Injuries have played a huge part in how the 2023 Fantasy Football season has played out so far, and things aren't going to get any easier based on how Week 6's games went Sunday. We saw four different starting quarterbacks leave Sunday's games, plus two of the 49ers biggest offensive stars, and while we don't know the extent of any of them as of Sunday afternoon, it was a day full of injuries that could really shake up the Fantasy Football landscape.
Let's take a look at each of the biggest names and what the fallout might be if they have to miss time, starting with the 49ers guys:
Christian McCaffrey, RB, 49ers (oblique)
McCaffrey suffered his injury in the third quarter and was ruled out shortly after, though the team didn't make many details available as of Sunday afternoon. McCaffrey got off to a hot start, totaling 45 yards and a touchdown on his first three touches on the first drive, but didn't do much else, finishing the game with 52 yards and the score. He tried to return from the injury but had one carry (called back for a holding penalty) before leaving the game for good.
Elijah Mitchell was back from a two-game absence due to a knee injury, but it was Jordan Mason who played the bigger role in McCaffrey's absence. Not that he did much, finishing with 27 yards and a touchdown on his five carries, while Mitchell lost 3 yards on his two carries. Coming into the season, we assumed Mitchell would be McCaffrey's backup, and he still may be, though his inability to stay healthy even in a reserve role may have impacted his standing on the depth chart.
The 49ers face a mediocre Vikings defense in Week 7, and unfortunately, that game is on a Monday night, so we may not know McCaffrey's availability by the time most lineups are locked next Sunday. We'll be keeping a close eye on the injury reports here, and Mason and Mitchell may end up being the biggest prizes on waivers in Week 7 – or they may end up being a total waste of FAB dollars if McCaffrey ends up cleared before Monday.
Deebo Samuel, WR, 49ers (shoulder)
Samuel suffered his injury in the first half and was unable to return, adding another malady to what has been a very rough list so far this season. Samuel hasn't missed a game yet, but he's been very limited in recent weeks by rib and knee injuries, and now he has this one on top of it. X-rays came back negative, according to reports, but he'll have an MRI likely on Monday to determine the extent of the injury. Given how beat up he's been, I wouldn't be surprised if Samuel missed some time, and even if he did play in Week 7, it would be tough to trust him for Fantasy – he hasn't had more than 11.5 PPR points in a game since Week 3 at this point.
David Montgomery, RB, Lions (ribs)
Montgomery suffered his injury at the end of a 19-yard gain on a reception, as he went down with a defender on top of him. He was originally deemed questionable to return at halftime but was ruled out shortly after the start of the third quarter as a result of the injury, though X-rays came back negative on the ribs.
Craig Reynolds stepped up as the No. 1 RB for the Lions without Montgomery, as rookie Jahmyr Gibbs was already inactive Sunday with a hamstring injury, and obviously, whether Reynolds will be worth adding in Fantasy heading into Week 7 will depend on how Gibbs and Montgomery look this week in practice. Reynolds would be in the RB2 discussion for Week 7 even in a tough matchup with the Ravens, given how well the Lions tend to run the ball. However, it might be tough to know how much of an investment you should make in Reynolds this week on waivers unless we have some clarity on Montgomery and Gibbs, so we'll hopefully get some updates by Monday or Tuesday at the latest.
Justin Fields, QB, Bears (hand)
Fields landed awkwardly on his throwing hand while being hit in the third quarter and immediately went to the medical tent to be evaluated for an injury, which turned out to be a dislocated thumb. After that, he went to the locker room and was ruled out quickly, which isn't a great sign but doesn't necessarily mean it'll end up being a serious injury. However, because it was to Fields' throwing hand, it wouldn't necessarily be a surprise if he ended up missing time as a result. Fields had X-rays on his hand Sunday which came back negative, but we'll have to wait until we get some MRI results Monday to know the extent of the injury.
That puts Fields at risk of missing Week 7 against the Raiders, and could lead to undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent getting his first start. Bagent played in relief of Fields in the second half Sunday, completing 10 of 14 passes for 83 yards and an interception, while adding a rushing touchdown along with four yards on two carries. Bagent was a four-year starter who put up big numbers at Division II Shepherd University, and ran a solid 4.79 40-yard dash at the combine – he doesn't have Justin Fields' athleticism, but he can move a little bit, so the Bears may not have to totally re-imagine their offense if he has to play.
But there's not much reason to think Bagent would be a viable Fantasy option if he does have to start. If you're in a 2QB league, you can add Bagent and potentially stream him against a pretty mediocre Raiders defense, but obviously, we expect the entire Bears offense to take a step back. DJ Moore would slide back into the boom-or-bust WR3 range (he had five catches for 51 yards on eight targets Sunday), Cole Kmet is a touchdown-or-bust TE2, and Fields' absence would probably make the Bears running game less effective overall, not a great sign for D'Onta Foreman or Roschon Johnson (if he's able to return from his concussion next week). So, let's hope this injury to Fields ends up being relatively minor.
Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jaguars (knee)
It's impossible to know how serious this injury might been, given the timing; Lawrence took a sack with 3:09 left in the fourth quarter on third down and limped to the sideline, however, with the Jaguars leading by 17, their only offensive plays from that point on were with C.J. Beathard kneeling to run out the clock. Which is to say, as of Sunday at about 5 p.m., we can't really say whether the injury was severe enough to keep him out, or if they just didn't want to take a chance -- though, according to the NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe, the team isn't too concerned about the injury at this point.
The thing that complicates this is the schedule, as the Jaguars play the Saints on Thursday in Week 7. That gives Lawrence just three days to recover if this was more than just a minor issue, so this is going to be one to watch very closely heading into next week because Beathard would be a pretty significant downgrade from Lawrence heading into a tough matchup.
Ryan Tannehill, QB, Titans (ankle)
Tannehill was spotted in crutches after leaving Sunday's game in the fourth quarter with his injury. He'll have an MRI on the ankle Monday to determine the extent of the injury, but it's a concern after he missed multiple weeks with a recurring ankle issue last October.
Malik Willis, the second-year QB for the Titans, came in and played the final few minutes of the game, completing four of five passes for 74 yards and adding three carries for 17 yards. We saw Willis start three games for the Titans last season, but he didn't inspire much confidence – the Titans invested a second-round pick in Will Levis in this year's NFL draft, largely as a result of how Willis looked. He completed just 31 of 61 passes as a rookie for 276 yards and three interceptions, with no touchdowns; Willis was effective as a runner, picking up 123 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries, which could make him a viable Fantasy option in 2QB leagues … assuming the Titans don't end up swapping Levis in.
Willis beat out Levis in the preseason QB competition, but the decision to draft Levis implied a lack of confidence in Willis as a potential long-term option. If Tannehill does have to miss multiple weeks with the injury, will they give Willis another chance to see if he's taken a step forward after his rookie season, or will they give Levis a look? I'd bet on Willis, who will likely rank in the low-end QB2 range with some upside if Tannehill misses a game, but it'll be interesting to see how much job security he has if Tannehill does have to miss time.
Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, Raiders (back)
Garoppolo took a shot while attempting a pass and came up holding his back and had to be removed from the game. He was ruled out fairly quickly, and was spotted getting into an ambulance to go to the hospital, a sign that this could be a serious injury. The extent and nature of it is not yet known as of Sunday afternoon, but Garoppolo was replaced by Brian Hoyer for the remainder of the game. Aidan O'Connell had started a game earlier with Garoppolo out with a concussion, and it's not clear if he would be in line to start in Week 7 against the Bears, or if Hoyer would get the nod, though neither would be much more than a low-end QB2 in that event either way.
