Fantasy Football Injury Outlook: Saquon Barkley, Brandon Aiyuk, Nick Chubb, Joe Burrow

Week 2 was a week with a lot of big name injuries. I will be using my knowledge and experience as a physical therapist to break down which injuries have waiver implications and what players we should be target on waivers today. Remember, early in the week we are working with limited info and do not have practice reports, so these are educated guesses on availability. Here are my early takes on all fantasy-relevant injuries this week. And below we dive into a few notable injured players in the fantasy football landscape.

Injuries to Know for Week 3 Waiver Wire

Saquon Barkley (RB – NYG)

Barkley suffered what looked to be an eversion sprain from the video. He had an MRI done which showed an “low” ankle sprain. Expect him to miss 2 or 3 weeks. Breida will likely be the incumbent RB1 for the Giants, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be a valuable fantasy asset.

Waiver considerations: Matt Breida

Brandon Aiyuk (WR – SF)

Aiyuk suffered a shoulder injury while making a catch. From the video, the most likely injury is an AC joint sprain. If this is the case, I expect him to miss Thursday’s game against the Giants and have a 50/50 chance for Week 4 after the long week. He did not practice Monday.

Waiver considerations: Jauan Jennings if you’re in a deep league, otherwise I wouldn’t pick anyone up.

Nick Chubb (RB – CLE)

Chubb appeared to have a gruesome injury in Monday Night’s game. From the one angle we have available, it looked like a pretty brutal leg/knee injury and he was instantly ruled out. He will likely miss an extended period of time, making Jerome Ford a smash add in all formats, although there is always the possibility of a trade or bringing in a veteran.

Waiver considerations: Add Jerome Ford

Joe Burrow (QB – CIN)

Burrow suffered a calf strain at the end of the game on Sunday. Since he had a calf strain during preseason, this is pretty concerning. We know that for a muscle strain, you’re most likely to reinjure it the first two weeks after returning, which remains true here. It will be interesting to see how cautious the Bengals will be with him after starting 0-2, but if he does play he is at an increased injury risk. Depending on the severity, a Grade 1 should be a one-week absence, whereas a Grade 2 is usually around 3-4 weeks.

Waiver considerations: None