The RB injury report for Week 9 could have some fantasy football managers freaking out as they look ahead to the weekend. With six teams goodbye, seeing Jonathan Taylor, D’Andre Swift and Derrick Henry all listed might worry managers.
Let’s take a look at the latest NFL injury updates for these three fantastic options and take a look at the progress of Cordarelle Patterson, Chuba Hubbard and James Conner heading into Week 9.
RB injury report heading into Week 9
Please note that the practice status lists are as follows: DNP – did not participate, LP – limited participant, FP – full participant.
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Jonathan Taylor, IND | Ankle (DNP)
After injuring his ankle in Sunday’s game, the Indianapolis Colts RB Jonathan Taylor did not participate in Wednesday’s practice. The worry around that injury doesn’t seem nearly as serious as that surrounding the sprained ankle that cost Taylor two games earlier in the season.
In his press release, head coach Frank Reich described it as an adjustment, saying that Taylor is not 100% and that the the team will monitor him throughout the week and see where it is. That leaves us in some limbo as to Taylor’s availability against the New England Patriots in Week 9.
MORE: Fantasy Injury IR Week 9 Updates
If Taylor is active, it will be hard not to throw him into fantasy lineups. However, we have no real idea how many snaps it will play or how effective it will be. In many ways, it might actually be easier for fantasy managers if he sits down. Although with six teams goodbye this week, most fantasy rosters are pretty stretched by this point.
If Taylor is absent, the Colts will have a combination of Deon Jackson, Zack Moss, Phillip Lindsay, D’vonte Price and Jordan Wilkins available. The last three of them are on the practice squad, so they should either be brought up or signed by 4 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Jackson would carry the most fantastic value of the group, having Flex value in the 12-team leagues, especially with all of the bye weeks. When Taylor missed two games in Weeks 5 and 6, Jackson had 25 rushing attempts for 104 yards with a rushing touchdown. He added 108 receiving yards on 14 receptions and 14 targets.
By André Swift, DET | Shoulder/Ankle (DNP)
It was somewhat surprising to see D’Andre Swift as a non-attendant in Detroit Lions Wednesday practice. Swift played Week 8 after being a full participant all week in practice.
During head coach Dan Campbell’s media availability, he said Swift “feels better now than he did last week so that’s a good sign.” Campbell added that the Lions would see Swift working all week and “he’ll be fine.” Either it’s an elaborate smokescreen from Campbell or Swift’s non-participation on Wednesday is as much a day of rest and maintenance as there is cause for concern.
We’ll have to monitor Swift’s status throughout the week to see if he plays on Sunday. If he does play, chances are he’ll still be limited and in a shared role with Jamaal Williams. It’s hard not to start Swift if he’s active, but it looks like a very explosive situation with him right now.
If Swift is absent, Williams is a fixture in every league. Meanwhile, Craig Reynolds likely provides the backup for Williams but would be of limited value.
Another surprise name on the Week 9 RB injury report is RB Derrick Henry of the Tennesse Titans. After a monster game against the Houston Texans, Henry is listed as a limited participant with a foot injury. Although it’s likely a rest and maintenance situation, Henry missed several games last season due to a foot injury.
Mike Vrabel didn’t seem too concerned about Henry’s injury, which is another positive sign. Mostly, it’s just something to raise an eyebrow and keep an eye on. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Henry off the injury report on Friday.
Cordarelle Patterson, ATL | Knee
We won’t see Cordarrelle Patterson officially listed on the Atlanta Falcons’ injury report until they activate him from injured reserve (IR). It may not be until Saturday, so we may not have daily updates on his progress. However, it was good to see Patterson back on the training ground on Wednesday. The Falcons now have 21 days to activate it from IR.
We did not receive any further updates on Patterson’s status from head coach Arthur Smith prior to practice. However, after practice, Patterson spoke to the media and told reporters that it’s about 90%. Barring a setback, we should expect to see Patterson on the court in Week 9.
MORE: RB red zone attempts entering Week 9
The next question is: how much will he play? The combination of Tyler Allgeier and Caleb Huntley did a solid job in his absence. While neither has always been spectacular, they’ve done enough to deserve some sort of role in the future. Combine that with the Falcons likely wanting Patterson back in the game, and it could be a tough week for his fantastic managers.
Despite a great game against the Los Angeles Chargers, it might be prudent to consider waiting another week on Patterson before returning him to the starting lineup.
James Conner, ARI | Ribs (LP)
The Cardinals held a closed-door practice today, so this is a projected injury report. Seeing James Conner listed as limited after being downgraded to a non-participant last Friday is a positive step.
Conner hasn’t played since Week 5, but was a surprise move for Thursday Night Football in Week 7. Although he ultimately didn’t adapt, the hope was that this meant that he would be back soon. However, after suffering what appeared to be something of a setback late last week, we are uncertain as to his current status.
The Cardinals hope to get Conner back this week, but fantasy managers need to be careful. Although the match was good, we could easily see Conner split time with Eno Benjamin and even Keaontay Ingram.
It would be a surprise if the Cardinals dismissed Conner directly after a three-week injury layoff. What makes Conner such a hard-to-judge fantasy asset is that he’s often a touchdown-dependent producer. Therefore, if he falls once in the end zone, he can have a successful fantastic performance. Conner should return to a goal-line role if he returns, but getting him started would be a dangerous move.
If Conner misses the game, Benjamin is a 12-team Flex option. Meanwhile, Ingram has 16 teams after Darrel Williams was placed on IR this week.
Chuba Hubbard, RCA | Ankle (LP)
Having missed Week 8 with an ankle injury, Chuba Hubbard was back in practice to open Week 9. Hubbard appeared to have his first chance at the point guard in Carolina following the departure of Christian McCaffrey. However, D’Onta Foreman found the end zone three times last week in his absence, changing the picture slightly.
Assuming he has no setbacks, Hubbard should be on track to play this weekend. The key will be how badly the Carolina Panthers throw him into the game if Foreman continues to play well. Hubbard’s presence on Sunday would cloud the situation for Foreman’s fantastic managers.
Ultimately, it would be hard to trust Hubbard this week, whether he’s shut out on Friday or a game call. If Hubbard misses the game, Foreman is a serious starting option in all league sizes.
Damien Harris, NE | Disease (PND)
Damien Harris opened Week 9 as a non-participant in the New England Patriots injury report. Although the situation could be considered a simple disease, we have seen disease designations be quite disruptive over the past two weeks.
Darrell Henderson and Davante Adams struggled to overcome illness-related issues in Week 8, so Harris playing and seeing plenty of touches shouldn’t be taken for granted at this point.
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We will have to see how the situation develops. If Harris is fully cleared by Friday, the situation should be similar to last week in the Patriots’ backfield. If Harris is absent or limited, Rhamondre Stevenson has a compelling starting value in all league sizes.
JD McKissic, USA | Neck (DNP)
Neck injuries for running backs are never ideal. From a fantasy perspective, however, the impact seems minimal. Antonio Gibson seems to have taken on a large part of the receiver role. McKissic has been a small part of the attack for the past few weeks and has pretty much lost his fantasy value at this point.
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