The NFL season is in full swing. As happens every year, injuries are rearing their ugly heads. As fantasy football managers prepare to set Week 7 lineups, it’s important to stay informed on the latest injury news. Jakobi Meyers missed some practice time this week due to injury. What is his current status and outlook for this week?
Is Emeka Egbuka Playing Week 7?
Egbuka sustained his hamstring injury during the second half of Tampa Bay’s contest against the San Francisco 49ers. The team initially listed him as doubtful to return, which typically signals a player will miss the remainder of the contest. He was officially ruled out early in the fourth quarter, confirming he would not return to action.​
Prior to his departure, Egbuka had managed two receptions for 24 yards on four targets from Baker Mayfield. While the production was modest, he remained actively involved in the offensive game plan before the hamstring issue forced his exit.​
Following the game, reports emerged suggesting Egbuka’s injury is not considered serious by the team’s medical staff. This characterization typically indicates a mild strain rather than a significant muscle tear that would require extended recovery time.​
On Monday, Ian Rapoport reported that while Egbuka’s hamstring strain is not as significant as the one Mike Evans is dealing with, he is expected to miss some time.
Thursday and Friday’s practices seemed to confirm the expected outcome when Egbuka did not participate in the team’s session. However, Saturday brought a surprising development when Egbuka made an unexpected return to practice, participating in a limited capacity.​
Head coach Todd Bowles told reporters that Egbuka has a shot to play Monday night against the Lions and is officially a gametime decision. This represents a dramatic shift from the expectation that he would miss multiple weeks with the hamstring strain.​
This development creates a nightmare situation for fantasy managers with the Bucs playing Monday night. Unless you play on Sleeper and can utilize the autosub feature, the best course of action is likely leaving Egbuka on the bench. With just a single limited practice session for an injury that was expected to sideline him for two weeks, it seems unlikely the team will push him to play without missing at least one game.
According to Adam Schefter, Egbuka is not a guarantee to be held out through the bye week and has a legitimate chance to play in Week 8 if he doesn’t suit up Monday night.
Egbuka Fantasy Football Outlook
If only we knew that wide receivers in Tampa Bay were contagious before putting all of our hopes and dreams behind Egbuka.
The outstanding rookie suffered a hamstring injury in the third quarter last week and is expected to be sidelined for some action. The Bucs get the Saints next week before going on bye in Week 9; we don’t yet have a Week 10 target return date, but it’s easy to see a path where that’s the case.
MORE:Â Free Fantasy Football Start/Sit Optimizer
Tez and Kameron Johnson are the names to know in this offense if you want a piece of the Baker Mayfield for MVP campaign, especially indoors in a potentially offensively charged contest.
It’s a little hard to imagine, but if the manager with Egbuka has a losing record, why not get a trade conversation started? If that’s the case, the rest of the roster is likely depleted, giving you the ability to swoop in with a volume deal that lands you an elite asset who closes the fantasy season with the Panthers and Dolphins in Weeks 16-17.
— Kyle Soppe, PFSN Fantasy Analyst
