Thankfully, this past week wasn’t as cataclysmic on the injury front as the one prior. Fantasy managers were relatively unscathed, with no major stars suffering season-ending or projected lengthy absences.
That aside, adjustments will need to be made as we enter the next quarter of the season. Are players inheriting additional volume worth grabbing? Find out below.
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Week 4 Injuries to Know
Quarterbacks
Justin Herbert was surprisingly active this past week for Los Angeles after suffering a right high-ankle sprain in Week 2. Clearly dealing with enormous pain while on the field, Herbert aggravated his injury before ultimately leaving the game early. Following the team’s 20-10 loss to Pittsburgh, Herbert was spotted in a walking boot. He told reporters his ankle was “a little more sore” than before.
The team has an early bye in Week 5, so it makes sense for Jim Harbaugh to rest Herbert and allow him to recover, especially with the team facing a stout Kansas City Chiefs defense. If Herbert were to sit, Taylor Heinicke would get the start in a largely run-heavy script.
Under constant duress in Week 3 due to a heinous performance by the offensive line, Skylar Thompson exited the second half of Miami’s 24-3 loss with a “very painful rib injury,” per head coach Mike McDaniel. Given the nature of the injury and the expected duration of time needed to heal, the Dolphins will likely be starting veteran pivot options, Tim Boyle or Tyler Huntley.
For fantasy purposes of any managers with Dolphins players and fantasy start sit decisions, they are keeping their collective fingers crossed that Huntley has learned enough of Miami’s playbook to be under center. The offense was utterly anemic under Boyle.
Sam Darnold briefly left Sunday’s game against Houston to get his knee checked out on the sidelines before returning to finish the game. An MRI on Monday showed no structural damage. Darnold stated he anticipates practicing as normal this week. He might begin with limited participation, but expect him to ramp up and be fine. Minnesota will look to keep their perfect season alive in Week 4.
Running Backs
Austin Ekeler had several splash plays for Washington early in the game during their victory over Cincinnati on Monday evening. The natural “lightning” compliment to Brian Robinson‘s “thunder,” he was removed in the second half after taking a hit to the helmet and appearing dazed. Placed into the league’s mandatory concussion protocol, Ekeler will have an uphill battle to take the field in Week 4 due to the team having a late game.
With just six days to progress through all the necessary steps, his managers should look for fantasy football start sit pivot options. Jeremy McNichols would inherit his role during his absence and would be a Flex-only grab for deeper formats. The Commanders take on a leaky Arizona Cardinals defense during the late slate in Week 4.
Jaylen Warren (RB – PIT) & Najee Harris (RB – PIT)
Following the conclusion of the Steelers’ victory on Sunday, news broke that Jaylen Warren injured his knee and Najee Harris sustained a shoulder injury that forced his right arm to be placed into a sling. Currently, no further information is known regarding the extent of the injuries or the duration of time these players might miss.
It has been confirmed that Warren underwent an MRI on Monday afternoon, but the results haven’t been released yet. Should either (or both) players miss time, Cordarrelle Patterson would see a significant rise in his playing time and touches. The Steelers square off against Indianapolis, who have surrendered the second-highest amount of rushing yards so far this year (537). Patterson would be a nice flier to grab in deeper formats on an extremely run-heavy team.
Wide Receivers
DeVonta Smith was well on his way to a phenomenal finish in Week 3 before sustaining an incredibly dirty hit to his head that the officials somehow missed. Smith immediately dropped to the ground and entered the “fencing” posture, indicating he was concussed. Thankfully, he could walk off the field with assistance before later being ruled out. Placed into the league’s concussion protocol, Smith will now have a week to progress through the necessary steps before attempting to return against Tampa Bay.
Philadelphia badly needs his presence on the field since they are already without star A.J. Brown, but one can’t rush how long a return will take when dealing with a brain injury. Keep an eye on Philadelphia’s practice reports to see if he can both wear (and then eventually shed) the non-contact jersey before trying to return. Should he miss Week 4, the Eagles would look to lean on tight end Dallas Goedert and the run game again, with an occasional target going to Jahan Dotson.
Andy Dalton‘s magnificent start was somewhat marred by Adam Thielen’s loss on a deep touchdown pass this past Sunday. Following completing the catch and falling to the ground, Thielen immediately grabbed his right hamstring and gingerly walked off the field with a look of disappointment.
Given his advanced age (34), I’d expect this to be a multi-week injury, at least. Head coach Dave Canales stated the team was “continuing to gather information regarding his injury” and had no further updates. Due to the recurrence rate of hamstring issues, I envision Thielen missing 2-3 weeks at a minimum. Rookie Xavier Legette and Jonathan Mingo will be featured more heavily in his absence.
Tight Ends
Trey McBride and Detroit Lions defensive back Brian Branch collided in an “unstoppable force vs. immovable object” scenario on Sunday, and both players immediately went down for an extended period. After a clear helmet-to-helmet hit, McBride was quickly ushered off the field before later being ruled out with a concussion.
Like Smith and Ekeler listed above, he will enter the league’s protocol and attempt to return in Week 4 for a juicy matchup with the Washington Commanders. Monitor practice reports for his progress and give a moderate bump up in value to Michael Wilson and Greg Dortch if he were to miss any time.
Finally, in the midst of a somewhat productive game, Sam LaPorta was carted off the field right before the conclusion of halftime after being rolled up on while blocking downfield during a touchdown pass. Video was quick to show his right ankle trapped, and he was diagnosed with a lateral ankle sprain.
LaPorta was able to return to the game during the second half for a smattering of plays, but it was evident he wasn’t at full strength. Later, he was seen on the sidelines with a heavy wrap and ice on his ankle. Thankfully, after the conclusion of the game, head coach Dan Campbell revealed this was a “low” rather than “high” ankle sprain and an MRI showed no further damage.
I’d anticipate LaPorta missing practice time at the beginning of the week before trying to suit up in Week 4. It is important to note Detroit has a bye in Week 5, so the team might opt to give him an extended period of rest to fully recover. Keep an eye on his practice participation — limited or full one on Thursday or Friday would be a welcomed sight.
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