The fallout continues from Week 2's rash of NFL injuries with a wave of fantasy updates on stars like Adrian Peterson, who's staring at the possibility of knee surgery, Donte Moncrief, who could miss a month or more, and many, many other injured NFL stars.
Let's get right to the latest injury updates so you can get a better idea of who might not be in your Week 3 fantasy football lineups (and possibly well beyond), and the players you might be able to pick up to replace those injured studs.
Adrian Peterson injury update
ESPN's Josina Anderson reports Adrian Peterson will undergo surgery to repair his torn meniscus and will be out a "minimum" of 3-4 months. Ouch. Hopefully Peterson owners already snagged Peterson's assumed handcuff, Jerick McKinnon, off the waiver wire, but don't forget about Mat Asiata, who could be the better touchdown bet in what could be a committee backfield just like when AP went down in 2014. Roster both if possible, but neither is worth starting against the Panthers in Week 3.
WEEK 3 FANTASY FOOTBALL RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | Defense | Kicker
Donte Moncrief injury news
Colts coach Chuck Pagano announced that Donte Moncrief will miss 4-6 weeks with a fractured scapula. The bright side, if there is one, is that Moncrief won't need surgery and the injury shouldn't end his season. Until he returns, though, fantasy owners should look to 2015 first-rounder Phillip Dorsett as a replacement, and we're guessing tight end Dwayne Allen is a good bet to soak up some of those red-zone targets Moncrief is leaving behind. Quan Bray should serve as the Colts' No. 3 receiver and is worth watching in deep leagues.
How long is Doug Martin out?
According to Ian Rapoport, Doug Martin is expected to miss three weeks with a hamstring injury. While we're expecting third-down back Charles Sims to emerge as the primary runner in Martin's absence, Bucs beat writer Greg Auman expects Sims and Jacquizz Rodgers to "split the duties." It's unlikely that's anywhere close to a 50/50 split, but it's a situation worth monitoring for the next three weeks or so.
WEEK 3 DFS: FD cash lineup | DK cash | FD tournament | Values | RotoQL lineup builder
When can Ameer Abdullah return?
The Lions placed Ameer Abdullah on injured reserve Wednesday morning, suggesting his foot injury is much more serious than initially thought. With the NFL's new IR rules, Abdullah can be activated after eight weeks if the Lions make him their "designated for return" player. Unfortunately, that still means he's out for at least two months. We expect Theo Riddick to get most of the work and fantasy value in the Lions' backfield with his usual passing-down role, but watch out for big rookie Dwayne Washington (6-1, 225), who could emerge as Detroit's preferred goal-line back. Abdullah is not worth stashing unless you have an actual IR spot available.
WEEK 3 FANTASY FOOTBALL RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | Defense | Kicker
How will the Panthers replace Jonathan Stewart?
With Jonathan Stewart out a couple games with a hamstring injury, Panthers OC Mike Shula said he would likely use a running back committee featuring Fozzy Whittaker, Mike Tolbert and Cameron Artis-Payne. And don't forget about Cam Newton stealing a few short-yardage totes, especially near the end zone. Whittaker could lead this committee, but it's an unpredictable situation to avoid for fantasy purposes. For what it's worth, when asked if Whittaker would get 19 touches again like he did in Week 2, Shula said "probably no."