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 and their fantasy football impact.
Fantasy Football Injury Report: QB update
Let’s go through the injuries currently impacting quarterbacks. What are their situations heading into game time?
Justin Fields, Chicago Bears
Justin Fields is out this week with cracked ribs. Andy Dalton will start with Nick Foles backing him up.
Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
Jalen Hurts is questionable with an ankle injury. He is legitimately 50-50 to play, and we may not know his status until Sunday morning. We’ve received conflicting reports on whether Hurts has been ruled out. It sure sounds like he’s not playing, but we won’t know for sure until the morning.
The good news is the Eagles play at 1 PM ET, so fantasy managers will be able to pivot if necessary. Gardner Minshew is the backup and will start if necessary.
Update: Hurts is not expected to play.
Update 2: Minshew is starting. Hurts is out.
Daniel Jones, New York Giants
Daniel Jones is out this week with a neck injury. Mike Glennon will start.
Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
Kyler Murray got in limited practices all three days this week, just like he did before the bye. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury says the team is being extra cautious with Murray’s ankle and is once again a game-time decision. The good news is the Cardinals play at 1 PM ET, so at least fantasy managers won’t have to roll the dice. Adam Schefter tweeted out that Murray is expected to play.
Update: As of around 9:30 AM ET, Stacey Dales reported Kingsbury told her directly that Murray and Hopkins are back this week. Fantasy managers can safely return them to lineups.
Fantasy Football Injury Report: RB update
Fantasy managers can expect some running backs to make a return in Week 13. On the contrary, several lead backs have already been ruled out with others as game-time decisions.
Dalvin Cook and Kene Nwangwu, Minnesota Vikings
As expected, Dalvin Cook is out this week due to a shoulder injury. He will also miss Week 14, but the team hopes he can return in Week 15. Alexander Mattison is an RB1 in the interim.
Kene Nwangwu is set to serve as Mattison’s backup, but he was added to the injury report on Saturday with an illness. If he can’t play, Mattison may legitimately play 100% of the snaps.
Update: Nwangwu is active.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kansas City Chiefs
Clyde Edwards-Helaire missed Friday’s practice with a stomach bug. Head coach Andy Reid expects CEH to be fine for Sunday’s game against the Broncos. Normally, I’d say not to worry about it, but we’ve seen guys like Lamar Jackson and A.J. Brown really struggle with illnesses this season, so it’s something to be mindful of.
On Sunday morning, both Rapoport and Schefter reported that Edwards-Helaire is expected to play in Week 13.
Melvin Gordon, Denver Broncos
Melvin Gordon didn’t practice all week with a hip injury and is out Sunday night against the Chiefs. Mike Boone will step into the RB2 role with Gordon out but expect Javonte Williams to handle the bulk of the touches. He should see over 65% of the snaps and is an absolute smash play this week.
Darrell Henderson Jr., Los Angeles Rams
Darrell Henderson got in a limited practice on Friday, which put him on track to potentially play Sunday. Sean McVay expects Henderson to play through his quad strain. However, while Rapoport reported Sunday that Henderson hopes to play, Schefter reported the team is less optimistic. The Rams will examine Henderson in pre-game warmups.
Update: Adam Schefter tweeted out that the team is not optimistic about Henderson’s status. We won’t know until well after the 1 PM ET games start, but fantasy managers should prepare to replace Henderson with Sony Michel or someone else. If I had Henderson and my alternative was a 1 PM ET player, I would play the alternative.
Update 2: Henderson is active, but is not expected to handle a full workload. Proceed with caution.
Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders
After popping up on the injury report Thursday with an ankle issue, Josh Jacobs was back out there for Friday’s practice. He’s listed as questionable but expected to play.
Update: Jacobs is active.
David Johnson, Houston Texans
David Johnson remained out of practice for a third consecutive day on Friday due to an illness. He’s a veteran and possibly not actually injured (he does have a thigh issue as well) and could certainly play without practice. However, Adam Schefter tweeted out that Johnson is not expected to play. Rex Burkhead is in line for quite the heavy workload.
Update: DJ is inactive.
J.D. McKissic, Washington Football Team
J.D. McKissic is out this week due to a concussion. The Football Team activated Wendell Smallwood to replace him.
Rashaad Penny, Travis Homer, and Alex Collins, Seattle Seahawks
Rashaad Penny and Travis Homer practiced fully on Friday. They both missed last week’s game with hamstring and calf injuries, respectively. Alex Collins, meanwhile, was limited with an abdominal injury.
All three are listed as questionable, but with the Seahawks signing and activating Adrian Peterson, one of these three will be inactive. It appears Collins is the odd man out. You’re likely not starting any of these guys in fantasy anyway.
Update: Collins is indeed the odd man out. He is inactive.
James Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars
James Robinson got in limited practices all three days this week. He is listed as questionable with his lingering heel injury. He’s played through it for a couple of weeks now and should do the same this week. Carlos Hyde will operate as the primary back if Robinson is unable to go.
Update: Ian Rapoport tweeted out that Robinson had been trending in the wrong direction all week, but feels much better today and has a realistic chance of suiting up.
Boston Scott and Jordan Howard, Philadelphia Eagles
Boston Scott hasn’t practiced all week with an illness, and Jordan Howard is out with a knee injury. Scott’s availability is legitimately up in the air, but Adam Schefter tweeted out that Scott is expected to play.
Update: Scott is active.
D’Andre Swift, Detroit Lions
D’Andre Swift is out this week with a shoulder sprain and is likely out next week as well. Head coach Dan Campbell said they are not shutting down Swift, though, and hopes to get him back in a week or so. Hopefully, Swift can return in Week 15. Jamaal Williams will start in the interim.
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 13’s action.
Odell Beckham Jr., Los Angeles Rams
Odell Beckham Jr. is dealing with a hip injury. Head coach Sean McVay said he would be surprised if Beckham didn’t play, but he’s listed as questionable and remains a game-time decision. On Sunday morning, Ian Rapoport reported that Beckham is expected to play and be a bigger part of the offense this week. Ben Skowronek will start in three-receiver sets if Beckham can’t play.
Update: Beckham is active.
Brandin Cooks, Houston Texans
Brandin Cooks returned to practice Friday after missing the first two days with an illness. Adam Schefter tweeted out that Cooks is expected to play.
Corey Davis, New York Jets
Things weren’t looking good for Corey Davis to start the week, but he returned to a limited practice on Friday. Davis is dealing with a groin strain he suffered in practice last week. He’s listed as questionable and is a game-time decision.
Update: Davis is active.
DeAndre Hopkins, Arizona Cardinals
DeAndre Hopkins got in three limited practices this week as he recovers from a hamstring strain. Kingsbury said Hopkins is a game-time decision. Again, the Cardinals play at 1 PM, so fantasy managers will be able to make an informed decision this week. Adam Schefter tweeted out that Hopkins is expected to play, but may be on a pitch count.
Update: As of around 9:30 AM ET, Stacey Dales reported Kingsbury told her directly that Murray and Hopkins are back this week. Fantasy managers can safely return them to lineups.
DeSean Jackson, Las Vegas Raiders
DeSean Jackson had a calf spasm on Thursday, which kept him out of practice. He was back in action Friday and is listed as questionable, but Jackson is expected to play.
DeVante Parker, Miami Dolphins
DeVante Parker has been out since Week 9 with a strained hamstring. He returned to practice this week, and on Saturday, the Dolphins activated him from the injured reserve. He will play Sunday.
Allen Robinson, Chicago Bears
Allen Robinson did not practice all week with a hamstring strain. He’s listed as doubtful, and barely anyone plays through doubtful tags. He is most likely out.
Curtis Samuel, Washington Football Team
For the first time all season, Curtis Samuel is hoping to make it through two consecutive games. He’s questionable with his now sixth-month-long groin injury, but according to both ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Samuel is expected to play. There’s at least a sliver of hope he can emerge into a fantasy-relevant WR3 if he can stay healthy.
Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers
Deebo Samuel is out this week due to a groin strain.
Sterling Shepard and Kadarius Toney, New York Giants
Sterling Shepard got in limited practices on Thursday and Friday as he works his way back from a quad injury. Similarly, Kadarius Toney is dealing with a quad injury of his own. The Giants listed both players as doubtful, but as I said, no one plays through doubtful tags. They’re out. Kenny Golladay and Darius Slayton will start in two-receiver sets.
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, if you have a TE on this injury report, your alternatives will, in all likelihood, be grim.
Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pat Freiermuth practiced in full all three days this week. He’s cleared the concussion protocol and carries no injury designation for Sunday. He’s good to go.
Darren Waller, Las Vegas Raiders
Darren Waller did not practice all week due to an IT band injury. He’s out this week. Foster Moreau should play just about every snap at tight end for the Raiders.