Heading into the second week of fantasy football playoffs, there are some interesting injury updates to look at, including guys like Derrick Henry, Calvin Ridley, and A.J. Brown. Are any of them eligible to come off of the injured reserve (IR), and if so, can they make an impact on your fantasy rosters?
Fantasy Injury IR Updates: Can Derrick Henry return this week?
Derrick Henry was placed on the IR at the beginning of November. He suffered a Jones fracture, which is a break between the base and the shaft of the fifth metatarsal bone of your foot. According to Heathline.com, the recovery time on a Jones fracture is around seven weeks.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Dec. 12 that “no firm timetable had been set with Henry, and there is an appointment next week to provide more clarity.” We are still awaiting the results of those tests, but with the above timeline in mind, there is technically a possibility that Henry makes his return in Week 16 against the 49ers. That would mean he would have had eight weeks of recovery time.
That would be an incredible turnaround, especially considering that you are not supposed to put any weight down on the foot for six weeks after a Jones fracture surgery. All that considered, it is incredibly unlikely he suits up for Tennessee’s Thursday Night Football game.
Heading into Week 15, the Titans had little need to rush Henry back. However, things are a lot more interesting now in the AFC South. After a close loss to the Steelers, the Titans find themselves only one game ahead of the surging Colts. Tennessee swept the Colts this year, so they do have the tiebreaker.
According to Tankathon, both teams have a fairly equal difficulty in their strength of schedule. The Titans are ranked 25th and the Colts 22nd. With injuries piling up for Tennessee, they might need to consider bringing Henry back sooner rather than later if they want to lock up the AFC South. The Titans are also only one game behind the top seed in the AFC in the NFL standings.
Will we see Calvin Ridley in 2021?
There hasn’t been an update on Calvin Ridley for a number of weeks now. It is looking more and more likely that we will not see Ridley again this season. However, if ever he were to return, he would be an interesting fantasy option nonetheless.
As of right now, the Falcons will continue to operate with Kyle Pitts and Russell Gage as their top options. Gage just had one of his best performances of the year with 8 receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown. Pitts has also shown signs of growth and had 77 yards on 4 receptions against the 49ers.
A.J. Brown injury update
Update 12/23/21: According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Titans have activated A.J. Brown to play tonight against the 49ers.
With Julio Jones going down with an injury this past weekend, fantasy managers might be desperate for A.J. Brown to return. ESPN’s Dan Graziano reports Brown is close to returning from his chest injury, but his comeback might have to wait another week with Tennessee playing on Thursday night.
However, there is some hope as the Titans designated Brown to return from IR today [December 20]. This doesn’t mean he will play this week, but it is a positive sign.
The Titans’ offense has struggled due to injuries for a good part of the second half of the season. Right now, without Brown and Jones, their top receiving option would be Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. That likely does not inspire much confidence for fantasy managers. Plus, the Titans are going up against the 49ers this week. San Francisco is a top-10 unit against the pass this year. Where the Niners are slightly susceptible is against the run, which won’t help a Titans team with a beat-up D’Onta Foreman.
Fantasy Injury IR Updates: Is Antonio Brown returning in Week 16?
After a suspension from the NFL, Antonio Brown is now eligible to return in Week 16. There isn’t much of a fantasy injury update to provide here. Brown has apparently been healed from the foot injury he sustained in Week 6 for a few weeks now. The bigger question was whether the Buccaneers and Bruce Arians would allow Brown to play after he was accused of misrepresenting his vaccination status.
Arians answered that question quickly this week, saying that Brown will be “welcomed back with open arms.” This is good news for fantasy managers. The Buccaneers could be without Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, as both were banged up during their Sunday Night Football loss to the Saints.
Playing against the Panthers is tricky for fantasy because their defense has been unpredictable. They can lock down receivers one week, and then the Bills’ unit tore them up the next. However, Brown would be a clear WR1 option considering the injury situation.