It’s never too early to check in on player injury statuses ahead of the 2022 season, and our news desk has you covered. Let’s take a look at the latest injury news and notes around the NFL.
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CeeDee Lamb (foot) missing practice, not seen as serious
CeeDee Lamb missed practice on Wednesday with a foot injury. It is not considered serious. Brad Sham, on NFL Network, later reported that Lamb cut his toe and it required a stitch. (Source: Michael Gehlken on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Lamb’s absence seems to be cautionary and nothing more. He was not seen in a walking boot and while practice played out, Lamb was catching footballs from the jugs machine. Lamb is nothing short of being the anchor to this offense. If he misses time it will get very difficult for Jerry and the ‘Boys due to the lack of depth. Most analysis see Lamb as a breakout candidate in 2022. Our expert consensus rankings have Lamb as the WR6 overall. A season ago Lamb accumulated 1,102 yards, 120 targets, 79 receptions and six touchdowns. There will need to be an increase in production if Lamb is to payoff his WR6 ADP.
Joe Burrow will miss preseason, adding on weight
According to Ben Baby of ESPN, QB Joe Burrow does not anticipate playing in any preseason games as he recovers from a ruptured appendix. He also plans on adding back the weight he lost from the procedure. (Source: Ben Baby, ESPN)
Fantasy Impact: Burrow was just recently cleared to return to practice and participate in 11-on-11s after missing time due to an appendix procedure. Despite believing it to be routine, it turned out to be bigger than the team initially anticipated. The surgery was successful and Burrow has been cleared for action in practice, but he lost an undisclosed amount of weight due to the surgery. Burrow is currently going as the QB6 on average, according to FantasyPros, and won’t play until the start of the regular season at the earliest.
Mecole Hardman carted off after injuring leg in practice Wednesday
Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman was carted off at practice Wednesday after limping off the field with a left leg injury as reported by ProFootballFocus.com’s Ari Meirov. (Source: Ari Meirov on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Hardman limped off after a rep in 11-on-11 drills and was looked at by trainers in the medical tent. Head trainer Rick Burkholder examined his left leg before ultimately calling the cart to take him away. This is not an ideal situation for Hardman, who has already dealing with a hamstring issue and has been expected to take the next step in his career after the offseason trade of Tyreek Hill.
Robert Woods on track to play in Week 1
Robert Woods is reportedly on track to make his Titans debut in Week 1 against the Giants according to ESPN.com’s Turron Davenport. (Source: Turron Davenport, ESPN.com)
Fantasy Impact: Woods will bring stability to Tennessee’s receiving corps after the loss of Pro Bowler A.J. Brown. Tennessee was middle of the pack in the NFL last season with 20 team passes dropped but that should be aided by Woods, who has a 1.3% drop rate over the past five seasons, a number ranked sixth among wide receivers with at least 200 receptions. Woods’ sure hands and expert route running will give him an easy road to quickly becoming Ryan Tannehill’s favorite target. Woods, who averaged 132 targets per season prior to his injury last season, should fill the target vacuum left when the Titans traded Brown to the Eagles. Woods will be WR1 in Tennessee but has an ADP of 102, giving fantasy managers a potential late-round steal.
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