Drew Brees ruled out for Sunday, fantasy owners need other plans

Drew Brees will not suit up on Sunday due to a rotator cuff injury. We break down the fantasy implications.

Update (2:11 p.m. ET): Drew Brees will not play Sunday, according to Fox Sports' Mike Garafolo. Luke McCown will start.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees' status is still uncertain for Sunday's game with the Carolina Panthers, according to ESPN's Ed Werder.

Brees took an ugly hit during Sunday's loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a game where the veteran signal caller was largely ineffective. Subsequently, Brees did not throw during Wednesday's practice, and was limited during Thursday's session. It's not clear if Brees threw during Thursday's outing. Werder added that Brees is 'working hard" to get ready for Sunday, when the Saints desperately need him to play.

Fantasy impact: It would be difficult to envision Brees sitting a divisional game with his team already in an 0-2 hole. It's as close to a must-win game as a team can have this early in the season, but his health can only allow him to do so much.

There hasn't been anything encouraging to indicate that Brees will be effective on Sunday, or if he's even a sure thing to play. His fantasy owners must have a contingency plan in place at this point if they have not addressed it already, perhaps grabbing Andy Dalton or Sam Bradford off of waivers. Brees would be a middling QB2 for Week 3 if he sees the field.