Seattle Seahawks WR DK Metcalf missed the first game of his NFL career last week against the Arizona Cardinals. Will his hip injury cause him to miss a second straight game in Week 8? Let’s take a closer look.
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Latest Injury Update on DK Metcalf
According to a recent report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Metcalf was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice. This is an encouraging sign for Metcalf, who did not log a full practice last week before ultimately being deemed inactive in Week 7.
Will Metcalf Play This Week?
Metcalf is off to a great start for returning to action against the Cleveland Browns this Sunday. Last week, he did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday and only got a limited practice in on Friday.
His ribs are no longer listed on the injury report, which is a sign that Metcalf is starting to get healthier after sitting out in Week 7.
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Metcalf was still listed on the injury report for his hip injury, so he’ll still be worth monitoring as the week progresses to ensure he didn’t suffer any setbacks in practice.
Assuming he doesn’t move in the opposite direction about practice participation on Thursday and Friday, Metcalf feels like he is trending in the right direction toward playing on Sunday.
What Does This Mean for Tyler Lockett’s and Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s Fantasy Ranking?
Despite missing a game, Metcalf still leads the team in receiving yards (337) by a comfortable margin over Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The Seahawks’ passing game has been a three-headed monster this season, with all three having seen at least 32 targets.
When all three have been on the field this year, Metcalf has been the highest-scoring player in fantasy football. Here’s a look at the points-per-game averages of all three players in PPR formats:
Metcalf: 13.5 ppg
Lockett:Â 11.7 ppg
Smith-Njigba: 7.2 ppg
Metcalf is firmly in the WR2 conversation every week when he’s in the lineup. Lockett has dropped more into the WR3 conversation, while Smith-Njigba has struggled in the top 45 at the position this season.
It’s worth noting that without Metcalf in the lineup, Smith-Njigba did find the end zone for the first time in his NFL career and posted a career-high 63 yards in Week 7.
If Metcalf is active, he’s still in starting consideration in a tough matchup against the Browns defense. If Metcalf misses a second straight game, Lockett and Smith-Nijgba are in Flex consideration in a matchup against a stingy Browns secondary.
