Fantasy Football News Roundup: August 16, 2019

Antonio Brown’s return and Andrew Luck’s mysterious leg injury headline the fantasy news of the week. Stay up-to-date with all the latest news right here.

 

OAK WR Antonio Brown returns to team after helmet saga.

After apparently telling the Raiders he will retire if he’s not able to play with the helmet he’s had for his entire career (which cannot be used because it is too old), Brown eventually returned to camp ahead of the team’s second preseason game. AB is still dealing with the frostbitten feet, but he should be good to go any day now, and all the drama could make him a steal in fantasy drafts.

 

49ers surprisingly announce broken foot for SF WR Trent Taylor.

During last Saturday night’s preseason broadcast, it was announced that Taylor broke his foot and would miss time in the regular season, which could be a big blow for San Francisco because he was their projected starter in the slot. Shortly after the news was made public, general manager John Lynch joined the local broadcast and said that Taylor had been playing with the injury during camp before it was revealed to be broken.

 

Jerry Jones talks up DAL RB Tony Pollard.

The longer Ezekiel Elliott holds out, the more important his immediate backup will be, and it sure sounds like rookie Tony Pollard is the guy. When talking about the rookie’s preseason debut, Jerry Jones said, “we know he’s capable of […] carrying the whole load.” Pollard is being undervalued either way, but if Zeke doesn’t return by around the third preseason game, he should shoot up draft boards.

 

Fractured shoulder knocks out DEN RB Theo Riddick six-to-eight weeks.

Denver’s backfield got really crowded when they signed Riddick to be a pass-catching option behind Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman, but he could now miss the first month of the season with a fractured shoulder. The injury will probably be a slight boost to Lindsay’s value, and it might lock Devontae Booker into a roster spot.

 

SEA RB Chris Carson gets praised for receiving skills.

Carson has clearly established himself as Seattle’s lead runner for 2019, but the hype is still rolling in for the third-year back, as Pete Carroll said he might have the best hands on the team and will “for sure” catch more passes this year. The RB2 group looks loaded this year, but a case could certainly be made for Carson as a top-20 player at the position.

 

DAL WR Amari Cooper is dealing with a foot injury.

According to radio host Mike Fisher, Cooper has a “plantar fascia irritation” but is expected to “be fine.” The injury could knock him out for the rest of the preseason (likely as a precaution), but Cooper should be good to go for the opener. The 25-year-old has a 1,000-yard season playing through a similar issue during his rookie year.

 

MIA RB Kenyan Drake (foot) questionable for opener.

Drake will have an important role no matter what happens for the rest of the month, but a foot injury that has him in a walking boot is a definite downgrade for his fantasy value and a boost to Kalen Ballage’s stock. Also, the fact that head coach Brian Flores says the team is “hopeful” he will be ready for the opener could be a bad sign since teams are often optimistic when it comes to injuries. Drake should probably be drafted outside the top 30 at the position.

 

Frank Reich says decision will be made on IND QB Andrew Luck’s Week 1 status after third preseason game.

It’s impossible to know if a) the Colts have keyed in on Luck’s lower-leg issue and are simply not revealing too much, or if b) the injury is truly a mystery. Fortunately, fantasy owners should at least know if Luck will be ready for the start of the regular season by the final week of August (which is why you should wait to hold drafts until after the third preseason game), but for early drafters, the superstar quarterback needs to be downgraded.

 

LAC WR Keenan Allen is dealing with ankle injury. 

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported last night that the injury suffered at practice this week “is not considered serious,” but Allen may miss the rest of the preseason. The Chargers are only about a week away from the third exhibition (and the starters typically don’t play the fourth), so at worst, this is just a slight downgrade to Allen’s status as a WR1 option.