Search
Close this search box.

Next Man Up: Regular Season Week 9

Week 8 was nowhere near as bad as Week 7. However, there were still a number of dynasty relevant injuries across the league. @ReflipeWThenuz breaks down the injuries and the next men up.

Every week players across the NFL suffers injuries. This weekly article will explore the injuries that affect your dynasty squads. We will briefly discuss the injured players themselves and the players who stand to benefit or suffer. To make them easier to follow, we will break down the injuries by division. Without further ado, let us examine the Regular Season Week 8 injuries and the next men up.

Image result for afc logo

AFC East

New England Wide Receiver DeVante Parker suffered a knee injury in his team’s Week 8 victory. The talented former first-round pick has been trending up in recent weeks. According to team officials, the damage is minor. With New England having a Week 10 bye, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them rest their receiver in Week 9. If he does miss next week’s game against the Colts, look for the Patriots to rely on a heavy dose of Jakobi Meyers and Tyquan Thornton. Nelson Agholar and Kendrick Bourne will supplement them. Meyers is the only true play in the low-volume New England passing attack. 

AFC South

Indianapolis Running Back Jonathan Taylor suffered a minor ankle injury during his team’s Week 8 loss. The talented third-year-back has been suffering through an injury-plagued 2022. The fact he was able to return and finish this game bodes well for his Week 9 outlook. However, monitoring his practice reps throughout the week is a good idea. If he cannot go next week, the Colts will turn to a combination of Deon Jackson and the newly acquired Zack Moss. 

AFC North

Baltimore Tight End Mark Andrews was forced from his team’s Week 8 victory with a  shoulder injury. The top-end tight end had been dealing with a minor knee injury heading into this contest. Team officials have indicated this is a minor shoulder issue. There is little indication he will miss any further games as a result. Nonetheless, this is a situation to monitor. If he cannot go next week, Baltimore will again turn to talented rookie tight end Isiah Likely who played an excellent game in Andrews’s place during week 8. 

Baltimore Running Back Gus Edwards suffered a hamstring injury in his team’s victory. Edwards had only recently come off IR after last season’s knee injury. These types of setbacks can be common for players returning from knee surgery. It appears to be a minor issue, and the team has no long-term concerns. They may sit the Gus Bus to rest him for the stretch run. If he does miss game action, look for the Ravens to turn to a combination of Kenyan Drake and Justice Hill. Both players could return some flex-worthy numbers, with Drake being the preferred play. 

Baltimore Wide Receiver Rashod Bateman tweaked his foot during his team’s win. Head Coach John Harbaugh has confirmed the injury is worse than originally anticipated. The sophomore receiver is going to miss multiple weeks, according to team sources. The Ravens will again rely on Devin Duvernay as their top wide receiver in his absence. Andrews will continue to function as the defacto no.1 option in the passing game. Fellow tight end Isiah Likely should also see expanded use in the passing game. Demarcus Robinson and James Proche will fill out the receiver depth chart until Bateman can return. 

AFC West

The AFC West escaped Week 8 without any significant fantasy or dynasty-relevant injuries. 

Image result for afc logo

NFC East

The NFC East emerged from Week 8 unscathed from a dynasty or fantasy viewpoint. 

NFC South

New Orleans Running Back Mark Ingram suffered a knee injury in his team’s victory. The veteran running back was enjoying a career swan song teaming once more with Alvin Kamara. Team officials have subsequently revealed the injury to be an MCL sprain. They expect Ingram to miss 3-4 weeks. Alvin Kamara will likely take on a massive workload in Ingram’s absence. The Saints will also work Dwayne Washington and Taysom Hill into the running game. 

NFC North:

Green Bay Wide Receiver Christain Watson suffered a scary-looking concussion in his team’s loss. The talented rookie took a scary hit to the head before having his head and neck rolled up, as you can see above. The Packers have struggled to find consistency at the receiver spot all year. This injury could cost Watson a week or two, depending on how he progresses through the new league protocols. In his place, the Packers will rely upon Sammy Watkins, Romeo Doubs, and Amari Rodgers. The team will also look for the return of Allen Lazard in the coming days. Tight End Robert Tonyan should also continue to see a heavy target volume. 

Minnesota Tight End Irv Smith Jr suffered a significant looking ankle injury in his team’s Week 8 contest. The team believes the injury to be a high ankle sprain. They ordered additional testing to confirm the diagnosis. Team officials have said they expect Irv to miss 8-10 weeks. This effectively ends his season and takes away most of his dynasty value. Johnny Mundt would be the nominal starter in his place until newly acquired T.J. Hockenson gets up to speed. Adding Hockenson essentially ends Irv Smith Jr’s time as the starting tight end for the Vikings. 

NFC West

Los Angeles Wide Receiver Cooper Kupp suffered a minor ankle injury late in his team’s Week 8 loss. Team officials do not seem overly concerned about the injury. However, any time a player with his target share picks up an injury, it is something to monitor. If he is unable to go for some reason, the Rams would have to redistribute a ton of targets. Allen Robinson, Van Jefferson, and Ben Skowronek would see a significant target bump. You could also anticipate tight-end Tyler Higbee to be a big beneficiary. Keep an eye out for news of Kupp’s practice reps this week.   

Thank you for reading this article! Please be sure to join the #Nerdherd, so you don’t miss out on any of the amazing things we have to offer @Dynastynerds.com. Use my promo code DynastyHolliday for a 15% off discount. You will get rankings, extra podcasts, and our rookie film room access. You can get access to our revolutionary DynastyGM tool for just a couple of bucks more. So much for so little; why miss out on all the fun? Also, you absolutely must check out our new mock draft tool. Please find it in your Apple & Android app stores. Follow me @ReflipeWThenuz for more dynasty content and other musings.

Share on Social

More to read

UNlock Premium For Free

Deposit at least $10 at Underdog Fantasy and get our #Nerdherd and DynastyGM FREE for 12 Months!
Use code Nerds at checkout!
* Restrictions Apply | New Users Only

Rankings

Rank Name Position Pos. Rank

podcast

Dominate your Dynasty leagues

Dynasty Nerds App is Mission Control for your Dynasty Leagues. Download Now!

Dominate your
Dynasty leagues

Dynasty Nerds App is Mission Control for your Dynasty Leagues. Download Now!

Black Friday Sale

25% OFF 
Memberships!

Coupon Code - holiday25
Sign-up Now
* Terms & Conditions Apply
close-link

Log In

Not a member yet?