Fantasy QB Injury Updates Week 3: Joe Burrow, Justin Fields, J.J. McCarthy, more

Griffin Missant

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Fantasy QB Injury Updates Week 3: Joe Burrow, Justin Fields, J.J. McCarthy, more image

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We are just two weeks into the NFL season, and there has been a plethora of injuries to starting QBs. QBs going down can derail entire offenses and destroy production for the players on that team. 

This can, of course, lead to a dip in fantasy performances, especially if the backup is incapable of running the offense. Being aware of which QBs are hurt is just the beginning of making lineup decisions.

Knowing the severity of the injury brings on a whole bunch of other tough choices. If a QB is out for the long term, trading away the skill position players who will take a hit might need to be done. 

Here is every relevant fantasy football QB on the Week 3 injury report as of Sept. 16, along with any updates that may come through ahead of Thursday and Sunday. 

FANTASY RANKINGS WEEK 3: QB | ​​RB | WR | TE | D/ST | PK

Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals (turf toe, out for season)

The toe injury heard around the world. Joe Burrow went down in Week 2 against the Cleveland Browns with an apparent foot injury. It was later confirmed to be a grade 3 turf toe, with torn ligaments. 

Unfortunately for Burrow, the worst-case scenario became reality. Head coach Zac Taylor confirmed that Burrow would need surgery on his left toe and will now miss at a minimum of 3 months. 

Fantasy Outlook 

Jake Browning will now take over as the starter for the Bengals. This, no doubt, hurts the stock of Ja'Marr Chase, Chase Brown, and Tee Higgins. However, I'm most worried about Tee Higgins and what this will mean for his involvement.

Even when Burrow went down, Chase was heavily targeted. It's not necessarily hard to get the ball to one of the best WRs in the NFL. Brown, while it still hurts him, might benefit the most out of these three. The receiving production could spike for Brown with Browning as the QB. 

However, Higgins' entire role in this offense is those deep chunk plays down the field. Burrow and Higgins had such amazing chemistry and trust. Burrow could place those 50/50 balls right where Higgins could make a play. Browning simply will not be able to do that, nor will the Bengals put him in those scenarios. In fact, when Browning was the starter in 2023, Higgins saw a 7% target share drop. The Bengals will have to look for other ways to get Higgins involved in the offense. 

Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders (knee injury, day-to-day)

In Week 2 on TNF, Jayden Daniels got up and ended and landed awkwardly on his leg. He popped up with a limp and played the rest of the game.

Shortly after, Daniels arrived on the injury list, even though head coach Dan Quinn claims that he wouldn't call it a knee injury. He's being labeled day-to-day and is questionable for Week 3. 

Fantasy Outlook 

Because Daniels was able to finish the game following the injury, we can probably lean towards him playing. However, if he does not, Marcus Mariota will step in as the starter.

Luckily, in Week 3, the Commanders face the Las Vegas Raiders, who don't necessarily pose a threat to opposing QBs. I would be cautious with starting Terry McLaurin, as he has struggled even with Daniels. However, Deebo Samuel can make a lot happen with short passes, so he's still a must-start after two great weeks. 

The run game was never anything insane with Daniels, but maybe they lean on it more if he misses Week 3. Jacory Croskey-Merritt should be the lead back with the recent injury to Austin Ekeler. But if you have better options at the RB position, by no means do you have to start him. 

FANTASY LINEUP TIPS: Week 3 Sleepers

Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers (toe/shoulder, out at least 1 more week)

While you can never really trust Kyle Shanahan to provide accurate injury reports, it seems pretty clear that Brock Purdy will miss Week 3. Purdy is still dealing with the toe and shoulder injury that kept him out for Week 2. 

The turf toe injury appears to be more serious than previously anticipated. Purdy sustained this in Week 1, and it's expected to keep him out anywhere between 2 to 5 weeks. 

Fantasy Outlook 

This is the only scenario in this article where we don't have to guess what the offense might look like without the starting QB. This is, of course, because we already saw it take place in Week 2. 

While the offense was not groundbreaking, Mac Jones was able to support 2 of the 3 main fantasy options on this team. Jauan Jennings was targeted 10 times and caught half of them. Jennings turned those 5 catches into 89 yards and a big TD. The only issue is Jennings is questionable for Week 3 with a knee injury. 

Christian McCaffrey saw 19 touches with Jones under center. If Jennings is out, CMC will undoubtedly see that creep over 20. While Ricky Pearsall was still targeted 6 times, he took a back seat in production behind Jennings and McCaffrey. 

The Niners do play a bit better of a defensive unit in the Arizona Cardinals, but you can feel confident starting those three options and even Jones at QB if you have to in Week 3. 

J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings (high-ankle sprain, out 2-4 weeks)

Seemingly out of nowhere, the Vikings announced that J.J. McCarthy will miss at least two weeks with a high-ankle sprain. Some are speculating that this was a way for the Vikings to bench McCarthy without the noise from the media. 

I'm not really buying that, but it's an interesting thought. However, McCarthy did take some big shots in their SNF game against the Falcons. 

Fantasy Outlook 

It's no secret that the Vikings' offense has been putrid under McCarthy. Despite the historic comeback in Week 1 on MNF, we've seen 7 bad quarters of football. 

All the blame certainly cannot go on McCarthy, after all, the offensive line has struggled to keep him protected. However, McCarthy missed a ton of throws that he's expected to make as an NFL starting QB. 

With Carson Wentz taking over, we can expect the WRs, specifically Justin Jefferson, to get better production through the air. The RBs might open up more, too, if they can establish the pass and free up some lanes for Jordan Mason (Aaron Jones might be unavailable). 

Regardless of whether this is a secret benching or an injury, McCarthy being out should help some of these fantasy options improve their performances. 

PROTECT YOUR BACKFIELD: RB handcuff rankings and depth charts

Justin Fields, New York Jets (concussion, questionable)

In Week 2, Justin Fields left the game in the fourth quarter and was evaluated for a head injury. It was later confirmed that Fields did sustain a concussion and is in question for Week 3. 

Head coach Aaron Glenn made it quite clear, if Fields can't log a practice, he won't play in Week 3. 

Fantasy Outlook

After the Fields injury, Tyrod Taylor came in as the starter and completed 7 passes for 56 yards and a touchdown. While the offense might not move as well, Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall should get enough production through the air to be viable starts in PPR leagues. 

As with anyone else, they weren't that startable even with Fields in the lineup. This is the injury with the least concern as it relates to fantasy. 

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Griffin Missant

Griffin Missant joined The Sporting News in 2025 as a fantasy football intern. He graduated from Grand Valley State University, where he covered the Lakers football program. He has also worked for Sleeper and the Fantasy Trade Room. He has played fantasy for over a decade, and has been passionate about fantasy football ever since.