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Below, you will find our fantasy football injuries roundup for wide receivers as of September 14th, coming out of the first week of regular season action. We're onto Week 2 and hopefully all of you out there are 1–0. The reality is, of course, that's simply not the case. For some, the cause of your Week 1 loss may very have been injury related. Fantasy managers saw Keenan Allen, Chris Godwin, Tee Higgins, and Elijah Mitchell all leave their contests early, no doubt costing their fantasy managers precious points. There's no avoiding injuries or predicting them. Unfortunately, they just are. Part of managing a fantasy football team is mitigating these pesky injury obstacles.
Entering the first week of the season, there was no shortage of injury questions at receiver, but luckily a lot of those concerns have cleared themselves up. Teams were just being super cautious with the likes of Jaylen Waddle and Michael Thomas. Most of the guys we'll be focusing on entering Week 2 are holdovers from the week before. Only Allen and Higgins are the only real new injury questions heading into Week 2.
Keep in mind while discussing injuries, there are always two sides to the equation. The first is how the injury is going to impact that player directly. Will they be held out? Will they be on a snap count? But for every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction and so if Allen sits, Joshua Palmer gets a boost. If Godwin is held out, we'll see the likes of Russell Gage climb the rankings. The biggest beneficiary this week may be Tyler Boyd in the event that Higgins is not able to pass the concussion protocol. With that, let's get started looking at the handful of receivers who have some injury questions around them heading into the second week of the season.
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Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers
Keenan Allen ended up injuring his hamstring early in their Week 1 contest against the Las Vegas Raiders. He ended up playing on just 22 snaps but was able to rack up four targets before exiting.
Despite missing well over half of the game, Allen ended up tied for the team lead in targets, which exemplifies just how good of a receiver he is. The man is constantly open and Justin Herbert trusts him explicitly.
If there were any questions if this would be the year Mike Williams would overtake Allen, it certainly didn't appear to be the case prior to Allen's departure.
Unfortunately for Allen, the Chargers have a quick turnaround with a game on Thursday evening. With a soft-tissue injury to his hamstring and it being a long season, the chances of Allen suiting up in Week 2 were never good and it seems like the Chargers are well aware of that fact.
#Chargers WR Keenan Allen is unlikely to play Thursday night against the #Chiefs, but there is optimism after tests that his hamstring injury isn’t anything long-term, per sources. Next game is Sept. 25 against the #Jaguars, two full weeks after the injury.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 13, 2022
The fact that it's not viewed as a long-term issue should give fantasy managers optimism he could return in Week 3. In any case, fantasy managers should be preparing to be without the target hog this week.
His absence will give Joshua Palmer an opportunity to become an interesting, cheap DFS play.
UPDATE 9/14: Keenan Allen has officially been ruled out for Week 2 against the Chiefs.
Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Chris Godwin, despite not partaking in any contact practices throughout the entire offseason, suited up for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1. There are plenty of questions about whether that was the best thing for Godwin or the best thing for the Buccaneers.
He had already returned from a torn ACL at an accelerated timeframe. We'll never know if Godwin should've been on the field and we'll never know if the quick return played a role in his new injury, but at this point, it really doesn't matter.
Bucs’ HC Todd Bowles on Chris Godwin’s hamstring injury: “I don't think it's as serious as we thought it was, but it all depends on how his treatment goes and how he heels. Hopefully we'll have him back sooner than later.”
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 12, 2022
It seems as though Godwin and the team dodged a bullet with his hamstring injury and it's not as bad as they initially thought. That's the good news, however, fantasy managers should still be expecting to be without Godwin for a few weeks.
Most fantasy managers were likely thinking they'd be without him for the first few weeks of the season as he recovered from a torn ACL and now that will be the case – just for a different reason than previously thought.
Russell Gage seemed to be the odd man out prior to Godwin's exit and now he'll move back into three wide receiver sets, likely in the slot where he's best suited with Mike Evans and Julio Jones on the outside.
Fantasy managers should be bracing for a multi-week absence for Godwin, which could be the best thing for him since he came back from his torn ACL incredibly early.
Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals
Tee Higgins suffered a concussion in the second quarter of their divisional matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The question now shifts to his potential return in Week 2.
Recent research data suggests that most players who are diagnosed with a concussion miss one week of football. With the safety protocols around concussions and more knowledge concerning CTE, the concussion protocol has become a much more difficult and strenuous task to pass through, which is without question a good thing.
Tee Higgins update. I’m told the #Bengals’ star WR is “doing well” after suffering a 2Q concussion during yesterday’s game vs the #Steelers. Higgins lost his helmet on the play and did not return.
No word yet however on Higgins’ Week 2 availability. More to come…
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) September 12, 2022
There do seem to be some encouraging reports regarding Higgins' status for this upcoming week, but fantasy managers won't get much clarification until the end of the week.
Higgins is unlikely to participate in practice early in the week, part of that concussion protocol designed to keep players safe. If a player is able to pass protocol, it's even much later in the week.
Fantasy managers are pretty much in limbo right now, but the best course of action is to prepare as if Higgins won't be available to play. If he is unable to suit up this weekend, Tyler Boyd would get a big boost in the rankings, as would Hayden Hurst as the Bengals look to rebound after a tough Week 1 loss.
Allen Lazard, Green Bay Packers
Fantasy managers are still a little in the dark about what kind of injury Allen Lazard is actually dealing with. All we know is he got stepped on in practice a few weeks back and has been unable to practice, in any capacity, since then.
He was inactive in Week 1 after not being able to get on the practice field at all and the Packers' offense really missed him.
Whether or not Lazard is able to help bridge the gap with the loss of Davante Adams remains to be seen, but Rodgers desperately needs a safety valve he can trust in – that was supposed to be Lazard. There's little information to go on at this point and fantasy managers will need to be patient to get the first injury report this week Wednesday.
It would be ideal if Lazard is able to return to practice in any capacity this Wednesday and after several weeks on the mend, one would think that has to happen soon, but the Packers play everything very close to the chest.
We just need to accept the fact that we simply do not know anything about Lazard's status heading into Week 2.
JuJu Smith-Schuster, Kansas City Chiefs
JuJu Smith-Schuster operated as Patrick Mahomes' No. 1 wide receiver this past Sunday, an outcome many fantasy managers were expecting. To JuJu's credit, he delivered.
There were reports of him injuring his shoulder, but this seems to be of little concern. With the Chiefs having a Thursday night game, they released an estimated practice report on Monday and he was listed as a limited participant, which is excellent news.
On Tuesday, Smith-Schuster was upgrading to a full practice participant, which pretty much eliminates any injury or availability concerns heading into a Thursday night showdown with the division rival Chargers.
Fantasy managers can feel confident that Smith-Schuster will be ready to go and he can be locked into lineups.
Kadarius Toney, New York Giants
Should Kadarius Toney even be listed here? Is this an injury or a doghouse article? It's most certainly an injury one, but we just don't know what happened this past Sunday. Toney only played seven snaps. He received two touches and gained 23 yards, once again displaying just how dangerous he can be with the ball in his hands.
Throughout the offseason, Toney dealt with a hamstring injury early and then a knee issue late. Was that the reason he wasn't on the field? There were also concerns that he was on the chopping block and a trade candidate. There were concerns he wasn't learning the playbook and there have been attitude questions dating back to his rookie season. Was that the reason he wasn't on the field?
Brian Daboll was quoted saying, "relative to inactives or play time or amount of plays, everybody's got to earn their role." Has Toney not done that? The reality is we have no idea.
Toney should remain glued to fantasy benches right now, but he shouldn't be dropped. The Giants' offense needs playmakers and Toney certainly qualifies. If he's able to get healthy or earn playing time or whatever it is he's got to do, he can be an exciting player. He's proven that already.
Wan'Dale Robinson, New York Giants
Wan'Dale Robinson was able to log just nine snaps before injuring his knee in his first NFL appearance. With a depleted and uninspiring group of receivers for Big Blue, Robinson had a chance to make a name for himself early. That will unfortunately have to wait now.
Daboll said rookie WR Wan'Dale Robinson is "day-to-day" with the knee injury.
— Dan Salomone (@Dan_Salomone) September 12, 2022
While head coach Brian Daboll described his injury as day-to-day, fantasy managers shouldn't be so optimistic. That's not to say this will be a long-term absence, but Robinson is a second-round rookie who has a very small stature.
The Giants are likely to be cautious with the rookie and knee injuries are not something teams like to mess around with. The most likely outcome is Robinson missing Week 2, although Week 2's practice report will be a better indication of where he's at.
Michael Gallup, Dallas Cowboys
As this offseason progressed, it seem as though a trip to the PUP list was all but guaranteed for Gallup. However, late in the preseason, things took a different turn, a positive turn. Gallup began practicing and the team opted to keep his first four-week eligibility intact by keeping him off the PUP list entirely.
While he was ruled out fairly early in the week prior to Week 1, Gallup did log limited practices, which is a really good sign. Since the team opted not to put him on the PUP list, which would have guaranteed him to miss the first four games, they must have believed he'd be healthy enough to play in Week 2 or 3.
Fantasy managers will need to pay attention to the Dallas practice report this week. If he's able to log a full practice, there's a chance fantasy managers will have the option of starting him. However, with Dak Prescott's injury and it possibly being Gallup's first week back, fantasy managers are likely best avoiding this situation even if he does return to the field.
Rondale Moore, Arizona Cardinals
Rondale Moore missed the last few weeks of the preseason with an undisclosed injury only to return to practice on the eve of Week 1. He practiced in full Monday–Wednesday before injuring his hamstring on the Thursday before kickoff. Initial reports indicated he would undergo an MRI and fantasy managers everywhere held their breath.
There's been very little information since then; however, on a positive note when the team put offensive lineman Cody Ford on IR, that transaction did not include Moore. This might have been a possible sliver living. Some more positive news trickled out when head coach Kliff Kingsbury was asked about Moore's practice availability going into Week 2.
Injury updates from Kliff Kingsbury:
G Justin Pugh, DL J.J. Watt remain day-to-day.
Will see what WR Rondale Moore (hamstring) will be able to do Wednesday; with how much he runs around Cardinals need to be smart.
CB Marco Wilson, who hurt his leg Sunday, was "doing better."
— Darren Urban (@Cardschatter) September 12, 2022
While that doesn't exactly sound like a guy who is going to return to practice and play this week, it does somewhat indicate that he's close. Going into Week 1, Kingsbury said Moore's chances of suiting up were 50/50.
Ideally, Moore is able to return to the practice field this week, even in a limited fashion. If that doesn't include him suiting up this weekend, at least it would bode very well for his Week 3 availability.
Fantasy managers will need to keep an eye on the Cardinals' practice report to determine if Moore might be available this weekend. Greg Dortch, who filled in his slot role, finished with nine targets, indicating Moore could become fantasy-relevant fairly quickly if he's able to get back onto the field.
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