Considering the injury report as you address the Week 3 fantasy waiver wire

The second week of the 2020 NFL season was plagued with injuries, and quite a few impact players were forced to leave games prematurely. This slew of injuries could cause teams to adjust their depth charts ahead of Game 3, which means there could be some very important waiver wire steals up for grabs. We’ll go over Sunday’s most important injury news here to help you figure out where to look for waiver wire targets.

Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants

Barkley tore his ACL on Sunday against the Chicago Bears, and his season-ending injury will drastically affect fantasy football leagues everywhere. He entered 2020 as a consensus first-round pick across all formats because of his versatility, and fantasy owners will likely swarm to acquire his backup. Dion Lewis will likely move to first on the depth chart and tallied 10 rushes for 20 yards and a score while also hauling in four passes for 36 yards on Sunday. He is far from being a one-dimensional back but could split touches with Wayne Gallman moving forward.

Raheem Mostert, RB, San Francisco 49ers

Update: Mostert is dealing with an MCL injury, according to multiple reports. He will get an MRI to determine the extent of the damage.

Mostert kicked off the 2020 season on a high note as the 49ers’ feature back but suffered what appears to be an MCL injury on Sunday against the New York Jets after rushing for 92 yards and a score on eight carries. His backup Tevin Coleman also suffered an injury, so Jerrick McKinnon could see his workload increase in the coming weeks. McKinnon ran for 77 yards and a score on three carries against New York.

Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, San Francisco 49ers

Garoppolo was able to make it through a half of football on Sunday despite dealing with discomfort caused by a high ankle sprain. Whether Garoppolo will miss time is still up in the air, but if he does, Nick Mullens has a clear edge over C.J. Beathard to fill in under center for a San Francisco team that’s lacking depth all over on offense.

Drew Lock, QB, Denver Broncos

Update: Lock suffered a sprained AC joint that could cost him 2-6 weeks.

Lock couldn’t go the distance against the Chicago Bears because of a shoulder injury and was replaced by Jeff Driskel on Sunday. There hasn’t been a health update on the second-year quarterback just yet, but Denver’s offense will be weakened while Courtland Sutton (knee) struggles to stay healthy.

Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers

Monday update: McCaffrey is expected to miss “multiple weeks” with his ankle injury, per Adam Schefter.

Update: CMC will get an MRI on his ankle on Monday.

McCaffrey had to remove himself from Carolina’s Week 2 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers twice and wasn’t part of the Panthers’ final push in the fourth quarter. Lamar Jackson was the only player in the NFL who scored more fantasy points than McCaffrey in 2019, and he’ll likely be among the league leaders in touches this season. We’re still waiting for an update on the severity of McCaffrey’s injury, but Mike Davis could get more snaps in the near future if the starter misses time

Davante Adams, WR, Green Bay Packers

Adams was more dominant than any other receiver in Week 1 and notched 14 receptions for 156 yards and two scores. However, he had an underwhelming Week 2 against the Detroit Lions with three receptions for 36 yards. Aaron Rodgers’ favorite target was forced to leave the game early because of a hamstring injury. There’s been no indication that Adams’ injury is serious, but if he misses time Allen Lazard could have a more prominent role moving forward.

Tyrod Taylor, QB, Los Angeles Chargers

Taylor suffered a chest injury before the Chargers’ game against the Kansas City Chiefs even started. Rookie Justin Herbert relieved him as the starter and rushed for a score on his first drive. If Los Angeles looks more impressive than than the Week 1 starter, this could be a repeat of the Baker Mayfield situation Taylor had to endure with the Cleveland Browns.

Courtland Sutton, WR, Denver Broncos

Sutton did not return to the Broncos loss to the Steelers due to a knee injury, and will get an MRI on Monday. He was already dealing with a shoulder injury, so this only compounds matters. WR Jerry Jeudy and TE Noah Fant would likely see the biggest upgrade if Sutton misses more time. Tim Patrick and DaeSean Hamilton would see more snaps at wide receiver.

Other injuries worth monitoring

• Will Fuller (hamstring), WR, Houston Texans
• Parris Campbell (knee), WR, Indianapolis Colts
• Breshad Perriman (ankle), WR, New York Jets
• Cam Akers (ribs), RB, Los Angeles Rams
• Sterling Shepard (toe), New York Giants