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Below you will find our latest fantasy football injuries report for wide receivers throughout the fourth week of August, with updates as of August 29th, 2022.
As the NFL preseason continues, the injury statuses remain murky for various NFL receivers, including Chris Godwin, CeeDee Lamb, Drake London, Christian Watson, and Robbie Anderson. With peak fantasy football draft season soon approaching, these are some key wide receiver injuries to keep tabs on.
Don't forget to bookmark our NFL News Desk for all the latest updates throughout the preseason.
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Chris Godwin Injury Update
Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles commented on the status of wide receiver Chris Godwin (ACL), saying, "He got some good work in. He's getting better. He's getting his wind up, getting his legs under him, getting better. Obviously no contact, but he's getting better every week."
Godwin continues to recover from his ACL tear and has a shot to play in Week 1, which would be a much earlier return than initially expected. At the same time, the Buccaneers don't want to rush the process, and there's still plenty of time before the team puts out an official update on his availability for the season opener.
Whether Godwin plays Week 1 or rests the first few games, he projects as a mid-to-low WR2 in a strong offense quarterbacked by Tom Brady. He's playing behind Mike Evans and alongside Julio Jones and Russell Gage, but Godwin still benefits from the retirement of Rob Gronkowski.
CeeDee Lamb Injury Update
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (foot) did not suit up for Friday's preseason finale. This marked the third and final preseason game for Dallas, and Lamb was absent for all three.
Although Lamb sat out all three preseason games, he has ramped up his practice involvement lately. He also caught passes from Dak Prescott during pregame warmups on Friday, indicating that his foot injury isn't too serious and his absence was merely a precaution. At this point, it seems likely that he'll suit up for Week 1 against the Buccaneers, barring a setback.
With Amari Cooper out of town, Michael Gallup injured, and the Cowboys' offense trending upward, Lamb has a chance to make a real impact in 2022. He has flashed impressive playmaking ability through two NFL seasons and is poised for a big year assuming he and the weapons around him can stay healthy. Lamb projects as a mid-range WR1 option in fantasy, and finishing as the WR1 overall is well within his range of possible outcomes.
Drake London Injury Update
Atlanta Falcons rookie wide receiver Drake London (knee) did not play in the team's preseason finale, marking the second consecutive game that he missed. He initially suffered the injury during Week 1 of the preseason against Detroit.
It's important to exercise caution with injuries, especially those suffered in the preseason, and that looks to be exactly what the Falcons are doing here. London is slowly progressing toward a full workload, advancing from no practice in the first week post-injury to an increase in reps last week. He didn't suit up for the final preseason game, but he is making noticeable strides and should be ready for Week 1 of the regular season.
The Falcons' top selection and the first receiver taken in the draft, London fills a key role for Atlanta after the team lost Calvin Ridley to a one-year suspension. He'll complement tight end Kyle Pitts, a fellow budding star who was a first-round pick last year.
Together, Pitts and London hope to take some of the burden off Marcus Mariota in his first season with the Falcons. London was a playmaker at USC and has plenty of upside as he enters the NFL. However, until he has proven himself in the pros, fantasy managers need to proceed with some caution. As such, he should be viewed as a WR3 in fantasy football for the time being.
Christian Watson Injury Update
Green Bay Packers rookie wide receiver Christian Watson (knee) finds himself in our wide receiver injury updates for the second consecutive week. Last week, he was activated from the PUP list and began to see some practice reps. Now, he continues to practice but did not suit up for any of the Packers' preseason games.
As head coach Matt LaFleur explained, the Packers' medical personnel "thought it would be in [Watson's] best interest to give him two more weeks before we put him in a game situation." Evidently, these comments indicate that Watson will be ready for the regular season opener, barring a setback.
Watson enters 2022 with a chance to make a real impact in Green Bay. Davante Adams is now in Las Vegas, leaving the Packers with mediocre veterans like Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, and Sammy Watkins to compete with youngsters like Watson, Romeo Doubs, and Amari Rodgers.
Since the Packers made Watson an early second-round pick, they could feel compelled to deploy him as a starter, but at the same time, Doubs has impressed, Watson has missed time, and Aaron Rodgers feels comfortable throwing to Lazard and Cobb.
Given the relative murkiness of Watson's situation, you can wait to draft him until the later rounds. His ADP of 161 makes him the 71st receiver off the board and ranks him behind Lazard and Doubs. He should be rostered in all dynasty formats and is worth acquiring with a late-round selection in redraft leagues too.
Robbie Anderson Injury Update
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Robbie Anderson (quad, hip) missed all three preseason games but is expected to return to practice this coming week. He didn't appear at every practice during camp, but he was on the field for some sessions here and there. Thus, Anderson's impending return to the field represents a natural next step in his recovery process.
Heading into 2022, Anderson is slated to start alongside DJ Moore in a Panthers offense that is now being quarterbacked by Baker Mayfield. Although Anderson is the tertiary option behind Moore and Christian McCaffrey, his big-play upside gives him some fantasy intrigue now that Mayfield is the quarterback.
With a smorgasbord of Sam Darnold, P.J. Walker, and Cam Newton last season, Anderson commanded an impressive 110 targets but hauled in just 53 passes. With Mayfield at the helm, many of those incompletions could become receptions.
Anderson should be viewed as a solid depth option in most fantasy leagues. On one hand, he could emerge as a solid FLEX option most weeks if Mayfield hits his stride. On the other hand, Anderson is one quarterback injury away from being nothing more than a waiver wire dud. For now, fantasy managers should feel very satisfied selecting the 29-year-old wideout at his current ADP of 182 (WR75), just a tad over 18 months removed from a WR19 finish in New York.
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