In Week 6, Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. exited the game against the Green Bay Packers after a scary incident.
What happened to Harrison, what’s the latest on his status, and what does this mean for the Cardinals and fantasy managers going forward?
What Happened to Marvin Harrison Jr.?
The No. 4 overall pick was knocked out of the Cardinals’ Week 6 game at the Packers with a concussion. That often comes with at least one missed game, but it appears Harrison at least has a chance to suit up this Monday against the Los Angeles Chargers.
After all, Harrison returned to practice on Thursday in a yellow non-contact jersey. Then, on Friday, Harrison was a full participant and didn’t need to wear a non-contact jersey, which is a great sign for his potential availability. He’s officially listed as questionable for Monday’s game.
Not Good: Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr. got up after a play and then stumbled and fell shortly after.
He's being looked at in the medical tent. pic.twitter.com/1Am68sUCdC
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulli)
It remains to be seen if Harrison will play in Week 7, as he still needs to progress through the five stages of the NFL’s concussion protocol. But at the very least, it’s a promising sign for his health that he’s back on the field and fully participating in practice so quickly.
Fantasy managers should still line up contingency plans, but it seems likely that any Harrison absence would be a short one. Since Arizona doesn’t play until Monday night, Harrison has an extra day to recover.
However, this will also make it tougher for fantasy managers to pivot if he’s a last-minute scratch. Fortunately, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Baltimore Ravens also play on Monday night, improving your odds of finding a replacement.
Marvin Harrison Jr. practicing in yellow non-contact jersey for Arizona Cardinals @PHNX_Cardinals pic.twitter.com/0SnFDb5LSy
— Bo Brack (@BoBrack)
Entering last week’s game, Harrison led the Cardinals with 279 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns. The rest of the team combined had three receiving touchdowns in the first five weeks of the campaign.
Fantasy Impact of Harrison’s Injury
This game being the final one of the week further complicates the already complicated concussion protocol. The most common happening in these situations is one missed game, and with Arizona more interested in the future of Harrison than the present, it stands to reason that they’ll be cautious with their budding star.
Consistency hasn’t been the hallmark of Harrison, be it week-to-week or even quarter-to-quarter (78.2% of his fantasy production has come in first quarters this season), making it even more difficult to recommend waiting out this injury.
If you can grab Rashod Bateman, Jalen McMillan, or Joshua Palmer off the wire in an effort to protect yourself on Monday night, go for it.
But if you have a top-40 receiver on your bench and we enter the weekend without clarity, I’d take the safe approach and bench Harrison this week.