The fantasy football Week 3 schedule starts on Thursday and heading into matchups, Jamaal Charles, Doug Martin, AJ Green, Carson Palmer, Knowshon Moreno, DeSean Jackson and Robert Griffin III are players dealing with injury issues and fantasy owners need to keep an eye on medical reports and the news wire to see who will start and who sits for the games this weekend.
RG3 is going to be out for at least a few weeks with his ankle issue and it likely will be longer, meaning Kirk Cousins is the pickup player to look at for owners of Griffin. Jamaal Charles had to leave the game for KC against the Denver Broncos on Sunday with a high ankle sprain and while it's not that serious, he could miss the game this weekend and that makes Knile Davis a smart pickup option at running back. Doug Martin missed the game against the Rams and now he could be out against the Falcons since that's a quick Thursday turnaround.
The Bengals lost AJ Green on Sunday and that gave Mohammed Sanu a chance to step up and he made the most of his opportunity and that helped Cincy beat the Falcons in Week 2. Green is dealing with a toe/foot injury and while it's not considered serious, the Bengals are likely to hold him out for the next game since they have a bye coming up the following week. Carson Palmer missed the game against the Giants for the Cardinals this weekend, but the team did not miss a beat and ended up winning despite having to travel east from the west coast.
Knowshon Moreno and DeSean Jackson are also dealing with injuries and Moreno will be out for an extended period of time. Moreno dislocated his elbow and now he could miss a month, while Jackson dealt with a shoulder injury against the Jaguars and he is expected to play in Week 3. Jackson said after the game that he didn't think the injury was serious and that he "intends to play" in the next game on the schedule. Kirk Cousins would be thrilled about having Jackson healthy alongside Pierre Garcon as he gets his first start of the season.
Green has been one of the best receivers in the league since entering the league and he is coming off of another strong year with 98 catches for 1426 yards last season. Green left the game against the Falcons with a foot injury and Marvin Lewis said that the injury was not a long term thing. Fantasy owners should be ready to be without Green this week, but he should be back after the Week 4 bye. Keep it locked to the injury report, things can change.
Charles is the lifeblood for many fantasy owners, as he was likely the first overall pick for many leagues and teams. Losing Charles changes any fantasy lineup, as he is a prime starter and now owners should look at Knile Davis in case the injury to Charles is serious. Charles has a high ankle sprain and while those are usually bad, Andy Reid said Charles' is not severe and he likely will miss a couple games.
