Greg Scholz of Inside Injuries runs through some of the most pressing injury concerns for Week 7 of fantasy football 2024.
Before we dive in, here’s a quick glossary of terms commonly used by Inside Injuries:
- IRC = Injury Risk Category (three designations: “Low,” “Elevated,” “High”) — the overall likelihood a player will get injured
- HPF = Health Performance Factor (Peak, Above Average, Below Average, Poor) — our metric to predict player performance
- ORT = Optimal Recovery Time — the amount of time a player needs to fully recover from an injury (not the same as how much time they will actually miss).
Travis Etienne Jr., RB, JAC (hamstring)
Things haven’t gone smoothly for the Jaguars this season. One piece of that puzzle has been the health of running back Travis Etienne. Heading into Week 6, he was dealing with a shoulder injury. He then sustained a hamstring strain in the first half, limiting him to just 11 offensive snaps and next to zero production.
This isn’t Etienne’s first encounter with such an injury. He previously battled a hamstring strain in college back in 2017. While it’s a good sign that he went as long as he did without suffering another strain — so it’s unlikely the two are related — it’s never a trend we want to see because of how tricky they can be. One wrong step, one wrong twist — that’s all it takes to delay a player’s return.
As of now, there is no firm timeline for Etienne’s return. Jacksonville is considering him week-to-week and he’s almost certainly going to miss the Week 7 game against New England. Our Optimal Recovery Time for him is around Week 11. His Injury Risk will be High for much of the remaining season, but his Health Performance Factor should be back in Peak territory a few weeks after he returns.
Jordan Mason, RB, SF (shoulder)
The 49ers running back room can’t catch a break. Already without Christian McCaffrey, they now may be without backup Jordan Mason thanks to an AC sprain. Mason, who has been stellar filling in for CMC, was injured midway through the second quarter of San Francisco’s Week 6 matchup against Seattle. The injury occurred when he was driven into the ground, landing squarely on his left shoulder.
An AC (acromioclavicular) joint sprain occurs at the top of the shoulder where the collarbone meets the high point of the shoulder blade. While this sort of thing tends to affect quarterbacks more — especially in the throwing shoulder — this injury can still be detrimental for a player like Mason, whose physical running style demands shoulder stability and strength for ball carrying and absorbing hits.
Mason is trending in the right direction, with a limited practice under his belt heading into Week 7. However, we expect he won’t suit up against the Chiefs. His Injury Risk is High and his Optimal Recovery Time is still a few weeks away. If he does play, expect a lower snap count.
Aaron Jones, RB, MIN (hamstring)
Jones went from a hip pointer to a hamstring issue over the past week, which is not what we’d like to see for a player with his history. This latest strain adds to Jones’ troubled past, with him having suffered hamstring injuries in 2018, 2021, and 2023.
This trend plays a significant role in how we evaluate Jones. When a hamstring strain occurs, scar tissue forms, which is less flexible and weaker than normal muscle tissue. This lack of flexibility and strength makes the repaired hamstring less capable of withstanding the stresses typically handled by healthy muscle tissue, leading to a higher risk of re-injury.
Jones’ Injury Risk will be High for the rest of the season. His Optimal Recovery Time is around Week 11.
Packers WRs/TE
Looking at the Packers’ pass catchers, we see a lot of “questionable” tags. So let’s run down each player, from least-to-most likely to play on Sunday.
- Dontayvion Wicks (shoulder): Shoulder injuries don’t mix well with getting hit. Wicks was injured after just 10 offensive snaps in Week 6. A week off wouldn’t be too surprising here. His Injury Risk is High and his Health Performance Factor is Below Average.
- Jayden Reed (ankle); Christian Watson (ankle): The two are really close. They both put up solid numbers in Week 6 but they’re also both limited at practice due to ankle injuries. Watson has the lengthier injury history, so he’s probably a touch behind Reed. However, we don’t have specifics on either injury, so we’re assuming both are fairly minor. Both have a High Injury Risk and Above Average Health Performance Factor.
- Tucker Kraft (groin): He played in Week 6 against Arizona, playing 57 snaps. While his production was limited, the availability shouldn’t change. His Injury Risk is Elevated and His Health Performance Factor is Above Average.
Brian Robinson Jr., RB, WAS (knee)
Robinson originally entered Week 5 as questionable due to a non-specific knee injury. Despite said designation and a limited snap count, he scored twice on the ground. The production gave us some confidence that there wouldn’t be much concern for the knee injury moving forward. His absence in Week 6 said otherwise.
Without knowing how the knee is — or could be — affected by the injury, we will continue to assume there isn’t any structural damage and that the issue is still minor. Another absence in Week 7 would start to sound some alarms, though. If he does play this week, expect a limited snap count again.
As of now, Robinson’s Injury Risk is High and His Health Performance Factor is Above Average.
Puka Nacua, WR, LAR (knee)
In early August, Nacua sustained a knee injury during a joint practice with the Los Angeles Chargers, specifically a burst bursa sac. He missed roughly three weeks of practice but returned ahead of Week 1. It was in his season debut that he then suffered a sprained PCL, which has kept him out for the past four weeks.
With the Rams on bye in Week 6, he had an extra week of rest. He’s been steadily ramping up his activity and hasn’t suffered any reported setbacks. That said, he’s likely going to be out longer than the original projection of seven weeks as head coach Sean McVay said Nacua will not return to practice this week. Our Optimal Recovery Time has him returning around Week 8 or 9.
It’s unclear if the Rams are being cautious or if there is a specific reason Nacua’s recovery is running longer than originally expected. Regardless, he will return with a High Injury Risk. This will taper down to Elevated after a few weeks. His Health Performance Factor should be Peak when he returns.
(Top photo of Travis Etienne Jr.: Mike Carlson/Getty Images)
