Week 9 brings another lengthy injury report, but not every questionable designation should have fantasy managers scrambling for replacements. Several notable players appear to be trending toward playing despite their injury designations. Others present more difficult decisions. Let's break down the latest injury updates, projected availability, and what they mean for your Week 9 fantasy lineups.
Understanding the NFL's Injury Report
(per Dr. Bramel - Footballguys OG)
"The injury report released by the NFL is [made up of] two reports. The first is the Practice Participation report, which lists which injured players practiced and their participation level. It also includes players who rested or missed practice for non-injury-related reasons. The second is the Game Status Report, which gives the probability that a player will play, i.e., Questionable, Doubtful, Out. The Practice Participation Report is released every day of the week (Monday through Saturday). The Game Status Report is released with the Friday participation report (Wednesday for Thursday games, Saturday for Monday games). In this feature, I'll include the Game Status Listing and my expectations of their likelihood of playing."
- Gameday Decision = Comes down to how the player feels in pre-game warmups
- Trending Doubtful = Likely Inactive
- Trending Probable = Likely Active
- Ruled Out = This player has already been ruled out; get him out of lineups!
If you are reading this article on Saturday, come back Sunday morning as more updates trickle in over the next 24 hours.
Current Status on High-Impact Injured Players
Gameday Decision
- WR George Pickens
- TE Jake Ferguson
- WR Jordyn Tyson
- WR Pat Bryant
- WR Amon-Ra St. Brown
- RB MarShawn Lloyd
- WR Emeka Egbuka
- RB Kyle Monangai
- TE Hunter Henry
Trending Doubtful
- RB Cam Skattebo
Trending Probable
- WR DJ Moore
Ruled Out
- WR A.J. Brown (knee)
- WR Deebo Samuel Sr. (hamstring)
- WR Mike Evans (Achilles)
- WR Garrett Wilson (concussion)
- RB TreVeyon Henderson (illness)
- TE Terrance Ferguson (hamstring)
- RB David Montgomery (groin)
- QB Sam Darnold (quadriceps)
- WR Rashid Shaheed (knee)
- WR DeVonta Smith (hamstring)
- RB Jeremiyah Love (ankle - on IR)
- RB Bam Knight (concussion)
* Key: Player, Team | Injury | Game Status Listing | Playing Projection
Sunday 1:00 PM EST Games
WR George Pickens, Dallas | Hamstring | Questionable | Projecting Active
George Pickens was limited in practice throughout the week and is officially questionable for Week 9. However, we saw a nearly identical practice trend last week, and Pickens ultimately suited up. Given that precedent, I expect him to be active again this week.
TE Jake Ferguson, Dallas | Ankle | Questionable | Projecting Active
After missing practice earlier in the week, Jake Ferguson returned as a limited participant on Friday due to an ankle injury. While his return to practice is encouraging, I suspect Ferguson will attempt to play this weekend. However, his limited practice participation and the nature of his injury make him a risky fantasy option. Given Ferguson's disappointing fantasy production this season, I would prefer to avoid him in Week 9, even if he's active.
WR Jordyn Tyson, New Orleans | Hamstring | Questionable | Projecting Active
NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports that Jordyn Tyson will make his season debut in Week 9. Tyson has been on IR nursing a hamstring injury that has plagued the start of his NFL career. There is understandable excitement around Tyson and what he could do for fantasy teams; however, I recommend managers leave him on the bench at least one more week. Although there are no priors to compare here specifically for Tyson, on average, NFL WRs see their fantasy points and target share dip by 12% and 10%, respectively. This suggests most need some sort of ramp-up. Tie this to the fact that Tyson is a rookie who has limited work with Tyler Shough, and there are more reasons than not to hold and wait on putting Tyson into your starting lineup.
WR Pat Bryant, Denver | Ankle | Questionable | Projecting Active
Pat Bryant has been practicing in full throughout the week, a strong indication that he's nearing a return. I expect Bryant to be activated from IR on Saturday, putting him on track to suit up in Week 9. Barring any unexpected setbacks, I anticipate Bryant will be active this weekend.
WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit | Ribs | Questionable | Projecting Active
Amon-Ra St. Brown was limited in practice throughout the week due to a rib injury, but this participation trend isn't unexpected. Teams typically limit contact during practice for players dealing with these types of injuries.
Additionally, St. Brown has one of the best Recovery Scores, a metric that compares a player's historical time missed due to injury against positional averages. Given his strong track record of returning from injury and the nature of his limited participation, I'm optimistic St. Brown will be active in Week 9.
RB Cam Skattebo, NY Giants | Hamstring | Doubtful | Projecting Inactive
Cam Skattebo was only able to log a limited practice session on Friday and is officially listed as doubtful for Week 9. The doubtful designation all but guarantees that Skattebo will be sidelined this weekend. With Tyrone Tracy Jr. also on IR, Devin Singletary is positioned to take over as the Giants' RB1 and should see an increased workload in Week 9.