Considering the injury report as you address the Week 8 fantasy waiver wire

The NFL is headed into its Week 7 prime time schedule, and there were some notable injuries on Sunday. Teams that played on Sunday will conduct MRIs and other medical checks on Monday, but we already have news on expectations for some of Sunday’s injured players. Several could lead to some potential value on the Week 8 fantasy football waiver wire.

WR Odell Beckham Jr., Cleveland Browns

Beckham injured his knee against the Cincinnati Bengals in the aftermath of a Baker Mayfield interception on the opening drive. OBJ didn’t return, but Mayfield had his best performance of the season. Mayfield completed six passes to Rashard Higgins for 110 yards and tossed two touchdown passes to Harrison Bryant. Role players and Jarvis Landry should get a boost in targets if Beckham misses an extended period of time.

RB Chris Carson, Seattle Seahawks

Carson suffered a foot injury in the second quarter and did not return the rest of the game. He was spotted with his helmet at one point in the third quarter, but then was without his helmet in the fourth quarter. Carlos Hyde replaced him, with Travis Homer getting a little bit of work as well. If Carson misses any time, Hyde would be the starter with Homer and DeeJay Dallas serving as complements.

RB Kenyan Drake, Arizona Cardinals

Drake injured is ankle in the fourth quarter and did not return. He took a cart to the locker room and had a towel over his head, which is never a good sign. Chase Edmonds replaced him in the lineup and would be the guy to grab if Drake misses any kind of time.

WR Diontae Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers

He left Sunday’s game late in the fourth quarter with what seemed like a leg injury. After the game he said it was just a bruise and he was good. He missed five plays, but four were immediately after his injury and one was a kneel-down at the end of the game. If he misses time, Chase Claypool, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and James Washington will have more targets to divvy up. This likely won’t require additions, but keep an eye out for more news on Monday.

RB Jeff Wilson, San Francisco 49ers

Wilson scampered for 112 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries against the New England Patriots before injuring his ankle in the third quarter. Head coach Kyle Shanahan later described it as a high ankle sprain. He and JaMycal Hasty were preferred over Jerick McKinnon without Raheem Mostert in the fold. McKinnon didn’t get a single carry in Week 7. Shanahan said the plan had been to rest McKinnon in this game, so it leaves uncertainty between him and Hasty for Week 8.

WR Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers

Samuel pulled saw his Week 7 come to a premature end because of a hamstring injury after catching 5 passes for 65 and running for 7 yards on three carries. Brandon Aiyuk, who racked up 115 receiving yards on six catches against the Patriots, is the clear WR1 with Samuel out and should continue to get plenty of work alongside George Kittle. Kendrick Bourne could get a little more exposure if Samuel misses time but don’t expect him to be a major contributor.

QB Andy Dalton, Dallas Cowboys

Dalton was knocked out of the Cowboys’ Week 7 matchup against the Washington Football Team and was replaced by Ben DiNucci. Dalton was motionless on the field and might have suffered a concussion. There’s not much game tape on DiNucci, so expect the Cowboys’ depleted passing attack to continue struggling. This is Ezekiel Elliotts time to shine. You might want to find a fill-ins for high-profile receivers like Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, and Michael Gallup.

WR N’Keal Harry, New England Patriots

Harry suffered a head injury in Week 7 and exited the Patriots’ game against the San Francisco 49ers for good in the second quarter. He and Damiere Byrd are neck and neck for the WR2 spot behind Julian Edelman so expect Byrd to benefit most in Week 8 if Harry isn’t good to go. New England only utilizes three receivers consistently and it’ll be impossible to predict who’s most likely to fill in for Harry.