The Herd with Colin Cowherd — FantasyPros Week 1 Fantasy Football Reactions & Injuries + Early Week 2 Waiver Wire (Ep. 1692)

Date: September 8, 2025
Host: Seth Wilcock
Analysts: Dr. Deepak Chona (Sports Med Analytics), Scott Bogman ("Bogman" or "Boggs")

Overview

This special episode of FantasyPros on The Herd is a comprehensive live recap of NFL Week 1, focusing on instant reactions, major injuries, and early waiver wire targets for fantasy football managers. The panel covers every Sunday game, breaks down fantasy risers/fallers, and delivers actionable insight and advice—especially around player health—with repeat guest Dr. Deepak Chona providing expert injury analysis.

Key Segments & Timestamps

• [00:22] Introduction and Injury Rundown
• [03:28] Christian McCaffrey Injury Update & Fantasy Impacts
• [05:03] Kansas City Chiefs Injury Update: Xavier Worthy’s Dislocated Shoulder
• [08:25] Las Vegas Raiders TE Brock Bowers Knee Injury
• [11:03] Drake London Injury & Atlanta Falcons WR Outlook
• [12:25] George Kittle Hamstring (49ers) & WR Jauan Jennings Updates
• [15:30] Updates on Chris Godwin (Buccaneers) & Joe Mixon (Texans)
• [23:14] Week 1 Game-by-Game Fantasy Recaps
• [75:00] Closing Remarks / Fantasy Takeaways

Detailed Breakdown

Notable Injury Updates & Analysis

Christian McCaffrey (San Francisco 49ers - Calf)

• [03:28] Dr. Deepak Chona: “He looked good. Doesn't look like they really held back on him at all. ... I actually don’t even think I would call this a calf strain.”
  • Shanahan not overly cautious; while healthy, CMC remains elite but his age and workload still bring high injury risk (“double the average RB”).
  • Fantasy Implication: Keep using him. If you drafted, handcuffing with Brian Robinson Jr. is wise. If you don't roster CMC, Bogman suggests Robinson as the clearer backup (“pretty big gap” over Garendo).

Xavier Worthy (Kansas City Chiefs - Dislocated Shoulder)

• [05:42] Dr. Chona: “Redislocation rates are really high—50% in-season for NFL players... Average timeline for non-operative treatment is about three weeks.”
  • Surgery possible if instability persists; role upon return could be diminished by risk of re-injury.
  • [07:40] Bogman: Expects drop in rest-of-season rankings, big bump to Marquise “Hollywood” Brown (16 targets in Week 1), and floats rumors of a Tyreek Hill reunion (“maybe something they're thinking about”).

Brock Bowers (Las Vegas Raiders - Knee)

• [08:56] Dr. Chona: Mechanism “relatively mild appearing...he was up and active on the sideline...truly precaution.” Anticipates Bowers back at practice with no long-term concern.
  • [09:52] Bogman: “Not too worried about Bowers if this injury turns up to be not much.”

Drake London (Atlanta Falcons - Shoulder/Upper Body)

• [11:03] Dr. Chona: Likely AC joint sprain; “average tends to be milder, one to two weeks.” Will monitor practice reports—two limited sessions would likely signal he’ll play.
  • [12:05] Bogman: Little waiver appeal in ATL, but Ray-Ray McCloud (deep leagues; DFS) is the name to monitor if both London and Mooney miss time.

George Kittle (San Francisco 49ers - Hamstring)

• [12:46] Dr. Chona: “Because of the player, it’s a little worse...he has a soft tissue history...average about two to three weeks.”
  • Older age (31), prior history could mean riskier/longer absence. First week back usually sees a 15% dip in performance.
  • Jauan Jennings (shoulder) status unclear.

Chris Godwin (Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Ankle) & Joe Mixon (Houston Texans - Unspecified)

• [15:30] Dr. Chona (on Godwin): “Wouldn’t anticipate using him before week 8...probably on the field around week 5 or 6. Second surgery flags a slower recovery.”
  • (on Mixon): Not optimistic. “Most non-operatively treated injuries by this time would be essentially healed...might not see a drastic difference in 4-6 weeks. At some point, intervention may be needed.”

Summary Table

| Player | Team | Injury | Timetable | Fantasy Take | |-------------------|----------------------|----------------------------|-------------------|--------------| | Christian McCaffrey | 49ers | Calf (not severe) | Week-to-week | Keep rolling, high risk if workload remains crazy | | Xavier Worthy | Chiefs | Dislocated shoulder | 3 weeks+, risky | Bench, pick up Hollywood Brown | | Brock Bowers | Raiders | Knee (mild) | Expected to return| Full-go, no downgrade | | Drake London | Falcons | Likely AC joint sprain | 1-2 weeks | Monitor, no major waivers | | George Kittle | 49ers | Hamstring (soft tissue) | 2-3 weeks | Stash, watch for re-injury | | Chris Godwin | Bucs | Ankle fracture/dislocation | ~Week 5/6 return, fade until ~Week 8 | Stash, temper expectations early | | Joe Mixon | Texans | Unspecified (not healing) | Unknown, long-term| Drop in optimism, Nick Chubb up |

Waiver Wire Highlights

• Hollywood Brown for KC (huge target share; replace Worthy, Rice out for 5 weeks)
• Ricky Pearsall (49ers): “Wheels up” if Kittle, Jennings miss; big rookie usage.
• Juwan Johnson (Saints TE): 11 tgts/8 rec/76 yds; primary Rattler target, especially if OLave gets dinged up.
• Tyler Warren (Colts TE): 7 rec/76 yds/9 tgt; becoming a top-5 fantasy TE option.
• Benson (Cardinals RB): More involved behind Conner (8 for 69); sneaky bench stash.
• Bill Croskey Merritt (Washington RB): Flashed as valuable backup.

Week 1 Fantasy Risers & Fallers — Game-by-Game Highlights

Indianapolis Colts 23, Miami Dolphins 8 ([23:14])

• Colts: Jonathan Taylor played every snap in the first half; Tyler Warren (TE) major breakout (7 rec/76 yds/9 tgt).
• Dolphins: Only De’Von Achane reliable in fantasy (double digits, late TD), Tyreek Hill and Waddle both underwhelming, sideline frustrations.

Pittsburgh Steelers 34, New York Jets 32 ([27:51])

• Steelers: Kenneth Gainwell surprised as RB2, Caleb Johnson barely saw snaps; Warren remains main fantasy back over Gainwell.
• Jets: Breece Hall is clear RB1 (21 touches), but goal line carries a concern as Justin Fields and Braylon Allen get used. Garrett Wilson and Fields produce (“Fields had two [rushing] touchdowns.” – Bogman, 29:50).

Jacksonville Jaguars 26, Carolina Panthers 10 ([31:05])

• Jags: Travis Etienne shines (“Looked so good, 16 for 143, 3 for 13...That is what it wound up being.” – Bogman, 31:05).
• Panthers: Bryce Young struggles; better days for Tet expected, but offense limited.

Arizona Cardinals 20, New Orleans Saints 13 ([35:47])

• Cardinals: Conner remains RB1, but Trey Benson mixing more.
• Saints: Juwan Johnson emerges; Olave and Shahid both see good target volume.
  “Juwan Johnson...if you decided to skip [TE]...he’s there for sure.” (Bogman, 37:05)

Washington Commanders 21, New York Giants 6 ([39:47])

• Commanders: Debo Samuel with strong usage; Bill Croskey Merritt an emerging weapon.
• Giants: Russ Wilson fails to deliver, “pathetic” passing; Malik Nabers and Wandale Robinson most reliable WRs.
• Bogman: “You gotta have a plan to put somebody else in. … This was awful, dude.” (41:00)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23, Atlanta Falcons 20 ([44:14])

• Bucs: Emeka Egbuka monster debut (2 TDs); Mike Evans still big even in tough matchup.
• Falcons: Bijan Robinson ineffective on the ground, but 6 catches for 100 & TD; “Kyle Pitts...8 targets/7 rec/59; Drake London 15 targets before injury.” — Usage finally aligns with draft capital.

Cincinnati Bengals 17, Cleveland Browns 16 ([47:52])

• Bengals: Offense sputters (2.9 YPP), Chase Brown only one close to fantasy value.
• Browns: Dylan Sampson (over Ford), Harold Fannin Jr. (TE) big days; Fannin trending up as Njoku splits time.
  “Fannin is a big slot more than a TE.” – Bogman, 49:00

Las Vegas Raiders 20, New England Patriots 13 ([51:46])

• Raiders: Brock Bowers fine after knee; Geno Smith (facing Pats defense) effective; Jacoby Myers clear WR1.
• Patriots: Treyvon Henderson—slow rookie RB start but six targets/six catches mean he’s a top buy-low.

San Francisco 49ers 17, Seattle Seahawks 13 ([56:34])

• 49ers: CMC workhorse (32 touches – risky for rest of season); Ricky Pearsall “WR2 borderline” with Kittle/Jennings out.
• Seahawks: JSN (Jaxon Smith-Njigba) 13 targets/9 catches/124 yds; trending as at least a top-15 WR rest-of-season.

Tennessee Titans 12, Denver Broncos 20 ([61:50])

• Titans: Tony Pollard ineffective but volume safe (19 touches); Cam Ward struggles against elite Denver D.
• Broncos: RJ Harvey (limited work, only 7 touches), but upside high; JK Dobbins more snaps for now.

Detroit Lions 13, Green Bay Packers 27 ([65:05])

• Lions: PPR only for Jahmyr Gibbs (10 catches), Montgomery inefficient; Amon-Ra underwhelming (concern if trend continues).
• Packers: Jordan Love efficient, Jayden Reed/Tucker Kraft score; Romeo Doubs snap trend up.

LA Rams 14, Houston Texans 9 ([69:15])

• Rams: Puka Nacua untouchable (10 rec/130 yds); Kyren Williams clear RB1.
• Texans: Nico Collins slow, O-line banged up; “I’m not panicking...If Nico isn’t good next week, we’ll sound the alarm.” – Bogman, 72:23

Notable Quotes

• “I actually don’t even think I would call this version a calf strain…CMC has double the average RB injury risk but when he’s out there, he’s probably going to look like he did today.” – Dr. Deepak Chona ([03:28])
• “Redislocation rates are really high...50% in-season for NFL players, and we're only in Week 1. … If [Worthy] dislocates again, that's usually a season-ender.” – Dr. Chona ([05:42])
• “Tyler Warren…You got yourself a top five tight end.” – Seth Wilcock ([26:44])
• “Fannin is a big slot more than a tight end—he's a move piece...A little worried about Njoku.” – Scott Bogman ([49:00])
• “Week 1's weird. It's always weird. ... Just hold on.” – Seth Wilcock ([73:14])

Rapid Fire Rest-of-Season Takes

• Sell-High Window: Christian McCaffrey (if risk-averse due to usage/injury), potentially Etienne depending on return offers.
• Buy-Low Candidates: Treyvon Henderson (NE), JSN (if somehow not rostered), Dillon Sampson (CLE), Bill Croskey Merritt (WAS).
• Trending Down: Giants pass catchers, Panthers offense, Texans O-line skill guys, aMonra St. Brown (if trend continues).
• Keep Stashing: Rookie RBs like RJ Harvey, Benson, Scatterboo—rookies often start slow.
• Monitor Snap Counts: Key for backfield committees emerging post-injury (e.g., B. Rob SF, Benson ARI).

Final Thoughts & Advice

Patience:
Don’t panic after Week 1 — offense usually starts slow, especially with major scheme or personnel changes. Monitor practice reports for injury returns, and use strong underlying usage metrics (snaps, targets, red-zone touches) to guide early waiver moves.

Injury Watch:
Dr. Chona’s input provides essential context for injury timelines and probabilities—season is a marathon, not a sprint, especially for older, high-usage skill players.

Waiver Wire Priorities:
Target high-usage fill-ins (Hollywood Brown, Juwan Johnson, Ricky Pearsall), backfields showing changing tides (Samson, Benson), and breakout TEs (Tyler Warren, Harold Fannin Jr.).

Connect & Follow-Up

• Dr. Deepak Chona: Find him on Instagram, YouTube, X (@sportsmedanalytics).
• Podcast info, Twitch & Prizes: All interactivity, including the Ricky Pearsall autographed helmet giveaway, is on Twitch TV/fantasypros.

For more detailed positional rankings and in-season tools, visit fantasypros.com or the Fantasy Pros app.