The RB injury report coming out of Friday of Week 13 has mixed news for fantasy football managers. While we have seen a number of players cleared in the latest injury updates from the NFL, there are still some important players with their statuses up in the air. Let’s take a look at the latest news regarding the health of Josh Jacobs, Joe Mixon, Antonio Gibson, Travis Etienne Jr., and more.
RB Injury Report Heading Into Week 13
Josh Jacobs, LV | Calf (Active)
Update: Josh Jacobs is active for Week 13.
On Tuesday, we found out that Josh Jacobs was likely going to be limited in practice ahead of Week 13 as he deals with a calf injury. That turned out to be the case, as Jacobs was limited all week in practice before being listed as questionable.
When he spoke to the media earlier in the week, Las Vegas Raiders’ head coach Josh McDaniels did not seem overly concerned by Jacobs’ situation. We saw Jacobs listed as questionable coming out of last week, and he topped 300 scrimmage yards and found the end zone twice against the Seattle Seahawks.
We found out from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport that Jacobs is a true game-time decision in Week 13. Rapoport added that “there is optimism he can play, but no one will know for sure until the workout.” This is the same situation as last week, where Jacobs was superb after passing the pre-game check. Later on Sunday morning, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Jacobs will play in Week 13.
MORE: Week 13 Fantasy Football Rest-of-Season Rankings
This week, the matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers is extremely friendly for RBs, and Jacobs is a must-start if he is active. If Jacobs ends up missing the game, Zamir White could be an intriguing option and one that fantasy managers should consider handcuffing with Jacobs if they have a bench spot to spare.
If you have Jacobs on your roster, the combination of the matchup and his performance last week means you want to give him every chance to be available to you. Therefore, if you have no players on your bench that are playing in the late afternoon or prime-time windows, it makes sense to turn over your last bench spot to add an option like that from the waiver wire.
With question marks over the Raiders’ backfield in this good matchup, there could be some solid values this week in Underdog Fantasy Best Ball tournaments. Spending a last-round pick on White could pay off in a big way if Jacobs ends up missing the game or is limited.
Joe Mixon, CIN | Concussion (Inactive)
Update: Joe Mixon is inactive for Week 13.
When Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor spoke to the media on Friday, he told reporters that Mixon is still in the concussion protocol. The hope entering the week was that Mixon clearing out of the protocol ahead of Week 13 would be somewhat of a formality. However, concussions are tricky to judge, so there’s still a chance Mixon could be out this week.
As of Saturday night, Mixon had still not cleared the concussion protocol. Therefore, we will likely find out reasonably early on Sunday in regard to Mixon’s status. This is a situation to watch early on Sunday, but if you have him on your roster, then it would be prudent to ensure you have a reserve option playing in the late afternoon or prime-time games.
If Mixon does end up playing, there should be no real performance impact. Concussion injuries do not tend to lead to a decrease in performance in the following games. So, if Mixon is active, he should be starting in fantasy lineups.
If Mixon ends up missing the game, Samaje Perine would be the main beneficiary. Last week, Perine had 58 rushing yards and a touchdown on 17 attempts while adding 35 receiving yards on four receptions.
Antonio Gibson, WAS | Foot (Active)
Update: Antonio Gibson is active for Week 13.
It has been a topsy-turvy week for Antonio Gibson as he deals with a foot injury. The Washington Commanders’ RB was limited in practice Wednesday, downgraded to a non-participant on Thursday, and was limited again on Friday. As a result, Gibson enters the weekend questionable for Sunday’s matchup with the New York Giants.
Entering Sunday, the reports are that Gibson should play this week. The fact that the Commanders did not elevate an RB from the practice squad Saturday would also suggest that being the case. If Gibson were out, the Commanders would have just Brian Robinson and Jonathan Williams as active RBs this week.
It’s tough to predict how much Gibson might play this week if active. Robinson had 20 touches for 125 yards last week and has at least 15 touches in all of his last four games. Meanwhile, Gibson has had at least 12 touches in all of his last six games and 3+ targets in each game dating back to Week 5.
If Gibson is struggling with the foot injury, we may see him slightly more limited. If active, Gibson should still have a solid floor in PPR formats but is a risky starting option in non-PPR scoring.
Travis Etienne Jr., JAX | Foot (Active)
Update: Travis Etienne Jr. is active for Week 13.
The messages coming out of Jacksonville this week regarding Travis Etienne Jr.’s foot injury have been generally positive. On Friday, head coach Doug Pederson told reporters that Etienne is “good to go” for Week 13. However, after Etienne was limited in practice all week, he was listed as questionable heading into the weekend.
MORE: Fantasy RB Start ’em Sit ’em Week 13
Hopefully, this is nothing more than the Jaguars being cautious, but it does raise concerns about whether Etienne might be limited in Week 13 against the Detroit Lions. The reports on Saturday night and Sunday morning are that Etienne is expected to play in Week 13.
Jaylen Warren, PIT | Hamstring (Active)
Update: Jaylen Warren is active for Week 13.
This is not the Pittsburgh Steelers RB we expected to see listed as questionable this week. With Jaylen Warren practicing in full all week, it is somewhat of a surprise that he is questionable heading into Week 13. However, hamstring injuries can be somewhat tricky, so this could just be the Steelers being cautious with their rookie RB.
In a strange twist, fellow RB Najee Harris was cleared from the injury report and is expected to suit up against the Atlanta Falcons this week. The presence of Harris significantly lowers the ceiling for Warren and makes him a tough player to start in fantasy lineups this week.
Michael Carter, NYJ | Ankle (Inactive)
Update: Michael Carter is inactive for Week 13.
After being unable to practice all week, Michael Carter is listed as doubtful for Week 13. Rarely do players that are listed as doubtful end up suiting up on gameday, so barring a surprise, we should plan as though Carter is out this week.
That would leave an intriguing situation in the Jets’ backfield. James Robinson was a surprise healthy scratch last week, with rookie Zonovan Knight backing up Carter. Robinson should be active this week, but it is not clear what role he will have.
Knight took over as the lead back when Carter left the game last week. However, we could see a committee situation this week, and that could mean there is limited fantasy value to be found. Knight appears to be the top option, but both Robinson and Ty Johnson could eat into his upside.
Travis Homer, SEA | Illness/Knee (Questionable)
We have seen Travis Homer dealing with a mixture of illness and a knee issue this week. Homer’s fantasy value is limited, as he saw just five opportunities and four touches last week. As he deals with this combination of ailments, he’s unlikely to see an increase in fantasy value this week.
MORE: Fantasy Injury IR Updates Week 13
RBs Cleared From the Injury Report
- Aaron Jones, GB | Shin/Glute
- AJ Dillon, GB | Quad
- Jerick McKinnon, KC | Hamstring
- Raheem Mostert, MIA | Knee
- Najee Harris, PIT | Foot
- Christian McCaffrey, SF | Knee