This edition of the injury report comes on the heels of one of the most significant and dramatic developments we have encountered in quite some time. Of course this is in reference to Andrew Luck ’s retirement that sent shockwaves throughout the NFL, fantasy football community and sports world in general. Some media personalities have bashed Luck for his decision and Colts fans voiced their displeasure at him as well as he ran off the field following the team’s latest postseason game. This is utterly ridiculous, as Andrew Luck has sacrificed his body and well-being in order to perform at the highest levels for so many years. He is entitled to make the best decision for himself and his family and he should be applauded for making such a difficult decision. The injuries written about in this article are for informational purposes to advise fantasy football GMs on what to do with their rosters. However, we must remember that these injuries are to real people and they affect their livelihood. Andrew Luck once played through a game with a lacerated kidney and internal bleeding. No one should ever question his toughness. He also graduated from Stanford with a degree in architecture and made plenty of money in his NFL career. Now he can go home and spend time with his family as a healthy human being. Thank you Andrew Luck , and best of “luck” to you. One additional tidbit from the Supreme Court of Fantasy Judgment – there should not be any recourse provided for GMs who had already drafted Luck such as do-overs, mulligans, priority add/drop, redrafts, etc. While this sucks for GMs who drafted Luck, it is no different than when a player suffers a season-ending injury during the preseason. So without any further ado, let’s take a look at some of the walking wounded in the fantasy football emergency room.
Cam Newton (QB-CAR)
Newton suffered a sprained foot last week against New England in a preseason game, but the good news is that x-rays and additional testing did not reveal any structural damage. Fantasy GMs held their collective breaths when they saw Newton go down with the injury but it appears that he avoided a serious injury. He is already out of his walking boot that he was in over the weekend and he has indicated that he plans on being ready for Week 1. Newton was already working his way back from a shoulder injury so now we can add the foot issue to the list as well. He is still a top fantasy quarterback with an array of young and exciting weapons at his disposal. He has a lot of mileage on his body by now so it would not be surprising if he cuts back on his prolific running during games and rather just relied on his arm.
Amari Cooper (WR-DAL)
The Cowboys are always surrounded by drama, and this preseason is no different. In addition to all of the contractual issues, the team is dealing with an injury to top wide receiver Amari Cooper . He has been suffering from a foot injury that has ranged from plantar fasciitis to a heel issue to a muscular strain. Regardless of what it actually is, the fact remains that Cooper has been very limited most of the summer and he will not play at all in the team’s final preseason game. Cooper expressed confidence that he will be ready for Week 1 against the Giants. This sentiment was confirmed by Jason Garrett which is a good sign for fantasy GMs who should draft Cooper as a WR1 with a full season in Dallas and playing for a free-agent contract.
Lamar Miller (RB-HOU)
The Texans have placed running back Lamar Miller on season-ending injured reserve after he suffered a torn ACL and MCL this past weekend. He sustained the injury when he was hit on the knee just as he was planting his foot while running the ball against Dallas. Miller was carted off the field and an MRI confirmed Houston’s worst fears. This means that newly-acquired Duke Johnson ascends to the top of Houston’s depth chart and the team will also likely be in the market for another running back to provide some additional depth. Miller has never been a fantasy stud but has always been a solid RB2 or Flex option. Now he can be taken off of draft boards as we will not see him until 2020.
Jordan Reed (TE-WAS)
It would not be a true NFL Injury Report without Reed being part of it. The talented Redskins tight end has had an injury-marred career as he has missed 31 games in his six-year career and never played in more than 14 games in one season. Now Reed is dealing with his seventh concussion that he sustained in last week’s preseason game against Atlanta. He is in the league’s concussion protocol and his status for Week 1 is now questionable at best. Reed’s average draft position will plummet so he should provide great value in the later rounds, but GMs should always have a viable backup for Reed. Vernon Davis would get the start in Reed’s place if he is not ready to go for the regular season.
Sterling Shepard (WR-NYG)
The Giants wide receiving core is paper-thin, but the good news is that Sterling Shepard will be ready to play in Week 1 against the Cowboys. He suffered a fractured finger early in the preseason but has worked his way back and will now be set to take over as the Giants number one receiver. The problem is that he will likely command double coverage as the Giants do not have any other threats at the position until Golden Tate returns from his four-game suspension. Shepard will be the Giants number one receiver but his fantasy value is more of a WR3 or WR4.
David Moore (WR-SEA)
Seattle wide receiver David Moore suffered a shoulder injury in practice late last week. He received multiple medical opinions and the good news is that he will not need to undergo surgery. Unfortunately, he will miss the beginning of the season but he will not be placed on injured reserve. Seattle is very thin at wide receiver right now as rookie D.K. Metcalf is also out after he had knee surgery. Tyler Lockett is the team’s primary option and he should be drafted as a solid WR2. Jaron Brown also figures to get some targets with both Moore and Metcalf out for the first few weeks.
Dante Pettis (WR-SF)
The 49ers are one of the more fascinating teams to watch this season as they had so many key players suffer significant injuries in 2018. Now that Jimmy Garoppolo is healthy, he should make all of his weapons around him even more valuable. This includes second-year wide receiver Dante Pettis who is coming off a rookie season in which he had 27 receptions for 467 yards and five touchdowns in 12 games last year. Right now, he is dealing with a groin injury that he sustained during San Francisco’s preseason game this past weekend. Pettis indicated that the injury is minor so he should be considered day-to-day right now. He has the potential for a breakout season as the 49ers top wide receiver but he will have to show more maturity in order to have the team’s trust. There is a lot of upside to drafting Pettis so do not wait too long.
Jerick McKinnon (RB-SF)
One of those injured 49ers players from last year is Jerick McKinnon who suffered a season-ending knee injury near the end of last year’s preseason and has yet to play a snap for his new team. He is still working his way back from that injury and even had a PRP injection in his knee a few weeks ago. San Francisco is hopeful he can return to practice this week but his status for the regular season is in real jeopardy now. There were high hopes for him last year after signing as a free agent but the 49ers have a lot of depth at running back with Tevin Coleman and Matt Breida in the fold. McKinnon is too risky to draft right now as there are plenty of other safer options.
Hakeem Butler (WR-ARZ)
Arizona’s rookie wide receiver Hakeem Butler has been placed on injured reserve with a broken finger and he will miss the entire season. He suffered an avulsion fracture which is when a ligament or a tendon comes off the bone. This is a big disappointment for the Cardinals and fantasy GMs who were excited about the Cardinals’ new-look offense with Kyler Murray under center. He is still a candidate to be retained in keeper leagues, but Butler can be crossed off all redraft boards now.