This article will be continuously updated through Sunday morning.
Remember that these projections are imperfect analyses, working with the most current information and five years of historical data. Players who are not included on this report can be presumed healthy enough to start without above-average reservations.
“*” indicates full breakdown below
C.J. Stroud (OUT)
Kenny Pickett (OUT)
Ja’Marr Chase (OUT)
Keenan Allen (OUT)
Alexander Mattison (OUT)
Marquise Brown (OUT)
Zach Wilson (OUT)
Christian Watson (DOUBTFUL)
Greg Dortch (DOUBTFUL)
Jayden Reed (DOUBTFUL)
Zay Jones (DOUBTFUL)
Rhamondre Stevenson (DOUBTFUL)
Will Levis (DOUBTFUL)
Ken Walker (probable, start him)
Zack Moss (DOUBTFUL)
Trevor Lawrence
Geno Smith
Jonathan Taylor
Michael Pittman
Tyreek Hill
Sunday Update
OUT
Michael Pittman
Jayden Reed
Will Levi’s
D’Onta Foreman
Zay Jones
C.J. Stroud
Christian Watson
IN
Tyreek Hill
Kenneth Walker
Nico Collins
Dontayvion Wicks
AJ Dillon
Jonathan Taylor
Alexander Mattison
Cole Kmet
Dontayvion Wicks
Trevor Lawrence - Concussion
Lawrence is a “coin flip” to play, according to Doug Pederson. If Lawrence goes, there’s a 33% reinjury rate and an increase in turnover-worthy plays by about 60%. Still, this is a good landing spot for Lawrence, and managers in superflex leagues should start him. For single QB leagues, there may be better and safer options on the waiver wire.
Geno Smith – Groin
Geno is likely to suit up but will be at high risk to reinjure the groin. He’ll also likely be limited in mobility.
Running Backs
Jonathan Taylor - Thumb
JT is back and will likely see a decent workload due to Zack Moss’ likely absence. JT should be in all lineups from a season-long perspective, but it should be stated he is not 100%. Landing on the thumb wrong, jamming it into a defender's facemask or otherwise aggravating the thumb is in play.
Isiah Pacheco - Shoulder
Pacheco is back this week, and with Jerick McKinnon ailing with a groin injury, he’ll likely pick up where he left off. He hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down despite the shoulder injury that has lingered since his first procedure. Reaggravating the shoulder is in play here, but season-long players need to slot him into every lineup.
Wide Receivers
Tyreek Hill - High Ankle
Hill should not be faded in season-long fantasy football leagues.
When it comes to high ankle sprains, WRs (much more than RBs), try to return too soon and end up with a whopping 32% re-injury rate vs. just 12% for RBs. This is really the primary concern for Hil who may try and return ASAP to chase the receiving yards record. Additionally, there’s a 0% Week Winner rate for WRs (defined as the rate at which a WR returning from a high ankle sprain scores at least 150% of their mean score for the season). When WRs return from this injury, they see a massive 34% dip in PPR fantasy points and a 26% dip in targets per game. Still, and I cannot emphasize this enough, Hill should not be faded. He is a game-breaking talent who needs 1-2 plays to pay off. Leave the decision-making up to DFS gamers.
Michael Pittman - Concussion
WRs off a concussion have an 8% reinjury rate and see a 30% dip in fantasy football production. With that said, Pittman should be in every lineup but with tempered expectations.
Nico Collins - Calf
Collins says he’s going to play this week. Keep in mind calf injuries have a high recurrence rate that he’s already dealing with, making him a high-risk start even if he plays. With Case Keenum at the helm, Collins is already volatile as it is.
Good luck!
