NFL Injuries

The Week 2 NFC South clash between the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers has all sorts of injury concerns circling it.

Alvin Kamara's status for the Saints is the most concerning injury for fantasy football players from that game.

Kamara has not practiced each of the last two days because of a rib injury. He is officially listed as questionable, per ESPN.com's Adam Schefter.

A potential absence or even limited action for Kamara could throw a wrench in fantasy football plans because of the alternatives the Saints have in the backfield.

The statuses of Jameis Winston and Mark Ingram will also be watched closely. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported both players are listed as questionable along with Kamara.

Tampa Bay already ruled Chris Godwin out for the Week 2 clash inside the Superdome. Three wide receivers and Leonard Fournette are also listed as questionable, per ESPN's Field Yates.

Injury concerns are not limited to the Tampa Bay-New Orleans clash. Baltimore listed running back J.K. Dobbins as questionable ahead of Sunday's meeting with the Miami Dolphins, per Yates.

Dobbins did not play in Week 1 but did practice throughout the week. That should allow some hope to seep in for fantasy football players in need of help at running back.

Below is a look at the other top injuries that could affect fantasy football rosters for Sunday's Week 2 games.

• Alvin Kamara, RB, NO: questionable (ribs), per ESPN's Adam Schefter. 
• Chris Godwin, WR, TB: out (hamstring), per Schefter. 
• Jameis Winston, QB, NO: questionable (back), per team injury report. 
• Mark Ingram, RB, NO: questionable (ankle) 
• D'Andre Swift, RB, DET: questionable (ankle), per NFL.com.
• Kadarius Toney, WR, NYG: questionable (hamstring), per NFL.com. 
• Mac Jones, QB, NE: will play (back), per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. 
• Najee Harris, RB, PIT: will Play (foot), per Rapoport. 
• C.J. Uzomah, TE, NYJ: doubtful (hamstring), per NFL.com. 
• George Kittle, TE, SF: questionable (groin), per The Athletic's Matt Barrows. 
• Damien Williams, RB, ATL: out (rib), per NFL.com. 
• Tee Higgins, WR, CIN: questionable (concussion), per Yates.  
• Michael Gallup, WR, DAL: out (knee), per NFL.com. 
• Rondale Moore, WR, ARI: out (hamstring), per NFL.com. 
• K.J. Hamler, WR, DEN: out (knee/hip), per NFL.com. 
• Allen Lazard, WR, GB: Questionable (ankle), per Schefter.

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Alvin Kamara Listed as Questionable

Kamara's lack of practice time could mean he will miss the clash with Tampa or that he will be affected by it if he plays.

New Orleans' fantasy football situation at running back is different than any other team in the NFL because of Taysom Hill's presence.

Hill reclaimed his role as the NFL's No. 1 touchdown vulture by scoring in the Saints opener against the Atlanta Falcons. He also led the Saints in rushing yards with 81.

As of Friday, Hill is listed as a quarterback and a tight end in Yahoo fantasy football leagues. The positional versatility is vital for fantasy managers in need of roster help, and it is also worrisome for those who may go up against a player listed as a tight end that puts up running back numbers.

Hill ran for 54 and 33 yards in two of his last three meetings with the Buccaneers. He could be considered as a fantasy option even if Kamara is ruled as available for Sunday.

The entire Bucs-Saints game is difficult to sort out from a fantasy perspective right now. Godwin being out opens up roles in the passing game for Jones and Gage, but both players are listed as questionable.

The waiver wire will likely see some late action Sunday morning, and it would not be surprising to see Bucs and Saints players lead the list of adds from the waiver wire because of the unknowns in that contest.

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J.K. Dobbins Questionable Despite Practicing

In a more promising situation, Dobbins practiced all week in the buildup to the Ravens' home opener against the Miami Dolphins.

Dobbins' questionable status appears more promising than the designation given to Kamara on Friday afternoon.

Dobbins can turn into a popular fantasy football running back in the coming weeks, but it may be wise to show some caution with the third-year running back. He missed all of 2021 and needs to get used to in-game action again.

Baltimore used Kenyan Drake, Mike Davis and Justice Hill at running back in Week 1, but none of them did anything of significance. Drake had the most carries of the trio, but he managed 31 yards on 11 carries.

Lamar Jackson shouldered the offensive load against the Jets, as he threw for three touchdowns and completed 17 of his 30 passes.

A pivot away from the Baltimore running backs is necessary if you believe Dobbins will not make an immediate impact. Miami held Damien Harris to 48 rushing yards on nine carries in Week 1, so the matchup may not be ideal to use Dobbins.

Jeff Wilson Jr. and Darrell Henderson are two of the running backs you could land on the waiver wire in place of Dobbins. Wilson could shoulder Elijah Mitchell's workload in San Francisco, and Henderson played more snaps than Cam Akers in Week 1.

Starting Dobbins off his extended rest period is a risk, but if you believe he will be up to the task, then play him at your own risk. He should be a much better fantasy contributor as the season goes on.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle returned to practice Friday for the first time since suffering a groin injury during the preseason.

George Kittle back at 49ers practice and moving well during warmups pic.twitter.com/Z3TltREKDm

— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) September 16, 2022

The three-time Pro Bowler missed the 49ers' Week 1 loss to the Chicago Bears and sat out the first two practice sessions ahead of Sunday's matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. General manager John Lynch said the team is hopeful Kittle will be able to play.

"We're going to hold out hope that George is ready," Lynch said Friday on KNBR. "We'll see if we get him out here today. I think that's critical. And if that doesn't happen, it's probably not looking good. But George is a type of player that you even wait until Sunday. I did that many times in my career, where you don’t practice all week, you find a way to go test it before the game. So I think it's going to go right down to the wire. He is improving, though, and we just want to make sure we have a healthy Kittle for the entirety of the season moving forward."

Kittle is arguably the NFL's best all-around tight end when healthy. The problem has been keeping him on the field. He's missed 12 games since the start of the 2020 season, and the 49ers are 4-8 in those contests.

Getting Kittle back in the lineup will be critical for second-year quarterback Trey Lance, who posted a miserable performance in last week's rain-soaked loss to Chicago. The weather is supposed to be more favorable in Sunday's home opener, and having his full complement of pass-catchers should give the 49ers a better idea of where Lance is in his development.

San Francisco will be without running back Elijah Mitchell for at least the next eight weeks with a knee injury.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin has been ruled out for Sunday's Week 2 game against the New Orleans Saints, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Godwin suffered a hamstring injury in Tampa Bay's Week 1 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. It was his first game back since suffering a torn ACL and MCL in Week 15 of the 2021 campaign.

When healthy, Godwin is one of the best wide receivers in the NFL and a go-to for many fantasy managers.

The 26-year-old is coming off an impressive 2021 campaign despite missing three games due to his knee injury. He caught 98 passes for 1,103 yards and five touchdowns in 14 games.

Godwin is expected to be equally as impressive this season, provided he can remain healthy. The Penn State product got off to a hot start before suffering an injury against the Cowboys, catching three passes for 35 yards.

However, considering he will be unavailable for Week 2, fantasy managers will need to consider their replacement options.

There are some highly talented receivers available for the taking, too.

Washington Commanders rookie wide receiver Jahan Dotson is rostered in just 41 percent of Yahoo Sports' fantasy leagues; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Robbie Anderson is rostered in just 36 percent of leagues; and Saints wide receiver Jarvis Landry is rostered in just 54 percent of leagues.

Some long shots that might be available include Julio Jones (rostered in 71 percent of leagues) and rookie Drake London (rostered in 80 percent of leagues).

The Buccaneers are 1-0 on the season but haven't won in New Orleans in the regular season since September 2018. With Godwin sidelined, it could be tough for the team to escape with a win.

Seattle Seahawks safety Jamal Adams is reportedly expected to miss the remainder of the 2022 season with a quad injury.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Thursday that Adams will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a torn quad tendon.

Adams suffered the injury during Seattle's 17-16 season-opening win over the Denver Broncos on Monday night on just his 15th snap of the game.

Prior to exiting, Adams had three tackles, one pass defended and one quarterback hit on former teammate Russell Wilson.

The 26-year-old Adams has long been viewed as one of the best pass-rushing defensive backs in football, although he expanded his game a bit last season.

Originally the sixth overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft by the New York Jets, Adams was traded to Seattle in 2020 for a package that included two first-round picks.

In three seasons with the Jets, Adams was a two-time Pro Bowler and one-time first-team All-Pro. He also earned a Pro Bowl nod during his first season with the Seahawks in 2020 when he registered 83 tackles and 9.5 sacks despite missing four games.

The 9.5 sacks were a single-season NFL record by a defensive back. Adams broke the record of eight previously held by Adrian Wilson.

Last season, Adams didn't have a single sack for the first time in his career, but he finished with 87 tackles and a career-high two interceptions in 12 games.

Injuries have been an issue for Adams during his career, as he is set to miss time for the fourth consecutive season.

After playing in all 16 games in each of his first two NFL campaigns, Adams missed two games in 2019, four games in 2020 and five games last season. Now he is poised to miss 16 games in 2022.

Fellow Pro Bowl safety Quandre Diggs will be the unquestioned leader of Seattle's secondary during Adams' absence, but finding a replacement will be difficult.

Veteran Josh Jones played the bulk of the snaps after Adams got injured on Monday, and he is the top candidate to serve as Seattle's starter next to Diggs.

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

#LACvsKC game status

OUT - Keenan Allen, Donald Parham Jr

QUESTIONABLE - JC Jackson

— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) September 14, 2022

Allen exited the Chargers' Week 1 win over the Las Vegas Raiders in the first half with a hamstring injury. He caught four passes for 66 yards before exiting, which led the team.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler later reported that Allen would "probably" miss L.A.'s matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 15.

Allen has been pretty durable over his 10-year career, appearing in at least 12 games in seven of those seasons. The only significant time he missed was after he tore his ACL in Week 1 of the 2016 campaign.

The 30-year-old has been one of the Chargers' top receivers since breaking on to the scene in 2013 when the team was still in San Diego. He has five seasons with more than 1,000 receiving yards and has earned five All-Star selections.

Allen is expected to remain a significant part of the L.A. offense this year alongside Mike Williams and Joshua Palmer. When he's sidelined, Jalen Guyton and DeAndre Carter see more playing time.

The Chargers are 1-0 to start this season, but the Week 2 game against the Chiefs will be an important one for the AFC West standings.

Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson returned to practice Tuesday for the first time since being shot in an attempted robbery in August.

Commanders RB Brian Robinson is out here for the first time since getting shot. He’s on the stationary bike. pic.twitter.com/uo2M8wfN0m

— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) September 14, 2022

Robinson was seen working individually on a stationary bike and doing ladder drills as he attempts to work his way back on the field.

The Alabama product was set to be the Commanders' early-downs running back for Week 1 before he was shot twice in the leg last month. He was able to avoid any major ligament or bone damage, but the Commanders placed him on the non-football injury list to allow him at least four weeks to heal.

It's possible Robinson will be available as soon as Week 5's game against the Tennessee Titans. Commanders coach Ron Rivera said Robinson has been a locker-room boost ever since returning to the team.

“I think it’s really cool,” Rivera told reporters last week. “The guys reacted very, very positively the first day he came back after being discharged. That was a really cool moment for the guys because they got to see him in person. The realization that he’s gonna be OK I think really helped settle a lot of the guys.”

The Washington offense fared well in Week 1's win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, with Antonio Gibson leading the backfield charge with 130 total yards on 21 touches (14 carries, seven receptions). Gibson will continue being the lead back until Robinson returns.

New England Patriots wide receiver/running back Ty Montgomery has been placed on injured reserve with a knee injury, per ESPN's Field Yates.

Montgomery suffered a knee injury in the team's preseason finale against the Las Vegas Raiders on Aug. 26, but the 29-year-old still appeared in Sunday's season-opening loss to the Miami Dolphins, recording the team's only touchdown.

The Patriots are replacing Montgomery on the 53-man roster with wide receiver Lil'Jordan Humphrey.

Montgomery will miss at least the next four weeks and won't be eligible to return until an Oct. 16 matchup against the Cleveland Browns. He'll miss games against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions.

The eight-year veteran is in his first season with the Patriots after spending the 2020 and 2021 campaigns with the New Orleans Saints. Last season, he rushed for 44 yards on 15 carries and caught 16 passes for 95 yards in 14 games.

Montgomery began his NFL career with the Packers in 2015 as a third-round pick out of Stanford. He spent three-and-a-half seasons with the franchise, rushing for 849 yards and seven touchdowns in 36 games in addition to catching 97 passes for 827 yards and three scores.

The Packers traded Montgomery to the Baltimore Ravens during the 2018 season. He appeared in six games for the franchise before joining the New York Jets for the 2019 campaign.

Now in New England, Montgomery is behind Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson at running back. He is also behind DeVante Parker, Nelson Agholor, Jakobi Meyers and Kendrick Bourne at wide receiver.

Still, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick likes his versatility, and he was used more than Bourne against the Dolphins.

It's unclear how much playing time Humphrey will see in Montgomery's absence. He spent the last three seasons with the Saints and caught 16 passes for 295 yards and three touchdowns in 18 games.

The Patriots are set to face the Steelers on Sunday at Acrisure Stadium.

The Kansas City Chiefs lost cornerback Trent McDuffie (hamstring) and kicker Harrison Butker (ankle) to injuries during Sunday's win over the Arizona Cardinals, and head coach Andy Reid pointed to the turf at Arizona's State Farm Stadium as the problem.

"They re-sodded it, which is a good thing because they practice in there," he said, per Adam Teicher of ESPN. "But it was a little bit loose. That's what happens sometimes when you re-sod is it's loose.

"It was part of the Butker injury and McDuffie injury. ... The turf picked up, and I would tell you that that did have something to do with it. If it didn't, I would tell you that, too. So it's not an excuse by any means, but I mean, you all can see it. Watch the tape."

Teicher noted McDuffie will miss at least four games, including Thursday's against the Los Angeles Chargers, after going on injured reserve with the setback.

Butker may also miss the game against the Chargers, and Kansas City responded by signing kicker Matt Ammendola to its practice squad. Ammendola appeared in 11 games for the New York Jets last season and made 13 of his 19 field goals (68.4 percent) and 14 of his 15 extra points (93.3 percent).

The Chiefs had to scramble during Sunday's game after Butker suffered the injury and turned to safety Justin Reid.

Reid kicked off and also made one of the two extra points he attempted.

Need me to do kickoff too? Bet. pic.twitter.com/wUUl4B9pCF

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) September 12, 2022

"This guy does have a lot of talent; it's real," Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub told reporters when discussing Reid's performance. "It's real and he did it. It's unbelievable, but it's impressive, as well."

Still, having a safety handling kicking duties probably isn't the best recipe for long-term success on special teams. Kansas City didn't have to worry too much about it during its Week 1 win over the Cardinals because the game was never in doubt as it built a 37-7 lead through three quarters.

Patrick Mahomes went 30-of-39 passing for 360 yards, five touchdowns and zero interceptions.

The Kansas City Chiefs have placed rookie cornerback Trent McDuffie on injured reserve with a hamstring injury, it announced Tuesday.

McDuffie, who suffered the injury in Sunday's season opener against the Arizona Cardinals, will be sidelined for at least the next four games.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid told reporters that McDuffie was "going to struggle to make it to the game [on Thursday]," when Kansas City hosts the Los Angeles Chargers.

He also blamed the injuries to McDuffie and kicker Harrison Butker, who is dealing with an ankle ailment, on the condition of the field at Arizona's State Farm Stadium, via ESPN's Adam Teicher:

"They re-sodded it, which is a good thing because they practice in there. But it was a little bit loose. That's what happens sometimes when you re-sod is it's loose.

"It was part of the Butker injury and McDuffie injury. ... The turf picked up and I would tell you that that did have something to do with it. If it didn't, I would tell you that, too. So it's not an excuse by any means, but I mean, you all can see it. Watch the tape."

McDuffie suffered the injury in the third quarter of Sunday's game and was helped to the medical tent before being carted off the field and into the Kansas City locker room.

The Chiefs selected McDuffie in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft out of Washington. He spent three seasons with the Huskies and posted 35 tackles, four tackles for a loss, one sack and six pass breakups in 2021.

McDuffie will be eligible to return on Oct. 16 against the Buffalo Bills. He'll miss games against the Chargers, Indianapolis Colts, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Las Vegas Raiders.

With McDuffie sidelined, Joshua Williams and Jaylen Watson should see more playing time. The Chiefs selected Williams in the fourth round of the 2022 draft out of Fayetteville State and in the seventh round out of Washington State.

On Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported that Pittsburgh Steelers superstar T.J. Watt tore his pectoral but didn't tear the tendon, meaning that he won't require surgery and could return this season after six weeks of rehabilitation.

And that has to be at least some measure of relief for Mike Tomlin.

"We're probably in a lot better place than we were after the game," the team's head coach told reporters on Tuesday. "... I can definitively say that T.J. won't play this week [against the New England Patriots], but I won't make any commitments beyond that. We're encouraged, and we'll just continue to look at the situation and gain opinions and do what's appropriate."

Watt also indicated on Twitter he plans to return this season:

pic.twitter.com/xSMGsjB55X

— TJ Watt (@_TJWatt) September 13, 2022

It's huge news for the Steelers—the 27-year-old is one of the most dynamic defensive players in football.

The reigning Defensive Player of the Year award winner notched 64 tackles (21 for loss), 22.5 sacks, 39 quarterback hits, five forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and seven pass deflections in 15 games last season. The four-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro selection is the game's most feared edge-rusher.

So any time he misses is a huge blow for the Steelers. Just how much time he misses remains to be seen, and a decision on whether he will be placed on injured reserve—which would guarantee he missed a minimum of four games—has yet to be decided.

"We got time to make decisions such as that, IR decisions that have to be made by the end of the week relative to this game being a counter," Tomlin said. "... We're not in a hurry to gather information too quickly. We'll see how his body responds. We'll get second and third opinions. And at the end of the week, or at some point we'll do what's appropriate."

Watt isn't replaceable for the Steelers, obviously. There are no easy substitutions for a player who has registered double-digit sacks in four straight seasons 37.5 in the last two years alone.

But Malik Reed and Jamir Jones will play a bigger role for the Steelers going forward opposite Alex Highsmith, who opened the season with three sacks against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Malik Reed is “definitely ready” to be the next man up filing in for TJ Watt as Steelers LOLB pic.twitter.com/4TgxxgORuc

— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) September 12, 2022

Tomlin said it will be a cast of characters to fill his role and mentioned Malik Reed and Jamir Jones. "It's not realistic to think they're going to be TJ, but they're varsity."

— Ray Fittipaldo (@rayfitt1) September 13, 2022

Reed had five sacks for the Denver Broncos last season. Jones didn't register a sack in stints with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Steelers and Los Angeles Rams in 2021.