Free Agency and Injury report week 7 2019

Week 7 was a relatively quiet week for player injuries which means it will be a quiet week on the waiver wire. No players are worthing taking out a FAAB loan for so keep pick your spots wisely and don't be afraid to bid small amounts or prioritize a good streaming defense over any players this week on the waiver.

Kerryon Johnson Injures Knee

Lions running back Kerryon Johnson injured his knee versus the Vikings and was later ruled out. However, he did work on the stationary bike and don a brace, seemingly in an attempt to retake the field.

The Lions indicated Monday that Johnson may miss multiple weeks with the knee injury. That puts Ty Johnson and J.D. McKissic in line to both see upticks in volume.

With Kerryon out, Ty got a bulk of the team’s carries. He rushed the ball 10 times to McKissic’s five. He also caught four balls compared to two for McKissic. If we knew that this split would hold, Johnson would be the No. 1 waiver add instead of Olabisi. However, McKissic has been the to-minute drill back and the team’s preferred receiving option out of the backfield until this week. Plus, Kerryon’s outlook is a bit more optimistic than Thielen’s. Ty is a solid add nonetheless while McKissic is probably best left on waivers.
 

New England Acquires Another Receiver

The Patriots traded a second-round pick to the Atlanta Falcons for veteran wide receiver Mohamed Sanu.

Sanu’s departure opens up some volume for Julio Jones, Austin Hooper, and especially Calvin Ridley, who sits 11 targets behind Hooper and 18 behind Jones. Sanu ran most of his routes from the slot so whoever takes up his snaps from that position will be the real winner in Atlanta.

This is likely the final straw for Josh Gordon (in a fantasy sense) in New England. He has been banged up and hasn’t produced based on the volume he’s been given. Feel free to cut Gordon at your leisure.

The acquisition of Sanu may also push Edelman outside on a number of plays which would be quietly detrimental o his fantasy value. Edelman thrives on getting high-probability targets in that role. He has played over 40% of his snaps from the slot this season while Sanu has run nearly 80% of his snaps from that same position. If Sanu gets a lot of his volume from the slot, he’ll be instantly successful in the New England offense.

 

Adam Thielen Goes Down

Adam Thielen extended for a nice touchdown catch but it came at the cost of his hamstring. He left after sliding to the ground and was ruled out later in the day. Olabisi Johnson was the team's No. 2 receiver in his absence.

Thielen's injury was initially thought to be minor and he said that he expected to play on Thursday night next week. Later reports indicated that it may be a week-to-week issue.

Olabisi wasn't just the second wideout for Minnesota. He was arguably the first. Johnson was targeted nine times to Stefon Diggs' eight. Johnson's mark led the team and he was able to reel in a touchdown after Thielen left. He is the best waiver add this week by a wide margin.

Despite the small discrepancy in volume, Diggs still produced more than any other Minnesota wideout with a 7-142 line. Diggs now has a path to top-10 status as long as Thielen remains sidelined.

Will Fuller Collects Another Lower-Body Injury

After suffering a hamstring injury in the first quarter, Will Fuller was unable to return versus the Colts. This is just the latest in a string of lower-body injuries that date back to the start of Fuller's NFL career.

Fuller's departure was a clear boon for Deandre Hopkins and Kenny Stills. Hopkins caught nine balls-a mark that tied his season-high-for 106 yards and a score. The yardage total trailed only his Week 1 performance where he also recorded his only touchdowns of the season until now.

Kenny Stills brought down four of his five targets for 105 yards. If Fuller misses any time beyond Week 7, Stills will be the Texans' unquestioned deep-ball specialist. He missed multiple weeks recently with an injury of his own. Many fantasy players were forced to drop Stills during this stretch but he's firmly in play with Fuller ailing. Be sure to check your waivers for the Sills.

Atlanta's Woes Continue

The Falcons' season is over with a single win under their belt and Matt Ryan did not return after suffering an ankle injury versus the Rams. Matt Schaub backs him up.

Atlanta may have kept Ryan out because they were down 27 at the time of the injury but they could also give their veteran passer extra time to recover in a lost year. The entire offense takes a massive hit if Schaub is the starter in Week 8.

Ito Smith suffered a head injury and did not return. It was most likely a concussion which would be his second of the season. If that is the case, Smith will have trouble making their Week 8 game against the Seahawks. Devonta Freeman's share of the team's touches would undoubtedly increase but, against the Seahawks, his touch-total could still be rather low.

Brian Hill will be Freeman's primary backup but offers little fantasy value.