This year is no different from any other in terms of key players missing time early in the season. In fact, it is hardly surprising considering the league as a whole opts to use the preseason more to decide who belongs on the back end of their rosters and less on preparing players for the physical punishment they are about to endure.

The argument for the current method is that teams should theoretically enter the season healthy. The argument against it is enough players suffer soft-tissue injuries in Week 1 and Week 2 that teams must resort to Plan B for a month in mid-September. Those injured players then often must race against time to be a major contributor again before midseason.

The rest of this column will be devoted to highlighting players who are already dealing with some kind of multi-week injury and what fantasy managers can do to tread water until their return.

Quarterbacks

Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) - cannot return until Week 8 at the earliest

Jordan Love (knee) - could return as soon as Week 3

Thankfully, the quarterback position has not been hit as hard yet by injury as the other fantasy positions - with the exception of Tagovailoa. The Dolphins have already placed him on IR. The Dolphins smartly have not provided a timetable - outside of the fact he will have to sit out Miami's next four games. If there is any good news about the entire situation from a fantasy perspective, it might be that most managers in 12-team (or smaller) one-quarterback leagues were not counting on Tagovailoa as a starter.

Love seemingly avoided a major injury with the MCL sprain he suffered in Week 1. He returned to a limited practice on Wednesday and could push to play in Week 3 against the Titans. Even if he does not play this weekend, Week 4 seems like a worst-case scenario at this point.

The backup plan for each team: Skylar Thompson has already been announced as the starter in Miami for however long Tagovailoa is out, although it seems more like a situation where he could be looking over his shoulder at Tyler Huntley as soon as Week 4 against the Titans if he struggles in Week 3 versus the Seahawks.

We have already seen the backup plan in Green Bay, as the Packers hid Malik Willis (14 pass attempts) and ran 53 times in a Week 2 win over Indianapolis. It seems unlikely Tennessee's run defense will be as soft as the Colts' was in the event Love is not ready yet.

Some alternatives if you are stuck at quarterback: Hopefully, managers heeded my advice last week and picked up Baker Mayfield. Derek Carr is off to a fast start with the surprising Saints' offense. With that said, both players have likely been picked up in the majority of competitive leagues already. There is also a strong chance Justin Fields has as well, although the play-calling in Pittsburgh has been so conservative that even a dynamic dual-threat quarterback such as him may not have very much upside.

It might feel a bit gross to consider Sam Darnold, but it may be about time to do so. He stated recently that he took his preparation to a new level during his one-year stint last season in San Francisco. Transitioning from 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan to Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell has afforded the former No. 3 overall pick a fair amount of time to decompress after landing in poor situations with the Jets and Panthers to begin his career. In Minnesota, he has a decent chance of becoming this year's version of Mayfield in that he is getting a chance to start over with a good play-caller and a strong supporting cast.

Another option worth considering is Kirk Cousins. The 36-year-old offers no rushing upside and may be the poster child for why 90 percent of the league needs to play more during the preseason (although I recognize the role his surgically repaired Achilles is likely playing a bigger role in his slow start). This is another case of a quarterback with a very good supporting cast who may just need some time to re-acclimate to the speed of the game. The beauty of adding Cousins is that Atlanta could find itself in shootout mode each of the next three weeks against the Chiefs, Saints and Bucs. After that, he could be a key part of many fantasy title runs with games against the Giants and Commanders in Weeks 16 and 17, respectively.

Running Backs

Joe Mixon (ankle) - not ruled out for Week 3 yet, but it would be a mild surprise if he avoided a high-ankle sprain

Kenneth Walker (oblique) - missed Week 2 and could miss 1-2 more games

Isiah Pacheco (fractured fibula) - expected to miss AT LEAST 6-8 weeks

Mixon seemingly avoided the dreaded high-ankle sprain, although there have been no reports confirming that yet. Consider me skeptical that he plays in Week 3 against the Vikings and consider me even more skeptical that he does so at a high level if he suits up.

Walker pointed to his side upon straining his oblique late in Week 1, but his reaction at the time was so minor that it was a bit shocking to see him as a "DNP" to begin last week. The problem with oblique injuries is that they are rarely "minor" enough for someone to play through - especially for a running back or receiver who will twist and turn as often as they do. Fantasy managers should be prepared for Walker to miss at least two more games and hope he can return to practice at some point next week.

It is always a risk to rely too heavily on running backs who seek contact and/or attempt to squeeze as much as they can out of every run. Such is the case for Pacheco, who faces a long road to recovery after undergoing surgery earlier this week. Kansas City has been a very balanced offense through two games (53 pass attempts versus 52 runs), but it seems unlikely that will remain the case moving forward with no other back on the roster possessing Pacheco's blend of power and explosiveness.

The backup plan for each team: Dameon Pierce is technically Mixon's direct backup, but he is dealing with a hamstring problem. That means Cam Akers could draw a start against his most recent former team and handle a heavy workload.

Fantasy managers are already quite familiar with Zach Charbonnet, although he has not done anything through two weeks to convince the new coaching staff he deserves more playing time (despite the fact he is the RB18 through two weeks).

The great mystery entering this weekend is what the Chiefs intend to do with their stable of running backs. Preseason sensation Carson Steele is considered the frontrunner to replace Pacheco - at least on early downs - but that might be a bit of a stretch considering we have seen Samaje Perine fill in nicely when asked to handle a full workload. With that said, Perine has yet to log a carry through two games. Steele has nine. Perine is highly regarded for his contributions in the passing game and has been targeted twice on 13 pass routes. Steele has yet to see a target on six routes. On Tuesday, the Chiefs muddied the waters even more by adding old friend Kareem Hunt to the mix.

Some alternatives if you are stuck at running back: The plan might be slightly different for all three backs. Along with Mixon, Pierce also did not practice Wednesday or Thursday. That would leave Akers as the favorite to handle 15 touches out of Houston's backfield in Week 3.

Charbonnet is highly unlikely to be available in any competitive league. Kenny McIntosh logged one snap in the backfield in Week 2, so it appears to be a one-man show in Seattle for as long as Walker is out.

While I cannot say I am avoiding the Kansas City backfield, I also have no plans to go out of my way to acquire pieces of it in a post-Pacheco world. Steele is a better player than he is being given credit for, but it is hard to imagine the Chiefs maintain the same kind of run-pass balance with Steele that they had with Pacheco, especially when they have the weapons they do now in the passing game.

So what is the plan? With Akers, the easy move is to secure Akers ASAP and ride Mixon's potential absence with him. Walker has a more indefinite timeline. Since Charbonnet is not available in most leagues, a nice two-week band-aid might be trading for Zack Moss or D'Andre Swift. Fantasy managers who can afford a higher-priced fix might look to Derrick Henry.

The reason to pursue any one of them boils down to matchups over the next two weeks. The Bengals should be able to control game script against the Commanders in Week 3 and the Panthers in Week 4. Swift could be poised for a strong three-week run with upcoming matchups against the Colts, Rams and Panthers.

As far as Henry is concerned, there has been enough handwringing over his slow start that some managers will likely begin writing him off due to his age. He is at least the same back he was last year physically and one would have to believe the Ravens did not sign him in free agency to play him less often than Justice Hill. (Hill has played 78 snaps versus Henry's 67 through two games.)

Considering how easily New Orleans ran through the Cowboys (Baltimore's Week 3 opponent) and how often Buffalo (Baltimore's Week 4 opponent) is enticing opponents to run by playing with two high safeties, it seems logical the Ravens will start relying a bit more heavily on King Henry. The downside of trying to acquire Henry right now will be paying for his name value. The obvious upside is that he may not come as cheap as he is right now for the rest of the season. Once acquired, he should be a permanent fixture in fantasy lineups.

Wide Receivers

Cooper Kupp (ankle) - his high-ankle sprain is expected to sideline him for AT LEAST four weeks

A.J. Brown (hamstring) - missed Week 2 with a late-week hamstring issue that is expected to sideline him for Week 3 and maybe Week 4

Deebo Samuel (calf) - suffered a calf strain in Week 2 that is expected to keep him out for AT LEAST two weeks

Keenan Allen (heel) - his case of plantar fasciitis forced him to sit out Week 2 and will likely cause him to miss Week 3

(I could have easily included Puka Nacua above, but I wanted to keep the spotlight mostly on injuries that either happened in Week 2 or since.) The Rams are so beat up that the only reason Kupp is unlikely to land on IR is because the team is already in a position where it has to be careful about who it designates for return (teams are limited to eight such moves during the regular season). The reality of the situation is that Kupp seems unlikely to return before Week 8 or Week 9. Not only does history tell us that he is at increased odds of injuring the ankle again upon his return, but we can also expect a slight performance dip. We may see a repeat of the 2023 version of Kupp for the rest of the season.

Philadelphia did fantasy managers a solid by announcing Brown's game status for Monday Night Football about an hour before games kicked off on Sunday afternoon. ESPN's Lisa Salters reported before the Eagles' game that Brown expects to miss a couple of weeks.

Samuel appeared to injure his calf on the 49ers' final offensive play in Week 2. HC Kyle Shanahan told reporters the next day that his all-purpose weapon would be sidelined for "a few weeks." Even if Samuel is dealing with only a Grade 1 strain, a Week 5 return may be the best-case scenario.

The Chargers gave 26-year-old Justin Herbert most of a month to rest his plantar fascia and he plays quarterback. One can only imagine how much time a 32-year-old receiver like Allen will need before he feels comfortable. A Week 4 return feels optimistic, so fantasy managers should probably hope he is ready to roll by Week 5. The problem with that timeline is that Chicago should not need Allen against the Panthers that week and Week 6 is a Thursday night game heading into the team's Week 7 bye.

The backup plan for each team: Tyler Johnson served as Nacua's direct replacement once the latter went down in Week 1. Although it appeared he was splitting snaps with Tutu Atwell at various points in Week 2, I tend to believe nothing has changed in regards to Johnson being Nacua's "handcuff." Preseason sensation Jordan Whittington seems to be the direct replacement for Kupp, while Demarcus Robinson remains the only healthy starting receiver for the Rams. I think Whittington emerges as the best long-term play of this bunch (assuming Kupp does not return until midseason), but there may just not be a ton of upside in this offense anymore with the offensive line and receiving corps in shambles.

Jahan Dotson saw the most snaps in Week 2 after DeVonta Smith, but it was Britain Covey who was targeted on six of his 20 routes (versus one target on 30 routes for Dotson). The reality of the situation is that Smith figures to be treated like an alpha by Jalen Hurts for as long as Brown is out. Neither Dotson nor Covey should be on a fantasy roster in 12-team leagues.

Jauan Jennings should start in Samuel's place over the next two or so weeks, but there is no one on the roster that comes close to replacing what he can do. Christian McCaffrey would have handled more work if this was last year, but we know the deal there. The next best thing would be to rely more heavily on George Kittle, but he is now looking dicey for Week 3. Ronnie Bell is probably the closest thing the 49ers have to Samuel stylistically, but he has struggled to earn snaps in 1 1/4 years with the 49ers. So, the most likely answer to the Deebo question is trusting Jordan Mason a little more in the passing game, feeding Brandon Aiyuk about 15 targets and giving some more work to Isaac Guerendo, who reminds the team of a young Raheem Mostert. The 49ers particularly like his receiving ability.

Fantasy managers saw the backup plan for Allen in Week 2. It was not Tyler Scott, who is generally considered the fourth receiver in Chicago. It was not even really Rome Odunze, although his Week 1 knee injury could have played a role in his relative lack of involvement. It was returner extraordinaire DeAndre Carter.

Some alternatives if you are stuck at wide receiver: A readily available short-term option may be Greg Dortch. There is a good chance he was dropped in many leagues after a two-target Week 2 (2-11-0), but he was a key part of the Week 1 game plan. That is not the reason to like him, however. Slot receivers through two weeks have been hammering the Lions (Arizona's Week 3 opponent). While it should be noted those two primary slots were Kupp and Chris Godwin, Dortch is no slouch and has the full confidence of his quarterback. Week 4 sees the Commanders' woeful pass defense visiting the desert.

Assuming he is fully recovered from his early-August high-ankle sprain, Josh Downs may end up being to Anthony Richardson what Zay Flowers is for Lamar Jackson. While Richardson may never have a completion rate pushing 65 percent, he is easily much more than the 49-percent passer he has been through two games. Only Trevor Lawrence has attempted a higher percentage of the throws 20 or more yards down the field than Richardson (18.9 percent) and no quarterback has attempted a higher percentage of throws in the 10-19 yard range (32.1) than last year's No. 4 overall pick.

Downs excels at what Indy needs right now: someone who can separate quickly and do some of his best work over the middle of the field. The Colts do not have a tight end or running back they trust enough to be a threat in the passing game, which opens up a big window of opportunity for Downs. For as much as he does right, Michael Pittman Jr. does not get open quickly or create much separation. Alec Pierce and Adonai Mitchell are more vertical threats than complete receivers at this point of their careers (despite Pierce's hot start to the season).

Amari Cooper has gotten off to such an uncharacteristic start that he is likely feeling the effects of missing as much offseason work as he did while pushing for an upgraded contract. He leads the league with four drops (per Pro Football Reference), which helps to explain why he only has five catches on 17 targets so far. There is little doubt he is still the alpha in Cleveland, so it is likely a matter of when - not if - he will return to the player we remember. If his track record is not convincing enough, perhaps upcoming games against the Giants (Week 3), Raiders (Week 4), Commanders (Week 5) and Eagles (Week 6) will do the trick.

Tight Ends

Evan Engram (hamstring) - suffered a hamstring strain in warmups before Week 2 that is expected to sideline him AT LEAST two more weeks

David Njoku (ankle) - his Week 1 high-ankle sprain could cause him to miss four to six games

George Kittle (hamstring) - reports of a hamstring strain surfaced on Wednesday; he appears unlikely to play in Week 3 and could miss one or two games after that

While it does not happen very often, players suffer a soft-tissue injury during warmups. There has not been much word about the seriousness of his particular injury, but it seems likely he is out for Week 3 and has about a 50-50 chance at best to be ready for Week 4. Ditto for Kittle.

Njoku is about two weeks into his recovery from an injury that usually requires players to miss four to six weeks. Beyond that, many athletes who suffer high-ankle sprains suggest they do not feel 100 percent again until the offseason.

The backup plan for each team: Brenton Strange stepped up for desperate Engram managers in Week 2 with three catches for 65 yards. He logged 41 of a possible 60 snaps in that contest, while Luke Farrell played 28. Expect a similar split on Monday night against the Bengals.

Jordan Akins played 35 of 72 snaps in relief of Njoku in Week 2 versus the Jags. As long as Njoku is out, it is probably safe to assume Deshaun Watson will lean more on his receiving corps than make sure Akins is involved.

Eric Saubert is the only tight end on San Francisco's roster - other than Kittle - to play more than two snaps through two games. He has drawn three targets on 15 routes.

Some alternatives if you are stuck at tight end: The tight end position is off to another sleepy start. Only eight across the league have scored a receiving touchdown and only four scored more than 21 fantasy points through Week 2. In short, there are not a lot of great alternatives. With that said, there are two options I would like to highlight briefly.

It is impossible to know when he will become the preferred option at his position on the team, but Week 2 saw Erick All log the most extensive playing time of his brief NFL career (33 snaps). Joe Burrow has been effusive with his praise regarding the rookie, who should overtake Drew Sample as the primary blocking tight end soon. Mike Gesicki may be a bit harder to push aside if he can continue to play like he did in Week 2, but it is important to remember Cincinnati is his third team in as many years. How long will it take before his liabilities as a blocker come back to bite the Bengals? All was one of the more complete tight end prospects in April's draft, which should make him hard to take off the field once he has earned the trust of the coaching staff.

The other option is one few will like. Zach Ertz is the very definition of a catch-and-fall tight end at this point of his career, but he probably ranks as the No. 2 option in what has been a very small-ball offense so far. To this point, preseason hype machine Ben Sinnott has not threatened Ertz's playing time very much (13 snaps in each of the first two games). Ertz also has the benefit of having a relationship with OC Kliff Kingsbury from their time together in Arizona, which might buy him some time as well.