Week 2 NFL Injury News: Updates For Adrian Peterson, Danny Woodhead and More

The injury bug struck hard in week two, with several big names going down with injuries. Adrian Peterson may have been the biggest one, as the Minnesota Vikings star running back hurt his knee in a Sunday Night Football game against the Green Bay Packers and wasn’t able to return.

Peterson’s exact ailment has yet to be confirmed, but early reports suggest the team doesn’t believe it is a season-ending injury. The Vikings’ fan base can probably breathe a sigh of relief, but that still may not mean Peterson is completely out of the woods.

Let’s touch base on the latest Adrian Peterson injury news, as well as all of the other big injuries from a crazy second week of NFL action:

Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota Vikings

Adrian Peterson on crutches as he exits locker room with brace on right knee #Vikings pic.twitter.com/Zpz92qE5r0

— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) September 19, 2016

Peterson’s knee injury has everyone holding their collective breath on Monday, as the star rusher has yet to learn the magnitude of the injury he suffered on Sunday Night Football. Peterson was carried to the locker room by trainers and was unable to put any pressure on his leg, which could mean a fairly severe knee sprain.

Adrian Peterson will get an MRI Monday morning and Vikings are hopeful that he’s avoided major structural damage. https://t.co/pVwBgdGIhy

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 19, 2016

Minnesota to this point does not seem to think the injury is serious, which could suggest Peterson suffered an MCL sprain. If that’s indeed the case, the man known as All Day could be looking at a brief absence. Any time away could hurt Minnesota’s chances to win, of course, especially with a date with the Panthers in Carolina coming up this week.

While the Vikings could be poor bets this week, Peterson’s backups – Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata – could make for fun DFS sleepers.

Update: It was confirmed Monday that Adrian Peterson has suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee. Peterson and the team are still figuring out the way forward which could possibly be no surgery and only missing a few weeks. On the other hand, if it requires surgery, it could take longer depending on what exactly they decide to do.

Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, New England Patriots

Garoppolo was driven into the ground and sustained a bad shoulder injury in week two, but was fortunate enough to escape without a serious ailment. Tom Brady returns in week five, so this shouldn’t be a devastating blow for the Pats, regardless.

#Patriots QB Jimmy Garoppolo (sprained AC joint) won’t start Thursday vs. #Texans. But there is hope he’s back by Week 4. Huge break for NE

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 19, 2016

It’s bad timing, however, as rookie quarterback Jacoby Brissett is now the likely starter for a tough TNF battle with the Houston Texans. Without the threat to pass, the Patriots could be in trouble against a very good defense this week. All bets are off concerning New England daily fantasy football options, as well.

Ameer Abdullah, RB, Detroit Lions

Detroit’s backfield took a hit on Sunday, when starting running back Ameer Abdullah exited with a foot injury. Luckily x-rays came back negative and Abdullah could be looking at a day-to-day situation.

Theo Riddick saw more carries with Abdullah out and should continue to be a solid DFS option whether or not Abdullah plays in week three against the Packers.

Arian Foster, RB, Miami Dolphins

Arian Foster got hurt in week two. Change the record, right? In all seriousness, Miami’s top rusher left Sunday’s game with a groin issue and never returned. He has a long history of injuries and this one could take him awhile to recover from, so the odds may not be great that he suits up in week three.

Jay Ajayi and rookie Kenyan Drake could split carries when Miami takes on the Cleveland Browns this week. Miami could be in line for their first win of 2016, but it could be a little tougher to get it with Foster likely on the shelf.

Doug Martin, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Muscle Hamster was probably never going to carve up a good Arizona defense on the road in week two, but he really didn’t have much of a chance after a hamstring injury cut his day short.

Doug Martin suffered ‘slight tweak’ to hammy https://t.co/rmR6HFe7kM

— Rotoworld Football (@Rotoworld_FB) September 19, 2016

Martin will be evaluated later in the week and could still play in week three, but the odds are good that Tampa Bay plays it safe and keeps him out. That could make backup Charles Sims a popular daily fantasy football play.

Danny Woodhead, RB, San Diego Chargers

Woodhead had arguably the scariest injury of week two, as he was tackled awkwardly in a win over the Jaguars and exited the game for good. Woodhead had to be carted off the field and has had knee issues in the past, so there is a real fear his season could be over.

MRI for Danny Woodhead’s knee on Monday https://t.co/e6MbExEvLn

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) September 19, 2016

San Diego is remaining optimistic that Woodhead may have merely sustained a knee sprain, and if so, he could still return to the field at some point. For the moment, however, it doesn’t look good and that could mean a much bigger role for Melvin Gordon moving forward.

Donte Moncrief, WR, Indianapolis Colts

Moncrief suffered a neck injury that knocked him out of Indy’s week two battle with the Colts and he’ll undergo further evaluation. It’s unclear exactly what he’s dealing with, as reports suggest his neck, head and shoulder could be effected.

Donte Moncrief on injury: “I should be ok soon” https://t.co/umTL0Tfpqe

— Stampede Blue (@StampedeBlue) September 19, 2016

For what it’s worth, Moncrief doesn’t seem to be in danger of missing extended time and says he’ll be “OK” soon. He still could miss a week or more, which could put backup Phillip Dorsett on the daily fantasy football sleeper map heading into week three.

Jonathan Stewart, RB, Carolina Panthers

Running backs had it rough on Sunday and Jonathan Stewart was unfortunately part of that. The star Carolina rusher exited and didn’t return this week after suffering further damage to an ailing hamstring.

Panthers “a little bit” concerned about Jonathan Stewart’s hamstring, though his backup came through yesterday https://t.co/DBEN46nxgx

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) September 19, 2016

Stewart was already also dealing with a bad ankle, so it’s very likely the Panthers sit him in week three. Fozzy Whitaker performed well with an enhanced role in week two, but the Panthers may use a committee to help replace Stewart for now. That doesn’t help Carolina’s offense if you plan on betting on them to beat the Vikings in week three, but it probably makes Cam Newton take on more of a load offensively. That could keep him as a top option in daily fantasy football leagues.

Thomas Rawls, RB, Seattle Seahawks

Rawls started 2016 off slowly due to a broken leg from 2015 but finally looked to be handed the keys to Seattle’s backfield in week two. Things didn’t go as planned, as Rawls struggled and ultimately exited with a leg bruise.

Carroll says Thomas Rawls has a leg contusion. No further info available at this time.

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) September 18, 2016

Rawls merely suffered a leg contusion, but Christine Michael again looks to be a thorn in his side going forward. The Seahawks not having a healthy and effective running game has severely hindered their offense in 2016 – one that has scored exactly 15 points through two games.

Julio Jones, WR, Atlanta Falcons

Jones would be a headlining injury if anyone thought his ankle issue was serious. He already entered week two with a mild ankle sprain and he seemed to aggravate it in a win over the Raiders. Atlanta doesn’t seem to be too worried about it, however, and he’ll have an extra day to rest up with Atlanta heading to New Orleans for a big battle with the Saints.

Jones being out would obviously be a huge hit for the Atlanta offense, which has looked rather sharp through the first two weeks. He looks to be fine, however, and should be fired up as an elite DFS play in week three.