NFL Injury Report: Odell Beckham Jr., Sam Bradford, Jordan Howard
Week 2 of the fantasy football season is upon us, and plenty of players that will affect fantasy owners are on the injury report this week. David Johnson owners are likely already painfully aware that they will be without their (likely) No. 1 draft pick until November at the earliest.
Other players that have already been ruled out include Sam Bradford, Andrew Luck, Danny Woodhead, Allen Robinson, Danny Amendola and John Brown. Be sure to check the inactive report before game time before making final roster decisions.
Positional Rankings: QB I RB I WR I TE I DST I K I Flex
Note: All times are ET and games are on Sunday, Sept. 17 unless otherwise noted.
Sam Bradford (knee), QB, Minnesota Vikings at Pittsburgh Steelers, 1 p.m.
UPDATE: Sam Bradford is out for Week 2.
Jordan Howard (shoulder), RB, Chicago Bears at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 p.m.
While it doesn't seem that Howard will miss Week 2 with a shoulder injury, he may not receive as many snaps as usual. The Bears have already lost several key players (Cameron Meredith, Kevin White on offense) this year, so they will want to keep Howard as healthy as possible. After rookie Tarik Cohen stepped up in Week 1, that’s even more reason to limit Howard this week so he doesn’t aggravate the injury. Howard drops to a RB2 and Cohen's arrow is pointing straight up.
Michael Campanaro (ankle), WR, Baltimore Ravens vs. Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m.
While Campanaro is owned in less than one percent of leagues, he hit fantasy radars earlier this week when Joe Flacco had mentioned that he might have more of a role with Danny Woodhead out. However, Campanaro (listed as a WR, but can play the pass-catching RB role) has had trouble staying healthy in his four-year NFL career. Fantasy owners are better off taking their chances with Javorius Allen. Leave Campanaro on waivers.
Markus Wheaton, WR, Chicago Bears at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 p.m.
Wheaton broke his finger in training camp, and has been recovering since. He did not play in Week 1, but with Kevin White now out as well, the Bears may throw Wheaton out there. He did practice all week, although limited. Listed as questionable, he should find the field. However, fantasy owners should hold off on starting him. Those with deep benches may want to stash him in case he ends up being fantasy relevant, but that probably won’t happen in Week 2.
Josh Bellamy (ankle), WR, Chicago Bears at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 p.m.
Bellamy hurt his ankle in Thursday's practice, earning him a questionable tag for Week 2. However, since he did finish the practice, he will likely play this afternoon. In Week 1, he had three receptions for 27 yards on four targets. The Bears’ passing offense is in rough shape, and Bellamy isn't a recommended fantasy option at this point.
Jarvis Landry (knee), WR, Miami Dolphins at Los Angeles Chargers, 4:05 p.m.
Even though the Dolphins did not play in Week 1, Landry was added to the injury report on Friday with a knee issue. No one seems overly concerned, so it's possible it is a minor tweak that he just received treatment for. Landry should play in Week 2, however, he's a WR3 with Jay Cutler at quarterback. Landry used to be a PPR stud, but his numbers took a step backward last season. Until we get a better idea of how this offense will function with Cutler at the helm, it’s best to temper expectations.
Terrance Williams (ankle), WR, Dallas Cowboys at Denver Broncos, 4:25 p.m.
All signs point to Williams playing this week. He injured his ankle in the Sunday night game against the Giants, but he was able to keep playing. He wound up the Cowboys’ leading receiver with 68 yards in the win. That doesn’t make him a must-add, however. Williams has shown a tendency to be boom or bust – in 2016 he had five games with at least 50 receiving yards and three with no more than 30.
Josh Doctson (questionable), WR, Washington Redskins at Los Angeles Rams 4:25 p.m.
Doctson played in Week 1, although he didn't make the box score as he didn't see a target. Dealing with hamstring "tightness," he is questionable for Week 2. He's been plagued by hamstring issues in the past so even if he ends up being active, fantasy owners should leave him on the bench. At this point, Doctson can be dropped in re-draft leagues.
Odell Beckham Jr. (ankle), WR, New York Giants vs. Detroit Lions, 8:30 p.m. (Mon.)
Another week, another debate on whether Beckham will play. Unfortunately for fantasy owners, the Giants play on Monday night, meaning lineup decisions likely have to be made before an official decision is made. He's listed as questionable after putting in limited practices all week, and Beckham has already said there’s a better chance he returns this week compared to last. However, he also said his ankle injury is a six- to eight-week issue, so even if he does play you have to figure he will be limited and probably won’t see starter snaps. Between the timing and the concerns, it’s probably safest to keep him on the bench. If you do plan on rolling the dice with Beckham, make sure you have a backup plan because the final decision may not be made until kickoff.
— Written by Sarah Lewis, who is part of the Athlon Contributor network and lives, eats, and breathes fantasy football. She also writes for SoCalledFantasyExperts.com among other sites. Have a fantasy football question? Send it to her on Twitter @Sarah_Lewis32.