Fantasy football daily notes: Kadarius Toney, Jaylen Waddle injury concerns
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The news: Kadarius Toney did not participate in team drills Wednesday and is day-to-day with a hamstring injury.
What it means in fantasy: Toney also dealt with a knee issue all summer, causing him to miss practice. With his injury history as a rookie — he missed 7 games — fantasy managers are not happy with this news. According to our live draft trends, Toney is the WR41. He carries a great deal of risk, especially when compared to other wide receivers with similar average draft positions; Elijah Moore (WR40), Brandon Aiyuk (WR42) and Christian Kirk (WR43) among them. I’d rather have Kirk on my team.
Going deeper: Toney had a 28.9% target rate when he was on the field last season. He also led Giants’ receivers in yards after the catch (230).
The news: NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe reported that per Mike McDaniel, Jaylen Waddle has missed most of the last two weeks with an undisclosed injury.
What it means in fantasy: As McDaniel installs his offensive scheme, Waddle, who holds the league record for most receptions as a rookie, is not there. The big takeaway in fantasy football is that Tyreek Hill has plenty of time to establish rapport with Tua Tagovailoa. According to our live draft trends, Waddle is the WR17 while Hill, who is undervalued in fantasy drafts, is the WR7.
Going deeper: Since 2010, there have been 15 instances of wide receivers changing teams in the offseason after surpassing 1,000 or more yards the previous season. The wide receivers had another 1,000-yard season nine times in his first year with a new team. Don’t hesitate to select Hill in fantasy drafts because he’s catching passes from Tagovailoa and not Patrick Mahomes.
The news: Josh McDaniels isn’t comfortable making a prediction on Darren Waller‘s status for Week 1 against the Chargers.
What it means in fantasy: Darren Waller has been out for a while. He went out early in camp, returned for one day, then went out again. As speculation grew about Waller’s absence possibly being related to a contract, our very own Adam Schefter reported it was a hamstring injury. It is concerning that Waller is missing out on practice time as McDaniel installs his offensive scheme. Nevertheless, you feel comfortable drafting Waller at his average draft position. He’s the TE5 in our live draft trends.
The news: Matt Barrows of The Athletic reported that Jeff Wilson Jr. will start in the 49ers preseason game on Thursday.
What it means in fantasy: Despite a crowded backfield with Trey Sermon (who is rumored to be on the roster bubble), JaMycal Hasty and rookie Tyrion Davis-Price, Wilson is the favorite for the No. 2 running back job behind Elijah Mitchell. Wilson is worth considering toward the end of your fantasy draft. When given a high number of touches, he has been productive, and Mitchell has yet to prove he can stay healthy for long stretches.
Going deeper: Wilson has averaged 19 fantasy points per game in eight games where he has received 15 or more touches since 2019.
The news: Michael Gallup will avoid the reserve/PUP list.
What it means in fantasy: Gallup could return sometime during the season’s first four weeks. It is urgent for the Cowboys to find another wide receiver besides CeeDee Lamb to step up for a team already dealing with James Washington‘s foot injury. Gallup is WR67 in our live draft trends, which could be a tremendous value when he returns to a Cowboys offense that ranked second in total yards per game (401.4) last season.
The news: Rich Cimini of ESPN writes that Michael Carter is still the Jets’ top back.
What it means in fantasy: Let’s be real. Fantasy football managers expect rookie Breece Hall to surpass Carter as the lead back for the Jets. New York traded up to the No. 35 overall pick in the second round to select Hall who had a splendid collegiate career at Iowa State. Carter is the RB41 in our live draft trends while Hall is the RB20. Hall is my preferred target in fantasy drafts, but Carter will continue to have a role in the Jets backfield. When it comes to rookies, patience is key.
Going deeper: With 3,941 rushing yards, Hall finished as Iowa State’s second leading rusher. Among running backs who played only three seasons, his 718 rushing attempts rank 10th in Big 12 history.
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