After the first game of the regular season, we shouldn’t expect a lot of players coming back from injuries, which make the stocking-up list a limited one. The leading name here could be A. J. Green, but the stud wide receiver is still out for the Cincinnati Bengals.
On the other hand, several players went down with injuries in Week 1, which benefit someone else in the roster, even if the player is expected to miss limited time.
Let’s see who is trending up (and down) injury-wise.
Stock Up
Marquise Brown (WR, Baltimore Ravens)
After battling an injury during the preseason, Marquise Brown not only made his NFL debut in Week 1, but he also posted an impressive performance with four catches, 147 yards, and two touchdowns, including an 83-yard scoring play. Although Brown was on the field for only 14 snaps, which may raise questions regarding his contribution to the Baltimore Ravens’ offense against a better opponent, he might be on track for another solid game versus the Arizona Cardinals and its vulnerable defense.
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Todd Gurley (RB, Los Angeles Rams)
All the mystery surrounding Todd Gurley’s workout is now gone after the first game of the season. As expected, Gurley won’t touch the ball 25 times per game, but his 15 touches are still going to be productive ones. He looked healthy when running the football, and will now face the New Orleans Saints who allowed 7.3 yards per carry to the Houston Texans’ running backs Monday night.
Bottom note: Malcolm Brown carried the ball 11 times against the Carolina Panthers, which was the RB’s highest since October 2018. Two of his touches happened in the red-zone, explaining why he scored a career-best two touchdowns and is back to the fantasy football radar.
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JuJu Smith-Schuster (WR, Pittsburgh Steelers)
It may be weird to see JuJu Smith-Schuster’s name stocking up after an unimpressive offensive production by the Pittsburgh Steelers against the New England Patriots. However, the wide receiver suffered a toe injury late in the Sunday night’s game but is expected to play versus the Seattle Seahawks. Considering that the Seahawks’ secondary allowed more than 400 passing yards to Andy Dalton and company, we should expect the Steelers’ passing game to have plenty of production in Week 2, especially to their No. 1 receiving weapon.
Stock Down (And Who Will Profit)
Tyreek Hill (WR, Kansas City Chiefs)
Tyreek Hill is expected to miss several games after suffering a collarbone/shoulder injury in Week 1. Surgery won’t be required, but the stud wide receiver’s value obviously suffers a hit with him being out for a few weeks.
Who Will Profit: Sammy Watkins. Patrick Mahomes won’t have Hill, his favorite wide receiver, for the first since stepping up as the Chiefs’ starting quarterback, so every receiver in that offense gets a bump up. Considering what we saw in Week 1, Watkins (9 rec., 198 yds., 3 TDs) is likely who will benefit the most from Hill’s absence.
Joe Mixon (RB, Cincinnati Bengals)
The Bengals never got the things going on the running game against the Seahawks, and Joe Mixon’s ankle injury made things even worse for the team. Although his ankle sprain isn’t too severe, he was listed as day-to-day for Week 2 creating an intriguing scenario for an already-limited backfield.
Who Will Profit: Giovani Bernard. Even if Mixon can still play Sunday, we should expect more touches for Bernard compared to what he saw in the first game of the season — seven carries and two catches. The 27-year-old averages 4.4 yards per carry when playing at home, compared to 3.9 when on the road in his career. The Bengals host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
Derrius Guice (RB, Washington Redskins)
Derrius Guice is dealing with a meniscus issue in his knee and will miss time after making his NFL regular-season debut in Week 1 after missing the entire 2018 with a torn ACL. Guice didn’t live up to the hype in his debut, totaling just 18 rushing yards in 10 carries. It’s still unclear when he will be re-activated but he’s out for Week 2 against the Dallas Cowboys.
Who Will Profit: Adrian Peterson. A healthy scratch in Week 1, Peterson looks on track to be re-inserted into the Redskins’ line up as the early-down back for the team in the second game of the year. He’s coming off of a 1,000-yard season and should bolster a backfield that produced just 28 yards through the ground last Sunday.
Tevin Coleman (RB, San Francisco 49ers)
Tevin Coleman’s debut with the 49ers wasn’t what the running back expected. He had just eight touches for 56 yards and suffered a high ankle sprain that will likely cost him a few games. He’s been ruled out for Week 2 against the Bengals and is now considered week-to-week moving forward.
Who Will Profit: Matt Breida and Raheem Mostert. Mostert led the team with 44 yards on nine carries in Week 1, against Brieda’s 37 yards in 15 rushing attempts. Neither one of them had stellar performances after the Coleman injury, but we should expect increased workload for both in a committee backfield.
(Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire)