Week 2 fantasy injury roundup: Greg Olsen breaks foot

While the opening week of the NFL season left several fantasy players scrambling with big names going down, Week 2 also saw significant injuries. Tight end was hit especially hard with two of the game’s best getting hurt, including Carolina Panthers veteran Greg Olsen suffering a broken foot.

Here’s a rundown of the injuries that fantasy owners need to monitor coming out of Sunday.

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Tight end

-After leaving early against the Bills and being on crutches on the sideline, Olsen told reporters post-game that he has a broken foot. This is obviously a big blow for one of the most consistent tight ends — both health- and performance-wise. He hasn’t missed a game since 2007.

The Panthers must get Christian McCaffrey more involved in the offense underneath, while Devin Funchess is also an interesting add. With Olsen out an estimated six games, Ed Dickson will take over the starting tight end role but at 30 doesn’t seem to be a major factor. Kelvin Benjamin, who had six catches for 77 yards in Carolina’s win over Buffalo, is now the unquestioned top option in the passing game for Cam Newton.

-Rob Gronkowski suffered a groin injury against the Saints, shortly after scoring his 69th career touchdown. As always with Gronk, the only question is health, and the answer is up in the air once again. The New England Patriots aren’t going to shed any light on the topic for fantasy players, but it appears Gronkowski escaped a major injury but continue to monitor the situation ahead of a Week 3 matchup against the Houston Texans.

Receiver

-Green Bay Packers star Jordy Nelson left in the first quarter of the Sunday night game against the Atlanta Falcons with a quad injury. Nelson, one of the best receivers in the game and Aaron Rodgers’ top target, did not return.

-A report suggests Cleveland Browns receiver Corey Coleman broke his hand in the loss to the Baltimore Ravens. He suffered a similar injury last season and missed six weeks. Rashard Higgins would be a potential waiver add if Coleman is sidelined. Higgins saw 11 targets in Week 2 and the Browns face the Colts in Week 3.

-Tennessee Titans rookie Corey Davis exited with a hamstring injury in the team’s win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. He re-aggravated a previous injury, which forced him to miss most of training camp.

Quarterback

-Sam Bradford missed the Minnesota Vikings’ clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers with a left knee injury. Case Keenum started in his stead and finished the day 20-37 for 167 yards. The Vikings are being coy about Bradford’s long-term prognosis, so if the QB is forced to miss more time that’s not good news for Vikings pass-catchers, who didn’t produce much with Keenum at the helm.

Running back

-Washington Redskins running back Rob Kelley had a strong game going against the Los Angeles Rams before going down with a rib injury. The second-year man out of Tulane toted the rock 12 times for 79 yards early before heading back to the locker room. His return was initially ruled as questionable, but he did not return. That opened the doors for Chris Thompson — normally the third-down back — to play more, and Thompson took full advantage, going off for a monster performance with two touchdowns in the first half.

If Kelley misses significant time, Thompson could be an intriguing add in any format and a pertinent add in PPR formats. He is currently owned in 27 percent of leagues. Thompson is an outstanding pass-catcher out of the backfield. A second name is Samaje Perine, who holds the career rushing record at the University of Oklahoma. A fourth-round draft pick this year, Perine fits the early-down back mold more than Thompson does.

-Eddie Lacy was a healthy scratch for the Seattle Seahawks.