The Training Room: Week 10 Injury Updates
Zero RB has become a popular fantasy football strategy over the past few years. There are many components that cause managers to gravitate to WRs early, one being that RBs are more susceptible to injury. Therefore the rationale is by avoiding RB early, managers are not left without the best player(s) for large chunks of the season.
Looking at some of the numbers, since 2017, amongst players with at least 20% snap share, 54% of RBs were injured, with 72% of those injured players missing at least one game. For WRs, 49% of the 875 players sampled were injured, and 75% of them missed at least one game. These numbers suggest that the disparity is not as wide as some may assume. There could be an argument that high-end RBs who have a bigger workload are more prone to injury due to their aforementioned workload, but that is for another discussion. As this week showed, marquee WRs can get injured too.
Cooper Kupp, WR Los Angeles Rams
Injury: high ankle sprain
Projected Timetable: 4 weeks
Potential Replacement(s): Van Jefferson, Ben Skowronek
Initial Thoughts:
If there is such a thing as good news in the Training Room…this is it. Monday, the word from the LA Rams emerged that their star WR, Cooper Kupp, avoided a fracture following Sunday's contest. A fracture to the lower leg would have ended Kupp’s season.
Unfortunately, the Rams did report that Kupp sustained a high ankle sprain. This season it feels like I am discussing high ankle sprains every week. As a reminder, this is what you can expect. On average, WRs miss 3-4 weeks with a high ankle sprain. The more serious sprains can take ~6 weeks to recover from, so should Los Angeles elect to place Kupp on IR, it would hint towards the severity of his sprain.
Looking forward to the rest of the season, IF Kupp does return to the lineup, on average, WRs suffer a 17% dip in fantasy football production. This obviously would not keep Kupp out of your lineups but could hurt his ceiling ever so slightly.
There is a small chance that the Rams will elect to shut Kupp down for the rest of the year. LA is currently 3-6, with their season effectively over. I think Kupp could return to the lineup before the fantasy football playoffs, but there could be other factors besides the injury affecting his return.
Updated on 11.15.22
With news that Kupp is going to have surgery this reaffirms my concerns regarding his injury.
#Rams coach Sean McVay confirms that WR Cooper Kupp has a high ankle sprain and he will have tightrope surgery tomorrow. Headed to IR, he’s out at least four weeks.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 15, 2022
I discussed the return to play timeline for a "tightrope" surgery all the way back in Week 3's version of the Training Room. In theory Kupp could return in 4 weeks but it will be up to him and the Rams if it is worth doing so at that point.
Jerry Jeudy, WR Denver Broncos
Injury: ankle injury (likely calf strain)
Projected Timetable: 2 weeks
Potential Replacement(s): K.J. Hamler
Initial Thoughts:
Despite exiting after the Broncos’ very first offensive play, Denver reported Monday that Jerry Jeudy was dealing with a “mild” ankle sprain. Based on other reports and videos of Jeudy’s injury, I believe that Jeudy sustained a calf (gastrocnemius muscle) injury.
For managers who roster the former Crimson Tide wideout, if a calf strain is the case, it is relatively good news. Jeudy could return in 1-2 weeks. Typically their first weeks back, WRs struggle after a soft tissue injury like this, with some lingering effects the new few weeks.
Leonard Fournette, RB Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Injury: hip pointer
Projected Timetable: 0-1 week
Potential Replacement(s): Rachaad White
Initial Thoughts:
During Sunday morning's game in Munich, Leonard Fournette injured his hip late in the game and did not return. Fournette was diagnosed with a hip pointer. Originally when the injury news broke, Fournette was listed as doubtful, but that does give any indicaion to the severity. Hip pointers are painful, but they are essentially a deep bruise. Fournette could return after Tampa's bye in Week 11. If he does miss time, it should not be more than one week. With that said, Rachaad White who actually started over Fournette, should be rostered in all fantasy leagues.
Zach Ertz, TE Arizona Cardinals
Injury: knee injury (season-ending)
Projected Timetable: season-ending
Potential Replacement(s): Trey McBride
Initial Thoughts:
Monday Arizona released news that Zach Ertz would miss the remainder of the 2022 season with a knee injury. Although we were not provided specifics yet, it does not really matter - he is droppable in all formats. Trey McBride should be the next man up, with Rondale Moore likely seeing an uptick in targets over the middle of the field.
P.J. Walker, QB Carolina Panthers
Injury: high ankle sprain
Projected Timetable: 4 weeks
Potential Replacement(s): Baker Mayfield
Initial Thoughts:
Carolina has already ruled P.J. Walker out for Week 11 following his high ankle sprain this week. Expect this to be a multi-week absence. The Panthers have already committed to having Baker Mayfield back under center in Week 11. Mayfield struggled earlier this season, so if you're in a deep league or one where you can start multiple QBs, Sam Darnold is only another injury/bad game away from being the starting QB in Carolina.
JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR Kansas City Chiefs
Injury: concussion
Projected Timetable: 1-2 weeks
Potential Replacement(s): Kadarius Toney, Marquez Valdez-Scantling
Initial Thoughts:
JuJu Smith-Schuster sustained a concussion Sunday, and as a result of the injury displayed spastic posturing. For those who remember, this was similar to Tua Tagovailoa's posturing after his second concussion in Week 4. Although this presentation is unsettling, there's no real correlation between these symptoms and time missed as concussions are highly variable and case-by-case specific. Juju will have to clear the concussion protocol before he returns, but there is no real reason to think he should not be able to in the typical timeline of 1-2 weeks.
Gerarld Everett, TE Los Angeles Chargers
Injury: groin strain
Projected Timetable: 2 weeks
Potential Replacement(s): Tre' McKitty
Initial Thoughts:
Gerald Everett strain his groin during his weekend matchup vs. the 49ers and was ruled out quickly afterwards. For tight ends and most skill position players this is a mult-week injury. The Chargers are optomistic that both Mike Williams and Keenan Allen return to the lineup this week and it could be just in the nick of time.
Dallas Goedert, TE Philadelphia Eagles
Injury: shoulder injury (likely labrum)
Projected Timetable: 4-6 weeks
Potential Replacement(s): Jack Stoll
Initial Thoughts:
By video is looks like Dallas Goedert suffered a left labrum tear (shoulder) during the missed facemask call in Monday Night's game. Without surgery Goedert could return in ~4 weeks with a higher than normal chance to re-injury it. Surgery would likely end his 2022 season.
This is the play that caused Dallas Goedert to injury his shoulder.
Video suggest possible labral tear in left shoulder which would align with the “extended timeline” that is being reported.
3-4 weeks would be my guess if no surgery. Surgery ends his season. @4for4football https://t.co/R5xlJ05eK6— Adam Hutchison (@TheRealAdam_H) November 15, 2022
| Player | Position | Team | Injury | Week of Injury | Projected Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Damien Williams | RB | Atlanta | rib injury | Week 1 | TBD |
| Trey Lance | QB | San Francisco | ankle | Week 2 | SEASON ENDING |
| Michael Thomas | WR | New Orleans | toe | Week 3 | SEASON ENDING |
| Sterling Shepard | WR | New York Giants | L ACL tear | Week 3 | SEASON ENDING |
| Javonte Williams | RB | Denver | ACL/LCL | Week 4 | SEASON ENDING |
| Rashaad Penny | RB | Seattle | ankle fracture | Week 5 | SEASON ENDING |
| Darren Waller | TE | Las Vegas | hamstring | Week 5 | Week 14 |
| Marquise Brown | WR | Arizona | foot | Week 6 | Week 12 |
| Carson Wentz | QB | Washington | finger fracture | Week 6 | Week 11 |
| Breece Hall | RB | New York Jets | ACL | Week 7 | SEASON ENDING |
| Mike Williams | WR | Los Angeles Chargers | high ankle sprain | Week 7 | Week 11 |
| David Njoku | TE | Cleveland | high ankle sprain | Week 7 | Week 12 |
| Ezekiel Elliott | RB | Dallas | knee injury | Week 7 | Week 11 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | Cincinnati | hip injury | Week 7 | Week 12 |
| Rashod Bateman | WR | Baltimore | foot injury | Week 8 | SEASON ENDING |
| Mark Andrews | TE | Baltimore | shoulder injury | Week 8 | Week 11 |
| Mark Ingram | RB | New Orleans | MCL sprain | Week 8 | Week 12 |
| Irv Smith Jr. | TE | Minnesota | high ankle sprain | Week 8 | Week 16-17 |
| Corey Davis | WR | New York Jets | knee injury | Week 8 | Week 11 |
| Romeo Doubs | WR | Green Bay | high ankle sprain | Week 9 | Week 14 |
| Deon Jackson | RB | Indianapolis | knee injury | Week 9 | Week 12 |
| DeVante Parker | WR | New England | knee injury (MCL) | Week 9 | Week 12 |
| Mecole Hardman | WR | Kansas City | abdomen/core | Week 9 | Week 13 |
| Cooper Kupp | WR | Los Angeles | high ankle sprain | Week 10 | Week 15 |
| Jerry Jeudy | WR | Denver | ankle/calf | Week 10 | Week 13 |
| Leonard Fournette | RB | Tampa Bay | hip pointer | Week 10 | Week 12 |
| Zach Ertz | TE | Arizona | knee | Week 10 | SEASON ENDING |
| P.J. Walker | QB | Carolina | high ankle sprain | Week 10 | Week 15` |
| JuJu Smith-Schuster | WR | Kansas City | concussion | Week 10 | Week 12 |
| Gerald Everett | TE | Los Angeles Chargers | groin strain | Week 10 | Week 13 |
| Dallas Goedert | TE | Philadelphia | shoulder | Week 10 | Week 15 |
