As we head into Week 2, there are many impactful injuries that fantasy managers need to be aware of. Here are some of the biggest ones to watch.
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WR Zay Flowers, Baltimore (hamstring) - DOUBTFUL
Flowers returned to practice Friday, raising hopes he could be active this week. The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec said Flowers "didn't appear to be doing much today." It's not uncommon for an injured player to return to the practice field on Friday to test out their injury before realizing they aren't ready to return, and that is likely the case here. With Flowers expected to be inactive, Rashod Bateman will operate as the team’s top receiver, and Mark Andrews moves firmly into the top ten tight ends. Bateman is coming off a zero-point performance in Week 1, so trepidation in starting him is warranted. Offensive coordinator Declan Doyle said that while calling Sunday’s game, he thought, “Man, I’ve got to get Bate a touch here.” Let’s hope that materializes in Week 2.
RB TreVeyon Henderson, New England (ankle) - ACTIVE
After practicing in full all week, TreVeyon Henderson will make his 2026 debut in Week 2 in a home matchup against the Steelers. Henderson took a backseat to Rhamondre Stevenson late in his rookie season, but it’s still unclear how he’ll be used in Year 2. Managers with running back depth who can afford a wait-and-see approach with Henderson should, but desperate managers can plug him in and hope he hits a home run in what’s expected to be a limited role. We have Henderson ranked as a high-end RB4 this week, meaning he’s more likely to be on your bench than in your lineup.
TE Brock Bowers, Las Vegas (knee) - DOUBTFUL
Klint Kubiak said that the team will work out Bowers pregame to see how he feels. But if there’s one thing we’ve learned from Kubiak’s early stint as a head coach, it’s that we cannot trust him whatsoever regarding injuries. Bowers returned to practice on Friday in a limited fashion and had a gingerliness to his gait. His participation feels more like some gamesmanship leading up to a divisional matchup against the Chargers than an official return. Fantasy managers should plan to be without Bowers this weekend, and the late kickoff means they may have to decide before his pregame warm-up.
WR Ladd McConkey, LA Chargers (ribs) - QUESTIONABLE
McConkey exited early last week with a rib injury and missed the first couple of practices this week. He returned on Friday, albeit in a limited fashion. Our Adam Hutchison expects McConkey to miss at least one game and return in Week 3, although his return to practice could signal more of a possibility than we initially expected. With the game kicking off in the late slate, fantasy managers will hope for more clarity early. Tre' Harris, Pat Bryant, Caleb Douglas, Demarcus Robinson, Jakobi Meyers, Antonio Williams, Ryan Flournoy, and Darnell Mooney are all receivers playing late that McConkey managers could roster as potential pivots.
RB Alvin Kamara, New Orleans (knee) - ACTIVE
After missing the season opener, Alvin Kamara will play in Week 2 against the Ravens. Per Kellen Moore, "Alvin is going to play a really valuable role this week.” Last week, Travis Etienne Jr. and Kendre Miller split carries, while Etienne dominated the receiving work. Kamara is one of the most prolific pass-catching running backs in NFL history, signaling a potentially murky backfield going forward. This week, Etienne projects as a high-end RB3. Kamara, who could be limited in his return, is an RB5. And Miller projects to be involved just enough to make the other two frustrating for fantasy. We’ll hope for more clarity on this backfield after Week 2, because it doesn’t look great right now.
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