The unfortunate reality of the NFL is that when players are allowed to go full speed, injuries are bound to happen. Week 15 of the NFL season was no exception. Now that fantasy football managers are updating their lineups for the coming week, several players have found themselves on the injury report, leaving their status for Week 16 up in the air.
Fantasy Football Injury Report | QB Update
One starting quarterback sustained an injury in Week 15. Which signal-caller is in jeopardy of missing Week 16?
Teddy Bridgewater, Denver Broncos
Teddy Bridgewater suffered a concussion while diving for a first down with 5:34 remaining in the third quarter. A defender hit him from behind, which forced his head to hit the ground and knocked him unconscious. Medical personnel stabilized Bridgewater as they secured him to a backboard and carted him off the field. He was then transported by ambulance to a local hospital.
Broncos head coach Vic Fangio said Bridgewater had movement in all of his extremities and would be kept overnight “for observation.” Drew Lock took over under center and would be the starting QB for Week 16 against the Las Vegas Raiders.
RB Update
How is the injury bug affecting RB committees heading into Week 16? Will fantasy managers need to make backup plans just in case?
Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals announced that Joe Mixon suffered an ankle injury during one of their final drives. Mixon saw another high-usage game against the Broncos, rushing 17 times for 58 yards while adding a catch for 2 yards.
Leonard Fournette, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers ruled Leonard Fournette out for the remainder of their Sunday Night Football game against the New Orleans Saints due to a hamstring injury he sustained in the third quarter. Fournette carried the ball 9 times for 34 yards and caught all 7 targets for 33 yards.
Fantasy Football Injury Report | WR Update
News for pass catchers is essential in PPR leagues. These are the fantasy-relevant WRs currently on the NFL’s early Week 16 injury report.
Sterling Shepard, New York Giants
Salomone also reports Sterling Shepard suffered a torn Achilles in Sunday’s loss to the Cowboys. ESPN’s Jordan Raanan detailed it was a non-contact injury, and Shepard will be placed on the season-ending injured reserve in the coming days. This season, Shepard appeared in just six games as he dealt with a hamstring and a quad injury. He caught 34 of 47 targets for 351 yards with 1 touchdown.
Rondale Moore, Arizona Cardinals
Rondale Moore left Sunday’s surprising loss to the Detroit Lions due to an ankle injury. Moore was all over the field, but he didn’t give fantasy managers all that much. He had 3 receptions for 9 yards, a carry for a single yard, 2 kick returns for 48 yards, and 2 punt returns for 18 yards.
Julio Jones, Tennessee Titans
Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that the Titans ruled Julio Jones out for the remainder of Sunday’s game after he re-aggravated his hamstring injury against the Steelers. Jones has missed six games this year due to hamstring injuries. He had a stint on IR from Weeks 10 through 12. This is the second consecutive season that hamstring injuries have plagued Jones. It appears age has finally caught up to one of the NFL’s all-time greats.
Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Chris Godwin suffered a torn ACL in Sunday night’s loss to the New Orleans Saints and will miss the remainder of the season. Godwin took a hit to his knee when attempting to catch a pass just two minutes into the second quarter. He walked off under his own power and was seen testing his knee out with sprints and stretching after some time in the blue medical tent. He was ruled out during halftime after catching 6 of 7 targets for 49 yards.
Per ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, Mike Evans suffered a strained hamstring injury in the second quarter and is considered week to week but has a chance to play in Week 16, per sources. He ended the game with 1 catch on his lone target for 14 yards.
Fantasy Football Injury Report | TE Update
News for pass catchers is essential in PPR leagues. These are the fantasy-relevant WRs currently on the NFL’s early Week 16 injury report.
Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers announced that Pat Freiermuth was forced out of Sunday’s victory over the Titans due to a concussion. Freiermuth caught a 5-yard pass in the third quarter and took a hit to the head. As he was tackled, his head bounced off the field, further compounding the injury. He caught all 4 targets for 37 yards on Sunday.
Today’s injury was troubling because this is the second concussion Freiermuth has sustained in less than a month. He suffered a concussion in Week 12 against the Bengals but did not miss any time.