We are halfway through the fantasy football regular season, as we enter Week 8. Navigating injuries is more important than ever to secure a spot in the fantasy playoffs. Below are the key players to monitor in this Week 8 Injury Report.
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The Notable Injured | Week 8
Emeka Egbuka | WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (OUT)
Egbuka sat out last week as he failed to clear concussion protocol. He is now out of concussion protocol but is still sidelined with a foot injury. The Bucs only threw 11 times last week as Baker Mayfield worked his way back from a thumb injury. Veteran Chris Godwin stands to be the biggest beneficiary if Tampa Bay’s passing offense comes alive, as he commanded an absurd 45% target share with Egbuka out last week.
Carnell Tate | WR, Tennessee Titans (OUT)
Rookie Carnell Tate appeared to be on a breakout trajectory, posting double-digit fantasy points in three of his past five games. He also saw at least seven targets in four of his past five games. Unfortunately, he will miss this week’s game with a shoulder injury. Look for Wan’Dale Robinson to soak up some of Tate’s vacated targets. Elic Ayomanor remains a name to monitor in deeper formats after seeing a 90.3% snap share last week.
Tyjae Spears | RB, Tennessee Titans (OUT)
Tyjae Spears will miss his second consecutive game, clearing the way for Tony Pollard to again see bell-cow usage. With Spears out last week, Pollard finished as the RB1 overall, scoring three touchdowns while piling up 155 total yards on 28 total opportunities. Pollard should be viewed as a high-end RB2 against the Bengals this week. Michael Carter will likely spell him on passing downs but remains off the fantasy radar.
Saquon Barkley | RB, Philadelphia Eagles (IN)
Saquon Barkley gutted out hamstring and back injuries last week against the Cowboys. He scored 15.1 fantasy points despite seeing less than 20% of the offensive snaps. Barkley was force-fed the ball during his brief time on the field, seeing nine opportunities. Unless there is a miraculous recovery this week, Barkley looks to be in a similar situation against the Commanders. While he remains a must-start, Elijah Mitchell makes a great desperation start as the next man up. He could also see extended usage if Barkley aggravates either injury, as he did last week.
DeVonta Smith | WR, Philadelphia Eagles (OUT)
DeVonta Smith will miss his third consecutive game with a hamstring injury. Teammate Dontayvion Wicks will also miss this game. With both Smith and Wicks out, rookie Makai Lemon broke out last week against the Cowboys, scoring 19.7 fantasy points. Unfortunately, Lemon doesn’t get to face the Cowboys again in this one. With Tanner McKee under center in place of the injured Jalen Hurts, Lemon’s fantasy production is subject to substantial variance. Regardless, as the de facto WR1 for the Eagles, Lemon should be in fantasy lineups.
Lamar Jackson | QB, Baltimore Ravens (IN)
Lamar Jackson will return to the field after missing three games with an ankle injury. Jackson says he’s still dealing with some pain in his ankle, which may affect his rushing ability. Even so, he remains a must-start for your fantasy lineup. Jackson’s return should also substantially raise the floor of Zay Flowers and even Mark Andrews.
A.J. Brown | WR, New England Patriots (QUES)
A.J. Brown popped up on the Patriots injury report this week with a knee injury. He is still trying to overcome a high ankle sprain that forced him to miss five games. Brown’s chronic knee issue flared up, making him a true game-time decision for the Patriots matchup against the Dolphins. Unfortunately for fantasy managers, there’s no one-for-one replacement for Brown in New England’s offense. However, with Romeo Doubs and Mack Hollins on IR, Kyle Williams makes for an intriguing desperation play if Brown sits.
Jakobi Meyers | WR, Jacksonville Jaguars (QUES)
Jakobi Meyers was added to the Jaguars injury report with hamstring and ankle injuries. After being limited earlier in the week, he was downgraded and did not practice Friday. If Meyers can’t go against a tanking Colts team, Travis Hunter may flash again after scoring 15.9 fantasy points last week.
Breece Hall | RB, New York Jets (QUES)
Breece Hall practiced in a limited capacity all week and is truly questionable for the Jets game against the Las Vegas Raiders. With Braelon Allen playing very well as his replacement in the Jets backfield, Hall could return to a 50/50 split of the rushing work. Because of the uncertainty surrounding his role, Hall is not a player I’d be eager to rush back into my fantasy lineup. Although running back is thin, most fantasy managers will probably have to just start Hall and hope the Jets restore his previous bell-cow workload.
Brian Robinson | RB, Atlanta Falcons (OUT)
Brian Robinson will miss his second straight game with a hamstring injury. Even with him missing time last week, Bijan Robinson saw no meaningful increase in his already massive workload. Khalil Herbert saw only three opportunities last week as Bijan’s backup and remains off the fantasy radar.
RJ Harvey | RB, Denver Broncos (OUT)
RJ Harvey will miss the Broncos game against the Chiefs with a knee injury. That puts rookie running back Jonah Coleman in position to be the Broncos running back you want in your fantasy lineup. Coleman returned from an ankle injury last week and led Denver’s backfield with 11 opportunities. Now, Coleman has an easier path to touches and could emerge as a potential difference-maker down the stretch.
Jaylen Waddle | WR, Denver Broncos (QUES)
Waddle has had a disappointing start to the season, posting only two games with more than double-digit fantasy points. He sustained a chest injury during the fourth quarter last week and remains truly questionable after practicing in a limited capacity this week. If Waddle can’t go against the Chiefs, look for Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims, and Troy Franklin to see some expanded usage. Regardless, given how bad Waddle has been this season, none of Denver’s receivers will be easy to trust for fantasy.
TreVeyon Henderson | RB, New England Patriots (QUES)
Henderson missed the Patriots’ last two practices with an illness. If he doesn’t suit up for Sunday, Rhamondre Stevenson could see bell-cow usage similar to Week 1. In that game, he finished with 14 total opportunities and scored 14.5 fantasy points. Corey Kiner will also see some snaps but remains off the fantasy radar.
