NFL Week 8 Injury Report: Forecasting Impact on Fantasy Football

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Not sure what to do with DeMarco Murray, Trent Richardson and Maurice Jones-Drew injured?

Wondering who is going to be Robert Griffin III's new favorite wide receiver?

Don't worry, fantasy football owners, because all of the answers are here. 

Week 7 had a significant amount of injuries that left major holes in fantasy football owners' rosters. With Week 8 coming up here is a forecast of the impact the injuries will have on fantasy football in this weekend's games.

Rashard Mendenhall

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Rashard Mendenhall's status for this weekend is still uncertain, so Mendenhall owners need to make sure they continue to follow the Pittsburgh Steelers injury report.

Even if Mendenhall plays this weekend, I would still keep him on my bench. He will not be playing at 100% and he is going to lose some carries to Jonathan Dwyer.

If Mendenhall is unable to go, then you need to go out and acquire Dwyer. Dwyer went off this past week, running for 122 yards in the Steelers' win over the Cincinnati Bengals. He would make a great flex option for Week 8 as the Steelers take on the Washington Redskins if Dwyer is the lone running back available in the Pittsburgh backfield.

Pierre Garcon and Fred Davis

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With Pierre Garcon out for the next few games and Fred Davis done for the season, Robert Griffin III needs to find new receiving targets to throw to.

If you are looking for a sleeper on your waiver wire, take a chance on Leonard Hankerson. Last week, Hankerson became RG3's new favorite target, leading the team with eight targets and six receptions.

With not much competition at the receiver spot now, Hankerson will get a significant amount of playing time and this will be his best opportunity to break out.

Maurice Jones-Drew

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While Maurice Jones-Drew's injury length is uncertain, one thing fantasy football owners are sure of is that Rashad Jennings should immediately be acquired in every league.

Jones-Drew is expected to miss anywhere from two to four games, so during that time Jennings will make an adequate No. 2 fantasy running back. Last week after MJD went down with an injury, Jennings came in and became a workhorse. Not only did he carry the ball 21 times, but he also caught seven passes and finished the game with 102 total yards and a touchdown.

Jennings should continue to see at least 20 touches a game, which makes him a must start in all leagues.

DeMarco Murray

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Now that DeMarco Murray has officially been ruled out for Week 8, fantasy football owners need to follow the injury status of Felix Jones.

Jones got injured twice in the Cowboys' last game, yet still managed to finish with 20 touches. Jones is expected to play, but I would be cautious to start him because of his health issues. If you are in desperate need of a running back though, Jones would make a good flex option if he can stay healthy for an entire game.

The Cowboys' other running back, Phillip Tanner, is also worth considering. Since Jones can never stay healthy, I would expect that Tanner sees some more action in Week 8.

Trent Richardson

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Though Trent Richardson insists that he is going to play this weekend, fantasy football owners should still be worried to start him this week.

Richardson said the same thing last week and look what happened to him. He ended up having to leave the game early because he was not playing at full speed with his injured ribs. If Richardson does end up playing this weekend, I would be inclined to leave him on my bench. I find it hard to believe that he will be able to take on a full workload while playing injured.

Richardson's backup, Montario Hardesty, is worth acquiring, especially if Richardson is out this weekend. If Hardesty gets the start, he would be a low-end flex option and receive around 10-15 touches.