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Tuesday is the least eventful day of the football week, but that doesn’t mean it’s completely void of any news. With that in mind, let’s go over the most important notes from around the league with an eye on fantasy football.
Texans Place Tyrod Taylor on IR
Tyrod Taylor will miss at least the next three weeks after suffering a hamstring injury in the Texans’ Week 2 loss to the Browns. That means third-round rookie Davis Mills will get his first start in primetime on Thursday against the Panthers. Mills completed 8-of-18 passes for 102 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in relief of Taylor on Sunday. He was labeled by many as a project coming out of Stanford, so his insertion into the starting lineup knocks Houston’s offense down a few pegs, especially since Taylor was performing significantly better than expected before getting hurt.
According to Jared Smola (of DraftSharks), Mills targeted Brandin Cooks on nine of his 18 pass attempts in Week 2. Unfortunately, that only turned into four receptions for 28 yards and a touchdown. As long as Mills is under center, you can pencil Cooks in for high volume, but the efficiency might not be there given Mills’ inexperience and the Texans’ lack of other weapons. Cooks currently boasts a massive 34% target share and ranks second in the league in air yards. Houston will continue to rely on him heavily, especially after they placed Nico Collins on IR alongside Taylor. Consider Cooks a volume-reliant WR2 moving forward.
#Texans QB Davis Mills targeted Brandin Cooks on 9 of his 18 passes last week. Good.
— Jared Smola (@SmolaDS) September 21, 2021
Cooks caught 4 of them for 28 yards and a score. Not so good.
None of Houston’s running backs are starting-caliber for fantasy purposes, and their usage in Week 2 only added to the confusion. David Johnson paced the team in snaps and routes run but only notched six carries and two targets. Mark Ingram ran the ball 14 times on 19 snaps. Phillip Lindsay was a distant third in all categories. Ingram and Lindsay should be devalued even further without Taylor because the Texans will likely be facing more negative game scripts. As the primary pass-catching back, Johnson may operate as a safety blanket for Mills, but he’s still off the fantasy radar.[[ad:athena]]
Andy Dalton Week-to-Week, Justin Fields Expected to Start in Week 3
Bears starting quarterback Andy Dalton is considered week-to-week with a bone bruise in his knee, so 11th overall pick Justin Fields should make his first start in Week 3 against the Browns. Fields went 6-of-13 for 60 yards and a pick in a little more than a half in Week 2, although he did throw a beautiful ball that would’ve been a touchdown if Allen Robinson had been able to hang on.
More importantly for fantasy, Fields ran the ball 10 times on 42 snaps. Establish The Run’s Adam Levitan noted that Fields has now played 134 snaps in total between the preseason and regular season, which is roughly the equivalent of two NFL games. On those snaps, he has run the ball 21 times for 123 yards and a touchdown. That rushing volume is nothing short of elite, only rivaled by high-end fantasy quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson, Kyler Murray, and Jalen Hurts. For that reason alone, Fields is a QB1 in Week 3 if Dalton is unable to go. It’s well-documented that rushing quarterbacks are a cheat code, and Fields’ legs are among the best in the business.
Justin Fields has played 134 NFL preseason plus regular season snaps. Roughly 2 games worth. Rushing line is 21-123-1.
— Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) September 21, 2021
His dual-threat ability should also open up rushing lanes for Bears running backs, plus his near-perfect efficiency profile at Ohio State offers a glimmer of hope for Robinson, Darnell Mooney, and Cole Kmet. Chicago’s offense has a capped ceiling with Dalton starting, but Fields could take it to a different level.
Browns Send Jarvis Landry to IR
He’ll now miss at least the next three games. It’s the first time in his career he will miss any time due to injury. Odell Beckham is reportedly expected to play in Week 3, although that’s not a foregone conclusion considering he has missed the last two games as he makes his way back from the torn ACL he suffered last October. Beckham will be the clear alpha if he’s active, but Donovan Peoples-Jones, Anthony Schwartz, and Rashard Higgins will also take on larger roles in Landry’s absence.
Browns wide receivers have combined for just 16 targets through two games, the lowest total in the league. For reference, 22 wideouts individually have more than 16 targets. The Browns want to deploy a run-heavy approach, plus they want to get Austin Hooper, David Njoku, and Harrison Bryant involved when they do throw. Beckham is the only Cleveland WR really on the fantasy radar for the next few weeks, although Peoples-Jones may be worth a look in deeper formats.
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Other Injury Notes
- Bradley Chubb will undergo an arthroscopic procedure on Wednesday after reaggravating an ankle injury he has been dealing with since May. The surgery will remove a bone spur and figures to knock him out for the foreseeable future, although the Broncos noted they expect him back this season. Dre’Mont Jones will line up opposite Von Miller in the meantime. It’s a big hit to Denver’s pass rush.
- Danny Amendola is out two-to-three weeks with a hamstring injury. Anthony Miller will be active on Thursday against the Panthers after being a healthy scratch in the first two games.
- Somehow, we still don’t know the extent of the knee injury Diontae Johnson suffered at the end of Pittsburgh’s Week 2 game. In fact, we don’t even know what the injury is. We do know that there’s no serious structural damage, but it’ll be worth monitoring injury reports over the next few days to see how much Johnson participates. Johnson also posted an ominous message on his Instagram story.
From Diontae Johnson’s IG ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/DwZRH30Jex
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) September 20, 2021
- Ben Roethlisberger is dealing with a pectoral injury. The oft-injured quarterback has missed a lot of time over the past few seasons due to a variety of ailments, so any injury is worth keeping an eye on. Mason Rudolph is the backup if Big Ben can’t play.
- Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is “hopeful” that Amari Cooper (ribs) will play on Monday. It’s always tough for fantasy managers when a Monday Night Football player is questionable, so keep an eye out for reports over the next few days.
