It’s Sunday morning of Week 2 and Dynasty Nerds are here to help you finalize your lineups and last-minute trades. Below are the most recent injury updates and actionable advice from featured writer and physical therapist, @JohnnyBGoodeDFF, DPT.
Jordan Love | QB | Green Bay Packers | Knee
Jordan Love was able to escape serious injury as we’ve heard news of a sprained MCL. This can sideline players about 2 to 6 weeks. As of writing this article, Love hasn’t been ruled out for Week 2. This is more likely gamesmanship than Green Bay seriously considering starting Love this week. There is a possibility that Love misses only 2 to 3 games and can come back as a less-mobile version of himself. Love is a hold in dynasty, whether you’re a contender or not.
Christian McCaffery | RB | San Francisco 49ers | Achilles
McCaffery has been officially placed on the IR. Calf and Achilles injuries can linger and are highly irritable. The concerning part is Achilles tendonitis that “comes and goes” per ESPN.
The 49ers seem to be playing this safe and are preserving their star back for the long haul. However, once he returns, I’d expect the 49ers to use him in a committee. Unfortunately, McCaffery seems to be hitting “the cliff” fast from a health perspective (rather than performance). His 2024 outlook is quite a chasm of potential outcomes. Best case scenario, he comes back and can provide about half a season of RB1 production. Worst case scenario is his tendonitis turns into a tendonosis. Tendonosis is more of a degenerative condition of the tendon, and can be much more difficult to heal from. Hold and hope for the former.
Kenneth Walker III | RB | Seattle Seahawks | Core
Walker has a significant history of core injury issues, so another injury this season is concerning. Officially Doubtful for Week 2, expect Walker to sit this week and to be 50/50 for Week 3. Hopefully this isn’t anything serious that would require surgery (like his last sports hernia).
Charbonnet is likely the go-to this week for Seattle. Last year in 2 games without Walker, Charbonnet carried the ball a total of 33 times for 107 yards and a TD. He was also involved through the air with 5 receptions on 6 targets for 50 yards. These games were against two formidable rushing defenses. New England is another tough matchup, but I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility that Charbonnet goes for 80 total yards with 4 receptions and a possible score.
Jordan Addison | WR | Minnesota Vikings | Ankle
After missing practice all week, Addison is officially ruled OUT for Week 2. Addison sprained his left ankle in the preseason just to make it back in time to sprain his right ankle in Week 1. We may be looking at a couple weeks of absence for Addison as he looks to heal up. If he practices next week, he may be truly 50/50 for Week 3.
Addison is dangerously close to being labeled as “injury prone” on top of character concerns, which may lead to a fairly large dip in his dynasty value. Jalen Nailor makes for an interesting play in the interim. I like him to score over 10 points this week.
Puka Nacua | WR | Los Angeles Rams | Knee
Initial concerns for Puka Nacua included season-ending injuries. His PCL injury actually may be related to an injury suffered in the preseason, which was initially reported as a bursa sac injury.
The earliest Nacua can return is Week 7 after being placed on the IR. PCL injuries can linger and flare up rather easily, even after a stint on IR. Dalton Schultz in 2022 is a good example of a player who dealt with lingering pain and saw a decrease in production after returning from IR. Temper expectations when he does make it back as he may have soreness. If I am a contender, I may be looking to flip Nacua for someone that can give me more guaranteed production over the course of the year.
Rome Odunze | WR | Chicago Bears | Knee
Officially Questionable as a game-time decision, Odunze was able to avoid what appeared to be a rather serious knee injury on film. Per Odunze, this is more of a pain management and swelling issue as the knee is “structurally sound.”
With Keenan Allen also dealing with an injury, I expect Odunze to suit up and play Week 2. I would leave him on your bench, however, as there’s always the possibility that his knee flares up, and I’m still not sold on Caleb Williams this early in the season. This may limit Odunze for the next 2 to 3 weeks, so watch his practice participation coming out of Week 2.
Darius Slayton | WR | New York Giants | Concussion
After officially clearing the concussion protocol, Slayton seems good to go for Week 2. The Giants offense isn’t terribly hot these days, so I would leave him on your bench. Malik Nabers’ value is likely unaffected as he appears to be the no. 1 target, but Wan’Dale Robinson’s slice of the pie just got a little smaller.
David Njoku | TE | Cleveland Browns | Ankle
OUT for Week 2 with a high ankle sprain, Njoku will look to make it back Week 3. High Ankle sprains are a little less impactful to tight ends upon return as they generally run fewer routes compared to the other skill positions. That being said, it may take him a few weeks to get back to his normal production. Njoku is probably 50/50 over the next 1 to 2 weeks.
Jordan Atkins takes the field in Njoku’s absence and isn’t a terrible emergency option if you are in a pinch. I prefer guys like Cade Otton, Tucker Kraft, or even Taysom Hill as higher-upside starts than Atkins this week.
Jake Ferguson | TE | Dallas Cowboys | Knee
Another player with an MCL sprain, Ferguson is officially OUT for Week 2. Luke Schoonmaker steps in to fill the TE shoes for Week 2. Schoonmaker holds interesting appeal in 2TE leagues. If you have options on your bench, I would recommend the alternatives, however Schoonmaker has upside. Ferguson will likely be limited over the next 2 to 3 weeks, similar to Rome Odunze’s situation.
