Injuries for some key players at the wide receiver position already have some fantasy managers scrambling to fill out lineups.
Here is the latest injury update for Chicago Bears wide receivers Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze, as well as Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, heading into Week 2.
Latest News and Injury Updates Impacting Fantasy
Keenan Allen, Wide Receiver, Chicago Bears
Friday was the third straight day Allen was unable to practice this week, and he is listed as questionable to play Sunday night against the Houston Texans with a heel injury.
The injury was something Allen has been dealing with for a couple of weeks now, but he did manage to play the entire game last week vs. the Tennessee Titans.
In his first game as a member of the Bears, Allen put up less than impressive numbers. Allen was targeted 11 times, but he finished with only four receptions for 29 yards and no touchdowns.
Allen scored just 6.9 fantasy points in Week 1, which was his fewest in a game since Week 7 of the 2022 season when he managed just 3.1 fantasy points vs. the Seattle Seahawks.
Even if Allen is able to play again in Week 2, fantasy managers will have to decide just how much production Allen will provide if he’s less than 100%.
Kyle Soppe’s Fantasy Outlook for Keenan Allen
Allen was laboring at points during his Chicago debut, but a 37.9% target share is a great place to start, even if the fantasy production (four catches for 29 yards) wasn’t there.
He checked boxes, and that’s what I prioritize in September. Allen was responsible for two of the Bears’ third-down receptions in Week 1, and he was the only receiver on this team to see a red-zone target (he dropped a touchdown).
I still slightly prefer Moore, but I’m reasonably in on a bounce-back from Williams in his second start and thus have both of his primary receivers tucked inside my top 30 at the position with Rome Odunze on the shelf.
Rome Odunze, Wide Receiver, Chicago Bears
Odunze was also listed as questionable in the Bears’ injury report on Friday, but the news is a little more encouraging for his availability to play Sunday.
Odunze, who suffered an MCL sprain in the team’s Week 1 win over the Titans, was a limited participant in practice Friday. It was the first time this week Odunze was able to get back on the practice field, and even limited participation could be a good indication he will be able to give it a go Sunday night.
In his first NFL game last week, the rookie wide receiver had just one reception for 11 yards, that catch coming in the fourth quarter. He apparently hurt his knee blocking on a play later in the fourth quarter.
Given the questionable status of teammate Allen, Odunze’s ability to get on the field would be a major help for a team still working in rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.
Tee Higgins, Wide Receiver, Cincinnati Bengals
Higgins is doubtful to play in Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs, according to Bengals’ head coach Zac Taylor.
Higgins continues to be bothered by a hamstring injury suffered back on Sept. 5, and he has not been able to practice since.
Higgins also missed the Bengals’ season opener against the New England Patriots because of his hamstring problem, and his absence was felt, as Cincinnati managed only 10 points and 224 total yards in the 16-10 loss.
Not having Higgins on the field also proved to be a problem for fantasy owners who had Bengals’ star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase in their lineup. Chase, who finished with six receptions for 62 yards, managed just 12.2 fantasy points in Week 1.
The Bengals’ four other wide receivers in Week 1 — Andrei Iosivas, Trenton Irwin, Jermaine Burton, and Charlie Jones — combined for only five receptions, 37 receiving yards, and 6.7 fantasy points.
Kyle Soppe Fantasy Outlook for Higgins in Week 2
Adam Schefter said on Monday that he’d “be surprised” if Higgins suited up this weekend as he continues to battle a hamstring injury. These soft-tissue issues have a way of lingering, and a messy contractual situation doesn’t exactly make a rush to return any more likely.
I’d count on a replacement option this week and hope for the best moving forward. The Bengals get the Commanders and Panthers over the next two weeks, a very soft landing spot if he can find his way back onto the field.