Bowers Doubtful, Kyler Out: Week 2 Injury Chaos Hits Fantasy Lineups
Brock Bowers will test his knee pre-game as a doubtful tag looms, while Kyler Murray's concussion hands Carson Wentz another start.
Doubtful with a knee issue and a game-day test — you can't gamble.
- Bowers doubtful, will test knee before Sunday's game
- Kyler Murray out; Wentz threw 3 TDs in relief Week 1
- Bowers put up 174 PPR pts in 2025 (12 games)
- Raiders backup QB O'Connell questionable (personal)
- Mims Jr. (foot) ruled out for Denver
The injury bug bit hard heading into Week 2, and it hit some of fantasy's most valuable names. Raiders tight end Brock Bowers is doubtful with a knee injury, and coach Klint Kubiak said the 2024 All-Pro will test it out pre-game before any call gets made. That's about as unnerving as a designation gets for managers who spent a premium pick on him.
Meanwhile, Vikings QB Kyler Murray is officially out after suffering a concussion just a few plays into his Minnesota debut. That pushes Carson Wentz back into the starting role — the same Wentz who came off the bench and tossed three touchdowns to rally past Green Bay in Week 1. His 2025 line (68 PPR points across 5 games, 6 TDs to 5 INTs) doesn't scream must-start, but the volume is suddenly real.
The Bowers Problem
Bowers logged 64 catches for 680 yards and 7 TDs last season (2025, actual, over 12 games), good for 174 PPR points and a spot at TE11 in our rankings. That production is exactly why a game-day decision stings. If he can't go, Michael Mayer steps into a heavy workload again — the kind of streaming option worth a flier if your tight end room is thin.
The Raiders' backfield of trouble doesn't stop there. Backup QB Aidan O'Connell is questionable after missing Thursday and Friday practices for a personal reason. He barely registers in fantasy anyway (5 PPR points across a single game in 2025), so his availability matters more for depth-chart peace of mind than roster relevance.
Other Names to Track
Elsewhere, Bengals QB Joe Burrow is questionable but trending toward playing after Zac Taylor signaled Friday he'd be good to go — Burrow himself called the idea of sitting ridiculous. Ravens WR Zay Flowers (hamstring), who piled up 150 yards and a TD in under a half last week before exiting, was limited Friday and remains a genuine coin flip. Denver ruled out WR Marvin Mims Jr. (foot) after he sat out all week.
Fantasy managers should sit Bowers if any starter-quality alternative exists — a doubtful tag plus a pre-game knee test is not a bet you win often. Stash Mayer as a cheap plug if you're desperate at the position. Wentz is a matchup-dependent QB2 at best given that pick-heavy 2025 profile, so only stream him if you're truly stuck. And keep your Sunday lineup flexible: with Flowers, McConkey and RJ Harvey all carrying question marks, this is a week to check the actives before kickoff.
