Player

Injury

Expected Return/Update

Stock Risers/Fallers

Danny Amendola (WR)

Groin

Questionable for Week 2:

Amendola makes this list based mostly on his injury riddled past.  He was limited in practice on Monday, and it’s a short week for the Patriots as they play on Thursday.  It was also reported that he didn’t participate in Tuesday’s walk-through.  Now with reports coming out about Week 2 in doubt for the wide-out, it’s looking more likely that Amendola will miss Week 2.  Playing or not, he just sounds like a ticking time-bomb. 

Julian Edelman (WR).  Kenbrell Thompkins (WR).  Tom Brady (QB).  Edelman has already taken advantage of Amendola’s missed time (along with Gronkowski’s) in Week 1 and will be a popular waiver wire add this week.  He will certainly benefit the most if Amendola misses time, but Thompkins would see an increase in targets too.  I know Brady is a HOF QB, but at what point do all the injuries and lack of talent around him start taking their toll.

Dez Bryant (WR)

Sprained Foot

Questionable for Week 2:

Bryant underwent an MRI for his foot and it revealed a mild sprain.  He is expected to play, but a foot sprain could linger for a bit and may limit his production.

Miles Austin (WR). Terrance Williams (WR).   Miles Austin, who has trouble staying healthy himself, would be the biggest beneficiary if Bryant happened to be not playing this week.  But a limited Bryant could still shoot Austin up to low-end WR2 status.  He could even recapture some past fantasy football glory if Bryant missed some time.  Terrance Williams would see an increase in targets and could be a decent depth add if Bryant is out.

Blaine Gabbert (QB)

Lacerated Hand

Out for Week 2:

There are some bad starting quarterbacks in the league, but Gabbert may be the worst of the bunch.  The Jaguars declared him out this week, and frankly, he may never regain his starting job.

Chad Henne (QB).  Cecil Shorts (WR). Maurice Jones-Drew (RB). Chad Henne is replacing Gabbert as the starter and with a decent performance; he should be able to keep the job.  Henne, who isn’t someone to get too excited about, could be utilized in two QB and deeper leagues.  The reason Cecil Shorts and MJD are on this list simply because Gabbert will not be behind center.  This alone makes their value go up.

Shane Vereen (RB)

Broken Wrist (Surgery)

Out for Week 2.  Expected to miss a “few weeks”:

This is a big loss for the Patriots.  They started to really make use of Vereen’s skills, and it looked like we had a new RB2 on our hands.  Now owners will have to wait at least a few weeks to see if Vereen becomes a forgotten man once again.

Stevan Ridley (RB). LaGarratte Blount (RB).  Leon Washington (RB).  Many Ridley owners were in a panic.  They saw their high draft choice get benched and then out-shined.  But with the injury it Vereen, Ridley has new life and time to prove himself.  Blount will also be in the mix for carries, and if Ridley falls on his face again, Blount could step into a full-time roll.  It’s also being reported that Leon Washington may receive opportunities in the passing game.  Even if Ridley bounces back, Vereen will still likely be the third-down back and take away some snaps once healthy.

Maurkice Pouncey (C)

ACL/MCL

Out for Season:

Normally, I don’t list offensive lineman on a fantasy football injury report, but this one stings for the Steelers’ offense.  Pouncey is out for the year.

Ben Roethlisburger (QB).  Antonio Brown (WR).  It seems like the Steelers’ offensive line has been an issue for years, and the injury to Pouncey certainly won’t help any.  Big Ben has been productive in the past, but you have to wonder when it all starts becoming too much.  If Big Ben struggles, then fantasy assets like Antonio Brown could struggle to produce as well.

Reggie Bush (RB)

Dislocated Thumb, Pulled Groin

Probable for Week 2:

The injuries didn’t seem to slow Bush down last week, but a pulled groin is the type of injury that can linger. 

Joique Bell (RB).  If something ever happened to Bush, Bell would be first in line to be the starter and see the highest uptick in snaps.