Considering the injury report as you address the Week 4 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.

RB Chris Carson, Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks running back limped off the field late in the fourth quarter after Cowboys defender Trysten Hill twist his leg after a play ended. Carson did not return, but did not go to the locker room before the end of the game. We’ll have to wait and see what Carson’s status is heading into Week 4. Travis Homer came on in relief, but he and Carlos Hyde would likely split work if Carson’s injury were to cost him any time.

WR Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Godwin suffered a hamstring injury in the third quarter of Week 3. He was ruled out fairly quickly, and while the Broncos did have a decent-sized lead at the time, it’s still notable how quickly the team announced he was out. The Bucs host the Chargers at 1 p.m. next Sunday, so we’ll know early what’s what with Godwin. If you are looking for bodies, Scott Miller gets the bump behind Mike Evans.

WR Russell Gage, Atlanta Falcons

Gage looked like a rising star through the first two weeks of the season, but suffered a concussion against the Chicago Bears. Atlanta was already without Julio Jones (hamstring) in Week 3, and missing two of its top three receivers could drastically affect its dynamic passing attack. You have to think that Calvin Ridley, who has eclipsed 100 receiving yards in three straight games, will be even more vital to the Falcons’ offense moving forward. Todd Gurley and Brian Hill could also get more work because of the drop in talent out wide.

WR Diontae Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers

Johnson also suffered a concussion in Week 3 and has emerged as one of Ben Roethlisberger’s go-to guys. Johnson didn’t record a single catch against the Houston Texans, but was among the league leaders in targets through the first two weeks of the 2020 season. The second-year wideout has gotten more opportunities than JuJu Smith-Schuster, but Roethlisberger’s focus could shift with him out of commission. James Washington and Eric Ebron entered Week 3 with the third and fourth most targets on the Steelers, and both of them could get more exposure moving forward.

TE Dallas Goedert/WR DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles hardly have any pass catchers left. Goedert suffered an ankle injury in the first quarter of Philadelphia’s Week 3 game against the Cincinnati Bengals and Jackson was ruled out with a hamstring injury later on in the game. It’s unclear how severe either of these injuries are, but Philadelphia is already down Alshon Jeffery and Jalen Reagor. Zach Ertz and Miles Sanders are bound to become even more important on offense if Goedert and Jackson miss more time.

TE Jordan Reed, San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers entered Sunday’s game against the New York Giants down eight starters, but won in a blowout. They lost George Kittle’s replacement along the way with a knee/ankle injury though, which could limit their options on offense significantly. San Francisco lost Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman to lower body injuries in Week 2, but were able to get rushing scores from Jerick McKinnon and Jeffrey Wilson Jr. Nick Mullens throwing for 343 yards in Week 3 was promising, but limited health at wide receiver and tight end will likely lead to more touches for the running backs.

WR John Brown, Buffalo Bills

Brown left Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams prematurely with a calf injury and did not return. While he was expected to take a backseat Stefon Diggs in 2020, he’s remained a valuable part of Buffalo’s growing passing attack. Josh Allen has been productive with Diggs as his No. 1 option, but expect a bump in targets for Cole Beasley if Brown’s injury lingers into Week 4.

RB Tarik Cohen, Chicago Bears

Cohen appears to have torn is ACL returning a punt, head coach Matt Nagy said after the game, and his injury will spread the Bears very thin at running back. David Montgomery is the only other legitimate option at the position, but expect Cordarrelle Patterson to step in and spell him in the backfield at times.