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With the start of a new fantasy football season, we start a new year of constantly refreshing Twitter and Rotoworld in hopes that our studs will be upgraded from “Questionable” to “Probable”. It’s a stressful life, which begs the question as to why we do it in the first place.

Each Thursday morning, I’ll be your guide to all the most important injury news in the NFL, and how it’ll affect our fantasy rosters. I’ll also be discussing injuries on the defensive side of the ball, and at non-skill positions, such as Tackles and Guards. If it affects an NFL team, it’ll likely affect us.

Heading into Week 1, while there are some question marks at different areas of the league, there isn’t a whole lot to worry about. This is, after all, the first week of games that actually count, and most teams boast a healthy side. But, there are a few question marks, so let’s discuss it.

DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle (Knee)

Metcalf has been available at every practice to start the week, and all signs point to him being able to play on Sunday. At a presser, Pete Carroll said that the he will “wait and see” in regards to the rookie’s snap count. While he may be slightly limited to start the year, he’ll definitely get some opportunities to make a difference in the receiving game against the Bengals. Not many owners in 10 and 12-team leagues will start Metcalf though, as he’s more of a high-risk, high-reward FLEX play in deeper leagues and formats.

Stefon Diggs, WR, Minnesota (Hamstring)

While Diggs was on the field during Wednesday’s practice that was open to the media, he was the only Viking not in uniform. While he did participate in stretching and individual drills, it’s something to keep an eye on as we approach the start of the season. There aren’t any immediate red flags for Diggs as of now, but that could change before Sunday. Diggs owners should keep an eye out for any news regarding his hamstring before the Vikings play on Sunday.

Keke Coutee, WR, Houston (Ankle)

Earlier last week, Bill O’Brien said that he was “not hopeful” Keke Coutee would be ready for the Texans MNF opener against the Saints. However, last Friday, O’Brien said that Coutee was was “trending in the right direction” and could play Week 1. And finally, on Tuesday, Coutee was listed as the starting slot receiver on the Texans’ official depth chart. All signs point to Coutee getting the start. However, most owners won’t be looking to start him just yet.

Robby Anderson, WR, New York (Calf)

After pulling his calf, Anderson sat out practice all of last week to make sure it could heal properly. He’s back to practicing this week, and all signs point to him making the start for Buffalo against the Jets. It isn’t the easiest matchup in the world, but Anderson should do enough to enter the WR3/FLEX category.

Trey Burton, TE, Chicago (Groin)

After two limited practices on Tuesday and Wednesday, Burton is listed as questionable for Thursday’s opening game against the Packers. While normally, a Questionable tag is almost a sign that most players will, I’m not that confident when it comes to Burton. On Tuesday, Matt Nagy said that Burton will be a game-time decision, so we need to keep an eye out for any news that breaks this evening. Even if Burton starts, he’s not a must-start in fantasy.

Jordan Reed, TE, Washington (Concussion)

While Jay Gruden said he’s “hopeful” Reed will practice in the coming days, he still remains in the league’s concussion protocol as of Wednesday. If I could guess, it’s that Reed won’t be able to suit up for Week 1, and that it might take a little bit. Remember, this is his 7th concussion to date since his college days. If Reed doesn’t suit up, Vernon Davis, while not being really fantasy relevant, should still play a majority of the Washington snaps.

Dallas Goedert, TE, Philadelphia (Calf)

While Goedert missed a few weeks of training camp with his calf injury, it seemed like his absence was a precautionary one taken by Philadelphia to insure he would be fully healthy to start the season. It looks like he will be, as he was a full participant at Wednesday’s practice. He should be a full go at home against Washington.

Ryan Succop, K, Tennessee (Knee)

After missing most of the offseason and training camp recovering from knee surgery, it seemed like Succop would be good to go for the start of the season after being activated from the PUP list two weeks ago. However, something didn’t go according to plan, and yesterday, the Titans placed the veteran on the IR. He’ll be eligible to return after Week 8, but for the mean time, the Titans signed Cairo Santos as his replacement. If you’re in need of a kicker, or streaming week-to-week, Santos is a decent option.

Cordy Glenn, LT, Cincinnati (Concussion)

After being concussed in the 2nd preseason game for the Bengals, Glenn still remains in the league’s concussion protocol. There’s a sizeable chance that Glenn isn’t able to travel with the team to Seattle for Week 1. It’s going to be a rough time for this Bengals O-Line against a Seahawks front seven that just added Jadeveon Clowney. You can’t bench your studs, but I would be shocked if Joe Mixon tears it up on Sunday.

Todd Davis, LB, Denver (Calf)

On Monday, Coach Vic Fangio said that there’s “a real chance” that Davis suits up for Week 1. He’s been dealing with a partial calf tear since July, but if he can suit up, his presence would be a huge boost for the Broncos front seven. It would additionally be a tough matchup for Josh Jacobs, but depending on where you drafted him, you might not be able to bench him. It’s a situation to keep our eyes on.

Fabian Moreau, CB, Washington (Ankle)

Jay Gruden on Wednesday said that Moreau was “probably a long shot” to play in Week 1 against the Eagles. Without Moreau’s presence, DeSean Jackson and Alshon Jeffery should get a huge boost against Jimmy Moreland or Greg Stroman, whoever will replace Moreau. The Eagles should have a field day.

 

I’ll be back on Saturday for Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em!

You Can Follow Me on Twitter @zachrob2k