Week 3 Fantasy Football Impact: Aaron Jones, Nico Collins, and 3 Other Injury Updates
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Week 3 of the NFL season getting closer, several notable players have been non-participants at practice. With that, here is the latest injury news on five starter-level fantasy football players ahead of this week's games.
Nico Collins
WR1 for the Houston Texans, Nico Collins did not play in Week 2 after suffering a grade 1 hamstring strain in a Wednesday practice in the lead-up to the game. His status for being available in Week 3 against the Indianapolis Colts is up in the air. Things are not off to a great start, as he did not practice on Wednesday, Sep.23.
If Collins is out, TE Dalton Schultz and WR Xavier Hutchinson become startable fantasy players against the Colts. In Week 2, Schultz had 12 receptions for 140 yards, and Hutchinson had just three receptions for 37 yards but had the second most targets on Houston with nine.
Caleb Douglas
After a strong start to his rookie season, WR for the Miami Dolphins, Caleb Douglas's status is up in the air for their Week 3 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs. In the Dolphins' latest game against the San Francisco 49ers, Douglas suffered an ankle injury in the fourth quarter. He did not practice on Wednesday, Sep.23, and it does not sound like the Dolphins are in any sort of rush to try to get him ready to play in Week 3.
If he were out, Malik Washington would be Miami’s WR1. He had this role in games in 2025 and did not have any great fantasy football outings in it. Fantasy managers looking for a WR stream play for Week 3 should steer clear of Washington and any other Miami WR for now; there are better options out there, including Houston WR Hutchinson.
Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle
Both the RB1 and RB2 of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Rico Dowdle and Jaylen Warren, did not practice on Wednesday, Sep. 23. Dowdle’s status for Week 3 is the more worrisome of the two. He was carted off the field in their Week 2 contest against the New England Patriots. His injury does not appear to be severe, as he suffered some sort of toe injury and is listed as day-to-day. Dowdle was seen in a boot at practice on Sep. 23.
Fantasy managers should not stress about Warren’s injury status until further information comes out. According to Mike DeFabo of The Athletic, he did not practice for one of two reasons. He is dealing with an injury that has not been revealed yet, or he is simply being given a veteran rest day.
On the off chance neither of the two Pittsburgh RBs is ready to go for Week 3, their RB1 would be rookie Eli Heidenreich.
Aaron Jones
In Week 2, Minnesota Vikings RB Aaron Jones turned back the clock and looked a bit like the player he was on the Green Bay Packers earlier in his career. He had 23 carries for 105 yards. However, that workload given to him at 31 years old may have put his Week 3 availability in jeopardy.
Jones did not practice on Wednesday, Sep. 23, as he is currently dealing with a knee injury he suffered in the fourth quarter in Week 2 against the Chicago Bears. He was evaluated in his team’s medical tent during the game and did return.
If Jones does not play in Week 3, the Vikings RB1 will be rookie Demond Claiborne. RB DeeJay Dallas, who has recently been elevated to Minnesota’s 53-man roster, could also play a role.
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Gray Deyo is a Nashville-based sportswriter who graduated with a sports management bachelor's degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He has covered prep sports, college sports, the WNBA, and the NBA for the past four years. In addition to writing for SI, Gray also currently contributes to Prep Girls Hoops