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Below, you will find our updated fantasy football injuries report for running backs in the 2022 NFL preseason as of Wednesday, August 24th. The injury statuses for various NFL running backs are important to monitor during training camp, including J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, James Robinson, Kenneth Gainwell, Elijah Mitchell, Cam Akers, Darrell Henderson, and Kenneth Walker III.
Entering the final week of preseason games and fully immersed in draft season, these are some players to note.
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J.K. Dobbins Injury Update
Dobbins has been battling his way back from an ACL (knee) tear that occurred last August, so seeing him placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list to start training camp was a red flag; however, two weeks ago, he was removed from this list, with all signs pointing towards him being ready to go for Week 1.
Additionally, he returned to practice last week on Monday, further signaling optimism for his Week 1 status.
There was one additional report since then regarding head coach John Harbaugh's cautious approach.
Dobbins could open the season with a reduced workload but if he's fully healthy and has the goal-line role, it won't have much impact on his fantasy value. It's also important to note he'll be the clear-cut No. 1 now that Edwards is out. Despite the continued flow of positive updates, Dobbins remains a draft value with an ADP of 53 overall since coming off the PUP list on August 8th. This seems unlikely to climb inside the top-36, offering you the opportunity to snag Dobbins after stockpiling three or four quality players.
Gus Edwards Injury Update
As referenced above, things continue to get worse for Dobbins's running mate Edwards, who also suffered an ACL (knee) tear last August. The last two weeks of posts foreshadowed an unfortunate turn for Edwards.
This not only completely removes Edwards from your draft board but may remove him from fantasy relevance all year. It's very possible that the combination of Mike Davis, Tyler Badie, and Justice Hill functions well enough to keep Edwards from resuming the No. 2 role when does eventually return. This sinks his 2022 value and hurts his long-term value in dynasty as well.
James Robinson Injury Update
Robinson suffered an Achilles injury in December, leading many to believe he would miss most, if not all of 2022. Yet, Robinson avoided the PUP list for training camp and seems increasingly likely to be available for Week 1.
The historical data on Achilles injuries is not great for running backs regaining their efficiency and productivity but with modern science and multiple players currently recovered from the injury, including D'Onta Foreman, Marlon Mack, and presumably Cam Akers, there is a reason for optimism.
Last week, Robinson was able to take part in drills and was still considered to be on track with his Week 1 timeline.
This week, he is reportedly increasing his reps and ramping up his workload in preparation for the season opener.
We may not have the opportunity to see Robinson take part in preseason action but we should receive a report in the coming week or two that he is cleared for full contact. It's difficult to predict how explosive and efficient he will be early in the season, which could reduce his overall fantasy output. Additionally, Travis Etienne has looked fantastic and will, at the very least, compete for carries while receiving the bulk of the passing work. This makes Robinson more of top-40 back with top-30 upside if he can secure a bigger workload and the offense improves.
Elijah Mitchell Injury Update
A report about Mitchell came out on Friday, August 12th, citing a hamstring injury. The more concerning part was that the 49ers immediately decided to shut him down for the preseason.
This week, we received more clarification on his status.
This is great news for his Week 1 status but it does not completely remove the risk of re-injury, which was a problem for Mitchell last season, missing six games. Mitchell is still a great value as the lead back in the 49ers' rushing attack, but this adds an additional level of concern when selecting him in your draft. He's still likely to be a top-24 back with top-12 upside when healthy, it's just a matter of how many games he plays.
Cam Akers Injury Update
Akers popped up unexpectedly last week, but thankfully, a report came out that the injury is not considered serious.
The latest report this week continues to possess uncertainty.
Given that Akers has now been out for over a week, it's starting to become more of a concern. The day-to-day label is more positive but having returned from an Achilles injury for the playoffs, where he did not look like himself, it's difficult not to be worried about his health. Furthermore, head coach Sean McVay recently referred to having two starting running backs, which is not exactly a vote of confidence for Akers to be the lead back. Akers is becoming a risky draft pick who projects more as a top-30 back with top-20 upside, limiting his ceiling.
Darrell Henderson Jr. Injury Update
Henderson Jr. also popped up with the same injury at the same time.
The same update from above also applies to Henderson.
Henderson Jr. is increasingly becoming more intriguing for fantasy, he just needs to get back to full health first. Once healthy, he possesses plenty of upside as an insurance back, and could even hold standalone weekly flex value, making him a player to target in your draft.
Kenneth Walker III Injury Update
Seahawks rookie Walker III was competing with Rashaad Penny for the starting role until a report emerged about him undergoing a procedure for a hernia.
At the time, this seemed concerning but not necessarily for his ability to participate in the season opener. Unfortunately, this came through on Sunday, casting doubt on when he'll return.
Penny, who was dealing with a groin issue, is back at practice and may now have less competition entering Week 1. Travis Homer and DeeJay Dallas still project to take on a portion of the passing work, which may prevent Penny from producing the numbers he ended the final six weeks of 2021 with. Penny has inherent injury risk and will likely cede carries to Walker III once he returns, making him a pick that possesses more uncertainty than some of the other players being selected around him.
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