Fantasy Injury Updates: Michael Thomas, Christian Watson, Irv Smith Jr. among those affecting 2022 fantasy rankings
As we get closer to the regular season and fantasy football drafts, fantasy owners need the latest injury updates on key players ranked high or on sleep lists. Michael Thomas, Christian Watson and Irv Smith Jr. are among the beleaguered players who could cause panicked Google searches if you’re on the clock.
Below we bring you the latest news on these three players and how their injuries could potentially affect their fantasy prospects for the season.
DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: Ultimate 2022 Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Michael Thomas injury update
Saints head coach Dennis Allen told reporters Saturday that Thomas has a hamstring injury. after Nick Underhill. That’s not good news for Thomas, who attended team drills for the first time earlier this month. Last week Allen said that Thomas will be ready when the ball really starts, after Katherine Terrell. It will be interesting to see how Thomas’ latest injury plays out with the regular season on the horizon.
As far as fantasy football goes, Thomas could end up slipping down the draft board as fantasy owners may be concerned about that hamstring injury that could be an ongoing problem. Thomas’ ADP on FantasyPros is #64 overall and he is #27 among WRs. Meanwhile, SN Fantasy has ranked the veteran wide receiver #22 in Standard and #20 in PPR. If healthy, Thomas should surpass his current ADP. However, if injuries plague him again, his targets will fall on rookie Chris Olave and veteran full-back Jarvis Landry, making the former an even bigger potential breakthrough than he already realised.
PPR RANKINGS 2022:
QB’s | RB’s | WRs | TEs | D/STs | foosball | Top 200 | Superflex
Christian Watson injury update
The North Dakota state rookie wide receiver completed some team practice on Sunday, having just been removed from the PUP list week. after Rob Demovsky. The second-round pick of this year’s NFL draft also participated in warm-up exercises Friday night before the Packers’ preseason game against the Saints. He’s missed nearly two months since undergoing off-season knee surgery, so it’s good to see the rookie ramping up and preparing for the regular season.
Watson caused quite a stir during the drafting process, but that quickly evaporated once training camp began. The Packers camp is talking about Romeo Doubs, a rookie wide receiver who had two touchdowns last season. The 6-4 Watson likely won’t be a factor in the Packers offense to start the year as Aaron Rodgers has a solid core of experienced wide receivers in Allen Lazard, Sammy Watkins and Randall Cobb. Watson will likely be available on the waiver wire in shallower leagues, but he still has sleepers on his head in lower leagues if you’re willing to be patient.
STANDARD RANKINGS 2022:
QB’s | RB’s | WRs | TEs | D/STs | foosball | Top 200 | Superflex
Irv Smith Jr. Injury Update
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters on Saturday that he’s looking forward to Smith Jr. “getting back on the lawn” in the coming week. Smith underwent surgery on a thumb injury he sustained during training camp earlier this month. Still, all signs point to the young tight end playing in the Vikings’ regular season opener after missing out last season with meniscus surgery.
2022 FANTASY THRESHOLDS:
QB’s | RB’s | WRs | TEs | D/STs | One from each team
With Smith still on track to be ready for Week 1 of the regular season, fantasy owners should feel comfortable drafting him as a low-end TE1. Heading into this season, SN Fantasy Smith has placed 13th in Standard and 14th in PPR format. With Tyler Conklin gone, Smith Jr. should hit the 80-plus goals this year.