Greg Scholz of Inside Injuries runs through some of the most pressing injury concerns for Week 10 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).
Dak Prescott, QB, DAL
Prescott is going to be out for a while due to the partial avulsion of his right hamstring. We expect him to miss at least six weeks and potentially the rest of the season.
The injury occurred on a late third-quarter scramble in Sunday’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Prescott attempted to play through the injury but ultimately exited the game and did not return. Hamstring avulsions involve the muscle tendon being torn from the bone. In Prescott’s case, the specific tendon is above his knee.
Surgery is the most common treatment for injuries like this primarily because it allows the tendon to heal quicker than if it was left to heal on its own. Basically, surgery should give Prescott the potential to play again this season.
Our Optimal Recovery Time for him is six weeks. When he returns, His Injury Risk will be High, and his Health Performance Factor should be Above Average and potentially Peak.
Trevor Lawrence, QB, JAX
Jacksonville is continuing on a downward spiral. After a rough start to the season, marked by four straight losses, the Jaguars might have to move forward without Lawrence.
Lawrence injured his non-throwing shoulder in Sunday’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. There aren’t many known specifics at this time, but the fourth-year quarterback is reportedly considering surgery as a treatment.
Since the details aren’t known, we can only hypothesize what the injury might be. Based on what we know, Lawrence may be dealing with a labral tear, rotator cuff injury or AC joint sprain. If severe enough, these injuries can require surgery, but they could also be played through if in the non-throwing shoulder.
Lawrence is unlikely to play in Week 10, and his Optimal Recovery Time is 14 days, which will change when we know more about the injury. Regardless, since surgery is a possibility, his Injury Risk is High.
CeeDee Lamb, WR, DAL
While on the topic of shoulder injuries, we do know the specifics for Lamb — he has an AC joint sprain.
For a wide receiver, this isn’t as serious of an injury as it would be to a quarterback who suffered one in their throwing shoulder. As a result, we expect he will play in Week 10. His Injury Risk is on the lower end of High.
Pain management is going to be the first piece of the puzzle. AC joint sprains involve the ligaments that connect the shoulder blade to the collarbone, and the pain can be very sharp and intense. The second piece is limiting trauma to the area.
Lamb may see a slightly different route tree in Week 10, but his Health Performance Factor will remain Above Average.
A.J. Brown, WR, PHI
Brown played in just 47 percent of Philadelphia’s offensive snaps in Week 9. The limitation came from a knee injury he suffered late in the first half. He attempted to play in Philadelphia’s first drive after halftime, but he went to the locker room shortly before the said drive began.
Brown underwent an MRI that reportedly didn’t show any structural damage, and based on the film, he’s likely dealing with a mild MCL sprain.
Heading into Week 10, his Injury Risk will be on the higher end of Elevated. Additionally, his Health Performance Factor is on the higher side of Above Average at the time of writing and should bump up into Peak territory before Sunday’s game against the Cowboys.
Drake London, WR, ATL
In just nine games thus far in 2024, London has matched his touchdown total from the previous two seasons combined (six). Unfortunately, on his most recent touchdown reception in Week 9, he suffered a hip pointer injury that will likely hold him out of Atlanta’s Week 10 matchup against the New Orleans Saints.
Hip pointer injuries occur when there is a direct, traumatic impact to the iliac crest — the prominent bone that can be felt above the hip joint. There isn’t a major risk of injury when played through, but they can be incredibly painful.
The typical recovery range for hip pointers is 1-4 weeks. We’ve got London somewhere in the middle with a 14-day Optimal Recovery Time. When he returns, his Health Performance Factor will be Peak.
Tee Higgins, WR, CIN
Higgins was inactive for Thursday night’s game against the Baltimore Ravens, which wasn’t surprising considering the short week and his previous absence in Week 9.
Higgins has battled multiple lower body injuries this season, the most recent being to his quadriceps. The injury occurred during a Week 8 practice, and he’s been slowly ramping up activity ever since.
Quadricep injuries come with a lengthy recovery period, but once healed, there isn’t significant long-term concern. Higgins’ injury history paints a worrisome picture, however, and his Injury Risk will be High for the remainder of the season.
We still have him as one week from Optimal Recovery. When he returns, his Health Performance Factor will be Above Average.
RB Returns
Two running backs eyeing returns in the coming weeks are Carolina’s Jonathon Brooks (uncertain for Week 10) and San Francisco’s Christian McCaffrey (likely for Week 10).
Despite the large contract the Panthers just handed Chuba Hubbard, Brooks should see plenty of action when he makes his season debut. We have his Optimal Recovery Time around Week 11. He will be the No. 2 guy behind Hubbard, but the opportunities should be there. Brooks’ Injury Risk will be Elevated for the first week or so, but it will drop into Low so long as he doesn’t suffer any injuries during that time. His Health Performance Factor will be Peak.
McCaffrey likely sees more opportunities immediately, but his Injury Risk will also be High. He’s been limited in two practice sessions this week, and there’s hope that he practices in full on Friday. McCaffrey is reportedly pain-free, but these injuries can still require some healing, even if pain isn’t present. His Health Performance Factor will be Above Average.
BUF WR(ist)s
I have to give a shout-out to Brandon Funston for the title of this section.
Two of Buffalo’s top receiving targets are dealing with wrist injuries: Amari Cooper and Keon Coleman.
Let’s start with the more positive news. Amari Cooper appears to be trending toward playing in Week 10. He’s been dealing with the injury since Week 8 and was limited in practice during Week 9 before ultimately being ruled out. Now, with another week of recovery under his belt, he should be back. There are a lot of ligaments in the wrist, and multiple injured structures could be at play, so Cooper isn’t out of the woods yet. His Injury Risk will be Elevated, and his Health Performance Factor will be Peak.
Moving on to the less ideal situation, Keon Colemen is unlikely to play in Week 10. His injury occurred late in Buffalo’s Week 9 win against the Miami Dolphins and required an MRI on Monday. The good news is that the MRI appears to have come back clean. Regardless, since the injury is more recent and significant enough to warrant additional testing, we have his Optimal Recovery Time at 14 days. His Injury Risk will be High.
(Top photo of Christian McCaffrey: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images)
