Week 1 of the 2019 NFL season is now officially in the books. It did not take long for fantasy GMs to begin pulling their hair out with injuries to impact players. This week’s theme seemed to be collarbone injuries as three players in the injury report all suffered them this past weekend. GMs need to remember that overreacting to Week 1 is tempting but must be resisted. So without any further ado, let’s take a look at some of the walking wounded in the fantasy football emergency room.
Tyreek Hill (WR-KC)
Fantasy GMs suffered a huge loss in Week 1 with Tyreek Hill going down with a collarbone injury. The injury happened early in the game against Jacksonville so Hill was limited to two catches for 16 yards and had one run for five yards. His absence opened the door for Sammy Watkins to explode with nine catches for 198 yards and three touchdowns. The good news is that Hill does not need surgery, but he is expected to miss a few weeks of action. Watkins becomes elevated to WR1 status and Mecole Hardiman enters the picture as a target on the waiver wire.
JuJu Smith-Schuster (WR-PIT)
Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster suffered a toe injury late in the game on Sunday night. He underwent x-rays that came back negative so it appears he has avoided any type of serious injury. Smith-Schuster entered the season as one of the top fantasy wide receivers in the league but he was held to six receptions for 78 yards and no touchdowns against the Patriots. Pittsburgh could not generate any offense against New England’s defense, but the good news is that he should be fine to play next week against a Seattle defense that gave up over 400 yards passing to Cincinnati. Smith-Schuster may be limited in practice this week but fantasy GMs should feel confident about him playing in Week 2.
Joe Mixon (RB-CIN)
Bengals running back Joe Mixon has developed a reputation as being injury-prone in his short NFL career and he did nothing to alleviate that in Week 1. Mixon suffered a sprained ankle against Seattle and he is considered day-to-day at this point. It is likely that he will sit out of some practice this week in the hopes that he will be ready for Week 2. Mixon was not overly impressive even when he did play as he had six rushes for ten yards and two catches for seven yards during the Bengals loss to Seattle in Week 1. Giovani Bernard signed a new contract before the season and could see even more playing time if Mixon is limited next week.
Tevin Coleman (RB-SF)
It is dangerous being a running back on the 49ers as Tevin Coleman is the latest in a long list to go down with an injury. The former Falcon suffered a high-ankle sprain and will likely miss a few weeks as these injuries typically required extended absences. Coleman was a viable RB2 option but now he will cede playing time to Matt Bredia and Raheem Mostert in the backfield. It was a relatively pedestrian debut for Coleman in San Francisco as he ran the ball six times for 23 yards and also had two catches for 33 yards during the 49ers win over Tampa Bay this weekend. Keep him stashed if you can but he is certainly a candidate to end up on the waiver wire if you are desperate for depth at running back.
Derrius Guice (RB-WAS)
Guice missed all of 2018 after he suffered a season-ending knee injury in the preseason, and now he is due to miss more time this year after injuring his other knee. He suffered a meniscus injury to his left knee and will be out for an undisclosed amount of time. This is a tough break for Guice who had ten carries for 18 yards and also caught three passes for 20 yards during Washington’s loss to the Eagles in Week 1. Adrian Peterson is expected to reclaim his role as the lead running back for the Redskins while Chris Thompson remains the team’s third-down option and pass-catcher out of the backfield.
Nick Foles (QB-JAX)
Former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles suffered a broken collarbone during the Jaguars loss to Kansas City this weekend and has been placed on injured reserve with a designated to return. Foles suffered the injury being taken to the ground and underwent surgery on Monday to repair the fracture. He will miss at least eight weeks but Jacksonville seems confident that he will return at some point later this year. Foles was 5-for-8 and threw for 75 yards and a touchdown before suffering the injury. Rookie Gardner Minshew took over for Foles and threw for 275 yards and two touchdowns. He is worth targeting on the waiver wire in two-QB leagues.
Sterling Shepard (WR-NYG)
The Giants looked abysmal in Week 1 against the Cowboys and the news has gotten worse since then as Sterling Shepard is now in the league’s concussion protocol. He played every snap in Week 1 but was evaluated for a head injury on Monday. It is questionable whether Shepard will be cleared in time to play next Sunday against Buffalo, which is not a great matchup for him anyway. Shepard caught six passes for 42 yards and no touchdowns against Dallas and could be in for a long day if he plays at less than 100% against the Bills. Look for Cody Latimer to have an expanded role in the offense if Shepard is unable to play.
Devin Funchess (WR-IND)
Colts wide receiver Devin Funchess suffered a broken collarbone and has been placed on injured reserve. He just signed a free-agent contract with Indianapolis to be the team’s second wide receiver opposite T.Y. Hilton but now he will be sidelined at least through Week 10. Funchess caught three passes for 32 yards during the Colts loss to the Chargers in Week 1. He can now be dropped in any league format as Chester Rodgers and Parris Campbell move up on the depth chart as targets for Jacoby Brissett .
C.J. Mosley (LB-NYJ)
The Jets defense looked dominant for most of the game against Buffalo thanks in large part to linebacker C.J. Mosley who had five tackles along with one interception and a fumble recovery. He ended up suffering a groin injury during the fourth quarter and had to come out of the game which ended up being a huge turning point for the Bills. Mosley is a solid option in IDP leagues but his status for Week 2 is up in the air at this moment. The good news is that Mosley will have an extra day of rest since the Jets play Cleveland next Monday night.
Player News
Free agent Gabe Davis will visit the New York Giants.
Cut by the Jaguars after one season last week, Davis visited the 49ers on Monday. New York would be a reunion of sorts, as he played for Giants coach Brian Daboll in Buffalo. The G-Men already have several wideouts capable of stretching the field, but 26-year-old Davis could still be a decent role player in a strong offense. The problem, of course, is that the Giants profile as anything but, but rookie QB Jaxson Dart is comfortable throwing down the field.
Ravens S Ar’Darius Washington has been diagnosed with a torn achilles suffered during offseason training.
The fifth-year pro became a weekly starter for the first time last season, earning elite PFF marks in the process. He was a restricted free agent this spring but had yet to sign his $3.26 million tender. That’s a tough break, to put it mildly. Achilles timelines have shortened significantly in recent years, but Washington will probably still miss the entire 2025 campaign. The Ravens are protected in part by their first-round selection of fellow S Malaki Starks, but May is not the month you already want to be dipping into your depth. Going on 26, Washington’s career future is murky after he worked so hard to finally become a regular contributor last season.
Chiefs signed fourth-round WR Jalen Royals to a four-year contract.
Royals doesn’t have an obvious and open spot in the receiving corps to build short-term fantasy value with Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown, and Rashee Rice operating in the opening 11-personnel package. He may or may not play his way into WR4 duties depending on how the team feels about JuJu Smith-Schuster. Royals has plenty of talent and Brown is on a one-year deal, so there is a future where Royals is more than a bit player for the Chiefs. It likely won’t happen in his first season without injuries in front of him.
Matthew Judon said he “probably” won’t return to the Falcons in 2025.
The Falcons, of course, drafted both Jalon Walker and James Pearce in the first round. In an exclusive interview with CardPlayer.com — not to be confused with our PokerNews.com James Cook scoop a few days ago — Judon said that his sack total was down because “I dropped (into coverage) on 60 percent of the plays. It’s hard to get a pick and a sack on the same play.” Judon also told Kyle Odegard that “a couple” teams had expressed interest in him but he was in no rush to sign.
Jets released P Thomas Morstead.
Austin McNamara and Kai Kroeger will compete for the Jets punter job this year. The 39-year-old former Saint was the league’s oldest punter last season. If he wants to keep punting, he can absolutely join the tryout circuit or a competition elsewhere. But this is probably a sign that the Morstead’s 16-year career is close to an end at this point.
Lions offensive coordinator John Morton said it’s “going to be a breakout year” for Jameson Williams.
Morton said he’d never “been around someone that fast,” then quickly corrected himself to note that Jhamyr Gibbs is also that fast. Williams came on strong last year with a 58/1001/7 receiving line, but offensive coordinator praise could mean even more targets are coming. It would likely come at the expense of Amon-Ra St. Brown’s production if Williams were to truly break out, though there’s plenty for St. Brown to give and still be a top-flight fantasy wideout. It’s risky to read too much into statements like this in the offseason, but the new offensive coordinator telling you he thinks it’ll be a breakout year for Williams is certainly noteworthy.