This was a tough week for injuries — Hunter Henry and Derrius Guice will miss a lot of time with significant knee problems, Sam Darnold will be absent for some time, and concussions will sideline other key Fantasy contributors.
Before we get into the primary questionable players for Week 2, here's a smattering of smaller storylines to keep track of:
-It's not an injury, but Antonio Brown will not land on the NFL's exemption list and will play on Sunday if the Patriots activate him. Please be on top of the news Sunday morning to confirm his availability and if there's a restriction in his snaps.
-Le'Veon Bell had an MRI on his sore shoulder but it came back clean. He's expected to face off against the Browns on Monday night. If you've got Bell and you're even the least bit concerned, find Ty Montgomery and put him on your roster.
-Don't panic because Todd Gurley didn't practice on Friday. He had a rest day. He'll play versus the Saints in Week 2.
-DeAndre Hopkins (ribs) and Keke Coutee (ankle) are both expected to play for the Texans versus Jacksonville.
-Toe problem? No problem. JuJu Smith-Schuster is on-track to compete on Sunday against the Seahawks.
-After missing practice on Wednesday, Tyler Lockett (back) worked with his teammates on Thursday and Friday and is considered good to go for the rematch of Super Bowl XL franchises in Pittsburgh.
-Week 1 Ravens heroes Mark Ingram (shoulder), Mark Andrews (foot) and Marquise Brown (back) are questionable for Week 2 against the Cardinals, but coach John Harbaugh anticipates all three playing. That's good news for Fantasy lineups and bad news for Arizona's defense.
-Melvin Gordon is still holding out, but ESPN says that won't last all season
-Offensive tackle drama: The Jaguars, Bengals and Dolphins all will be without starting tackles. The Lions, Packers and Chiefs all designated their starting left tackles with questionable tags.
Mixon participated in a walk-through on Friday. Usually when a player practices to some degree on Friday, he has a shot to play on Sunday. Coach Zac Taylor deemed him day-to-day. Giovani Bernard would have a huge workload if Mixon can't make it to game-time against the 49ers, but he'd see a much lighter workload if Mixon is active. Whoever the Bengals' starting running back is in Week 2 should work as a No. 2 Fantasy option.
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Chargers coach Anthony Lynn didn't sound very optimistic about Williams' chances of playing at the Lions on Sunday, saying "I just need to see that he can go out and play, and not hurt himself." Williams is considered day-to-day and only practiced on Friday. If he were to miss time, the Chargers would replace him with some combination of Dontrelle Inman and Travis Benjamin. Of the two, Benjamin offers one-play boom potential but massive bust potential, while Inman might be able to get 50 yards. You can probably find a better replacement choice on the waiver wire, but do it before Sunday morning.
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Shepard remains in the NFL's concussion protocol and will not play. The Giants are woefully thin at receiver (Cody Latimer is questionable) against an underrated Bills defense. If you need an emergency replacement for Shepard, see if you can grab-and-start Mecole Hardman, Terry McLaurin or Cole Beasley (PPR) off waivers. They're all unowned in over 50% of CBS leagues.
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It's going to be at least one more week before we see Jordan Reed back on a football field. He has yet to be cleared from a concussion suffered during the preseason. Vernon Davis scored on a big play last week thanks to some poor technique by the Eagles. Some Fantasy folks will use him as a replacement for Reed, but Jimmy Graham and C.J. Uzomah are probably just as good.
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