Fantasy Football Injury Watch: The Next Men Up After Week 2
Week 1 gave fantasy managers plenty of reasons to feel good about their teams.
Week 2 apparently decided we were getting too comfortable.
The injury report took a flamethrower to fantasy rosters, with Jaxson Dart, Jayden Daniels and Caleb Williams among the quarterbacks hit, while J.K. Dobbins, Saquon Barkley, Dallas Goedert, Nico Collins and others also left games with injuries or saw their status become uncertain.
And now comes the part fantasy managers know all too well:
Who gets the work now?
The trick is separating the legitimate fantasy opportunities from the guy who happens to be standing next to the injured player when the trainer walks onto the field.
Here are the Week 2 injuries creating the most interesting “Next Man Up” situations heading into Week 3.
Jaxson Dart — QB, New York Giants
Injury: Knee
Status: Out for the season
This is one of the biggest fantasy gut punches of the week.
Dart suffered a knee injury on New York’s seventh offensive snap against the Rams and will miss the remainder of the season.
The Next Man Up: Jameis Winston
Enter Jameis Winston, for now. It is rumored the Giants are kicking the tires on the likes of Jimmy Garoppolo and feeling out the Cardinals and the 9ers for their interest in trading Gardner Minshew or Mac Jones. But for now, Winston is the starter which means Giants fans have officially been handed the fantasy equivalent of a mystery box.
Winston is capable of producing fantasy points. He is also capable of producing turnovers, questionable decisions and the occasional play that makes you wonder whether the NFL has a hidden blooper-reel division.
The bigger concern is the impact on Malik Nabers and the rest of New York’s offense.
Nabers is already dealing with a shoulder issue, and the quarterback change doesn’t exactly make his fantasy outlook more comfortable.
PigSkinFantasy Take: Winston is a Superflex/2-QB desperation play, but he’s not someone we’re suddenly treating as a weekly QB1. The bigger fantasy story is how much the quarterback downgrade affects Nabers.
Jayden Daniels — QB, Washington Commanders
Injury: Dislocated elbow
Status: Out at least Week 3
Daniels suffered a dislocated left elbow in Washington’s loss to Dallas. The Commanders confirmed that he will miss at least Week 3 while he consults with specialists.
The Next Man Up: Marcus Mariota
Marcus Mariota takes over.
Mariota completed 11 of 16 passes for 111 yards and a touchdown after replacing Daniels in Week 2.
He’s not going to recreate Daniels’ rushing production, which is a significant problem for anyone relying on Washington’s quarterback to carry fantasy value with his legs.
But there’s an important fantasy angle here.
Terry McLaurin, Stefon Diggs and Washington’s other pass catchers don’t suddenly disappear. The question is how much the offense changes with Mariota behind center.
PigSkinFantasy Take: Mariota is a streaming option in Superflex leagues. He’s not a Daniels replacement in fantasy terms. Don’t expect the rushing floor to magically transfer with the jersey.
Caleb Williams — QB, Chicago Bears
Injury: Hamstring
Status: Week-to-week
Williams injured his hamstring in Chicago’s Week 2 loss and has been described as week-to-week. While coach Ben Johnson said Williams is “likely to miss some time”, he refused to rule him out for Monday nights match up against the Eagles.
The Next Men Up: Tyson Bagent/Case Keenum
Tyson Bagent would get the call if Williams can’t play. However, Bagent suffered a concussion on Sunday and is in the concussion protocol. He has not practiced this week.
That leaves Case Keenum as the most likely man under center this Monday. While Keenum hasn’t started a game since 2023, he does have 66 starts under his belt and Chicago’s offense has enough weapons to keep a competent quarterback fantasy-relevant in the right matchup.
A player who may benefit even more is…
Fantasy Sleeper: Kyle Monangai
Kyle Monangai has quietly been one of the more productive players in Chicago’s offense.
Through two games, Monangai has 24 touches for 182 scrimmage yards and a touchdown. He’s also received exactly 12 touches in each game.
If Bagent or Keenum takes over, Chicago could lean even more heavily on its running game.
PigSkinFantasy Take: Bagent/Keenum is a Superflex stash. Monangai is the player we’re really watching. If Chicago decides to protect their QB’s with the running game, Monangai’s opportunity could grow.
J.K. Dobbins — RB, Denver Broncos
Injury: Hamstring
Status: Week 3 status uncertain
Dobbins left Denver’s Week 2 victory with a hamstring injury, opening the door for the rookie who has been waiting for an opportunity.
The Next Man Up: Jonah Coleman
Jonah Coleman immediately became one of the biggest waiver-wire names of the week.
Coleman stepped in after the Broncos lost Dobbins and RJ Harvey to injuries and scored a touchdown while showing enough versatility to make fantasy managers wonder whether Denver might have found something.
And that’s the key. We’re not talking about a veteran backup who has already established his ceiling. We’re talking about a rookie who may have just been handed a significant role.
PigSkinFantasy Take: Coleman is more than an injury handcuff now. He’s a player worth aggressively monitoring even if Dobbins returns, because Denver may have discovered that the rookie deserves touches.
Saquon Barkley — RB, Philadelphia Eagles
Injury: Stinger
Status: Being monitored
Barkley was knocked out of Philadelphia’s Week 2 game with a stinger and finished with only five touches. The Eagles instead relied heavily on Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley.
The Next Men Up: Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley
If Barkley misses time, Bigsby is the first name to know.
He handled the larger workload after Barkley exited, while Shipley also received meaningful work. Bigsby should be the priority add. Shipley is more of a deep-league stash.
PigSkinFantasy Take: Don’t wait for an official Barkley inactive designation before figuring this one out. If you roster Barkley, Bigsby is the handcuff you want.
Dallas Goedert — TE, Philadelphia Eagles
Injury: MCL sprain
Status: Expected to miss multiple weeks
Goedert reportedly suffered an MCL sprain and is expected to miss multiple weeks.
The Next Man Up: Zach Ertz
Philadelphia signed Zach Ertz after the injuries to Goedert and Eli Stowers.
And while Ertz isn’t the player he was during his Philadelphia prime, he’s familiar with the offense and should have an opportunity to contribute immediately.
The bigger fantasy takeaway may actually be the Eagles’ receivers.
DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks could absorb additional targets with Philadelphia suddenly short on tight-end production.
PigSkinFantasy Take: Ertz is a desperation TE streamer, not a resurrection of 2018 Zach Ertz. Keep expectations firmly in 2026 reality.
The PigSkinFantasy Rule of Injury Replacement
Here’s the mistake fantasy managers make every year:
Player gets hurt → backup gets playing time → fantasy manager immediately assumes backup equals fantasy starter.
It doesn’t. The correct question isn’t:
Who replaces the injured player?
It’s:
Who inherits the valuable part of the injured player’s workload?
Sometimes that’s the backup running back. Sometimes it’s the No. 2 receiver. Sometimes it’s the tight end. And sometimes the biggest beneficiary isn’t even at the same position.
That’s why Jonah Coleman, Tank Bigsby and Kyle Monangai are more interesting than simply grabbing every backup whose name appeared in the box score.
Because in fantasy football, opportunity is the currency.
The trick is figuring out who actually gets paid.
