ALLWORLD | RealTime Fantasy Sports

Injury Status: Week 7

Thu Oct 21 10:54am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer

This injury story remains too long for fantasy owners. The list isn't getting really any shorter - even with six teams in a bye this week! This is not a fun time to make a fantasy lineup for many owners. Injuries and byes are causing for some crazy lineups in Week 7. Hopefully, things aren’t too bad for you. Here is the latest. . . . .

Baker Mayfield, QB, Browns. Mayfield has been ruled out for the Week 7 game. He had been pushing to play with his shoulder injury, but the Browns ultimately decided to hold him out. Case Keenum will start for the Browns this week.

Saquon Barkley, RB, Giants. Barkley is doing some things on the side with trainers to start the week but is out of practice. It is a decent sign he is at least doing something. Plus, the Giants aren’t ruling him out just yet. We do think he will miss the game, though, giving Devontae Booker another starter. Barkley is probably a week or two away from playing.

Kenny Golladay, WR, Giants. Golladay missed last week because of a hyperextended knee. He remains out of practice and is expected to miss another week of action, barring a big turnaround late in the week.

Kadarius Toney, WR, Giants. Toney played last week on his ankle injury but didn’t last long, leaving the game early. He is out of practice to start the week and not looking good to play. He pushed it last week and had a setback in the game. Look for the Giants to give their young receiver a week or two off to get closer to full strength.

Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Browns. Beckham has a shoulder sprain and is looking like a game-time decision for Week 7. He would have a better shot to play if the Browns didn’t have the Thursday night game. But the early-week game does not help his chances. We would get other options ready. And even if he is healthy, you might be better served going with other options. Beckham might be in and out of the game and has a backup quarterback throwing him passes.

Darius Slayton, WR, Giants. Slayton has missed the past three games because of a hamstring injury. He is back practicing some this week, though, and seems to be trending towards a return. As long as he keeps practicing, look for Slayton to return in Week 7. And the Giants need him because of other receivers that are banged up right now.

Antonio Gibson, RB, Washington. Gibson has been battling a shin injury in recent weeks and is now dealing with some sort of calf injury. He was out of practice to start the week, which is not a great sign. Keep an eye on the player notes for the latest, but get other options ready. Gibson is very iffy right now. J.D. McKissic might get a few more carries if Gibson is out. And rookie Jaret Patterson should get some carries as well.

T.Y. Hilton, WR, Colts. Hilton made his season debut last week and had to leave the game early with another injury, hurting his quad. He is not practicing yet this week but is not being ruled out. He is looking like a game-time decision for Week 7. Hilton probably isn’t worth the risk for fantasy teams, though, because of the uncertainty surround the injury. Even if he plays, he is likely to be limited in the game.

Antonio Brown, WR, Bucs. Brown suffered a sprained ankle last week. He is out of practice right now and a little iffy to play Week 7. He is going to need to get in a little work before the week is out if he hopes to play. Keep an eye on the players notes for the latest on Brown. He is a must play if on the field, but get other options ready to be safe.

Latavius Murray, RB, Ravens. Murray is banged up with a sprained ankle, an injury that forced him from last week’s game. He is not practicing to start the week, which isn’t a good sign. Murray seems very iffy to play right now. Devonta Freeman and Le’Veon Bell will likely get most of the work at running back if Murray is out, which seems likely.

Curtis Samuel, WR, Washington. Samuel made his season debut in Week 4 but quickly aggravated his groin injury. He has been out the last two weeks and remains out of practice. Samuel is expected to miss another game, barring a late-week turnaround. We aren’t sure when he is able to return to the lineup.

Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Broncos. Bridgewater has been limited in practice because of a foot injury, but is expected to play this week. He might be a little hobbled for the game, but should be healthy enough to start the Thursday game against a banged up Browns defense.

Russell Gage, WR, Falcons. Gage has not played since Week 2 because of a sprained ankle. He has been practicing all week, though, and isn’t even listed on the Injury Report. He is fully expected to play and start for the Falcons in Week 7.

Rob Gronkowski, TE, Bucs. Gronkowski has missed the last three games because of broken ribs and remains sidelined. He is not practicing and looks to miss another week of action. The good news is the Bucs claim he is making some progress, so a return to the lineup could happen in a few weeks. Stay tuned.

O.J. Howard, TE, Bucs. Howard had a breakout game last week but is battling a new injury. He was out of practice Wednesday because of a sprained ankle. We aren’t sure of the severity of the injury just yet, but get other options ready to be safe. Howard is iffy to play at the moment. Hopefully, he can get in some practice before the week is out to improve his chances to find the field.

Julio Jones, WR, Titans. Jones finally returned to the lineup last week after missing two straight games because of a hamstring injury. He wasn’t able to finish the game, though, aggravating his hamstring injury. He was out of practice to start the week, which is not encouraging for him to play Week 7. We would expect him to miss the game, but he hasn’t been ruled out just yet.

Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, 49ers. Garoppolo is practicing on a limited basis to start the week. He is progressing well from his calf injury. Expectations are he will be ready to play this week and will start the Week 7 game. Plus, rookie Trey Lance has a knee injury and is not practicing right now, meaning he is not likely available to play. This makes the return of Garoppolo all the more important for the 49ers this week.

Jeff Paur is a two-time finalist for FSWA Fantasy Football Writer of the Year and won the FSWA award for Best Fantasy Football Article on the Web in 2011. He also was the most accurate expert in 2012, winning the FSTA Fantasy Football Accuracy Award. If you have any questions for Jeff, email him at jeff@rtsports.com. Follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffpaur.

Injury Status: Week 7

The Paur Report