Week 2 Fantasy Football Injury Report: A.J. Brown, Zay Flowers, Ladd McConkey And More

Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season was a scoring bonanza. In fact, it was the highest-scoring opening week in NFL history.

Not everyone got in on the fun, though. A handful of notable fantasy football players suffered injuries and had to leave their respective games early, leaving their status in doubt for Week 2 and beyond in some cases.

Every Tuesday, we’ll be breaking down the biggest injury news that could shape your fantasy football lineup for the upcoming week. Let’s dive into all of the most notable updates ahead of Week 2.

The season-opening Super Bowl LX matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots resulted in key injuries for both teams. Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown suffered a high ankle sprain that already landed him on injured reserve, which means he’s guaranteed to miss at least the next four games.

Brown might not be back for the Patriots’ Week 6 contest against the New York Jets, either. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Sunday that Brown is expected to miss six weeks, which means he wouldn’t be back until the Pats’ Week 8 game against the Miami Dolphins. They face the Chicago Bears on Thursday Night Football in Week 7, so the short week might not be conducive to Brown’s return anyway.

This injury is a devastating blow to anyone who spent a second- or third-round pick on Brown or a middle-round pick on Patriots quarterback Drake Maye. Mack Hollins and DeMario “Pop” Douglas figure to see more work in Brown’s absence, but there might not be a single Patriots pass-catcher worth starting in Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Los Angeles Chargers suffered the most embarrassing loss in Week 1, as they lost to the Arizona Cardinals despite being nearly double-digit favorites. Adding injury to insult, they also lost leading wide receiver Ladd McConkey to a rib injury in the third quarter.

On Monday, Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters that McConkey has a rib injury and is day-to-day. Rapoport added that “he’ll be monitored throughout the week” and it “sound like his status is up in the air” ahead of the Chargers’ Week 2 divisional matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.

If McConkey can’t go, it’ll be a clear downgrade for quarterback Justin Herbert. Wideouts Quentin Johnston and Tre’ Harris would be in line for additional targets, as would tight ends David Njoku and Oronde Gadsden II. The Chargers could also look to funnel more of their passing game through their running backs after not targeting Omarion Hampton or Keaton Mitchell a single time against the Cardinals.

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers went nuclear in the first half of his team’s blowout win over the Indianapolis Colts, hauling in five catches for 150 yards and a touchdown. However, he aggravated a hamstring injury in the second quarter and did not return in the second half.

On Monday, Ravens head coach Jesse Minter told reporters that Flowers is considered day-to-day. He said he feels “pretty good about where that’s at” before adding, “You want to make sure that it’s not something you’re dealing with for 17, 18 weeks.”

Flowers initially suffered the hamstring injury in joint practices against the Minnesota Vikings in mid-August, so the aggravation of that injury is at least mildly concerning. He figures to draw a questionable tag at best in Week 2, which could open additional opportunities for wideouts Rashod Bateman, Chris Moore and LaJohntay Wester along with veteran tight end Mark Andrews. But it sounds like Flowers dodged a major injury.

Last Tuesday, Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers “underwent a meniscus trim,” according to Rapoport and ESPN’s Adam Schefter. They reported that he was only expected to miss “a game or two,” and Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak told reporters Monday that he now considers Bowers day-to-day.

For now, it remains unclear whether Bowers will suit up Sunday against the Chargers. Fellow tight end Michael Mayer caught six passes for 32 yards against the Miami Dolphins in Bowers’ absence in Week 1, while running back Ashton Jeanty led the team with six catches for 45 yards and two touchdowns.

Given the dismal state of the Raiders’ receiving corps, the offense figures to flow through Jeanty and the tight ends regardless of whether Bowers is healthy. Whenever he does return, he’ll be a locked-in starter, especially with many of the other highly drafted tight ends producing disappointing stat lines in Week 1.

Kyler Murray’s stint as the Minnesota Vikings’ starting quarterback lasted less than one quarter Sunday. With roughly six minutes left in the first quarter, Murray took off scrambling on a 3rd-and-7 and got pancaked by two Green Bay Packers defenders as he slid to the ground, which drew an unnecessary roughness penalty.

The Vikings’ medical staff diagnosed Murray with a concussion after “multiple players confirmed that Murray’s body was in a fencing posture, a common but scary immediate reaction to brain trauma,” according to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. Backup quarterback Carson Wentz replaced Murray and led a furious fourth-quarter rally by going 12-of-19 for 133 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Wentz figures to remain the Vikings’ starter until Murray is able to return. He found star wideout Justin Jefferson eight times for 92 yards and two touchdowns, which is great news for fantasy managers who were banking on a bounce-back season for Jefferson. However, managers with Jordan Addison on their rosters might be nervous after he finished with zero catches on only two targets against Green Bay.

A.J. Brown wasn’t the only notable player to go down in the NFL’s season opener last Wednesday. Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold suffered what was initially deemed a hip injury on the first drive and did not return.

On Sunday, Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer reported the Seahawks are getting multiple second opinions on Darnold, who is believed to have injured a tendon in his glute. Citing “a source with knowledge of the situation,” Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported that Darnold might miss 4-6 weeks with the injury.

Drew Lock replaced Darnold after the opening drive and game-managed the Seahawks to a low-scoring 13-10 victory over the Patriots. He finished an efficient 16-of-22 for 187 yards and one touchdown, most of which were via star wideout Jaxson Smith-Njigba (eight catches for 122 yards and one touchdown).

However, anyone who took a late-round flier on Rashid Shaheed might already be free to move on. He finished with only one catch for four yards on three targets.

49ers WR De’Zhaun Stribling (ankle): Stribling is expected to miss at least a month with a deltoid sprain in his ankle, according to Rapoport. In his absence, the Niners figure to funnel their pass attack through wideouts Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel, tight end George Kittle and running back Christian McCaffrey. Samuel might already be in must-start territory.

Ravens WR Ja’Kobi Lane (wrist): Lane is expected to miss “several weeks” with the fractured wrist that he suffered in the season opener, per Rapoport and NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. Coupled with Flowers’ hamstring injury, the Ravens’ receiving cast is suddenly depleted. Quarterback Lamar Jackson might deserve a slight downgrade until Flowers is able to return.

Falcons QBs Tua Tagovailoa (oblique) and Michael Penix Jr. (ACL): Tagovailoa was set to be the Falcons’ Week 1 starter while Penix continues to recover from a torn ACL, but he suffered an oblique strain in practice Thursday that sidelined him. Third-string quarterback Cooper Rush finished 12-of-22 for 143 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions against the Pittsburgh Steelers, much to the dismay of fantasy managers with either Drake London (two catches for 29 yards) or Kyle Pitts Sr. (zero catches) on their rosters. There’s no guarantee either Tagovailoa or Pitts will be back in Week 2, either.

Commanders TE Chig Okonkwo (hamstring): Okonkwo left in the second half of the Commanders’ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles with a hamstring strain after catching two passes for 16 yards. That opened the door for rookie wideout Antonio Williams to haul in four catches for a team-high 64 yards and one touchdown. Williams should be a priority pickup on waivers this week.

Jets WR Omar Cooper Jr. (ankle): Cooper suffered a high ankle sprain, according to Tom Pelissero of The Ringer, and is set to undergo an MRI “to determine the extent of the injury.” If A.J. Brown is any indication, Cooper figures to miss multiple weeks, which should open additional opportunities in the Jets’ passing game for Garrett Wilson, Adonai Mitchell and Breece Hall.

Browns RB Dylan Sampson (knee): Sampson suffered a knee injury in the first quarter of the Browns’ blowout loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars and did not return to the game. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Monday that he’s expected to miss “significant time.” That’s an upgrade to fellow RB Quinshon Judkins, although Judkins still has a low floor if the Browns’ offense remains as anemic as it was in Week 1.

Vikings RB Jordan Mason (thumb): Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters Monday that Mason “came into the building today with a sore thumb,” according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic, and “they’re evaluating that.” It’s unclear if he’s in danger of missing the Vikings’ Week 2 game against the Chicago Bears, but Aaron Jones Sr. would be a must-start if he does. Demond Claiborne could be worth picking up, especially in deeper leagues.

Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr. (shoulder): Thomas briefly left the Jaguars’ blowout win over the Browns on Sunday with a shoulder injury, but he did wind up returning. Head coach Liam Cone told reporters Monday that he expects Thomas to play in Week 2 against Denver, but he “just might not able to get hit throughout the week” at practice. Either way, Parker Washington looks like the best bet among Jaguars wide receivers for now. (And Travis Hunter is fully droppable.)

Panthers WR Jalen Coker (ankle): Coker erupted with a team-high eight catches for 138 yards and two touchdowns in the Panthers’ shootout against the Bears, but he didn’t emerge unscathed. He was spotted in a walking boot Monday and told reporters that he “rolled my ankle a little bit,” but he doesn’t expect to miss time.

Lions RB Isiah Pacheco (back): Pacheco underwent surgery “to remove a body that was pressing on a nerve in his back,” according to Rapoport, which is expected to sideline him for 12 weeks. The Lions might be in the market for additional RB help to back up star tailback Jahmyr Gibbs, who tallied 34 touches for 186 yards and two touchdowns in his team’s thrilling 31-30 overtime win against the Saints.

Patriots RB TreVeyon Henderson (ankle): Let’s end this on a positive note, shall we? After missing Week 1 with an ankle injury, Henderson was seen at practice Monday for the first time since late August. It’s unclear whether he’ll be ready to roll Sunday against the Steelers, but the Patriots could use all the skill-position help they can get with Brown sidelined.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com