What is the latest WR injury report for Week 12 as fantasy football managers digest the latest injury news from around the NFL? Let’s take a look at what we know heading into Week 12 regarding the statuses of Ja’Marr Chase, Deebo Samuel, Mike Williams, Allen Robinson, and more.
WR Injury Report Heading Into Week 12
Ja’Marr Chase, CIN | Hip (Out)
Update: Ja’Marr Chase is inactive for Week 12.
This is the first week we’ve seen Chase back at practice since aggravating his hip injury. He was able to practice on a limited basis all week and is questionable on the Cincinnati Bengals’ final injury report.
The worst-case scenario here is that Chase is active but heavily limited. We may not know in advance of the game how much of a role he will play, and we could see him as a decoy.
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On Saturday afternoon, the Score’s Jordan Schultz reported that Chase will miss Week 12 with a view to being back in Week 13. On Sunday morning, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport also reported that Chase is not quite ready to suit up this week.
If Chase misses the game, then Tee Higgins remains the No. 1 option. Regardless of Chase’s status, Higgins is locked in as a virtual must-start, but it would only serve to be a stronger case if Chase is out. Tyler Boyd is the next biggest beneficiary in Chase’s absence but is a more inconsistent producer than Higgins.
Deebo Samuel, SF | Hamstring (Active)
Update: Deebo Samuel is active for Week 12.
It was somewhat of a surprise when Samuel popped up on the San Francisco 49ers’ injury report with a recurrence of his hamstring issue. He remained limited all week and was ultimately listed as questionable. On Sunday morning, the reports from Rapoport and ESPN’s Adam Schefter are that Samuel is expected to suit up this week.
Unfortunately, we’ll need to wait for the 49ers to announce their inactives in order to find out for sure. Unfortunately, Samuel is playing in the afternoon slate, so fantasy managers may have to make a decision before we have a definitive answer on his status.
If he plays, Samuel is a tough player to value this week. Hamstring injuries impact a player’s top speed and could mean we see him on a limited snap count this week. That is frustrating for fantasy managers to value Samuel in lineups. The safest place to roster Samuel this week is in an Underdog Fantasy Best Ball contest, where the concern over the injury may knock his price down on Sunday morning.
If Samuel does end up missing the game, no one in particular gains a major fantasy upgrade. The expectation is that the group of Brandon Aiyuk, Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, and Elijah Mitchell would pick up the majority of the touches vacated by Samuel.
Mike Williams, LAC | Ankle (Out)
Unfortunately, despite some apparent optimism from Los Angeles head coach Brandon Staley to start the week, Mike Williams was ruled out for Week 12 on Friday. He was unable to practice all week, so this comes as little surprise in the end.
In Williams’ absence, Joshua Palmer retains 12-team fantasy value, while DeAndre Carter is a deeper-league upside play. The trio of Keenan Allen, Palmer, and Carter could be frustrating if they share targets while mixing and matching playtime.
Allen Robinson II, LAR | Ankle (Questionable)
We’ve seen Allen Robinson II limited all week in practice for the Los Angeles Rams. He finished the week listed as questionable and will likely be a game-day decision at this point. The report from Rapoport on Sunday morning indicated that Robinson is expected to miss the Rams’ Week 12 game due to the injury.
With uncertainty over the QB situation, even if Robinson plays, he would have limited fantasy value. Fantasy managers should not get carried away with Robinson this week. With him playing in a late game, if you have a choice to make with someone in an early game, then leaning that way may prove safer.
Greg Dortch, ARI | Thumb (Questionable)
Despite being absent from practice all week with a thumb injury, Greg Dortch was listed as questionable to round out the week. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury told reporters that Dortch will be a game-time decision. However, on Sunday morning, Schefter reported that Dortch is not expected to play against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 12.
The pressure is somewhat off for him to play since Marquise Brown is expected to suit up. If Dortch is active, his role would likely be reasonably limited. Therefore, his fantasy value would be limited to deep PPR leagues only.
Terrace Marshall Jr., CAR | Shoulder (Cleared)
Update: Terrace Marshall is active for Week 12.
We saw Terrace Marshall Jr. listed as a limited participant in practice on the first two days of the week. While he was upgraded to a full participant on Friday, Marshall was still listed as questionable. He appears to be trending toward playing, but we’ll need to wait until Sunday to see for sure.
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In terms of fantasy value, the change to Sam Darnold presents a new unknown. Will Darnold continue to look Marshall’s way as often as we saw PJ Walker do so? It’s incredibly risky to start Marshall this week, even if he’s active.
Demarcus Robinson, BAL | Hip (Cleared)
Update: Demarcus Robinson is active for Week 12.
Seeing Demarcus Robinson listed as a non-participant on Thursday with a hip issue was a concern, but it was good to see him able to practice fully to finish out the week. Robinson is now listed as questionable, and while it seems like he should be able to play, we will need to see when inactives are announced on Sunday. Per Rapoport, Robinson is expected to be active for Week 12.
Devin Duvernay, BAL | Hamstring (Cleared)
Update: Devin Duvernay is active for Week 12.
Devin Duvernay was somewhat of a nasty surprise on the Ravens’ injury report to finish out practice for Week 12. That designation could mean he hurt his hamstring during practice on Friday, which could put his participation for Sunday in doubt. Duvernay has not had consistent fantasy value this season, so the impact is relatively minimal. Per Rapoport, Duvernay is expected to be active this week.