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Daily Notes: Justin Herbert’s injury; Najee Harris to play
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Eric MoodyESPN
Read ESPN’s fantasy football daily notes every weekday to stay caught up on the news you need to know and get a head start on the fantasy football content coming today and tomorrow to ESPN.com and the ESPN Fantasy App.
The news: Chargers QB Justin Herbert is dealing with an injury to his midsection.
What it means in fantasy: It won’t be known what Herbert is dealing with until X-rays are reviewed. Head coach Brandon Staley told the media after Thursday night’s 27-24 loss to the Chiefs that Herbert is “OK” and that he doesn’t expect the injury to be an issue going forward. Staley did mention that Herbert has an abdominal issue, possibly ribs. As far as fantasy football is concerned, Herbert has three extra days to prepare for a Week 3 matchup against the Jaguars. An injury like this requires time to heal. We’ll have to wait and see whether Herbert misses time. If Herbert is unavailable in Week 3, fantasy managers could stream Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota against the Giants.
The news: Steelers RB Najee Harris was a full participant in Thursday’s practice.
What it means in fantasy: Harris is extremely likely to play against the Patriots in Week 2. A lower-body injury forced him to leave the season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals in the fourth quarter. Fantasy managers were concerned because Harris also suffered a Lisfranc sprain in his left foot during training camp, but he said this new injury didn’t affect the sprain. The Steelers might rotate multiple running backs to protect Harris’ longevity moving forward. Undrafted rookie Jaylen Warren could be more involved. During the preseason, he was a breakout player for the Steelers. Warren is still available in 93.2% of ESPN leagues.
The news: Colts WR Michael Pittman Jr. did not practice on Thursday.
What it means in fantasy: Pittman is dealing with a quad injury and was also limited in practice Wednesday. His absence on Sunday would be a significant blow to the Colts’ passing game against the Jaguars. Alec Pierce was also limited in Thursday’s practice because of a concussion. Fantasy managers should expect Parris Campbell and Ashton Dulin to take over starting wide receiver duties if Pittman and Pierce are ruled out. Running back Nyheim Hines could also see more targets.
The news: Buccaneers WR Julio Jones did not practice on Thursday.
What it means in fantasy: Jones, Chris Godwin (hamstring) and Mike Evans (calf) all missed practice on Thursday. Evans seems likely to play against the Saints, while Godwin is most likely to be ruled out. Jones is still dealing with a knee injury and has missed two consecutive practices. Fantasy managers should consider looking at Curtis Samuel, Robbie Anderson, Zay Jones or Treylon Burks as streaming options for Week 2.
The news: Saints RB Alvin Kamara did not participate in Thursday’s practice.
What it means in fantasy: Kamara’s rib injury might be more severe than initially expected. He logged a limited practice session on Wednesday but remains questionable for Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers. Mark Ingram II, Dwayne Washington and Tony Jones Jr. are the other backs on the Saints’ roster. Even with a tough matchup, Kamara remains a must-start, but if he’s out, the Saints will turn to Ingram, who has also been limited this week because of an ankle injury.
Going deeper: The Buccaneers allowed the fewest rushing yards to running backs last season. In Week 1, they allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points to the position.
The news: Bengals WR Tee Higgins did not practice on Thursday because of personal reasons.
What it means in fantasy: Higgins managed to get in a “limited” session on Wednesday as he works his way through the league’s concussion protocol. It is unclear whether Higgins will play in Week 2 against the Cowboys. If Higgins is ruled out, Tyler Boyd will see more targets. Fantasy managers could also add Curtis Samuel or Robbie Anderson if available.
Going deeper: Since 2018, Boyd has averaged 71.5 receiving yards and 21.1 fantasy points per game in games he’s been targeted six or more times.
The news: Packers WR Allen Lazard has another limited practice on Thursday.
What it means in fantasy: Lazard has now logged consecutive practices. The Packers’ No. 1 receiver is approaching his 2022 debut following an ankle injury. Lazard will have a bright spotlight on him when the Bears visit Green Bay on Sunday night because of the Packers’ offensive struggles without him in Week 1 against the Vikings. Fantasy managers can view him as a flex option.
The news: Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins practices fully for the first time this year.
What it means in fantasy: Dobbins has been limited for about a month as he works his way back from a torn ACL. He will likely make his season debut in Week 2 against the Dolphins. However, fantasy managers shouldn’t count on Dobbins to handle a full workload. It is best to view him is as a low-end flex option this week.
The news: 49ers TE George Kittle did not practice on Thursday.
What it means in fantasy: Kittle missed two consecutive days of practice as he continues to deal with a groin injury. His status for Sunday’s game against the Seahawks remains up in the air. If Kittle is ruled out, the 49ers’ passing game will be centered around Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. Fantasy managers desperately looking for a tight end should consider Evan Engram (available in 82.4% of leagues), David Njoku (62.2%), Logan Thomas (86%) or Juwan Johnson (99.9%).
The news: Eric Woodyard of ESPN reported that Lions RB D’Andre Swift is expected to play on Sunday.
What it means in fantasy: Swift missed two consecutive practices because of an ankle injury but said he’ll “most definitely” suit up against the Commanders this week. It would help if Swift had a Friday practice, but fantasy managers shouldn’t be too worried at this point.
The news: Jordan Raanan of ESPN reported that Giants WR Kadarius Toney was a limited participant in Thursday’s practice.
What it means in fantasy: Fantasy managers were left confused after Toney played only seven snaps against the Titans in Week 1. The former first-round draft pick has fallen behind Sterling Shepard after holding one of the starting receiver roles during the preseason. Fantasy managers should exercise patience before dropping Toney. His NFL debut last season resulted in minus-2 receiving yards. A few weeks later, Toney had 189 receiving yards in a game.
The news: Buccaneers RB Leonard Fournette practiced on Thursday.
What it means in fantasy: Fournette was limited on Wednesday but his hamstring injury appears to be minor. He should be ready to play on Sunday after rushing for 127 yards on 21 carries in Week 1 against the Cowboys.
The news: Cardinals TE Zach Ertz practiced in full on Thursday
What it means in fantasy: Ertz is well positioned to increase his passing game involvement this week against the Raiders. Ertz played 60% of Arizona’s snaps in Week 1 and finished with four targets. Fantasy managers can view him as a back-end TE1 against Las Vegas.
• It’s not too late! Sign up for a team or start a new league today and start play fresh for Week 3.
Today on ESPN.com/Fantasy and in the ESPN Fantasy App
Mike Clay’s Playbook: projections and analysis for every game
Eric Karabell’s Week 2 preview
• Daniel, Liz and DJ: the lighter side of fantasy
• Fantasy Focus podcast Week 2 preview: Listen | Watch
Sunday
• The Fantasy Football cheat sheet: the week’s best advice in one place
• Inactives Watch: Who’s in, who’s out and what does it mean?
• Matt Bowen and Tristan H. Cockcroft’s fantasy highs and lows
• Fantasy Football Now: Sunday at 10 a.m. ET on ESPN2
In case you missed it
Field Yates’ Fantasy Field Pass for Week 2
Mike Clay’s TNF Playbook: Chargers vs. Chiefs
Matt Bowen’s fantasy film room
Tristan H. Cockcroft’s positional matchup map
Al Zeidenfeld’s DFS Best Buys for Week 2
