We scour the news around the NFL to bring you what matters most to you and your dynasty team: the most current news on players, both superstars and the relative unknowns, and analysis to decipher the respective situations. These are many of the major stories and are not meant to be an exhaustive look at all the recent happenings around the league.
Baker Mayfield’s shoulder situation continues to deteriorate. He originally injured his left shoulder on September 19 against the Houston Texans trying to make a tackle after throwing an interception. The shoulder popped out and back in and he didn’t miss a snap. Here we are a month later and Mayfield continues to struggle with the shoulder. To protect the shoulder, he has worn a harness during practice and games. At the time of the original injury, it was reported that he suffered a partially torn labrum. During Sunday’s loss to Kansas City, the shoulder dislocated again. This will continue until Mayfield is shut down for a period of time. The Browns quarterback has not missed a game since he took over in Week 3 of his rookie season in 2018. Mayfield has made 50 consecutive regular-season starts. After Sunday’s game, Mayfield told reporters that he can continue playing. Something will have to give. We will see Case Keenum sooner or later. This is an especially tough blow as Cleveland could play Thursday night’s game against Denver without its two top ball carriers, Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt.
Saturday, the Carolina Panthers placed superstar tailback, Christian McCaffrey, on injured reserve. Footballguys own resident doctor, Dr. Jene Bramel tweeted:
Christian McCaffrey suspicions
— Jene Bramel (@JeneBramel) October 17, 2021
> Was never Grade 0.5 strain (that's not even a thing)
> Likely setback last Fri, when tone clearly changed on his status, then team confirmed Wed his rehab needed weeks not days
Aggravations often worse than initial injury, W9 questionable
If Dr. Bramel’s suspicions are correct, and McCaffrey suffered a setback, he may miss more than the required three games (for going on injured reserve). This should alter how we look at McCaffrey long-term in dynasty. Can he hold up under the heavy workload for the next few years? For now, rookie Chuba Hubbard will carry the mantle for the Panthers.
Last week was a rough one for the Seattle Seahawks offense. First, Russell Wilson hurts his thumb against the Los Angeles Rams. Then, a few days later, starting tailback Chris Carson was placed on injured reserve with a neck injury. So, he will miss at least the next two weeks. With Geno Smith and Alex Collins anchoring the offense, we do not have high hopes for the Seahawks remaining competitive in the NFC West until the starters return.
With the team already playing without the services of Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt went down without contact, giving the Browns a scare. Thankfully, the early reports indicate the injury is not to Hunt’s Achilles. Monday morning, Ian Rapoport tweeted, “#Browns RB Kareem Hunt is expected to miss several weeks with his calf injury, source said. He’ll likely head to Injured Reserve.”For Thursday’s game against the Broncos, rookie Demetric Felton and plodder DErnest Johnson will play tailback if neither Chubb nor Hunt is able to play. Felton is a speedster but unable to play the majority of snaps. That will fall to Johnson. Given the strength of the Denver defense, and Mayfield’s injury, the offense might struggle to move the ball.
The New Orleans Saints, coming off a bye, may get a much-needed boost as star wide receiver Michael Thomas is eligible to return from the PuP list this week. Ian Rapoport reported Monday afternoon that Thomas was still a few weeks away. Quarterback Jameis Winston has been making lemonade out of lemons this season and will welcome an alpha receiver. It may take time to gel with Thomas, but the Saints offense could be much improved when the veteran receiver returns.
Rookie Kadarius Toney was nursing an ankle injury coming into Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams. He aggravated the injury in the loss and was immediately ruled out the rest of the contest. For a team with loads of injuries, Toney’s absence will especially hurt as he was emerging. Look for Sterling Shepard will be a target-hog in the near future. In the loss to the Rams, Shepard saw 14 passing targets and he caught 10. Daniel Jones keys on a hot receiver and it will be Shepard for the near future.
While the Baltimore Ravens waited one extra week out of an abundance of caution, the team activated rookie receiver Rashod Bateman from injured reserve before the Chargers game. He played a lot in the contest. The anticipation has mounted for the first-rounder to make a splash. Baltimore will already be without Sammy Watkins, who is battling another hamstring injury. The Brown-Bateman combination will be difficult to stop.
The Cleveland Browns pass offense has been a mess the past few weeks. Thankfully, receiver Jarvis Landry is expected back soon after the team designated him to return from injured reserve last week. Landry is close to returning from the MCL injury. Expect Landry to regain his role in the Browns' pass offense upon returning. The offense will need him after the injuries to the other positions.
The Indianapolis Colts pass offense has missed the deep threat of T.Y. Hilton, who has missed the first part of the season with a neck injury. Quarterback Carson Wentz needs another weapon in the passing game. Hilton was candid with reporters about the injury and said he contemplated retirement, even consulting former teammate Andrew Luck. He led the Colts in receiving (80 yards on 4 catches) and gave the offense a big boost before exiting with a quadriceps injury. For now, Hilton remains an upside stash for dynasty leagues.
The receiver-needy Denver Broncos signed John Brown initially to the practice squad with the hope of calling him up the active roster when up to speed on the Broncos playbook. He made strides enough to see play this coming Thursday against the Cleveland Browns. The speedy thirty-one-year-old adds a missing element to the beat-up Denver receiving corps who are without Jerry Jeudy and K.J. Hamler. While Brown is unlikely to top the 1,000-yard mark this year, for the third time in his career, he could be a sneaky fantasy player as long as Jeudy continues to be sidelined.
After his strong showing in the Thursday-night loss to Tampa Bay, the Philadelphia traded veteran tight end Zach Ertz to Arizona for cornerback Tay Gowan and a 2022 fifth-round pick. The Cardinals lost the up-and-coming Maxx Williams a week ago and feel they need the extra piece for a deep playoff run. Some may be surprised the compensation was so light, but remember that Ertz is a free agent after the season so he is just a “rental” for the rest of the season. It is a smart deal for Arizona as the team can either re-sign Ertz or let him walk and receive a better pick as compensation. The player needing to be discussed is Dallas Goedert. Goedert has flashed for the Eagles but has not been given the chance to be “the guy” and now is the time. Dynasty managers are encouraged to stash Williams on injured reserve as he could be the starter next year if Williams walks.
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