Fortunately, very few pass catchers went down with an injury last week, making the mid-week wavier situation slightly less stressful for fantasy football owners. While a few new injuries popped up, several pass catchers (Darren Waller, Treylon Burks, Allen Lazard, Michael Thomas, and Josh Palmer) have been on their respective team’s injury reports for the past several weeks. The statuses of these fantasy-relevant pass catchers will play a big part in Week 9 fantasy WR and TE rankings and start ’em, sit ’em decisions, so it’s important to have the latest updates ahead of your mid-week roster moves.
Below, we’ll give you the latest news on these pass catchers and break down how their injuries could potentially affect the Week 9 fantasy landscape.
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WEEK 9 FANTASY: Top waiver pickups | FAAB planner | Trade advice
Darren Waller injury update, Week 9 fantasy outlook
Waller (hamstring) missed his second-straight game last week while dealing with a hamstring injury suffered in the first half in Week 5. Waller did practice in a limited fashion all of last week, and another week of participation should hopefully result in a return to game action.
Waller draws a fairly tough matchup against a Jaguars defense limiting TEs to the 11th-fewest FPPG (7.7), but the Jags did just allow Broncos TE Greg Dulcich to rack up 87 receiving yards on four catches. Waller still sits as a must-start TE1 in all formats given the scarcity of the position. We’ll get a better feel for his Week 9 status as the week progresses, but if he ends up missing his third straight game, Foster Moreau makes for a viable streaming option with six teams on bye.
WEEK 9 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Treylon Burks update, Week 9 fantasy outlook
Burks (foot) is eligible to make his return from the injured reserve ahead of Sunday night’s road tilt with the Chiefs. Burks landed on the IR after Tennessee’s Week 4 victory over the Colts, but reports have been scarce about his status.
Once Tennessee releases its initial injury report on Wednesday, fantasy owners will have a better sense of his availability for Sunday Night Football. Even in a run-first offense, Burks could garner a respectable target share if active, as the potential for a negative game script could force Tennessee to throw more than it would like. While he still remains a risky start (especially if Malik Willis is under center), he’s at least worthy of a roster spot. Burks is rostered in just 17 percent of Yahoo leagues and profiles as a viable bye-week fill-in, sporting a solid 11.2 aDOT.
WEEK 9 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Allen Lazard update, Week 9 fantasy outlook
Lazard (shoulder) sat out Green Bay’s Week 8 matchup against the Bills after missing the entire week of practice. In his place, rookie WR Romeo Doubs led Green Bay in receiving, logging 62 yards and a TD on four receptions. While Lazard’s presence is much needed in Green Bay’s offense, the Packers draw a juicy matchup against the Lions, the league’s worst-scoring defense (32.1 ppg).
We’ll see if Lazard is able to return to practice this week, but if he’s out, expect Doubs, TE Robert Tonyan, Sammy Watkins, and Samori Toure to be Aaron Rodgers’ receiving corps this week, with Doubs and Tonyan being the only trustworthy fantasy options. Additionally, Christian Watson is in jeopardy of missing this week after exiting Week 8 with a concussion in the first quarter.
Michael Thomas update, Week 9 fantasy outlook
Thomas missed his fifth-straight game last week while dealing with a foot injury suffered back in Week 3. Thomas missed the entire week of practice last week, and his status for New Orleans’ Monday night matchup against the Ravens is in question. After Saints’ coach Dennis Allen said last week that there’s “no timetable” for Thomas’ return, it’s safe to assume the veteran WR will be out again this week.
Should Thomas miss his sixth-straight game, expect Chris Olave, Alvin Kamara, Rashid Shaheed, and Tre’Quan Smith to take on the bulk of the receiving work. If Thomas does make his return to game action, he sits as a volatile WR2 in all formats, but, again, it seems unlikely that he’ll play.
Josh Palmer update, Week 9 fantasy outlook
Palmer (concussion) should make his return to the field this Sunday against the Falcons after missing Los Angeles’ Week 7 matchup because of a concussion. Palmer suffered a concussion in the Chargers’ Week 6 victory over the Broncos, a game in which he led Los Angeles in receiving (nine receptions, 57 yards).
If Palmer is able to go this week, he profiles as a solid bye-week fill-in option as the Chargers’ de-facto No. 2 WR. Mike Williams (ankle) is trending toward missing Sunday’s game, which could result in a high target share for Palmer. Should Palmer fail to return to game action, look for an increased focus on Keenan Allen, Gerald Everett, and DeAndre Carter in the receiving game.
