Fantasy Football: Tracking the latest NFL injury news for key players in Week 3

https://sports.yahoo.com/fantasy/article/fantasy-football-tracking-the-latest-nfl-injury-news-for-key-players-in-week-3-152156321.html

The big news that will impact fantasy football coming out of Week 2 will be Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow exiting Sunday’s game vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars due to a toe injury. Burrow wasn’t able to return to the game.

With Burrow out, the Bengals were still able to hold on for a 31-27 win thanks to backup QB Jake Browning and WR Ja’Marr Chase. Burrow is no stranger to injuries and this is a tough blow to fantasy football managers.

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Other than Burrow, there weren’t too many notable injuries that took place in Week 2. Jets QB Justin Fields left due to a concussion. Green Bay Packers WR Jayden Reed went down on Thursday Night Football vs. the Commanders with a broken collarbone and will be sidelined 6-8 weeks. The San Francisco 49ers should remain without TE George Kittle and QB Brock Purdy into Week 3 as they recover from injuries.

Below we’ll be tracking all the latest NFL injury news throughout the week and what it means for fantasy football.

Week 2 injury recap

Joe Burrow, QB, Bengals (toe) — ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported early Monday morning that Burrow will need surgery on his toe and is expected to miss at least three months. With that timeline, Burrow would be back some time in the middle of December at the earliest. It’s a tough break for everyone involved. Jake Browning came in and led the Bengals to a victory, but there are rumblings Cincy will have to bring in a veteran QB for some depth. Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins were fine in terms of fantasy production with Browning under center for most of Sunday. But it would be foolish to expect both wideouts to keep up elite status every week while Burrow is out. Hopefully if you’re a Chase, Higgins and Chase Brown manager, you have some depth to weather this storm.

Jayden Reed, WR, Packers (collarbone) — Reed went down on TNF and will miss extended time for the Packers, who will face the Cleveland Browns looking to go 3-0 in Week 3. With Reed out, it means more snaps/targets to go around, which is something Matt LaFleur loves to do — spread the love. Reed’s injury means Dontayvion Wicks and Romeo Doubs are the primary wideouts with rookies Matthew Golden and Savion Williams also working in. Malik Heath may be the biggest benefactor of Reed’s injury. His 37-yard circus catch in Week 2 was one of the best plays of the week. TE Tucker Kraft should also remain a top, if not the top, target for QB Jordan Love.

Austin Ekeler, RB, Commanders (Achilles) — Ekeler tore his Achilles on TNF and will miss the remainder of the 2025 NFL season. With Ekeler sidelined, the Commanders should feature rookie Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt as the lead back with Chris Rodriguez and Jeremy McNichols also rotating in. Expect Bill to get the bulk of the touches but don’t be surprised if C-Rod or McNichols get some run here and there. Washington also wants to keep Jayden Daniels healthy but could also draw up more designed runs for the superstar QB.

Justin Fields, QB, Jets (concussion) — Fields was forced out of Week 2 vs. the Bills late due to a concussion. Fields is in the NFL’s concussion protocol and will need to clear before being ready for Week 3 when the Jets face the Buccaneers. If Fields is unable to clear protocol, Tyrod Taylor would start at QB for New York. He had 56 passing yards and one TD in relief against Buffalo and also added 21 rushing yards. Taylor isn’t bad but he should hold back the passing game, making it tough to trust Garrett Wilson let alone any other Jets pass-catcher. Breece Hall and the run game should be busy in Week 3 if Fields is out. Taylor isn’t really a viable streaming option at QB unless you’re desperate.