In Fantasy Football, just like real football, injuries occur. It is only a matter of time before a big name player you invested a high pick on tears an ACL or gets his bell rung. It is a part of the game, and the best fantasy teams will overcome this adversity based on their depth, waiver wire additions, or trades.
Sadly, this season, the injury bug has struck early and hard by ruining a few prominent players’ seasons before they even started. Whether Keenan Allen was your number one receiver, Robert Griffin III was your franchise quarterback (In that case you might as well wave the white flag now), or you are still holding out hope on injury prone players like Sammy Watkins, the time to make a move is now. Below are some of the biggest fantasy football related injuries we saw during Week 1, and what you can do to combat them.
Combatting the Week 1 Injury Bug for Fantasy Teams
Keenan Allen – Torn ACL
The unfortunate news that Keenan Allen’s season is over before it really began is leaving many fantasy owners lunging towards the panic button as Allen was drafted as a high-end number 2 fantasy receiver, and in some cases even a number 1 for some fantasy teams. Sure, Allen was an intricate part of the Chargers offense, and was having a decent game posting 6 catches for 63 yards, but there are options on the waiver wire who can help feel the void left by Allen in lineups for the next 16 weeks.
If I have Allen (I do in 2 out of my 21 leagues), I am hitting the waiver wire looking for guys who will instantly produce with receptions, yardage, and touchdowns. Four guys who fit this criteria based off of their week 1 performances are Will Fuller, Mohamed Sanu, Tajae Sharpe, and Chris Hogan.
Potential Waiver Wire Targets
Will Fuller
Houston Texans rookie wide out Will Fuller had an impressive debut for the lone-star sate against Chicago on Sunday. Fuller looked to be on the same page with quarterback Brock Osweiler and reeled in five catches for 107 yards and a score. The big name in Houston is obviously DeAndre Hopkins, but this is good news for the Texans 2016 first round pick. Fuller will benefit from defenses double-teaming Hopkins, and it is not a stretch to expect many more games this season with similar stat lines across the board. This kid can play ball, so go out and add him if he’s available.
Mohamed Sanu
Mohamed Sanu is another interesting option to consider. Sanu signed with Atlanta this offseason after spending the beginning of his career in Cincinnati. I believe the move will not only make Sanu relevant in fantasy circles again, but will also propel Matt Ryan back into low-end QB1 conversations once again. Sanu had a nice Atlanta debut in week 1, hauling in five catches for 80 yards. He did also manage to find the end zone, as he figures to be Matt Ryan’s new Roddy White. The presence of another elite receiver once again helps Sanu in this situation, as Julio Jones is the man to own in Atlanta. However, after re-tweaking his ankle, Jones figures to be less-than 100% moving forward which enhances Sanu’s value even more. Given Jones’ track record, it is safe to assume he could potentially miss a couple of games this season, which would make Sanu a number one target in a pass-happy offense.
Tajae Sharpe
Tajae Sharpe is a name that had been gaining steam in fantasy circles leading up to Week 1. Well, after grabbing seven catches for 76 yards it is safe to assume the hype was legit, and Sharpe figures to be the number one receiver in Tennessee moving forward. He and Marcus Mariota seemed to have a real chemistry in the game, and Sharpe was targeted 11 times. The NFL has evolved into a pass first league, so any number one receiver in an offense offers immediate fantasy relevance. This is the value that Sharpe carries on the waiver wire. The sky is the limit for the rookie out of UMass. Don’t hesitate to grab him.
Chris Hogan
Finally, Chris Hogan is a guy I really love this year. In week one, he only had three catches, but made the most of them as he found the end zone. Hogan was on the field for 56-of-73 offensive snaps on Sunday and figures to be a crucial part in the Patriots fans moving forward, even when Rob Gronkowski returns to action. Hogan signed a three-year deal with New England this offseason, and as I wrote in my article last week about Hogan, the Patriots will get their money’s worth; You could do worse than to stash Hogan on your bench, or even play him as a flex. He is clearly the number two receiver behind Julian Edelman in New England.
Other options: Tyrell Williams (SD), Mike Wallace (BAL), Jeremy Kerley (SF), Eli Rogers (PIT)
Robert Griffin III (RG3) – Fractured Shoulder
RG3 was finally given a new life in Cleveland. The former first-round selection was going to be resurrected and saved by Hue Jackson, the Browns receiving corps was going to dangerous, and this was going to be the year Cleveland turned heads. Griffin was named the Browns’ captain, and the offense was going to be fast-paced and balanced. Heck, even I believed the hype coming out of the Browns’ camp, and rightfully so. RG3 looked fantastic in the preseason. He learned how to protect himself by sliding and his arm looked better than ever, especially on passes downfield.
Well, that was the preseason, and once week one rolled around it seemed as the same old story as we have seen over the past few years. The Browns looked atrocious and Griffin looked like the quarterback we have grown accustomed to seeing. He was inaccurate, under pressure, and yes, once again he got injured. The report coming out of Cleveland is that RG3 fractured a part of his left shoulder, and the Browns have placed him on injured reserve. What this means is that Griffin will miss at least the next eight weeks of action, and the Browns’ offense seems to be doomed once again. I can’t really see this injury affecting too many fantasy teams out there, unless you drafted RG3 as your franchise quarterback, but nonetheless there are good replacements on the market.
Potential Waiver Wire Targets
Joe Flacco
One guy you could look at adding on your roster that can produce similar if not better numbers through the air is Joe Flacco. Flacco had an okay week one as he threw for 258 yards and a touchdown. It was a weird game in Baltimore, but the one thing that doesn’t show up on stat sheets is Flacco’s arm. He loves to throw the deep ball, and this year Baltimore has a legitimate deep threat in free agent acquisition Mike Wallace.
Wallace and Flacco have been developing a rapport through training camp and we saw it pay off in week one as Wallace scampered into the endzone. Flacco isn’t a guy who will set the fantasy world on fire, but neither is RG3. You could do a lot worse than replacing RG3 with Flacco who is capable of the big game.
Matt Ryan
Another guy who produced way better numbers in week 1 that has potential is Matt Ryan. Not only does Ryan have a better offense to work with in Atlanta, he also throws the ball a ton. Last year alone, Ryan threw the ball 614 times last year. This may seem like a staggering number, but the even crazier stat is that last season was the fourth year in a row Ryan attempted more than 600 passes. Atlanta has always thrown the ball, and now that they have found another solid receiver in Sanu (see above). I could see Ryan building off of his 334-yard and two touchdown week one performance.
Other options: Brock Osweiler (HOU), Alex Smith (KC) , Carson Wentz (PHI)
Sammy Watkins – Injured Foot
Watkins had two screws put into his foot last April to help take care of a stress fracture, and the surgery seemed to be a success as Watkins appeared in the preseason and seemed just fine. However, after a week one game in which Watkins apparently tweaked the injury, various reports are coming out saying different things. Some reports went as far as saying Watkins would miss “significant” time with the injury.
Watkins is adamant that his foot is fine, and that he will suit up for this Bills’ primetime game this Thursday night against the Jets. But it is definitely a situation for Watkins owners to keep a close eye on. If Watkins were to miss any time at all, any of the receivers named above would be efficient replacements for Watkins as well.
Other options: Jermaine Kearse (SEA), Kevin White (CHI), Travis Benjamin (SD)
