With some headline-grabbing names on the WR injury report for Week 13, fantasy football managers will be left sweating on some key options heading into Sunday morning. Let’s take a look at the latest NFL injury updates and examine the fantasy implications of Ja’Marr Chase, Deebo Samuel, Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, and more being on the injury report this week.
WR Injury Report Heading Into Week 13
Ja’Marr Chase, CIN | Hip (Questionable)
There was a lot of positive news for Chase on Friday. Before practice, head coach Zac Taylor said that Chase was “on track,” and he was “optimistic” that the WR would play Sunday. Chase then went on to be a full participant at practice Friday, the first time he has been a full participant since suffering the injury.
On Saturday night, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted that Chase is expected to play in Week 13. If he’s active, it will be virtually impossible not to start Chase. There is some risk because we don’t know what his usage will look like, and there is always a risk of re-injury in these situations. However, Chase is too talented, and the matchup is too good with the Kansas City Chiefs not to consider him as a starting option.
Deebo Samuel, SF | Quad (Active)
Update: Deebo Samuel is active for Week 13.
Heading into practice Friday, it appeared as though Deebo Samuel was trending toward being ruled out for Week 13. However, he was able to put in limited participation in practice, resulting in him being listed as questionable.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that Samuel “did not do much in practice” on Friday. He also added that the team had expected him to be a full go by now, but that is not the case. This makes it a tricky situation for fantasy managers, especially with the late-afternoon start time for San Francisco’s game this week.
On Sunday morning, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Samuel is a “true game-time decision” for Sunday. He also added that there had been optimism early in the week, but with Samuel unable to do much in practice Friday as he continues to deal with a deep-thigh bruise, there is now uncertainty.
Just before 7 a.m. ET on Sunday morning, Schefter tweeted that Samuel does indeed plan to play against the Dolphins in Week 13. He’ll still need to go through warmups without suffering a setback, and the team will need to sign off, but the outlook appears to be more optimistic now than it did 12 or so hours ago.
It would be extremely risky to trust Samuel in lineups this week, as he could be heavily limited if he even manages to suit up. It may be best to look elsewhere for starting WR options if you can.
Where Samuel may be worth selecting is in Underdog Fantasy Best Ball tournaments. This injury should significantly lower his price, and with Elijah Mitchell out, he could find himself with some red-zone opportunities.
If Samuel misses time, there is no single player who benefits in the 49ers’ offense. His role is extremely unique, and, therefore, his touches would likely be shared among a handful of options.
Courtland Sutton, DEN | Illness (Active)
Update: Courtland Sutton is active for Week 13.
Courtland Sutton is listed as questionable for Week 13 with a stomach bug, per head coach Nathaniel Hackett. Sutton should be good to go on Sunday, but we will need to keep an eye on updates over the weekend. Depending on the severity of the illness, Sutton could either still be suffering or feeling the aftereffects Sunday.
Hopefully, this will be nothing to worry about, but Sutton’s fantasy managers may want to have alternative plans just in case.
Jerry Jeudy, DEN | Ankle (Active)
Update: Jerry Jeudy is active for Week 13.
It looked like Jerry Jeudy was trending towards missing his third straight week with an ankle injury. However, on Friday, he was able to practice enough to be tagged as questionable. After practice, Hackett told reporters that Jeudy will be a game-time decision in Week 13.
On Sunday morning, Schefter reported that Jeudy is expected to play, barring a setback in warmups. Rapoport was a little less bullish in his report, stating that Jeudy “is optimistic about playing, pending a positive pre-game warmup.”
MORE: Week 13 Fantasy Football Rest-of-Season Rankings
Even if Jeudy does end up playing this week, he’s a tough player to trust in fantasy lineups. Chances are that Jeudy will be heavily limited and on a snap count as he returns. That will make him tough to judge in terms of output and likely leaves fantasy managers needing a touchdown to return value.
Michael Gallup, DAL | Illness (Questionable)
Michael Gallup is another player that has been dealing with an illness this week, and it appears to have hit him pretty hard. Gallup missed the first two days of practice and could only get in a limited session on Friday. On Sunday morning, Rapoport reported that Gallup is expected to play in Week 13, according to a source.
Gallup has seen his fantasy value grow over recent weeks. He’s averaged 6.25 targets per game in the last four weeks. The Cowboys’ WR2 has turned that into four receptions and 47 receiving yards per game. He isn’t a slam-dunk 12-team starter, especially with question marks over this illness.
Zay Jones, JAX | Chest (Active)
Update: Zay Jones is active for Week 13.
After a couple of huge weeks, Zay Jones is listed as questionable for Week 13 with a chest injury. The Jacksonville Jaguars WR has seen 24 targets in the past two weeks, catching 19 of them for 253 yards. The injury somewhat dents the upside in his fantasy value, with uncertainty present over how much we might see him during the game against the Lions.
MORE: Fantasy RB Start ’em Sit ’em Week 13
This situation is a little frustrating because the matchup against the Detroit Lions’ defense is a good one for opposing WRs. The hope was that Jones would be able to continue his good run for fantasy managers. If he does miss the game, then Marvin Jones Jr. could be an intriguing option in 14-team leagues.
Romeo Doubs, GB | Ankle (Inactive)
Update: Romeo Doubs is inactive for Week 13.
It was good to see Romeo Doubs back at practice this week, and he practiced in a limited fashion for three-straight days. He is now expected to be a game-time decision on Sunday, but the Green Bay Packers at least an early-afternoon kickoff.
However, it would be a surprise if we see Doubs play a significant role this week. With Christian Watson and Allen Lazard both healthy, they should be the starting options, with Randall Cobb as the WR3. Doubs will likely be limited to a handful of snaps and playing in certain situations. He is, therefore, tough to trust for fantasy managers.
Brandin Cooks, HOU | Calf (Out)
It has been a strange week for Brandin Cooks. He was absent from practice for rest on Wednesday. However, he was listed as a limited participant Thursday but did not have a change in his initial injury status. Then on Friday, he was listed as a non-participant and ruled out with a calf injury.
With Cooks out, we could see a high target day for Nico Collins, making him an intriguing 14-team option. However, uncertainty over what to expect from Kyle Allen under center limits Collins’ value from being any higher than that.
Mike Williams, LAC | Ankle (Out)
Somewhat unsurprisingly, the Los Angeles Chargers will be without Mike Williams again. They ruled him out on Friday after he was unable to practice all week. This was not unexpected after he missed last week to a re-injured ankle injury that he dealt with earlier in the year.
MORE: Fantasy Injury IR Updates Week 13
Williams being out actually clarifies the picture for the Chargers’ WR situation. With Williams out, they will likely lean heavily on their trio of Keenan Allen, Josh Palmer, and DeAndre Carter. Allen and Palmer carry the most value and are considerations to start in 12-team leagues. Carter has value as a Flex option in 14-team leagues again this week.
WRs Cleared From the Injury Report
- DeVonta Smith, PHI | Groin
- Treylon Burks, TEN | Illness