The Week 11 fantasy football injury report has a lot of ramifications for managers. With some big-name injuries around the league this week, fantasy managers will be desperately awaiting news on key parts of their roster. Let’s examine the latest injury updates for Cooper Kupp, Leonard Fournette, Jerry Jeudy, Zach Ertz, and more.
Fantasy Football Injury Report Week 11
While this injury report has the most ramifications for season-long leagues, players who are looking to join Underdog Fantasy Best Ball leagues should also be keeping a close eye on injuries. Knowing whether a questionable player could or could not suit up can help you determine whether you draft that player who has seen his value drop due to concerns or leave him for someone else to take the risk.
Cooper Kupp, WR | Ankle
There was immediate concern for Kupp, as he was helped to the sideline with a right leg injury during the Los Angeles Rams’ loss on Sunday. Kupp was seen limping to the locker room but was at least able to go under his power. He was designated as doubtful to return with an ankle injury by the Rams.
When asked after the game, head coach Sean McVay said that “it didn’t look good, it didn’t sound good.” There was positive news coming out after the game from The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue. She reported that according to multiple sources, initial testing had shown that Kupp appeared to have “avoided a worst-case scenario with the injury.” Rodrigue added that Kupp will undergo further testing in order to provide a clearer picture.
It seems as though Kupp will miss some time with the ankle injury. However, the initial fears that it could have been a season-ending injury may not be the case. The biggest concern from a fantasy element right now is that if Kupp misses three or four weeks, the Rams’ season may not be in a position where it’s worth bringing the star WR back and risking further injury this season.
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Therefore, it very much remains up in the air as to whether this will be the final time we see Kupp on the field in 2022. That puts fantasy managers in a tough spot.
Do you try and sell him to a contender that may have a chance to use him in the playoffs in order to get help now, or do you hold on and hope this is just a one or two-week absence?
The problem is that if this ends up being a five or six-week absence, Kupp will have next to no fantasy value in order to swap him for. Therefore, if you are in desperate need of short-term help, trying to sell Kupp at a reduced price before we get more definitive news on the injury might prove to be a prudent move to make.
Leonard Fournette, RB | Hip
We saw Leonard Fournette leave the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Week 10 game in Germany with a hip injury. He did not return to the game, with Rachaad White taking on a lead role after his departure. Prior to that, White and Fournette had been rotating drives for the most part.
After the game, head coach Todd Bowles told the media that Fournette has a hip pointer and will be evaluated further. The additional tests will give us more of an idea of the severity, but the general recovery time for this injury is between one and three weeks.
The Buccaneers’ having a bye in Week 11 could mean that this injury does not cost Fournette any time this season. However, we already saw a switch in this backfield, with White starting and splitting drives with the veteran RB. Therefore, this injury could allow the Buccaneers a chance to shift the offense even further to White.
Even with the bye in Week 11, White should be a top name on the waiver wire this week. The worst-case scenario for White is that this will be a split backfield, with a best-case scenario that he begins to take over as Tampa Bay’s lead back coming out of the bye.
Jerry Jeudy, WR | Ankle
The Denver Broncos lost Jerry Jeudy to an ankle injury on their first offensive play of the game. Jeudy first headed to the medical tent before being carted from the field. At the time of the injury, it looked like Jeudy could have suffered an Achilles injury, but that appears not to have been the case.
After the game, head coach Nathaniel Hackett said, “we’re hoping we dodged a bullet there.” That would suggest the injury is not as serious as first feared. However, the Broncos will evaluate Jeudy, alongside their other injured players, in more depth at the start of Week 11. Therefore, we should get a clearer picture over the coming days.
If Jeudy were to miss time, then KJ Hamler could see an expanded role. However, he also missed this game with an injury, so fantasy managers need to be prepared to dig a little deeper potentially. After the injury, Kendall Hinton played the WR2 role for Denver, with Jalen Virgil and Tyrie Cleveland rotating through in third-receiver sets.
In terms of priorities on the Week 11 waiver wire, Hamler likely has the most upside, with Hinton as an intriguing depth addition.
Zach Ertz, TE | Knee
Zach Ertz was seen leaving the field on the cart during the Arizona Cardinals’ win. He looked dejected on the cart and was quickly ruled as questionable to return with the knee injury.
After the game, head coach Kliff Kingsbury said he did not know the extent of the damage. However, Ertz was seen wearing a brace on the knee in the locker room.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that while the belief is that Ertz’s ACL is intact, it is expected that he will miss multiple weeks. The Cardinals will further evaluate the injury early this week to determine the extent of the injury.
On Monday afternoon, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Ertz will miss the remainder of the season.
Khalil Herbert, RB | Hip
Khalil Herbert left Sunday’s game with a hip injury and was quickly ruled out. We will need to wait for further evaluations to find out if there is a significant issue here. In the event Herbert misses time, David Montgomery should be the biggest beneficiary. However, Trestan Ebner could see some deep-league value as he potentially works in alongside Montgomery.
JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR | Concussion
JuJu Smith-Schuster took a nasty-looking hit to the head in the second quarter. After laying on the field for a prolonged period of time, he was placed into the concussion protocol.
It is now very much up in the air if he will be ready for Week 11 or not. Players with a concussion have been averaging just over a week, but some have been able to return within that timeframe.
MORE: Buy Low, Sell High Week 11
This situation is a little clouded in Kansas City. If Mecole Hardman can return this week, he and Marquez Valdes-Scantling could be the biggest beneficiaries if Smith-Schuster misses time. However, with Justin Watson and Kadarius Toney both seeing snaps after the injury, the targets could be spread around.
Of this group, Toney is the waiver wire add with the most upside. The Chiefs have made a concerted effort to use him in the offense, even in limited snaps. Therefore, as his role grows, he could cement himself as a weekly starting option.
Gerald Everett, TE | Groin
After a strong start to the game, Gerald Everett did not return from a groin injury. While the Los Angeles Chargers tight end was listed as questionable to return, he never did.
Following his departure, Tre’ McKitty was the primary pass-catching receiver. With Donald Parham Jr. on the IR, McKitty would be a deep-league waiver target if Everett were to miss time.