With fantasy football playoffs fast approaching, there will be several eyes on the Week 12 WR injury report with some important names listed this week. Let’s take a look at the latest status of Ja’Marr Chase, Mike Williams, Rondale Moore, Jerry Jeudy, Allen Lazard, and more.
Please note that practice status listings are as follows: DNP – did not participate, LP – limited participant, FP – full participant.
WR Injury Report Heading Into Week 12
Ja’Marr Chase, CIN | Hip (Questionable)
Update: Chase was limited all week in practice and is questionable for Sunday. It appears very much up in the air as to whether he will be on the field against the Tennessee Titans.
After missing three games with his hip issue, Chase was back at practice to start Week 12. According to a report from Mike Petraglia of the Jungle Roar Pod, the Cincinnati Bengals WR took part in “all the normal drills, footwork agility, and warmup throws from quarterbacks Wednesday.”
Petraglia added that the media viewing session did not include Chase working at full speed, but the early signs are good for Week 12. When the Bengals chose not to place Chase on IR, Week 12 was likely their target date for his return. With three games in four weeks due to the bye, they managed to “buy” a free week in his recovery.
Before practice on Wednesday, head coach Zac Taylor said the team will take it day-to-day. He also expressed that the Bengals will be cautious to make sure that Chase is fine before getting him back on the field.
The early signs are good that Chase will be active Sunday. If he is, it will be close to impossible not to start him in your fantasy lineups. There is always the chance that Chase re-injures himself in the first couple of weeks, which would have major fantasy ramifications. However, his talent, to some extent, goes beyond those concerns.
If Chase does miss the game, then Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd retain the most value from a usage point of view. Boyd has failed to deliver consistently for fantasy managers in the past three games, despite seeing 18 targets.
Mike Williams, LAC | Ankle (Out)
Update: Mike Williams has been ruled out of Week 12 after being unable to practice all week.
We saw Mike Williams leave this past Sunday in the first half. After the game, we found out that he had aggravated the ankle injury that had kept him out for the previous three weeks. On Monday, we also found out that the re-injury was not believed to be severe, and there was hope it would not be an extended absence for Williams.
That appears to be the case, as head coach Brandon Staley said Williams was set to practice in a limited fashion on Wednesday. He added that Williams has a chance to play in Week 12. However, Williams was not spotted during individual drills that were open to the media. Williams was then later listed as a non-participant on the Chargers’ injury report. He remained listed as a non-participant on Thursday.
Even if he does suit up this week, Williams will be a tough player for fantasy managers to trust in Week 12. We saw last week how tricky returns from ankle injuries can be, and it would be hard to have full faith he won’t end up leaving the game again. He might be best left to find value in Underdog Fantasy Best Ball formats, where fantasy managers don’t have to worry about making start/sit decisions.
Additionally, Williams’ presence will cloud the WR situation for the Los Angeles Chargers. With Keenan Allen also expected to take on a bigger role, it was already tough to know how to value him, Joshua Palmer, and DeAndre Carter this week. If Williams misses the game, all of the other three would have at least 14-team Flex consideration in Week 12.
Rondale Moore, ARI | Groin (Out)
We saw Rondale Moore leave the Arizona Cardinals Monday Night Football game with a groin injury. The news is not good on the first Cardinals’ injury report of the week, with Moore listed as limited. While this was a walkthrough and, thus, an estimated report, head coach Kliff Kingsbury did not strike a positive tone when discussing the injury in his media availability.
Kingsbury told reporters that it does not look like Moore will play Sunday. He added that he would be out at least a week, but with a bye in Week 13, Moore could just miss one game with the injury. Moore was officially ruled out on Friday.
MORE: Fantasy Football Sleepers Week 12
With Moore out, the Cardinals will hope that Marquise Brown can make his way back from the IR. However, with a bye next week and the season on the verge of slipping away, Arizona may choose to be cautious with Brown, who was described as “day-to-day.”
If Moore and Brown cannot go, then Greg Dortch, who is dealing with a thumb injury, could be in line for a big role opposite DeAndre Hopkins.
Deebo Samuel, SF | Hamstring (Questionable)
Update: Deebo Samuel is listed as questionable on the 49ers’ final injury report.
This appearance of Deebo Samuel on the San Francisco 49ers injury report raises serious concerns. He was not mentioned by Kyle Shanahan ahead of practice but was listed as limited on the report. That could indicate that Samuel hurt his hamstring during practice, which would put his participation this week in serious jeopardy.
The good news is that Samuel was able to participate as a limited participant on Thursday. Therefore, Samuel remains on track to be either cleared or listed as questionable heading into the weekend. If Samuel misses the game, his touches would likely be split between the combination of Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey, and Elijah Mitchell, with no single player seeing a major boost.
A.J. Brown, PHI | Illness (Cleared)
Update: A.J. Brown was a full participant at practice and has been cleared. However, he reportedly made it clear to reporters that he is still sick.
We saw A.J. Brown pop up on the Philadelphia Eagles injury report with an illness on Thursday. We have seen mixed outcomes from illness situations in recent weeks. A few weeks back, Davante Adams struggled with an illness all week, and it impacted him in the game. However, we have also seen numerous players back in practice a day later with no lingering impact.
We will need to watch Brown’s status on Friday and what designation he is given heading into the weekend. There is a chance he could be legitimately questionable this week. If that is the case, DeVonta Smith would become a virtual must-start fantasy option, assuming he is healthy…
DeVonta Smith, PHI | Knee (Cleared)
Update: DeVonta Smith was not on the Eagles’ final injury report and carries no designation into the weekend.
This downgrade in status among the Eagles’ WRs might be the bigger concern of the two. With Smith being downgraded to a limited participant on Thursday, it opens a wide range of options. Was it a planned reduction in workload to manage an existing injury? Or is this an injury he suffered during practice today?
The status of Smith on Friday will be crucial. If he can be a full or limited participant, then chances are he is playing on Sunday. However, if we see Smith as a non-participant on Friday, that would indicate he hurt the knee during practice Thursday.
If Smith misses the game, it is tough to pinpoint who would have significant value. Smith himself is an unreliable fantasy option, so anyone taking his role would like to be less trustworthy in the offense. Quez Watkins and Zach Pascal could both see increased usage, but it would only really be in 16-team leagues and deeper.
Jerry Jeudy, DEN | Ankle (Out)
Update: Jerry Jeudy was ruled out Friday after not practicing throughout the week.
It is less than ideal to see Jerry Jeudy open the week as a non-participant as he continues to deal with his ankle injury. With KJ Hamler expected to miss multiple weeks, the Denver Broncos’ WR situation is far less than ideal. The Broncos will not practice Thursday, so our next update on Jeudy will come Friday.
In Jeudy’s absence last week, TE Greg Dulcich was the secondary pass-catching option. At WR, Kendall Hinton and Brandon Johnson split five targets. Hinton has some deep-league upside, but without finding the end zone, his ceiling and floor are both reasonably low.
Allen Robinson, LAR | Ankle (Questionable)
Update: Allen Robinson has been listed as questionable after being limited at practice all week.
It was somewhat of a surprise to see Allen Robinson on the Los Angeles Rams Week 12 injury report. He was listed as a limited participant with an ankle issue, so the early signs are not all that concerning for his availability this weekend. Barring a setback, limited participation on Wednesday is usually a good sign for availability.
This week is intriguing for the Rams because, with Tyler Higbee listed as a non-participant due to a knee issue, they could be without their two leading receivers this week. That could open the door for the combination of Robinson, Van Jefferson, and Ben Skowronek to see an increased workload.
If Robinson were also to miss the game, then both Jefferson and Skorownek could have intriguing 14-team fantasy value against the Chiefs defense this week.
Parris Campbell, IND | Illness (LP)
Parris Campbell opened the week as a surprise addition to the Indianapolis Colts’ injury report. Firstly, this was just an estimated injury report, as the Colts only conducted a walkthrough. Secondly, Campbell was listed as a limited participant to open the week, which is normally a promising sign.
Assuming Campbell’s illness does not get worse during the week, he should be on the field this week and able to play as normal. It will be worth watching his progress because we saw an illness impact Davante Adams a few weeks back.
Allen Lazard, GB | Shoulder (Cleared)
Update: Despite being limited all week in practice, Allen Lazard is not on the Packers’ final injury report for Week 12.
Despite Allen Lazard being listed as limited on the Green Bay Packers injury report to open the week, there doesn’t seem to be much concern that he will miss this week. Coming off Thursday Night Football in Week 11, there was no major concern over Lazard, so this should just be precautionary.
Assuming he’s active, Lazard remains a solid fantasy WR option. Despite the breakout for Christian Watson, Lazard still appears to be Aaron Rodgers’ No. 1 target.
Romeo Doubs, GB | Ankle (Out)
Update: Romeo Doubs has been ruled out for Week 12 after being absent from practice all week.
It was not ideal to see Romeo Doubs open the week as a non-participant in practice. Ahead of the session, head coach Matt LaFleur said he wasn’t willing to bank on Doubs’ return for Week 12. However, he did add that the team will see how he progresses throughout the week.
With Doubs potentially set to miss Week 12, fellow rookie Watson should continue to be the beneficiary. Even if Doubs returns, he shouldn’t significantly eat into Watson’s playing time this week. If Doubs does play, it’s likely he’ll be heavily limited and not really a reliable fantasy option.
Randall Cobb, GB | Illness (Cleared)
Update: Despite being limited all week in practice, Randall Cobb is not on the Packers’ final injury report for Week 12.
The fact that Randall Cobb was able to practice in a limited fashion with his illness should mean it is no major concern. Barring a setback, we should see Cobb on the field in Week 12. His role should also expand a little from last Thursday, as he has had 10 days rest after coming off the IR just before that game.
Terrace Marshall, CAR | Shoulder (Questionable)
Update: After being limited through the first two days of practice, Marshall was a full participant on Friday. He was listed as questionable heading into the weekend.
To see Terrace Marshall on the injury report as a limited participant with a shoulder issue for the first two practices of Week 12 is frustrating. Marshall appears to be getting into a rhythm in the NFL finally, but this is a bad week to be missing time in practice.
With the Panthers set to turn the offense over to Sam Darnold, Marshall will not have had much time to work with Darnold during this season. Therefore, even if Marshall ends up playing, we could find his role minimized for Week 12. If Marshall misses time, DJ Moore figures to see the biggest boost in value.
JuJu Smith-Schuster, KC | Concussion (Cleared)
The tone that Andy Reid struck during his media availability on Wednesday was positive in terms of JuJu Smith-Schuster. After the WR missed Week 11, Smith-Schuster returned to practice to open the week. He still has to clear out of the protocol officially, but that appears to be more of a protocol thing right now.
Kadarius Toney, KC | Hamstring (Out)
Update: Kadarius Toney was ruled out Friday.
Unfortunately, the renaissance of Kadarius Toney’s NFL career in Kansas City could not even make it through three games. The Chiefs WR left early in the game on Sunday with a hamstring issue and did not return. Hamstring issues have blighted Toney’s career to this point, and that continues in Kansas City.
MORE: Fantasy Football Cut List Week 12
In his absence, Justin Watson should be the WR3 for the Chiefs, but it could also open up more opportunities for Skyy Moore. With Mecole Hardman already on IR, the Chiefs may want to use Moore to get creative in that role.
Jarvis Landry, NO | Ankle (Cleared)
Update: Despite being limited all week in practice, Jarvis Landry is not on the Saints’ final injury report for Week 12.
Jarvis Landry continues to deal with an ankle injury that has hampered him during the season. The New Orleans Saints’ WR does not appear to be in major danger of missing this week, which will be a relief for fantasy managers.
With that said, Landry’s value is limited to deeper leagues, as he has just 70 yards from 10 targets through the last two games. A touchdown in Week 11 really salvaged Landry’s fantasy value for the week. Without it, he would have been looking at averaging five fantasy points in the last two games.