While Week 10 was mostly kind to the RB and WR positions from an injury standpoint, the QB position saw a few notable players go down with injuries. Drew Brees (ribs) and Teddy Bridgewater (knee) both left their games, while Matthew Stafford (thumb) remained in but was looked at repeatedly on the sideline. Moving forward, these quarterback injuries will raise questions about our Week 10 fantasy QB rankings, and if any of these players miss time, fantasy football owners will have to look for streamers and sleepers at the position to get by. That may not be ideal at this point in the season, but it certainly is doable given the solid QB depth across most fantasy leagues.
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WEEK 11 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Drew Brees injury update
UPDATE: ESPN's Dan Graziano reported that an "optimistic" timetable for Brees's return from multiple rib fractures and a collapsed lung is two-to-three weeks.
Brees suffered a rib injury against the 49ers when he was sacked by Kentavius Street in the first half of Sunday's game. Brees finished the rest of the quarter, but he was unable to return after halftime.
According to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football, Saints coach Sean Payton said that Brees told him "he wasn't capable of playing in the second half," and the quarterback is set to have an MRI and X-ray done to get a closer look at the injury. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Monday morning that New Orleans is "bracing" for Brees to miss some time.
At this point, it's unclear if how much time Brees will miss (if any), but he did look defeated and emotional on the sideline in the second half against the 49ers. His status will need to be watched closely. If Brees can't play, Jameis Winston will take over as the team's top quarterback after replacing Brees on Sunday. Winston went six-of-10 for 63 yards and helped lead the Saints to 10 fourth-quarter points. He could be a fine streamer against the Falcons if Brees is out.
It's also worth noting that Taysom Hill could get more snaps at quarterback, as well. Hill racked up 45 rushing yards against the 49ers and will continue to serve as a playmaker for the Saints' offense. And for those wondering, the reason that they are starting Winston over him is likely so that they can continue to use Hill in a variety of roles to maximize his versatility on offense.
WEEK 11 FANTASY: Top pickups | FAAB planner | Buy-low, sell-high
Teddy Bridgewater injury update
UPDATE: NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Monday that Bridgewater is considered "day-to-day," which would seemingly suggest he has a decent chance of playing in Week 11.
Bridgewater exited the Panthers' loss to the Buccaneers after suffering a knee injury late in the game when Jason Pierre-Paul sacked him from behind. He didn't return to the team's 23-point loss, but there is some good news about the injury.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Bridgewater's knee injury isn't considered to be serious. He had an MRI after the game last night that revealed no structural damage, and he has yet to be ruled out for the Panthers' Week 11 game against the Lions. It's also worth noting that the injury apparently occurred to his right knee. That matters because Bridgewater's catastrophic 2016 knee injury that held him out of action for a season and a half was to his left knee.
Bridgewater may still need some time to heal and recover. If he misses time, P.J. Walker will start at quarterback for the team. Walker was favored to be the XFL's MVP before the league shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic and played for Panthers coach Matt Rhule in college at Temple. He has a solid matchup against the Lions in Week 11, so if he starts, he could be considered a potential sleeper or a bargain DFS play.
WEEK 11 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Matthew Stafford injury update
During Detroit's 30-27 win over Washington, Stafford was dealing with a thumb injury on the sideline. He and the training staff were working on it throughout the game, and while Stafford never exited the contest, the injury was notable enough for there to be questions about it afterward.
However, it seems that Stafford will, in fact, be fine. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, "there's not much concern" about Stafford's thumb problem, as X-rays of the injury came back negative and Stafford was tested repeatedly during the game to ensure he was healthy enough to play. He'll have more tests done, but he's not currently expected to miss time.
Unless another less-rosy outlook on Stafford pops up in the coming days, he will be included in our Week 10 QB rankings. If he does have to get pulled, Chase Daniel would take over and probably wouldn't be a trustworthy play outside of two-QB and Superflex leagues.
