With the first Sunday of the 2022 NFL season officially in the books, fantasy football owners have a lot to take in. Unfortunately, that includes injuries. Several big-time players, including Dak Prescott, Keenan Allen, and Tee Higgins, all exited their games early, and while we already know Prescott will miss Week 2 and beyond, Allen and Higgins are up in the air. That has a big effect on Week 2 waiver wire pickups and rankings.
Below, we’ll give you the latest news on these three players and break down how their injuries could potentially affect the Week 2 fantasy landscape.
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WEEK 2 WAIVER WIRE: Top pickups
Dak Prescott injury update, Week 2 fantasy outlook
Prescott is expected to have surgery today for a right thumb injury he suffered in Sunday night’s loss to the Buccaneers. The veteran quarterback is expected to miss six-to-eight weeks, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer. Archer adds that Prescott will likely be placed on injured reserve but could return later this season.
Prescott and the Cowboys’ offense did not look good in Sunday’s night opener. Prescott completed 48 percent of his passes for 134 yards and an interception. Dallas only mustered three points and was held to 244 yards of total offense. With Prescott out for the foreseeable future, it will significantly affect the fantasy value of CeeDee Lamb and Dallas’ other key offensive players. While the running game and TE Dalton Schultz could be leaned on more, defenses will also likely stack the box and limit Dallas’ drives, thus limiting everyone’s ceilings. Cooper Rush is expected to start, but Will Grier could also be in the mix. Heading into Week 2, you are not starting either Cowboys against the Bengals in single-QB leagues. Lamb, Schultz, and Ezekiel Elliott are still in play, but all lose value.
WEEK 2 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/ST | Kicker
Keenan Allen injury update, Week 2 fantasy outlook
Allen told reporters after Sunday’s win against the Raiders that he did not think his hamstring injury was serious, according to beat writer Jeff Miller. However, Miller adds that Chargers head coach Brandon Staley isn’t sure about the severity of Allen’s injury.
If Allen says he does not think his hamstring injury was serious, then we have to take his word for it until he undergoes further testing. The star wide receiver suffered the injury in the second quarter on Sunday afternoon. Allen did not return and finished the game with four receptions (four targets) for 66 yards. The hope is that Allen can play in Week 2, but the Chargers have a quick turnaround against the Chiefs on Thursday night. The Chargers may not want to rush him back, which means more targets for Mike Williams, Joshua Palmer, DeAndre Carter, and Gerald Everett. The latter three are all worth picking up in deeper leagues for what should be a high-scoring game.
WEEK 2 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/ST | Kicker
Tee Higgins injury update, Week 2 fantasy outlook
Higgins exited Sunday’s game against the Steelers in the second quarter after suffering a concussion. The third-year wideout had two receptions (two targets) for 27 years. We do not know if Higgins will play in Week 2 against the Cowboys.
The Bengals’ offense will miss Higgins if he cannot play in Week 2. The young wide receiver is a perfect complement to Ja’Marr Chase and can stretch the field, as well. However, the Bengals can easily lean more on Tyler Boyd, who scored a touchdown in Sunday’s overtime loss to the Steelers. Boyd is one of the more reliable pass catchers in the league and should see a fair share of targets in Week 2. Grab him if he’s available in your league. TE Hayden Hurst could also see more targets, but he’s only worth considering in deep leagues.
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