By Scott Kacsmar
Week 7 in the NFL was fortunately more about quarterbacks returning from injury than new ones going down with an injury. Unfortunately, a leading candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year was lost for the season with a torn ACL, and several No. 1 wide receivers left Sunday’s games with injuries that could range from very minor to problematic.
Here are the notable injuries from Week 7 that you need to react to for your fantasy teams, DFS lineups, Same Game Parlays, and other prop bets this week.
Key Week 7 NFL Injuries
QB Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans
Ryan Tannehill only missed one snap against the Colts due to an ankle injury, but he was in a walking boot after the game. That is not a great sign for playing next week, but we’ll see what happens against Houston. The first-place Titans (4-2) may have to turn to rookie Malik Willis for his first NFL start.
Since joining the Titans in 2019, Tannehill has started 54 consecutive games (including playoffs), the second-longest streak of his career. Tannehill’s production is way down this season after the team traded wide receiver A.J. Brown and did not put in an adequate replacement plan for 2022. Looks like the offense will just have to rely even more on Derrick Henry and the ground game. When the opponent is the Houston Texans, that should be just fine as no run defense gives up more production to running backs this year.
QB Matt Ryan, Indianapolis Colts
In a big announcement on Monday, the Colts are benching quarterback Matt Ryan for backup Sam Ehlinger. Ryan does reportedly have a shoulder injury, but this move is not just health-related and intends to last through the remainder of the season according to the team.
It is a bold move, especially if the Colts fail to block for Ehlinger or run the ball better like they couldn’t do for Ryan. But there is no denying that Ryan was struggling, and the pressure was forcing him into terrible decisions so that he would not get hit.
Ryan leads the NFL with nine interceptions and 24 sacks taken. The Colts need fewer negative plays from the quarterback position, though it is unclear what Ehlinger can do as a sixth-round pick in 2021 who has yet to throw a pass in a regular-season game. At Texas, Ehlinger had 10 300-yard passing games.
Apropos of nothing, here is an amusing stat: Ryan was 15-5 with Boston College when he threw more than 35 passes in a game, and Ehlinger was 5-15 with Texas when he threw more than 35 passes in a game.
Good luck to head coach Frank Reich and his long-winding quest to find a franchise quarterback who sticks for more than one year. Nothing is more fitting of this struggle than the Colts vs. Commanders game this weekend failing to feature either Ryan (benched) or Carson Wentz (fractured finger).
RB Breece Hall, New York Jets
In news you could call the bummer of the week, Breece Hall’s rookie season is over after he tore his ACL against Denver. Hall was by far the most exciting young player on New York’s offense. He had a 62-yard touchdown run in Denver before his injury.
Hall had scored a touchdown in four straight games to help fuel this four-game winning streak for the Jets. He also averaged 5.95 yards per carry during it and had a 100-yard receiving game against Miami.
Hall very well may have won Offensive Rookie of the Year without this unfortunate injury. The Jets made a trade on Monday to acquire James Robinson from Jacksonville since that team has gone all in on Travis Etienne.
Robinson is not a bad pickup, but he will split time with Michael Carter, the 2021 fourth-round pick who has not quite looked the part so far. Carter is averaging just 3.5 yards per carry this season. That offense is going to miss Hall’s big-play ability.
Wide receiver Corey Davis was also banged up with a knee injury on Sunday. He is considered day-to-day. It was a pyrrhic victory for the Jets in Denver.
RB Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers
Someone had to fill those Christian McCaffrey shoes after the big trade on Thursday. Chuba Hubbard had some moments in 2021 filling in for CMC, but he had a nice outing against Tampa Bay on Sunday with 63 yards and a touchdown on the ground in a shocking 21-3 upset.
However, Hubbard left the game in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury. The good news is it seems to be a minor sprain that shouldn’t keep him out of action next week. Hubbard will share time with D’Onta Foreman, who had 118 yards on 15 carries. Choosing between these two in fantasy or prop bets could be a challenge, but we’ll see if the Panthers have found a brand new style of offense with using two backs.
RB Mike Boone, Denver Broncos
Speaking of messy backfield situations, Boone left Sunday’s game with an ankle injury. He is still losing touches to Melvin Gordon and Latavius Murray, so rostering Boone in fantasy is not really viable. Besides, even if Gordon and Murray were to go down with injuries too, would you really want a piece of this Denver offense?
WR DK Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks
Seattle’s star wide receiver had to be carted to the back with a knee injury after playing 20 snaps on Sunday. The good news is the MRI came back fine and Metcalf will not require surgery. He could even suit up this week against the Giants in what is suddenly a huge game in the NFC, but there is a fair chance he misses the game too.
Still, one game out at most is great news for what could have been a crushing injury to this offense.
WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions
A couple of injury scares have halted the hot start for St. Brown, who was quickly emerging as one of the best young wideouts in the league. This time, a concussion scare limited St. Brown to 10 snaps in Dallas before he was pulled from the game and not allowed to return as part of the new protocol.
We did just see Kenny Pickett return to action one week after a concussion, so it is very possible St. Brown can play in Week 8 if he did not have an actual concussion as reported by coach Dan Campbell. An overabundance of caution for the new protocol is what ended St. Brown’s day. But keep reading the injury reports this week to see if he gets cleared from the protocol and is able to play.
WR Mike Williams, Los Angeles Chargers
Figures, as soon as the Chargers get wide receiver Keenan Allen back for the first time since Week 1, they lose Mike Williams during the game. It was an ugly play on a fourth down late in the game with the Chargers trying to desperately mount an improbable comeback. Williams got twisted trying to spin for the first down, which he did not get. He was carted to the back and the good news is he didn’t fracture or tear anything to end his season.
But it does sound like an injury that will keep him out for a game or more. Williams was doing a solid job of becoming the new No. 1 target with Allen out. Allen has only played 45 snaps this season, but the Chargers are going to have to go back to relying on him heavily with Williams out. This offense has to be something more than dump passes to Austin Ekeler as Justin Herbert is averaging a career-low 6.5 yards per attempt.
But after losing Williams and corner J.C. Jackson after already losing Joey Bosa this year, the Chargers seem to be in full Chargering mode with the injuries again.
WR Allen Lazard, Green Bay Packers
Aaron Rodgers had to try to make his comeback in Washington without Allen Lazard, the de facto No. 1 receiver this year after he injured his shoulder. Lazard was spotted in a sling, an ominous sign if he is to play in Buffalo on Sunday night.
Early signs would point to him missing this game against arguably the best defense in the league. Rodgers has had some really rough Sunday Night Football games in his career, including trips to Denver (2015) and San Francisco (2019) were throwing for 100 yards was a major challenge. This is shaping up to be one of those games if Lazard can’t go on top of Randall Cobb being on injured reserve. Sammy Watkins can’t be trusted to get to the stadium without injuring himself.
Rough times in Green Bay right now.
WR Russell Gage, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay wide receivers have had plenty of injuries this year. Russell Gage has a hamstring injury, which could make playing on Thursday night difficult. Gage had 12 catches for 87 yards and a touchdown against Green Bay when the top three wide receivers were out, but he has mainly been a depth player this year as Tom Brady targets Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
However, if Gage cannot go, then that might mean more snaps for Scotty Miller.
TE David Njoku, Cleveland Browns
Can nothing gold stay? In a real down year for the tight end position, Njoku was a breath of fresh air in Cleveland. A rare sixth-year breakout player who was on pace to shatter his career highs across the board. Njoku just notched his fourth 70-yard receiving game of the season against Baltimore, but a high ankle sprain knocked him out in the third quarter.
This kind of injury can keep a receiver out a month, but we’ll see if Njoku can get back in a couple of weeks instead of four or five. The Browns need him as no other receiver except Amari Cooper has really been viable this year.
TE Daniel Bellinger, New York Giants
The leading tight end on the Giants is potentially out for several weeks with a need for surgery after fracturing his eye socket. Bellinger was hit in the face on Sunday in Jacksonville and left the field with a bloody towel on his face.
He is not a huge producer in this offense, but the only other tight end with a target this year is Tanner Hudson, who has three catches for 40 yards. Bellinger was third on the team with 16 catches and leads them with two touchdown catches. The Giants have already lost No. 1 wide receiver Sterling Shepard to a torn ACL.
But as long as the Giants have Saquon Barkley and Daniel Jones’ legs, they can remain the surprise team of this NFL season at 6-1.
