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Below, you will find our updated fantasy football injuries report for running backs in the 2022 NFL preseason as of Wednesday, August 31st. The injury statuses for various NFL running backs are important to monitor entering the regular season, including J.K. Dobbins, James Robinson, Elijah Mitchell, Cam Akers, Darrell Henderson, Kenneth Walker III, and Miles Sanders.
Having now completed all three weeks of the preseason, this will be the final preseason injury update before we turn our focus on Week 1.
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J.K. Dobbins Injury Update
Dobbins has been battling his way back from an ACL (knee) tear that occurred last August, so seeing him placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list to start training camp was a red flag; however, three weeks ago, he was removed from this list, with all signs pointing towards him being ready to go for Week 1.
Additionally, he returned to practice two weeks ago, further signaling optimism for his Week 1 status.
This week though, there was a report on Tuesday that his Week 1 status is still in doubt. This report coincided with the Ravens signing free agent Kenyan Drake, who is expected to help fill in for Edwards.
The way to approach Dobbins at this point is to view him as a player you cannot start the first couple of weeks, ensuring you have other options to play instead. This will provide you with some additional time to observe his health and workload before slotting him into your starting lineup.
This certainly impacts his draft value but does not remove him from being a target, especially if you have multiple reliable running backs. Once he returns to full health and can take on a larger workload, he will be very valuable for fantasy, particularly if Edwards continues to miss time after the first four weeks. Additionally, this could cause a significant drop in his ADP, creating a nice discount.
James Robinson Injury Update
Robinson suffered an Achilles injury in December, leading many to believe he would miss most, if not all of 2022. Yet, Robinson avoided the PUP list for training camp and seems increasingly likely to be available for Week 1.
The historical data on Achilles injuries is not great for running backs regaining their efficiency and productivity but with modern science and multiple players currently recovered from the injury, including D'Onta Foreman, Marlon Mack, and presumably Cam Akers, there is a reason for optimism.
Two weeks ago, Robinson was able to take part in drills and was still considered to be on track with his Week 1 timeline.
Last week, he was reportedly increasing his reps and ramping up his workload in preparation for the season opener.
There really hasn't been a meaningful update for Robinson, except that if he is able to play in Week 1, he won't receive a full workload, which makes sense given the severity of his injury.
It's difficult to predict how explosive and efficient he will be early in the season, which could reduce his overall fantasy output. Additionally, Travis Etienne has looked fantastic and will at the very least compete for carries while receiving the bulk of the passing work. This makes Robinson more of a top-40 back with a top-30 upside if he can secure a bigger workload and the offense improves.
Elijah Mitchell Injury Update
A report about Mitchell came out on Friday, August 12th, citing a hamstring injury. The more concerning part was that the 49ers immediately decided to shut him down for the preseason.
Last week, we received more clarification on his status.
This week, the positive news continued.
This is another indication that he will be available and ready for Week 1. He will have every opportunity for a big role and a massive year as long as he can remain healthy. There will be a risk of re-injury but when he's on the field he will offer top-20 weekly production, with top-12 upside. He is often overlooked in fantasy drafts because of the injury concerns and his lack of involvement in the passing game, so there's a strong possibility you can acquire him in the middle rounds.
Cam Akers Injury Update
Akers popped up unexpectedly a couple of weeks ago, but thankfully, a report came out that the injury is not considered serious.
The report last week continued to possess uncertainty.
This week though, he and Henderson Jr. were both able to return to practice.
It's difficult to imagine a scenario where Akers possesses a workhorse role to open the season. The hope is that Akers is the lead back and continues to establish a larger role. While this remains a possibility, he could also struggle to regain his explosiveness and efficiency, causing him to cede work to Henderson Jr. Both backs are valuable because of the offense but Akers has a much higher draft cost, making him a risky pick.
Darrell Henderson Jr. Injury Update
Henderson Jr. also popped up with the same injury at the same time.
The same update from last week also applies to Henderson Jr.
He returned to practice at the same time as Akers.
As discussed with Akers, Henderson Jr. will also have a role to begin the year and maybe even longer. He has a chance to establish himself as the lead back and could end up being a huge value based on his August ADP of 123 overall.
Kenneth Walker III Injury Update
Seahawks rookie Walker III was competing with Rashaad Penny for the starting role until a report emerged about him undergoing a procedure for a hernia.
At the time, this seemed concerning but not necessarily for his ability to participate in the season opener. Unfortunately, this came through last week, casting doubt on when he'll return.
This week's report continues to sound ominous.
Walker III's status seems increasingly doubtful for Week 1. This sets Penny up as the lead back to begin the season with less competition for carries until Walker III returns. Additionally, Travis Homer and DeeJay Dallas still project to take on a portion of the passing work, which may prevent Penny or Walker III from becoming a workhorse back. This situation is becoming murkier, especially for Walker III, which makes him more of a player to stash and hope to get meaningful production from later in the season.
Miles Sanders Injury Update
Sanders missed practice from a hamstring a couple of weeks ago.
He has continued to miss practice since and is still out as of Tuesday.
Sanders struggled last year, losing work to teammates Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott, both of which are likely to have a key role again this season. Even once he is healthy, it'll be difficult to place full trust in Sanders as the lead back with Gainwell and Scott siphoning touches, not to mention quarterback Jalen Hurts vulturing goal-line carries.
The offensive line is very talented and the Eagles are expected to be a winning team, meaning there will be plenty of fantasy value from the rushing attack but determining where it will come from is a challenge.
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