Dynasty News, Week 4

Photo: USA Today Sports

Last week, we mentioned how Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow tweaked his previously injured calf late in the Week 2 loss to the Ravens. His status for Week 3 against the Rams was a big topic of conversation this week. While those are valid conversations, we should adjust our sights to when Burrow will be healthy, not when he plays next. Ian Rapoport reported last week that Burrow will not be fully healthy “for some time.” Sure, he will try to play through the injury, as the Bengals have a losing record. The Cincinnati offense runs because of the strong play of the quarterback. Jake Browning is a large step down from Burrow, but most backups are. This calf injury will likely linger until November … if not longer.

On Friday, Panthers rookie quarterback Bryce Young was ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Seahawks. The early notice signifies that Young was not close to playing in the contest. He injured his ankle in Week 2 versus the Saints and might miss next week’s game against the Vikings. Andy Dalton played surprisingly well against Seattle. The injury also gives the youngster time to regroup after a slow start.

After noting concern for rookie C.J. Stroud’s shoulder last week, the hits keep coming. This week, Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik told the team website that Stroud is on an “arm management program.” This is curious and concerning, as a rookie should not need to manage his throwing in the first few games of his career. Stroud has played well through this program, but our worry is longer-term. Slowik went on to say, “It may be some (practice) days he’s limited on throws, it may be some days he’s not limited on throws, but he’s limited on other stuff that’s not team-period related … And that is kind of a week-to-week thing and it’s an individual thing as we go through the year. So he’s always going to be on an arm maintenance program every quarterback is it’s just what we’re doing that specific week.” This appeared in a HoustonTexans.com article so it was endorsed by the team. Curious. From a dynasty perspective, we are concerned about the long-term viability of Stroud … and his shoulder. He was outstanding in the upset victory over Jacksonville. We will continue to monitor the situation.

New Orleans quarterback Derek Carr left the Week 3 game in Green Bay with his team comfortably ahead. He was forced from the contest after a hard hit, and the initial indication was a head injury. We soon learned that the injury was to his shoulder. Late Sunday afternoon, Ian Rapoport reported that Carr “is believed to have suffered an AC sprain.” AC sprains can take a few weeks to heal, so Jameis Winston will likely start in Week 4 against his former team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Winston looked out of sync in the Packers game, with Taysom Hill coming in and out. He never got in a rhythm and looked uncomfortable. The Saints lost the game after a missed field goal. While far from flashy, Carr runs the Saints offense much better than the backups, so his absence will be felt.