Welcome back to “injury update season,” fantasy football owners. Just because it’s Week 1 doesn’t mean every player is healthy. In fact, a couple potential WR sleepers (Rondale Moore and Allen Lazard) have already been ruled out, while several other key wideouts, including Michael Thomas, Drake London, Russell Gage, and Jakobi Meyers were all listed as “questionable” for their season openers. If any are inactive, it will surely affect WR rankings and start ’em, sit ’em calls.
Below, we’ll give you the latest news on these players and break down how their injuries could potentially affect their fantasy outlooks and those of their teammates.
WEEK 1 INJURY UPDATES:
Tight ends | Dobbins | Godwin | Walker
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WEEK 1 FANTASY PICKS: Sleepers | Busts | Start ’em, sit ’em
Is Michael Thomas playing Week 1?
UPDATE: ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported late Saturday night that Thomas is expected to play against Atlanta.
After getting in his third limited practice of the week on Friday, Thomas (hamstring) was officially listed as “questionable” for New Orleans’ Sunday afternoon matchup against the Falcons.
At this point, it sounds like Thomas is more “probable” than “questionable,” so he should be out there for fantasy owners. We like Thomas as a low-end WR2 in both standard and PPR leagues, but he obviously comes with risks considering his lengthy injury history. Still, if he’s active, you have to play him while you can, especially in what should be a favorable matchup. If Thomas is a surprise scratch, we bump Chris Olave up to a WR3 and Jarvis Landry up to a flex in PPR leagues.
WEEK 1 DFS LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel | Yahoo
Is Drake London playing Week 1?
UPDATE: ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported late Saturday night that London is expected to play against New Orleans.
London (knee) was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of this week and was officially listed as “questionable” for Atlanta’s Sunday afternoon home tilt against the Saints.
Atlanta’s new No. 1 wideout looks to be on the field when the Falcons open up the regular season. The 6-4, 213-pound USC product suffered a knee injury in the first quarter of the Falcons’ first preseason game against the Lions on Aug., 12th. Despite this setback, SN Fantasy has London ranked as the No. 47 WR in both standard and PPR formats, as he’ll still be the team’s No. 2 option in the passing game behind second-year TE Kyle Pitts. London has some flex appeal in PPR leagues, but if you have depth at the WR position, it may be beneficial to leave him on your bench this week, keeping a long-term view for this highly touted WR. If London isn’t able to go, there aren’t any other Falcons’ pass-catchers worth starting outside of Pitts.
WEEK 1 DFS: Best values | Best stacks
Is Russell Gage playing Week 1?
Like Thomas and London, Gage (hamstring) also logged three straight limited participations to end the practice week and is listed as “questionable” heading into the Buccaneers’ Sunday night matchup against the Cowboys.
If Gage is unable to go for SNF, expect a higher snap count from fellow WR Julio Jones. Gage ranks as SN’s No. 64 WR in standard scoring formats and the No. 62 WR in PPR scoring. However, if fellow “questionable” receiver Chris Godwin (knee) is out, Gage would shoot up to the 40s and be a solid flex, especially in PPR leagues. With several talented receiving options for Tampa Bay, it’s tough to really get a feel for Gage’s early-season usage. Even in deeper leagues, he should remain on your bench until we see him in action.
WEEK 1 FANTASY PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kicker
Is Jakobi Meyers playing Week 1?
UPDATE: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Sunday morning that Meyers is expected to play against Miami.
Meyers (knee) participated in practice this week on a limited basis and is officially “questionable” for the Patriots’ Week 1 early-afternoon contest against the Dolphins.
WEEK 1 STANDARD FANTASY RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kicker
The Patriots love to list players as “questionable,” so we’re not too concerned about this one. The fourth-year wideout looks to be in line to suit up on Sunday, which is good news for a Patriots offense that had its struggles in the preseason. Meyers saw a 24.4-percent target share last season (20th among WRs) and is a relied upon option in New England’s passing game. SN Fantasy has Meyers slotted as the No. 44 WR in standard leagues and No. 39 WR in PPR formats entering Week 1. His relatively low aDOT (9.6 yards) gives him more upside in PPR formats, but he could still be worth a flex play in deeper standard leagues.
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