As we now approach Week 15 and are entering the thick of the fantasy football playoffs in most leagues, every lineup decision could either be the one that wins you the championship and all the glory or sends you home packing with nothing. As a result, we now need to consider all the Week 15 fantasy RB injury updates available. The statuses of key players like Christian McCaffrey are up in the air.
In this piece, we’ll take a look at the latest injury updates for key running backs. For more information on Panthers’ RB Christian McCaffrey, Broncos RB Melvin Gordon, and several others, check out our Week 15 report below!
The Week 15 RB injury report will be updated every day with the latest news and notes at 5:00 PM ET on a daily basis. Make sure to check back Sunday when we release our most up to date injury report available.
Fantasy RB Injury Update Week 15: The biggest injury question marks heading into Week 15
What is the latest on Myles Gaskin and the Dolphins RBs?
Update, Sunday, December 20th: Salvon Ahmed and Matt Breida are active for the Miami Dolphins Week 15 matchup with the New England Patriots.
Update, Wednesday, December 16th: Gaskin, who was already ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Patriots, could miss multiple weeks after testing positive, Field Yates of ESPN reports.
After having a strong Week 13 return following a stint on injured reserve, Gaskin was set to enter Miami’s Week 14 matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs as the starter, but he was forced onto the team’s reserve list and missed the game. Backup Salvon Ahmed also missed the game, as he was ruled out earlier in the week with a shoulder injury. On top of that, the Dolphins weren’t able to activate Matt Brieda off the reserve list until after the 4 PM ET deadline on Saturday, which forced them to start DeAndre Washington.
As of now, we are still unsure as to when Gaskin or Brieda will come off the reserve list, as the Dolphins have not stated whether they tested positive or just came into close contact with someone who did test positive. We’re also still waiting for this week’s practice reports to get a better idea of when we can expect the exciting rookie, Ahmed, to return.
Once we receive that information, we will add it to our fantasy Week 15 injury update for RBs.
Who will be active for the Jets at RB in Week 15?
Update, Sunday, December 20th: Frank Gore and Ty Johnson are active for the New York Jets Week 15 matchup with the Los Angeles Rams.
After suffering a concussion in Week 13, Frank Gore’s status was unknown heading into last week’s game. Ty Johnson played well in Gore’s absence against the Raiders and was in-line for the start had Gore missed the game against the Seahawks this weekend.
However, that ended up not being necessary as Gore completed the concussion protocol and was able to play Sunday. Although Gore did get the start, Ty Johnson earned an equal split of the carries and actually finished the game with one more touch than Gore, while Josh Adams had fewer carries than either back but finished with the same number of touches as Johnson. In Week 15, that RB split should continue, barring any injuries.
Could another RB be joining the Seahawks rotation?
Update, Sunday, December 20th: Rashaad Penny is active for the Seattle Seahawks Week 15 matchup with the Washington Football Team.
After being designated to return from injured reserve last week ahead of their matchup with the aforementioned Jets, it appeared that Rashaad Penny could be close to returning for the Seahawks. Unfortunately, he was surprisingly not activated for the game, as the Seahawks instead chose to rely on Chris Carson, Carlos Hyde, and DeeJay Dallas to carry the ball for them. Although he didn’t play this week, that could have been a symptom of playing the Jets, considering Pete Carrol said, “He exceeded our expectations with his movement and his quickness and all of that.”
Penny should return from his injuries and start at RB in Week 15 for the Seahawks as they battle the Washington Football Team.
Will Melvin Gordon be suspended following his DUI case?
Update, Saturday, December 19th, 2020: Melvin Gordon is active for the Denver Broncos Week 15 matchup with the Buffalo Bills.
Back in October, Melvin Gordon received a DUI charge after he was pulled over for driving between 25 and 39 miles per hour over the speed limit in downtown Denver. Gordon was arrested on October 18th, ahead of his team’s matchup with the New England Patriots in Foxboro. A DUI arrest will typically lead to a three-game suspension from the league, but the suspension won’t be handed down until the completion of Melvin Gordon’s court case.
That court case was expected to be completed this week, which would have meant Gordon would have missed the Broncos’ final three games of this season, but instead, the continuation of his court case has been pushed to January 14th, 11 days after the conclusion of Denver’s season.
That means Melvin Gordon’s suspension won’t take effect until the start of the 2021 season, so he’ll be available for your fantasy football playoffs.
Will Christian McCaffrey finally return to the lineup this week?
Update, Wednesday, December 16th: Head coach Matt Rhule said McCaffrey could return for the Panthers’ Week 16 matchup with Washington, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.
After being taken off the injured reserve list last week, it appeared like Christian McCaffrey would finally make his long-awaited return to the field after a shoulder injury sidelined him once again. McCaffrey has only played in three games this season, and the fourth was supposed to come on Sunday against the Broncos until he tweaked his quadriceps during the week of practice prior.
Christian McCaffrey missed his face-off with his hometown Broncos and Melvin Gordon. That meant Mike Davis was forced to fill in again. However, the Panthers’ star running back should be able to return before the season’s end. Earlier, it was reported by Adam Schefter that McCaffrey did not believe his season was over following the quad injury.