The fantasy season is now in week three. The moral of the first three weeks is that injury can be a plague for all managers. Some of the top players in the league have not played a snap or have been reinjured early in the season. However, with these injuries come breakout players. In the review this week, notable injuries will be listed, breakout players will be noted, and some of the questions from last year are answered about star players.
Week One Injures
- Most Notable Injuries:
- Christan McCaffery (49ers) will not start the season as he is on the IR with an Achilles injury. He will see a specialist in Germany and is expected to miss many more weeks as he will probably remain on IR.
- Jordan Love (Packers) went down with an MCL sprain and is expected to miss at least two weeks. This is the most notable injury. Love is in his second year starting for the Packers. He sat behind the great Aaron Rodgers since he was drafted, learning from one of the best. This affects all receivers in the offense. Expect all of their trade stock to go down until Love returns. Running back Josh Jacobs should expect no dip in work despite Love being hurt.
- Other Injuries:
- Jordan Addison (Vikings) left the week one game against the Giants with an ankle sprain and has sat out the last two weeks. This allows Jalen Nailor to take over the spot of wide receiver two with TJ Hockenson still on the PUP.
- After a two-yard reception, Jake Ferguson (Cowboys) hurt his knee against the Browns in the third quarter. On the Browns, David Njoku also was hurt in this game after sustaining an ankle injury.
Week Two Injuries
- Most Notable Injury:
- Tua Tagovailoa (Dolphins) received another concussion on a play in which he dove, or as described by analysts, “supermanned” into the Bills Damar Hamlin. This is his third concussion, and for this one, he will be placed on the IR and miss at least four weeks. This will tank the fantasy value of all players on the offense, as the backup quarterback is Skyler Thompson.
- Other Injuries:
- Isaiah Pacheco (Chiefs) broke his fibula and will miss six to eight weeks post-op. This will allow rookie Carson Steele and veteran Samaje Perine to receive more opportunities. They are expected to split the backfield.
- Justin Jefferson (Vikings) is expected to miss no time with a quad contusion. He left late in the game against the 49ers. This let Jalen Nailor play as the wide receiver for the rest of the game.
- Cooper Kupp (Rams) reinjured his ankle after an excellent showing in week one. This is expected to miss the IR, and he will be week-to-week. This will allow multiple receivers a chance, as Puka Nakua was also injured on the IR after week one’s game with a knee injury.
Week Three Injuries
- Most Notable Injury:
- Sam Laporta (Lions) left the game with an ankle injury. This is a significant fantasy loss, as Laporta was a first three-round pick in most drafts. He is expected to be ready to go for week four. If not, expect players like Amon Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams to receive more targets.
- Other Injuries:
- Trey McBride (Cardinals) left the game early in the second half with a concussion. This is another big loss for fantasy managers as the tight end position is scarce, and McBride was a top-five tight end.
With all these injuries to key players in many fantasy managers’ lineups, there is one place to turn. That is the Waiver Wire. There are many notable pickups that you can make this week.
- Juan Jennings (49ers)
- Diontae Johnson (Panthers)
- Chuba Hubbard (Panthers)
- Braleon Allen (Jets)
- Emanuel Wilson (Packers)
These are the top five pick-ups before week four, according to multiple specialists. These players are plug-and-play players that you can start depending on the matchup.
The other way to improve your team is the trade market. The goal is to buy low on good players that have high upside. If you buy high on a player, you must know that they will consistently put up monster games.
