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Week three featured a lot of injuries with fantasy impact. Hopefully you weren’t one of the people that had Ceedee Lamb, like myself, in your lineup and didn’t get a single point from.
As you prepare to sift through the waiver wire and get your waiver claims in, here is what you need to know about some of the players that exited week three on the injury report and some players that you should try to stash on your bench, or acquire, that are nearing return.
NFL Week 3 Injury Recap was originally published on 1075thefan.com
1. Ceedee Lamb
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Easily the biggest injury from a fantasy football perspective from week three. Lamb exited very early in the first quarter are being tackled awkwardly on his only touch of the game.
Cowboys Head Coach Brian Schottenheimer said “looks like he’s gonna miss some time,” and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported yesterday that Lamb will be sidelined two weeks and is not expected to go on injured reserve.
As a result of Lamb’s injury, Tyler Ferguson caught 13 passes on 14 targets for 82 yards, George Pickens caught 5 of his 9 targets for 68 yards and a touchdown, and Jalen Tolbert saw 6 targets.
Next up for the Cowboys are the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football at 8:20pm eastern.
2. James Conner
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Since joining the Arizona Cardinals, James Conner has been a solid RB2 option and outperforms his ADP every single season. Unfortunately, this season will not be the case.
Conner had to be carted off the field in the third quarter of Arizona’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers. There has been no information released on what his injury is, but we do know that he will miss the remainder of the season with an ankle injury.
As a result of the injury, Trey Benson will take on a larger role and Emari Demercado will be the backup. On the season, Benson has 21 carries for 125 yards (6.0 avg) and has hauled in 8 of his 11 targets for 45 yards (5.6 avg). Assuming the Cardinals give Benson the full workload, he has the ability of being a fringe RB1 because of his ability to create chunk plays and the opportunities available.
Next up for the Cardinals are the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night at 8:15pm eastern.
3. Mike Evans
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The ageless wonder has started to develop some soft tissue injuries every season since 2019. Evans missed 3 games last season with a hamstring injury, but he was still able to extend his NFL record to 11 consecutive seasons with 1,000+ receiving yards.
On Sunday, the 32-year-old left the game in the fourth quarter against the New York Jets with a hamstring injury. Head Coach Todd Bowles said he would undergo an MRI today (Tuesday). ESPN’s Jenna Laine reported today, Tuesday, that the Buccaneers are bracing to be without Evans for 3-4 weeks.
Tampa Bay is expected to get Chris Godwin back this weekend for the first time this season, but it’s unknown how much he will play in his season debut after dislocating his ankle in week seven last season and undergoing another procedure in the spring to tighten the hardware from the first surgery.
Regardless, Sterling Shepard, Emeka Egbuka, and Cade Otton are going to be the primary receivers for Baker Mayfield this weekend against the Philadelphia Eagles at 1pm eastern on Sunday.
4. Najee Harris
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What a heartbreaking season for Najee Harris.
The start to his season was slowed because of a fireworks accident over July 4th weekend and now he will miss the remainder of the season with a torn achilles. He signed a one-year deal with the Chargers in the offseason and will miss the first game of his NFL career this weekend.
As a result of the injury, rookie Omarion Hampton turned into a bell cow running back for Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers. He logged 19 carries for 70 yards (3.7 avg) and a touchdown. He also caught 6 passes for 59 yards (9.8 avg). That tallies up to 24.9 points in standard PPR scoring, the upside many people thought he had coming into the season.
Next up for the Los Angeles Chargers are the New York Giants at 1pm eastern on Sunday.
5. Tyrone Tracy Jr.
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On Sunday night, New York was featuring the Decatur Central High School graduate with carries and targets in the passing game. In the first half he was tackled and landed on his right shoulder and did not return.
It was announced Monday that he suffered a dislocated shoulder and will be out anywhere from two to four weeks. New York turned to Cam Skattebo immediately. The 2025 fourth-round pick finished the night as a bright spot for the Giants. He tallied 121 total yards of offense (60 rushing and 61 receiving yards) and a touchdown. Adam Schefter reported that Devin Singletary will see some work too, but Skattebo is expected to see majority of the work.
This week, the Giants are hosting the Los Angles Chargers at 1pm eastern with Jaxson Dart getting his first career NFL start.
6. Terry McLaurin
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After two subpar games, Terry McLaurin finally got going a little bit in week three.
He had a 57-yard touchdown that was then reviewed and overturned to a 56-yard reception. The Cathedral High School graduate finished the game with 3 receptions for 74 yards. In that long reception, McLaurin injured his quad and did not return.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported today that his status for this weekend is uncertain to play this weekend against the Atlanta Falcons.
Washington was already without wide receiver Noah Brown in week three. Luke McCaffrey, Christan McCaffrey’s brother, recorded 3 catches for 56 yards and a touchdown in the win over the Raiders. 2025 fourth-round pick, Jaylin Lane, saw an uptick in snaps as well.
7. Mac Jones
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I’m not sure what is in the water at the San Francisco 49ers facility, but they cannot catch a break (no pun intended).
Nick Bosa tore his ACL in their win over the Arizona Cardinals and Mac Jones re-aggravated a PCL strain he suffered in training camp. Head Coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that Jones is day-to-day. The former Alabama Heisman winning quarterback filled in for Brock Purdy the last two weeks because of a shoulder and toe injury.
It does sound like Purdy will be back this weekend, but if he or Jones can’t go, it’s Adrian Martinez time. What is encouraging for 49ers fans is that Jones was able to play through the injury in the last quarter and a half.
San Francisco welcomes the Jacksonville Jaguars to Santa Clara on Sunday at 4:05pm eastern.
8. Colston Loveland
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It’s been a really slow start for the tenth pick of the 2025 NFL Draft. After three weeks, Loveland only has 3 catches for 43 yards,
However, it looked like he was going to be featured in their game against the Dallas Cowboys. He hauled in one catch for 31 yards and then didn’t return with a hip injury.
All reports suggest that it is a minor injury and that he will return to action this weekend when the Bears go to Las Vegas to take on the Raiders at 4:25pm eastern.
9. Jayden Daniels
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The Washington Commanders quarterback was already on the injury report, and missed last week’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
However, it seems like there is a chance that he will miss this weekend’s game as well. Head Coach Dan Quinn was non-committal on the second-year pro returning from his knee sprain this week and labeled him as day-to-day. He did not practice at all last week for the Commanders.
I think this cautious approach is largely connected with how well Marcus Mariota played on Sunday. He completed 15/21 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 40 yards and a touchdown. The other reason could be is that the injury could be more severe than it appears on the surface level.
Washington is on the road this week in Atlanta taking on the Falcons at 1pm eastern.
10. Injured Reserve Players to Monitor
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After this week, players that were placed on injured reserve with a designation to return prior to week one are eligible to have their 21-day return to action window opened.
- Panthers WR Jalen Coker – suffered quad strain at the very end of training camp (no reports on potential return)
- 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk – coming off torn ACL in week seven last season (reports indicate targeting week six return)
- Packers WR Christian Watson – coming off torn ACL in regular season finale in January (reports indicate targeting week six return)
- Titans RB Tyjae Spears – suffered a high ankle sprain in first preseason game (no reports on potential return, but week five or six likely)
If you are in a position to acquire a premier tight end for fantasy, then I would look at how the owner of George Kittle is doing. Maybe the owner is 0-3 and is desperate to upgrade at a different position. Kittle injured his hamstring in week one, but it sounds like he was placed on injured reserve just to give him an extra week to recover. He isn’t eligible to return until week six, but if the owner doesn’t deal him this week, then that person is most likely going to ride it out and wait for his return.
Final note for this season, and it isn’t a guy that is injured, but Rashee Rice has officially served half of his suspension. It was announced last week that Rice is allowed in the meetings and team facilities this week. With the injuries and lack of production from their wide receivers, the Chiefs are going to pepper their former first-round pick with targets. If you’re a team that is 3-0 or 2-1 with WR depth, hit up the owner of Rice to see what they would want for him. This is a guy that scored 18.3, 18.5, and 29.1 points in the first three weeks of the season last year before suffering a season ending LCL injury. The only change from last year is that Hollywood Brown is healthy and Xavier Worthy has carved out a role.
