Dan Malin stepping in for Michael Stein this week with the latest NFL Injury Report! The nice part about the 2019 fantasy football season is that there hasn’t been a debilitating injury to a superstar player just yet. It seems in years past there were ACL tears and concussions at an alarming rate, but we’re in the midst of a fantasy playoff run and I may have just jinxed a few guys. There are some minor injuries worth keeping an eye on as we head into Week 10 so here are the updates to a few key players as we enter the weekend!
Patrick Mahomes (QB – KC) – Mahomes hasn’t played since Week 7’s Thursday night game against Denver where he dislocated his kneecap. The injury sounds brutal, but the team popped it back in and as of this week he was a full go in practice on Wednesday so all signs are pointing towards him playing against the Titans on Sunday. The Chiefs are still leading their division, but they’re on the outside looking in when it comes to the AFC home field standings so they’ll need some help if they want to secure a bye week in the playoffs. With Mahomes on track to play Sunday it’s reasonable to believe that he will want to properly re-introduce himself with a three-touchdown game to remind everybody who the best quarterback in the league is.
Matthew Stafford (QB – DET) – Stafford has had a phenomenal season, which is surprising with what he had to play through last season with broken bones in his back and a couple under-the-radar rib injuries as well. But this year, Stafford has had one of his better seasons to date with 19 touchdowns and five interceptions through eight games. Stafford’s currently dealing with some back and hip injuries, but he’s indicated the injuries aren’t related to what he went through a year ago. He didn’t practice on Wednesday and he was only limited on Thursday, but he noted that it won’t impact his availability for Sunday’s road game against the Bears. What is already a difficult road matchup will be all-the-more challenging for Stafford with the latest injury, but at least he’s saying he’ll play.
Matt Ryan (QB – ATL) – Matt Ryan ’s injury came at the perfect time for the Falcons. He only had to miss one game and then the team was off in Week 9. Falcons head coach, Dan Quinn, has already said earlier this week that he expects Ryan to be active and start on Sunday against the Saints. It’s a very difficult matchup, but Matt Ryan has been a solid fantasy commodity this season. The passing volume has been there for Ryan to be relevant so he should have plenty of opportunities to air the ball out to Julio Jones , Devonta Freeman , Austin Hooper , Calvin Ridley & company. If he’s active, which he should be, you’ll be starting him.
Jacoby Brissett (QB – IND) – If you watched Brissett’s injury unfold last season it’s a miracle he’s even practicing three days later. Brissett’s MCL was practically stepped on twice and now he’s just day-to-day. He’s still questionable for Sunday’s tilt against the Dolphins. It’s a phenomenal matchup if he is available to play, but his status likely comes down to him being a game-time decision on Sunday.
Christian McCaffrey (RB – CAR) – The top fantasy player in virtually any format this season did not practice on Wednesday and was a limited participant on Thursday with a knee injury. The decision to sit him on Wednesday seems precautionary as his status for Sunday’s game against the Packers isn’t in serious jeopardy, but it’s worth keeping an eye on. Even the slightest knee injury to a running back is worth keeping tabs. Halfway through the season, McCaffrey already has over 200 total touches so the workload going forward may be worth monitoring. While he will probably be active and a lock in your fantasy lineup, the Panthers would be wise to take it easy with their star player as they continue to make a push for the playoffs.
Alvin Kamara (RB – NO) – Kamara had to miss a few games, but luckily the Saints are coming off their bye week and Kamara will be a full go for Sunday. Latavius Murray filled in admirably in Kamara’s absence and may have earned himself a little more work in the process. As of Friday morning, Kamara does not carry an injury designation and he will play on Sunday.
David Johnson (RB – ARI) – Johnson, like Kamara, will be making his return this week after missing the last two games. The upcoming games aren’t great for DJ. The Cardinals travel east to play Tampa Bay on Sunday and while the Bucs defense isn’t great, it’s capable of stuffing the run. Following the Bucs, the Cardinals go on the road to play the 49ers in Week 11. This is a rough matchup on paper, but the Cardinals did give San Francisco a run for their money in Week 9 without Johnson. Either way, with Johnson back, you’re probably playing him in fantasy regardless of the matchup.
James Conner (RB – PIT) – While there was some optimism for the Steelers to play Conner this week against the Rams, it appears as if his current “doubtful” designation is a sign of where he’s at for Sunday. With the Steelers expecting Conner to sit, this opens opportunities for Jaylen Samuels to own a majority of the work in the backfield with Benny Snell Jr. likely out as well. It’s not official yet, but it’s not looking great for Conner and Snell.
Le’Veon Bell (RB – NYJ) – Jets fans and Bell owners alike experienced the same fear and anxiety in Week 9 when he went down with a knee injury against Miami in the fourth quarter. Fortunately, the injury doesn’t appear to be serious as he was a limited participant in practice on Thursday. The Jets are in the midst of an easier portion of their schedule now so for those who held on to him, they can’t afford for him to miss time. It does look like he’s in line to play this week against the Giants and he should have a big game.
Amari Cooper (WR – DAL) – Cooper suffered a bruised knee in Monday night’s game against the Cowboys. The good news is that he played through the injury to the tune of four catches for 80 yards and a score. He was a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice, but like most of the names on this list, he should be good to go for Sunday night’s game against Minnesota. It’s a very tempting matchup for Cooper. The Vikings defense has been good against the run, but they have been easy to beat in the passing game. If Cooper’s active, he could follow up Monday’s performance with another big game.
Adam Thielen (WR – MIN) – Thielen’s been a frustrating play at times this year. Part of that is due to his lack of involvement in the passing game to start the year, but regardless Thielen still has six touchdowns in eight games. He played on Sunday after dealing with a hamstring issue a week ago and sure enough, he aggravated the same injury in last week’s game. As of Thursday, he did not practice with the team which leaves his status in doubt for Sunday night’s game against Dallas. The late game is frustrating for fantasy owners because if he’s a game-time decision then you’ll miss out on players that you could have started earlier in the day. Keep an eye on his status Friday and Saturday to give you a better idea for his status of Sunday.
Sterling Shepard (WR – NYG) – You should not expect Shepard to return this week. Giants beat writer, Dan Salomone, tweeted out early on Thursday that there shouldn’t be “any expectations for activity in regards to Shepard.” His concussion symptoms flared up earlier in the week and it doesn’t seem likely that he’ll return in Week 10. Shepard has been out for over a month so in his absence expect Golden Tate and Darius Slayton to step up in larger roles in the passing game, as has been the case more recently.
Corey Davis (WR – TEN) – As much as you’d love to see Corey Davis in this matchup on Sunday, it doesn’t seem likely. Davis is currently dealing with a hip injury that kept him out of practice on Thursday, following a missed day on Wednesday. The Titans have the week off next week so it’s not in their best interest to rush Davis back. Even though the matchup is great for Week 10, it might be best to designate him as an inactive for Sunday’s game, but that’s to be decided at this moment.
George Kittle (TE – SF) – This is a real bummer for fantasy owners. Kittle seems like he’s going to be a game-time decision for Monday’s bout against the Seahawks. After not practicing on Thursday, head coach Kyle Shanahan basically announced Kittle as a GTD for Monday. This puts Kittle owners in a precarious situation, but if he’s active you’ll obviously play him. Kittle played through a knee injury in last Thursday’s game, but he then incurred an ankle injury that has put his status in the air for this week's game. If Kittle manages to step on the practice field Friday or Saturday then that’s a very good sign for his status on Monday.
Evan Engram (TE – NYG) – On Tuesday, Pat Shurmur confirmed that Evan Engram had a sore foot. However, as the week progressed the situation got a little muddier and it’s clear now that Engram won’t suit up for Sunday’s game against the Jets as has been confirmed through multiple outlets, including Engram himself. The good news is that, unlike the Kittle situation, we already have an answer and Engram owners can start planning accordingly for a backup plan. But given the matchup, it is unfortunate that fantasy owners won’t be able to play him against the Jets.