You know how it goes – injuries are a part of life in the NFL, and especially early in the season, there’s always an increased risk, but it’s still frustrating every time it happens. In Lance’s case, he went down with the injury before we really had a chance to see what he could do as a regular starter, and we likely won’t get another chance to see him until next season. Lance’s injury isn’t going to dominate Fantasy Football conversations like some other major injuries might, but it’s still a big blow to those of us who were counting on him to be their starter. And, of course, it has potentially serious consequences for the 49ers’ offense — thankfully, they were able to keep Jimmy Garoppolo in the end. We’ll take a look at Lance’s injury, what it means for the 49ers and who you might get to replace him in tonight’s newsletter, along with the rest of the Week 2 injuries you need to know, as well as the early See my top targets for in the 3rd week.
Week 2 Injury Recap
Lance’s injury sounds like it’s going to be season-ending, and it comes after he played in such poor conditions in Week 1 that we really couldn’t see what this offense would look like with him at the helm. And now, we probably won’t go until next season, Lance’s third in the league. That’s a huge bummer for a player as talented as him, and if you made Lance your starter, it leaves an obvious void on your roster – and one that you simply can’t expect Jimmy Garoppolo to fill. Because while Lance was unproven, expectations were much higher than ever for Garoppolo, and rightfully so. Garoppolo is a good player, but Lance’s momentum made him a potential Fantasy difference maker. Garoppolo will never be that. But maybe Tua Tagovailoa can be? The Dolphins were pretty pleased, and we saw the upside of what that could mean in Week 1, as he matched Dan Marino’s franchise record with six passing touchdowns. You might cringe at Tagovailoa’s inclusion in the same breath as Marino, but with Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill ranking among the league’s most electric playmakers, Tagovailoa doesn’t need to be incredible to have a chance to make a name for himself. on the Dolphins record. book for a few more times. Of course, Tagovailoa is only available in 20% of CBS Fantasy leagues, so he may not be an option. Justin Fields might be your best option if he’s out there, though he’s only available in 37% of leagues, so that can’t help you either. The truth of the matter is that there is no obvious guy who should start out there on waivers in most leagues. Among the quarterbacks available in more than half of CBS Fantasy leagues, Marcus Mariota and Daniel Jones probably have the most upside thanks to their rushing potential, though neither has put together two solid games yet. So your best bet might be to try swinging. If Aaron Rodgers doesn’t light it up this week, he’d be a prime low-cost candidate, as would Dak Prescott, assuming you can live without him for a few weeks. Maybe you can stream a few weeks – Jared Goff vs. the Vikings or Ryan Tannehill vs. the Raiders in Week 3, and Jones vs. the Bears or Mitchell Trubisky vs. the Jets in Week 4 – and by then Prescott could be back on his right a ship. But the thing is, there is no obvious solution that is widely available. Garoppolo may, in fact, be about as good as anyone available in your league. We know he doesn’t have much upside, but he’s a solid option with great playmakers. And if nothing else, going from Lance to Garoppolo makes it a little easier to project Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle, who will hopefully be back next week. Because Garoppolo isn’t going to run the ball by himself like Lance was. That means the 49ers should be happier with him at QB – though they’ll still likely be one of the most run-heavy offenses in the league either way. We can project, say, 30-35 pass attempts per week for the 49ers, compared to more than 20-30 with Lance most weeks. Between that and Garoppolo being a non-factor as a red-zone rusher makes it easier to see how Samuel, Aiyuk and Kittle can all thrive — though Samuel is still the clear cut of the trio in terms of Fantasy value. Overall, the cap for both the Fantasy team and the 49ers is likely lower without Lance than it would be otherwise. But at least the 49ers know what they have in Garoppolo. You might not be so lucky. Here are the other injuries we’ll be watching for Sunday’s games:
Jerry Jeudy (shoulder) — Jeudy landed awkwardly after the hit, and it looks like this could potentially be pretty serious — he was ruled out shortly after halftime after leaving the game in the first quarter. That’s disappointing after his 2021 campaign was derailed by an early ankle injury, though we don’t have concrete details at this point. Courtland Sutton got the start once Jeudy left the game, finishing with seven catches for 122 yards on 11 targets, and that could be what he needs to live up to the hefty draft price he was seeking. Before Jeudy’s injury, it’s not clear that Sutton was the No. 1 option on offense, but if Jeudy misses significant time, there wouldn’t be an option. James Conner (ankle) — Conner left the game early in the third quarter and watched from the sidelines as the Cardinals came back to win in overtime. Eno Benjamin was the No. 2 back before the injury, but split the job with Darrell Williams after the injury — Williams finished with eight carries for 59 yards and a touchdown, while Benjamin had eight for 31, plus three catches for 20 yards (Williams had two for 3 yards); If Conner misses time, it looks like this will be by committee, and Williams got the first crack at the goal line, something important in this offense. I’d prefer Benjamin for Fantasy, but both could be in the RB3 lineup if Conner is out. Damien Harris (knee) — It doesn’t sound like it’s a serious injury, as Harris told reporters after the game, “I’m fine, dog!” He grabbed his knee after a late carry, so we’ll be careful for now, with Rhamondre Stevenson likely in line for a significant workload if Harris misses time. Dalton Schultz (foot) — Schultz left in the fourth quarter after going down awkwardly and looking like he grabbed his knee, possibly. We don’t have any more details than that, but it’s something to keep an eye on for an offense that’s already missing Prescott. I wouldn’t expect much from Jake Ferguson if Schultz is sidelined, but he could make Michael Gallup’s impending return even more important to the Cowboys’ offense.
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Here’s who I’m looking at coming out of Sunday’s action:
Top Goals:
For the rest of my top priorities and why I’m aiming for them, head here.
