The second Sunday of the 2020 season was more of an 80’s horror movie. At every turn, there was another big name that fell to injury. Christian McCaffery and Saquon Barkley lead this list as they were in the top three picks in most fantasy drafts. Barkley, unfortunately, is out for the year with a torn ACL. This leaves a deep, deep hole in rosters across the nation.
McCaffery suffered a high ankle sprain and is sidelined with a timetable of 4-6 weeks. Of course, McCaffery says he will be back sooner than later, but if your league uses the IR spot, this would be a perfect time to use it.
With all that said, with injuries come opportunities. Sometimes it’s backup or maybe a rookie looking for a chance to be the next superstar. Here is my list of players to lessen the impact after one of the worst weeks of injuries in the NFL.
Darrell Henderson Jr., RB Los Angeles Rams, Owned 33%
Darrell Henderson started the season as the forgotten running back. He had a hamstring injury that kept him out the majority of camp and well behind Malcolm Brown and rookie Cam Akers.
In the opening game against the Dallas Cowboys, Henderson only saw five snaps. With Cam Akers as the lead RB and Malcolm Brown getting a timeshare, Henderson was meant to have very few snaps in game two against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Akers only had three carries before he left the game with a rib injury. Enter Henderson; he pounced on the opportunity, left his mark on this game, and made an impression on Coach Sean McVay. Henderson (12CAR 81YDS 6.8AVG 1TD 2REC 3TGTS 40YDS) didn’t disappoint once he got his chance and looked like the back the team was hoping to get last year when they drafted him in the third round of the 2019 draft to be the heir apparent to Todd Gurley.
Coach McVay has said that he would go with a hot hand approach to his running backs this season, and nobody has had a hotter performance then Henderson. I would make him my number one priority if you need him. Even if you don’t need him, a RB in the Rams system is fantasy gold that can bring you value even if you don’t play him.
Myles Gaskin RB Miami Dolphins 16% Owned
Myles Gaskin (7CAR 46YDS 6REC 7TGTS 36YDS) took over the lead spot in the Dolphins’ backfield on Sunday. He had a good debut, especially for a PPR league. Jordan Howard, their number one back, got a rushing touchdown, but Gaskin looked like the much more versatile back. The Dolphins will more than likely be down in most games this season, so a back that can be involved in the passing game has more value than Howard. He will lose some touchdowns to Howard, but he will make up for it with pass game points.
Keelan Cole WR Jacksonville Jaguars 4% Owned
Keenan Cole has been the most consistent WR for the Jaguars this season, even more than their number one WR DJ Chark. Cole has scored 15.7 and 17.8 points in the first two games and had a touchdown in each game. He also led the team in targets for both games. The Jaguars will be throwing the ball all the time to make up for their bad defense.
Second-year QB Gardner Minshew has shown that, much like last year, he is ready and willing to sling the ball all over the field, and Cole would be the WR to catch it. He should be a good replacement for Saints WR Mike Thomas while he recovers from his high ankle sprain and a great play for the rest of the season.
Gardner Minshew QB Jacksonville Jaguars 33% Owned
The Jacksonville Jaguars don’t get any respect, and neither does their young QB Gardener Minshew. He may not be a great QB, but he has been a monster as far as fantasy goes. Most people tend to wait for a QB when drafting, but a late QB can end up being hit or miss, and some may have gotten injured.
Minshew (512YDS 6TD 2INT) and the six touchdown passes he threw are good for second in the league. Minshew has outscored Tom Brady, Matthew Stafford, Daniel Jones, Phillip Rivers, Kirk Cousins, and Jimmy Garrapolo. If you have any of these QBs, you may want to consider putting in a bid for Minshew and play him going forward.
Extra Players to Consider:
QB
- Baker Mayfield Browns 47% Owned
- Philip Rivers Colts QB 26%
- Mitch Trubisky Bears 8% Owned
RB
- Devonta Freeman NA 14% Owned
- Dion Lewis Giants 6% Owned
- La’Mical Perine Jets 3% Owned
WR
- Laviska Shenault Jr. Jaguars 17% Owned
- Van Jefferson Rams 4% Owned,
- KJ Hamler Broncos 1% Owned
TE
- Dalton Schultz Cowboys 2% Owned
- Mo Alie-Cox Colts 1% Owned,
- Jordan Akins Texans 2% Owned
Kicker
- Rodrigo Blankenship Colts 6% Owned,
- Daniel Carlson Raiders 5% Owned
DEF
- DEF-Chargers 31% Owned
- Cleveland 17% Owned