News on Drake London, Michael Thomas, and Curtis Samuel Impacting WR Rankings

It’s always a challenge to navigate through injuries in fantasy football. The WR position has several players dealing with issues. The time to set Week 9 lineups is near. What is the latest injury information on Drake London, Michael Thomas, and Curtis Samuel?

Latest News and Injury Updates Impacting Fantasy

Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons

Last week, on an impressive 21-yard grab, Drake London took a big hit and lost his helmet. He immediately ran off the field. It sure looked like he was headed to the blue tent to get checked for a concussion. Instead, it turns out London tweaked his groin on the play.

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It is unclear exactly what happened to London’s groin. He ran off the field with no noticeable limp. After the game, he said, “I’m fine.” It certainly didn’t seem like a big deal.

Now, as always, we take Wednesday practice reports with a large grain of salt. At this point in the season, Wednesday practices are almost completely meaningless. Veterans frequently receive rest days. And even the slightest of dings for anyone else may result in them sitting out as a precaution.

With that said, London did not practice Wednesday. Fantasy managers would have much preferred to see a limited designation, but that is not the case. It’s too early to draw any conclusions about London’s status for Sunday, but he’s obviously not off to a great start.

Before we start planning for alternatives — and believe me, with London on half of my rosters, I sure hope we don’t have to — let’s see what Thursday brings. A return to even a limited session would put him on track to play. However, a second DNP would mean he is almost certainly missing this week’s contest.

It would be very unfortunate timing, as the move London managers have been waiting for all season was finally made, with Taylor Heinicke replacing Desmond Ridder as the starter. If London is unable to go, hopefully, it’s just a one-week absence.

Michael Thomas, WR, New Orleans Saints

Last week, Michael Thomas was a late addition to the injury report on Saturday after coming down with an illness that had been running rampant through the Saints locker room. Thomas wound up playing and didn’t appear limited at all.

We are now three days later, and Thomas is still dealing with the effects of the illness, as that was the reason for his limited participation at Wednesday’s practice.

While it’s certainly unfortunate Thomas is still shaking off this illness, it is of absolutely zero concern for fantasy managers. A 100 percent Thomas would be ideal, but he showed no dip in performance last week while in the thick of it.

Thomas should be fully recovered by Sunday. But even if he isn’t, Thomas is at no risk of missing this week’s dream matchup against the Bears.

Curtis Samuel, WR, Washington Commanders

Ahead of last week’s game, Curtis Samuel was already banged up with a knee injury. Playing through a questionable tag, Samuel was unable to make it through the game, leaving with a toe injury.

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Unsurprisingly, Samuel was not practicing on Wednesday as he continues to get treatment on his toe. He was reportedly dealing with soreness on Monday, which, all things considered, isn’t the worst report. At this time, we do not know exactly what is ailing Samuel’s toe, but it is evidently enough to keep him sidelined from practice.

It’s nice to see that Samuel is no longer dealing with the knee issue, but it’s obviously concerning that he’s now dealing with a new injury.

While we don’t have specifics or any indication as to which direction things are heading, the vibes surrounding this injury do not feel good. I am very concerned we are going to see another DNP for Samuel on Thursday, which would significantly decrease the chances he is able to play this week.

Samuel is far from an every-week starter in fantasy, but he’s been a viable bye-week filler. On a week with several fantasy starters on bye, he was shaping up to be a great option for fantasy managers. It appears as though managers will need to look elsewhere.

If Samuel can’t go, look for Jamison Crowder to step up in three-receiver sets. He could be a true desperation play for fantasy managers, as the veteran has been productive in the past, but I would not trust him at all.

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