Fantasy Injury Updates: Latest news on Diontae Johnson, Darrell Henderson, Jarvis Landry, more affecting Week 3 rankings

09/20/2021

After a slow Week 1 on the injury front, Week 2 came and several key guys left games early. WRs Diontae Johnson, Jarvis Landry, and Laviska Shenault Jr all went down in Week 3, but each are in different situations. Running backs Darrell Henderson and Trey Sermon hobbled off the field in their games and are worth monitoring moving forward. Our fantasy injury updates provide the latest news we have on each guy, and who could emerge as potential waiver wire pickups if the player in question misses time.

For updates on banged-up QBs Carson Wentz, Andy Dalton Tua Tagovailoa, and Tyrod Taylor, click here. For all the latest fantasy news, follow us on Twitter @SN_Fantasy.

Diontae Johnson injury update

Johnson suffered a knee injury that looked concerning on the last play of the Steelers game vs. the Raiders in Week 2. He will undergo an MRI, but a knee injury is always scary. That said, continue to monitor his situation, but hopefully, it’s a minor issue.

For now, we have Johnson in our Week 3 WR rankings, but we’ll make updates if there are indications he’ll miss time. Obviously, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Chase Claypool should receive more targets if Johnson is inactive, as he’s been that target-hog in that offense thus far. James Washington would also have a role in the passing game if this is the case. The Steelers host the Bengals in Week 3, so although the passing game looks weak, there’s a chance for some fantasy points from whoever is functioning as the top Steelers’ pass-catchers.

Darrell Henderson injury update

Henderson suffered a rib injury in the second half against the Colts, paving the way for Sony Michel to carry the load for the rest of the game. Since we don’t have an update on the severity of the injury, it’s best to prepare for a world where Henderson doesn’t play in Week 3 (vs. Tampa Bay). Regardless of who starts at running back for the Rams, this is an extremely tough matchup against an elite Bucs’ front-seven.

That said, we currently have Henderson at RB44 in PPR and RB38 in standard leagues. Michel is ranked RB47 in PPR and RB45 in standard. We’ll make adjustments to these rankings if Henderson is ruled out. Michel would be worth a waiver pickup, but he’d still be just a borderline flex.

Jarvis Landry injury update

Landry suffered an MCL injury early in his Week 2 game, but the severity is unknown at this time. He’ll undergo an MRI, but a knee injury is always concerning. We’ll update this post as soon as we get more information, but Anthon Schwartz, Donovan Peoples-Jones, and Rashard Higgins (and OBJ when he returns) are the top WRs after Landry if he were to miss time.

For now, Landry is our WR59 in standard leagues and WR58 in PPR leagues for Week 3 against the Bears. We’ll adjust rankings as updates come in.

Trey Sermon injury update

Sermon took a big hit to the head on his first NFL carry and left the 49ers game in Philadelphia to be evaluated for a concussion. At this point, it’s getting very tough to see light at the end of the tunnel for Sermon’s fantasy prospects. However, it is a long season, so we can’t rule out fantasy relevance at some point just yet. For now, he belongs on the bench, even if he is healthy for Week 3.

Elijah Mitchell and JaMycal Hasty look like the top dogs in the backfield, but as we know, the 49ers will feed more than just two guys. Especially if Sermon misses Week 3, Trenton Cannon could be a factor. It wouldn’t even be that surprising for Kerryon Johnson to be activated from the practice squad and have some kind of a role right away.

Laviska Shenault Jr. Injury Update

Shenault is yet another guy who will be undergoing MRI testing, but it’s his shoulder that causes concern. He did finish the game after he suffered the injury, so that usually points to him playing in Week 3. However, we’ll have to see what the results of the MRI are first and react accordingly.

For Week 3, Shanult is our WR50 in standard and WR47 in PPR. While he seems to have a profile that would lend more toward standard leagues, he’s been used in the short passing game, appealing to PPR scoring. If he misses time, Marvin Jones Jr. and DJ Chark should see increased usage, while Laquon Treadwell and Jamal Agnew could see somewhat of a role in his place.

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