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Inside the Tent - Week 9 NFL Injury Insight

Injury updates and analysis for Week 9 of the 2019 NFL season. Aaron Burger, PT, DPT provides analysis on fantasy football's biggest injuries to help you make informed lineup start/sit decisions.

At RotoBaller, we can't stress enough the importance of keeping up with injuries and playing your best lineup week after week. Players are going to get injured, that's an unavoidable fact. What's avoidable though is making the wrong roster decisions based on the injuries surrounding your fantasy squad. If you want to dominate your leagues and win some dough in daily contests, you have to be proactive with injury research.

That's where I come in to serve you, the readers! I'm Aaron Burger, a Doctor of Physical Therapy in Pittsburgh, PA. About two years ago, I decided to combine my love, fantasy football, with what I've been learning for years now, injuries and the human body. Each week, I'll be checking in on fantasy's biggest injuries to keep you informed.

Be sure you also have RotoBaller bookmarked and follow us on social media to catch all the latest NFL news and updates.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Inside the Tent Updates

Patrick Mahomes, QB - Kansas City Chiefs

  • Mahomes was not able to play in Week 8 as he rehabs from a dislocated patella and although he practiced in a limited fashion all week, I expect the Chiefs to wait one more game before bringing him back. Once a patella is dislocated once, it is more likely to happen again compared to a person that's never dislocated a patella.

Alvin Kamara, RB - New Orleans Saints

  • Kamara is coming back from a knee sprain as well as a low-grade high ankle sprain. He was not able to play in Weeks 7/8 and Latavius Murray turned in great fantasy performances as a result. With the Saints heading into their bye, I expect Kamara to be 100% as the second half of the season progresses.

David Johnson, RB - Arizona Cardinals

  • Johnson did not play in Week 9 against the San Francisco 49ers and as a result, Kenyon Drake dominated the Cardinals backfield. With another week of rest and rehab, Johnson should be ready to play in Week 10 against the Buccaneers and their stout run defense.

Davante Adams, WR - Green Bay Packers

  • Adams is trying to get back on the field after a diagnosis of turf toe sustained in Week 4. This injury is difficult to recover from considering how the underside of the big toe is stretched every time an athlete takes a step, let alone sprints. Adams has been doing more at practice this week and a video surfaced of him leapfrogging a teammate. Adams is questionable for Week 9 but I believe he plays.

Matt Ryan, QB - Atlanta Falcons

  • Dealing with an ankle sprain, Ryan should be back for Week 10's matchup against the Saints after their Week 9 bye. A game between the Saints and Falcons with healthy players is always good for the fantasy community.

 

Week 9 Injury Updates

Joe Flacco, QB - Denver Broncos

  • Injury: Flacco is dealing with a herniated disc in his neck. The intervertebral discs between each vertebrae have two parts: the annulus and the nucleus pulposus. The nucleus pulposus is the inner structure and is often compared to jelly within a doughnut. With various, repeated spinal movements, this nucleus pulposus can cause the outer annulus to herniate and impinge on a spinal nerve root causing numbness, tingling, and pain into the arm(s).
  • News: He was placed on IR on 11/1 and his 2019 season is over. 
  • Outlook: The Broncos will now look to Brandon Allen to lead their offense. He is a career backup and until we learn more about him, expectations for Courtland Sutton, Phillip Lindsay, Royce Freeman, and Daesean Hamilton have to be tempered.

James Conner, RB - Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Injury: Conner is dealing with an AC, or acromioclavicular, joint sprain. This is the joint where the clavicle, or collarbone, meets the shoulder blade via a bony protrusion known as the acromion. There are 3 types of sprains: Grade I, Grade II, and Grade III. Considering he did not have surgery, which would be required for Grade III, he is likely dealing with a Grade II sprain.
  • News: He was not able to practice all week which is not a good sign for his Week 9 availability.
  • Outlook: With Conner sidelined for Week 9 and likely Week 10, Jaylen Samuels will see a ton of work for the Steelers. Benny Snell Jr. would be available to help lighten the load but he underwent knee surgery this week as well to trim some of the meniscus in his knee. 

T.Y. Hilton, WR - Indianapolis

  • Injury: Hilton strained his calf in practice leading up the the Colts' Week 9 matchup against the Steelers. When calves are strained, they are simply stretched past their anatomical limits. Hilton's strain is likely a Grade II strain which is more severe than a Grade I but not a complete rupture (Grade III).
  • News: Hilton has been ruled out for Week 9 and there are reports he will be out for 3-4 weeks. This timeline is accurate given a Grade II strain of the calf but soft tissue injuries are always suceptible to reinjury. 
  • Outlook: The Colts' passing attack obviously takes a hit with Hilton out and facing an improved Steelers Defense certainly doesn't help either. With Hilton sidelined, look for Zach Pascal to get more run and spread the defense out for Eric Ebron and Jack Doyle to work the middle of the field.

Brandin Cooks, WR - Los Angeles Rams

  • Injury: Cooks is unfortunately dealing with another concussion, his fourth since the Super Bowl. Obviously a concussion is the result of a blow to the head and the symptoms that present like dizziness, disorientation, nausea, visual changes, and mood swings present due to the chemical changes that occur in the brain as a result of the blow. 
  • News: Cooks has actually been sent to Pittsburgh to see concussion specialists, likely with UPMC as they have a great concussion program and are renowned for the strides they've made in concussion research. He will not play in Week 9 and is likely out for anywhere from 2-3 weeks. 
  • Outlook: Josh Reynolds now steps up as the starting wide receiver for the Rams in Cooks' absence. Reynolds will lineup with Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods and provide a large target during red zone situations. Jared Goff loved looking Reynolds' way last year when Cooks missed time.

More Fantasy Football Analysis




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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Griffin Conine

To Have Shoulder Surgery On Tuesday
Luke Keaschall

Twins Prospect Luke Keaschall Suffers Broken Forearm
Logan Gilbert

Leaves Friday's Start With Forearm Tightness

Vikings Select Tai Felton To Finish Day 2

Seahawks Select Quarterback Jalen Milroe With The 92nd Pick Overall

Browns Select Dillon Gabriel 94th Overall

Packers Pick Savion Williams At No. 87 overall

Steelers Snag Kaleb Johnson In Round 3

Broncos Select Wide Receiver Pat Bryant With The 74th Overall Pick

Texans Select Jaylin Noel With 79th Pick

Lions Select Wide Receiver Isaac TeSlaa With The 70th Overall Pick
Jack Leiter

To Start On Sunday

Patriots Add Wide Receiver Kyle Williams In Round 3

Browns Draft Harold Fannin Jr. With 67th Pick
Garrett Mitchell

Makes Early Exit
Luke Keaschall

Removed Early On Friday
Blake Snell

Likely Avoids Major Injury
Cole Ragans

Dealing With Mild Groin Strain

Broncos Add RJ Harvey To Backfield With 60th Pick

Raiders Select Jack Bech With 58th Pick

Chargers Add Wide Receiver Tre Harris In Round 2
Detroit Lions

Lions Acquire 57th Pick From Broncos

Seahawks Draft Elijah Arroyo 50th Overall
Carolina Panthers

Panthers Acquire 51st Pick From Broncos
Arizona Cardinals

Cardinals Snag Will Johnson At No. 47

Jets Add A Pass-Catcher With Mason Taylor At No. 42

Rams Select Terrance Ferguson With 46th Pick
Houston Texans

Texans Acquire 48th Pick From Raiders, Draft Aireontae Ersery

Saints Snag Tyler Shough At No. 40
Brenton Doyle

Out For Personal Reasons On Friday
Brandin Podziemski

Not On Injury Report For Game 3
Jimmy Butler III

Warriors Optimistic About Jimmy Butler III Playing Saturday
Jae'Sean Tate

To Remain Out Saturday
Jock Landale

Unavailable For Game 3
Terry Rozier

Out On Saturday
Jrue Holiday

Ruled Out For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Orlando
Kevin Love

To Miss Saturday's Game
Jaylen Brown

Available For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Magic
Gary Payton II

Iffy For Saturday's Action
Jayson Tatum

Officially Available On Friday For Game 3 Against Magic
Will Smith

Back From Injury On Friday
Luke Kennard

Questionable For Game 4 On Saturday
Darius Garland

Listed As Questionable For Game 3
Ja Morant

To Miss Game 4 On Saturday
Rui Hachimura

Available For Game 3 In Minnesota
Aaron Ekblad

Available To Return Saturday
Erik Swanson

Ryan Burr Progressing
Daulton Varsho

To Return On Tuesday At The Latest
Max Scherzer

Takes Positive Step On Friday
Aleksander Barkov

Questionable For Saturday
Gabriel Landeskog

Set For Larger Role In Game 4
Calvin Pickard

To Start Game 3 For Oilers
Randy Arozarena

Resting For First Time This Year
Jonas Siegenthaler

To Play Limited Minutes In Game 3
MLB

Red Sox-Guardians Game Postponed On Friday
Luke Hughes

Remains Out On Friday
MLB

Tigers-Orioles Postponed On Friday
Patrik Laine

A Game-Time Decision Friday
Yainer Diaz

Out On Friday Against Royals
Iván Herrera

Ivan Herrera Hopes To Start Rehab Assignment Next Week
Salvador Perez

Sitting Out For First Time This Season
Jaylen Brown

Questionable For Game 3 On Friday
Brendan Donovan

Back In Action On Friday
Jimmy Butler III

Could Miss Game 3 On Saturday
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Getting On A Roll At Triple-A
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Cade Cunningham

Collects Double-Double In Loss
Jalen Brunson

Drops 30 Points In Game 3
Karl-Anthony Towns

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Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

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David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
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Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
Nicolas Dalby

An Underdog At UFC Kansas City
Randy Brown

A Favorite At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Set To Open Up UFC Kansas City Main Card
Ikram Aliskerov

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Sergei Bobrovsky

Shuts Out Lightning In Game 2
Cam Fowler

Finishes Thursday's Win With Five Points
Robert Thomas

Posts Four Assists In Game 3 Win
Pavel Buchnevich

Celebrates Hat Trick During Four-Point Performance
Dylan DeMelo

Battling An Illness
Marcus Johansson

Exits Early Thursday
Aleksander Barkov

Hurt In Game 2
Jrue Holiday

Tagged As Questionable For Friday
Jayson Tatum

Likely Out Again On Friday
Anthony Cirelli

Good To Go Thursday
Andrei Vasilevskiy

Looks To Bounce Back In Game 2
Rasmus Ristolainen

To Miss Training Camp
Jonas Siegenthaler

Returns To Practice
Aliaksei Protas

Traveling With Capitals
Gabriel Vilardi

Still Out On Thursday
Max Pacioretty

Set To Join Maple Leafs Lineup For Game 3
Cam Davis

Looking For Better Fortunes At TPC Louisiana
Adam Svensson

Making Third Apperence At Zurich Classic
Max Greyserman

Aiming For Similar Success At TPC Louisiana
Lee Hodges

A High-Upside Player In New Orleans
PGA

Nico Echavarria Looks To Ride Off Of Elite Putting In New Orleans
Gary Woodland

A Player Worth Watching In New Orleans
Max McGreevy

Returns To The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Rasmus Hojgaard

In Search Of Consistency Ahead Of Zurich Classic
Sam Stevens

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate In New Orleans
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Turn Season Around At Zurich Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks To Sway A Hot Putter In Teams Favor At Zurich Classic
Akshay Bhatia

Looking To Bounce Back At TPC Louisiana
Carson Young

Looks To Turn Things Around At TPC Louisiana
Erik Van Rooyen

Looking For Momentum In Louisiana
Andrew Novak

Making Start At TPC Louisiana After Near Miss At Harbour Town
Ben Griffin

Making Third Career Start At Zurich Classic
Taylor Moore

Competing With A New Teammate In New Orleans
Wyndham Clark

Making Return To New Orleans
Kurt Kitayama

Teeing It Up Again In New Orleans
Collin Morikawa

Back At Zurich Classic For Fifth Time
Thomas Detry

Making Third Appearance At New Orleans Team Event
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