps with new starting quarterback Baker Mayfield due to the quad injury.
Sterling Shepard Injury Update
Sterling Shepard suffered a torn Achilles in the middle of last December but was activated off of the PUP on August 24th. The extra time to get acquainted with the new offensive scheme is much needed for the veteran receiver.
WR Sterling Shepard will be back at practice today. First time since tearing his Achilles late last season. #giants
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) August 24, 2022
There is no current indication that Shepard will suit up for the regular season opener. He could start the season being slowly worked back into the offense until he is back to full speed. With rookie Wan'Dale Robinson also taking reps as the starting slot receiver, it will be interesting to see what role Shepard plays once he is back on the field.
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