It’s almost as if the week wasn’t going to be difficult enough given the turmoil created by the six team BYE week. The Bills, Cowboys, Jaguars, Chargers, Vikings and Steelers all have the week off. That means no Josh Allen or Dak Prescottt. No Stefon Diggs, CeeDee Lamb or Keenan Allen. No Dalvin Cook and no Najee Harris. Yuck. On top of that, The Infirmary continues to be a revolving door for the athletes of the NFL. The football gods truly have no mercy. And with Winter coming, no less. Such a cruel twist of fate!!!
Ok, the tangent may have gotten off track there, but the sentiment remains; week seven is going to be a pain in the ass. Hopefully, Infirmary readers have followed the sage advice of the report and have assembled roster depth that would rival The Avengers (That super hero roster is deeeeep!). It will be needed, as this week seven isn’t that different from post-Thanos-finger-snap in the movies; between the BYES and the injuries, it feels like half of the fantasy football world is missing. It isn’t quite that bad, however. Let’s get into it… Infirmary Assemble!
IR
WR Parris Campbell– IND (Foot)
Thankfully the Injured Reserve isn’t welcoming many additions this week. That said, it’s a shame to see Campbell here yet again; and just as the Indy offense is starting to figure things out.
OUT
WR Sammy Watkins– BAL (Thigh), RB Latavius Murray– BAL (Ankle), WR Terrace Marshall Jr.- CAR (Concussion), TE Jimmy Graham– CHI (Covid), WR T.Y. Hilton– IND (Quad), RB Saquon Barkley– NYG (Ankle), WR Kenny Golladay– NYG (Knee), WR Kadarius Toney– NYG (Ankle), QB Trey Lance– SF (Knee), WR Antonio Brown– TB (Ankle), TE Rob Gronkowski– TB (Ribs), WR Curtis Samuel– WAS (Groin)
The Ravens are out Watkins and Murray, but the injury bug hasn’t slowed them down yet. And it shouldn’t this week, either. With Watkins out, there is opportunity once again for rookie Rashod Bateman. Though the statistics weren’t overly impressive in his season debut last week, he did tie Mark Andrews for the lead in Targets with six (22.2 percent Target Share). Bateman did this on a 63.1 percent Snap Share, compared to fellow wideout Marquise Brown‘s 80 percent. That’s a fairly healthy debut and it suggests both the coaching staff and Lamar Jackson have trust in him already. Buckle up.
https://youtu.be/qwqjzsYqMHM
A for the Baltimore backfield, Devonta Freeman and Le’Veon Bell are set to carry the load with Murray out. Ty’Son Williams was a healthy scratch last week, but figures to add depth for the showdown with the Bengals. The backfield is totally avoidable at the moment. The Giants are beat all to hell and back again, There have been moments of promise from Big Blue this year; unfortunately, there have also been moments of dread. Recent weeks have been full of the latter. For Daniel Jones sake, let’s hope some guys in the next section make it to the field on Sunday.
Khalil Herbert looks to get another start for the Bears after racking up 100 all-purpose yards and a touchdown against the Packers. However, Williams is expected back from the Covid list which complicates things. Not to mention their opponent- Tampa Bay and their lofty run defense. Yards will be much tougher to come by. Speaking of the Bucs… No Brown or Gronk? No problem. Chris Godwin and Mike Evans will do their thing, but look for O.J. Howard to make some noise, yet again. Last week versus the Eagles, Howard caught six of seven Targets for 49 yards and a touchdown. Tom Brady will look his way plenty and he’s but $3,400 on Draft Kings…
QUESTIONABLE
WR Allen Robinson II- CHI (Ankle), RB D’Andre Swift– DET (Groin), TE T.J. Hockenson– DET (Knee), WR Nico Collins– HOU (Foot), WR Tyreek Hill– KC (Quad), RB Sony Michel– LAR (Shoulder), TE Darren Waller– LV (Ankle), WR DeVante Parker– MIA (Hamstring/Shoulder), RB Brandon Bolden– NE (Thigh), QB Taysom Hill– NO (Concussion), WR Deonte Harris– NO (Hamstring), WR Sterling Shepard– NYG (Hamstring), WR Darius Slayton– NYG (Hamstring), WR John Ross– (Hamstring), TE Evan Engram– NYG (Calf), RB Tevin Coleman– NYJ (Hamstring), RB Alex Collins– SEA (Hip/Glut), TE O.J. Howard– TB (Ankle), WR Julio Jones– TEN (Hamstring), RB Antonio Gibson– WAS (Shin)
Per usual, it appears as most of the players on the Q list will indeed be suiting up this week. For some, such as Swift, a weekly spot on the injury report has become almost a sort of ritual. Still, the stud second year back should be ready for game time. The main concern here is actually Waller, who was added to the injury report late in the week. If the ankle injury keeps him out, that benefits Bryan Edwards more than anyone. Foster Moreau is a name to keep an eye on; he has the requisite profile of an upper-tier tight end. In Washington, Gibson has been dealing with a fracture in his shin, but has played well and will likely continue to do so. Jaret Patterson is next man up if Gibson can’t dress, and there are things to like about his profile.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-Fghpno1z8
The Giants have been hampered weekly by the injury bug this year, and this week is about as bad as it gets. The entirety of the wide receiver crew is either out or questionable. Fortunately for them, they do have excellent depth at the position. Even without Toney and Golladay, the likes of Shepard and Slayton are more than capable. As a matter of fact, Shepard has been quietly having a solid season, despite missing a couple of games. He’s posted a 100 percent True Catch Rate (good for fourth at the position among qualified receivers), and a Dominator Rating of 39.6 percent (6th at the position). Staying healthy is key, but Shepard is shaping up to be a key fantasy piece as the season moves along.
CONCLUSION
It’s true, fantasy managers are dealing with a lot this week. The Thanos-finger-snap analogy is quite fitting, as injuries and BYES ravage the depth of fantasy teams across the globe. However, there is always a little light at the end of the tunnel. For fantasy managers who have built proper depth on their bench, and for those who have been following The Infirmary all season, the stress will be much less. So, gear up for a rough week and if all goes to hell, maybe we can find some of those Pym Particles and have a little “Time Heist” of our very own. That’s fairly unlikely, though, so keep up on The Infirmary Report!
