While rankings and projections are beneficial, few things are more important in fantasy football than following injury updates. Injuries not only impact the player in question but the teammates and the offenses around them. Here’s an update on some critical injury reports to watch and their fantasy football impact.
Update 11/26/2021: For the most recent injury news, make sure to check out our up-to-date Week 12 Fantasy Injury Report.
Fantasy Football Injury Report: QB update
Let’s go through the injuries currently impacting quarterbacks. Monitor these situations throughout the week and have contingency plans, if necessary.
Justin Fields, Chicago Bears
Justin Fields is out for Thanksgiving due to a rib injury. Andy Dalton will start.
Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
Update: Jared Goff is active for the Lions Thanksgiving game against the Bears in Week 12.
The Lions did not practice Wednesday but were required to give an estimated practice report. Jared Goff was listed as limited. He is questionable with his oblique injury. We’ll know Thursday morning if Goff will be out there for the first game of the day.
Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
After missing last week’s game with an illness, Lamar Jackson returned to practice Wednesday. Barring another mysterious illness, Jackson will start Sunday night against the Browns.
New York Jets Quarterbacks
Zach Wilson is fully recovered from his knee injury and will start Sunday. Joe Flacco and Mike White are on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
It is unclear whether they are close contacts (Flacco is unvaccinated) or positive tests. Regardless, head coach Robert Saleh said Josh Johnson would back up Wilson this week.
Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns
Baker Mayfield is dealing with too many injuries to keep track of right now. He didn’t practice Wednesday but fully intends to play this week.
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
Aaron Rodgers is apparently dealing with a broken toe. The reality is this injury should sideline him for several weeks, but he intends to play through it. He said point-blank, “I don’t plan on missing time.”
I believe him. He will practice minimally this week, but he’s going to play against the Rams Sunday. Hopefully, the bye week helps him recover a bit next week.
Fantasy Football Injury Report: RB update
Which running backs are dealing with injuries that may affect their game status? Let’s see which RB committees are hobbled heading into Week 12.
Saquon Barkley, New York Giants
Saquon Barkley was limited at Wednesday’s light practice as the team exercises caution with his ankle. He did not appear to aggravate his ankle on Monday night and should be fine to play again this week. Expect Barkley to be limited at practice for the foreseeable future.
Michael Carter, New York Jets
Michael Carter did not practice Wednesday due to his ankle sprain. He’s out this week and is expected to miss 2-3 weeks.
D’Onta Foreman and Jeremy McNichols, Tennessee Titans
D’Onta Foreman was limited Wednesday with a triceps issue. He’s fine. Jeremy McNichols missed last week’s game with a concussion and was absent Wednesday for the same reason. He is not trending in the right direction for this week.
Damien Harris, New England Patriots
Damien Harris was limited at Wednesday’s practice with a neck issue. I am never one to dismiss neck injuries as minor, but it sounds like Harris will be fine.
Jordan Howard, Philadelphia Eagles
Jordan Howard did not practice Wednesday with a knee injury. He’s not going to play this week.
Kareem Hunt, Cleveland Browns
On Wednesday, the Browns started the clock on Kareem Hunt’s return from injured reserve. He will be activated within three weeks, possibly as soon as Saturday. Hunt has been out with a calf injury but looks poised to return.
Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers
The Packers have a Week 13 bye, so take this with a grain of salt, but Aaron Jones practiced Wednesday.
The fact that he’s out there this early in the week suggests he’s on track to play Sunday against the Rams after missing just one game with a minor MCL sprain.
Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram, New Orleans Saints
Neither Alvin Kamara nor Mark Ingram practiced Wednesday. Kamara is out with a sprained MCL this week, but I’m optimistic he can return in Week 13.
Ingram is dealing with a knee injury. He hasn’t practiced since Monday’s limited session. The Saints listed him as questionable. If he can’t go, it will be Tony Jones Jr. as the lead back.
Elijah Mitchell, San Francisco 49ers
Elijah Mitchell got in a limited practice Wednesday, which is a good sign after he missed last week’s game. Jeff Wilson Jr. did not do anything to jeopardize Mitchell’s status as the lead back, so Mitchell should return to his usual role if his finger is recovered enough for him to play.
Cordarrelle Patterson, Atlanta Falcons
Cordarrelle Patterson returned to a limited practice Wednesday. Given that he was at least somewhat close to playing last Thursday, fantasy managers have every reason to expect the dynamic hybrid player to be active on Sunday.
James Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars
James Robinson remains limited at practice with his heel/knee issue. He’ll be fine to play this week.
Fantasy Football Injury Report: WR update
How are the fantasy-relevant wide receivers dealing with injuries? Let’s see which pass catchers may require a Plan B for Week 12’s action.
A.J. Brown, Tennessee Titans
A.J. Brown did not practice Wednesday due to the chest injury he sustained last week. The Titans have a bye next week and really need Brown healthy. It seems unlikely he plays, but we’ll know more later in the week.
Antonio Brown/Mike Evans/Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Antonio Brown remained absent from the Bucs’ practice Wednesday. He has not appeared close to a return. We’ll see if he returns to practice later in the week, but this is an ominous start to the week.
Mike Evans also missed Wednesday’s practice with a back issue. It’s a new injury for him, so we’ll have to see what he does the rest of the week. Chris Godwin was limited Wednesday as he manages his foot issue. He’s fine.
Marquise Brown, Baltimore Ravens
Marquise Brown was able to get in a limited practice last Friday before ultimately not playing on Sunday. That was a positive sign for his Week 12 status, which continued Wednesday as Brown is already practicing. He is on track to miss just one game with his quad injury.
Corey Davis, New York Jets
Corey Davis was limited at Wednesday’s practice with a groin issue. It’s a new injury for Davis, but the limited session suggests he’ll play this week.
CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper, Dallas Cowboys
Update: A report by FOX’s Jay Glazer on Sunday morning is that CeeDee Lamb will miss the Cowboys Week 12 game after failing to clear the concussion protocol.
The Cowboys’ WR1 suffered a concussion on Sunday. CeeDee Lamb is progressing through the protocol quickly, and head coach Mike McCarthy is optimistic he’ll be able to play on Thanksgiving. Lamb will need clearance from an independent neurologist. If it happens, it won’t be until the morning before the game.
Amari Cooper, meanwhile, remains on the COVID list and will return in Week 13.
Jarvis Landry, Cleveland Browns
Jarvis Landry never practices on Wednesdays, so this doesn’t give us any insight into his status. He reportedly aggravated his knee injury last week but intends to play through it. If Landry doesn’t return to practice Thursday, it’ll cast doubt on his ability to do so.
Allen Robinson, Chicago Bears
Update: Allen Robinson is inactive for the Bears’ Thanksgiving game against the Lions in Week 12.
Allen Robinson hasn’t practiced in two weeks with a hamstring strain. The Bears listed Allen Robinson as doubtful for Thanksgiving against the Lions. The doubtful tag is meaningless — he’s out. Darnell Mooney will operate as the WR1 once again.
Sterling Shepard and Kadarius Toney, New York Giants
Sterling Shepard remained absent from practice on Wednesday, which was just a light walkthrough following a Monday night game. He is working his way back from a quad issue. Shepard has done work on the side but has not officially practiced yet.
Kadarius Toney was absent from practice with a quad contusion. Art Stapleton asked head coach Joe Judge about Toney’s status. Judge’s response did not inspire a whole lot of optimism. He said they won’t know where Toney is at until Friday. Do not expect Toney to participate in Thursday’s practice, either.
Fantasy Football Injury Report: TE update
Are there any tight end injuries we need to be concerned about? The TE market is already thin, so your alternatives will likely be grim if you have a TE on this injury report.
Hunter Henry, New England Patriots
Much like his teammate Damien Harris, Hunter Henry was limited at Wednesday’s practice with a neck injury. It also does not sound overly serious or anything that will keep him out of Sunday’s contest.
Logan Thomas, Washington Football Team
As expected, Washington started the clock on Logan Thomas’ activation from injured reserve. Thomas has been out for two months with a strained hamstring. He will practice this week and has a realistic chance to be activated ahead of Monday Night Football. Unfortunately, fantasy managers may not know about it in time to return him to lineups.