The WR injury report for Week 16 has fantasy football managers asking a lot of questions with their spots in the fantasy championship game on the line. With the NFL playoff picture taking on a strange shape, and with the majority of games on Saturday and a further four between Sunday and Monday, there are a lot of eyes on the various NFL injury updates around the league.
Let’s take a look around the league at the latest news for the likes of Tee Higgins, Chris Olave, Diontae Johnson, Deebo Samuel, and others heading into Week 16.
Please note that practice status listings are as follows: DNP – did not participate, LP – limited participant, FP – full participant.
WR Injury Report Heading Into Week 16
Tee Higgins, CIN | Hamstring (LP)
It feels precautionary that Tee Higgins has opened the week on the injury report for the Cincinnati Bengals. After dealing with this injury last week, Higgins played 80% of the offensive snaps. He was targeted eight times and hauled in five receptions for 33 yards and a touchdown, so the expectation is that Higgins will play this week.
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Assuming he does play, Higgins is a player we should trust this week. Given that he played his usual complement of snaps last week, barring a setback, he should be someone we can put in our lineup with relative confidence. He is by no means a lock to be a starting-level option this week, but that is more due to the Bengals’ offense than his injury.
Chris Olave, NO | Hamstring (DNP)
Chris Olave is a new name on the injury list this week as he deals with a hamstring issue. Olave’s fantasy value has stalled a little as the season has gone on, so this injury takes on a different shape than what it would have in the first half of the season. Hamstring issues should not be overlooked because they can be difficult to predict.
We will need to see how Olave progresses this week. However, with cold and windy weather expected in Cleveland, Olave might have been tough to start anyway. This injury doesn’t provide another player with starting-caliber upside because of those weather concerns. The Saints’ passing offense might be one we have to avoid completely this week.
Diontae Johnson, PIT | Toe (LP)
There doesn’t seem to be a huge amount of concern with Diontae Johnson. Opening the week limited with this toe issue is a positive sign. Barring a setback, we should expect to see Johnson on the field. He has now had three reasonably good weeks in a row, averaging 80 receiving yards and seven receptions per game in that stretch.
Deebo Samuel, SF | Ankle/Knee (DNP)
We aren’t expecting to see Deebo Samuel this week. He suffered ankle and knee injuries in Week 14 and is expected to miss at least a couple of weeks. The hope was that he would be back for either Week 17 or Week 18, but this week is expected to be a stretch.
Unfortunately, his absence doesn’t really open up significant fantasy value elsewhere in the offense. The 49ers’ offense is very much revolving around a handful of players right now, and when one of them gets hurt, it appears to only raise the value of the others in the core group.
Tyler Lockett, SEA | Hand (DNP)
We saw Tyler Lockett hurt his hand last Thursday. The injury is expected to keep him out for a couple of weeks, so Week 16 is likely too early for him to return. Assuming Lockett is out this week, Marquise Goodwin could see a reasonably big role alongside DK Metcalf. However, with uncertainty over the weather in Kansas City, it’s hard to trust any of the pass-catching options for the Seahawks.
MORE: Fantasy Injury IR Updates Week 16
Courtland Sutton, DEN | Hamstring (LP)
Courtland Sutton is back at practice for the Denver Broncos as he continues his recovery from a hamstring issue. In a struggling Broncos’ offense and with uncertainty over how many snaps he might see, it’s close to impossible to trust him this week. Sutton is talented, but the situation in Denver has made him almost unusable for the majority of this season.
Brandin Cooks, HOU | Calf (FP)
It seemed as though we may not see Brandin Cooks again this season when he opened last week as a non-participant. However, he managed to work his way back into practice but did not suit up in Week 15. This week, he appears on track to play after opening the week limited and being upgraded to a full participant on Wednesday. It would be hard not to start Cooks this week if he is active.
Nico Collins, HOU | Foot (DNP)
It doesn’t seem like Nico Collins will return this week. The second-year WR remains a non-participant through Wednesday, putting him on track to miss Week 16. His foot issue now appears to be lingering to the point where we may not see Collins until Week 18. It would be a surprise to see him this week, but if you have him on your roster, it’s too early to write him off for Week 17.
Chris Moore, HOU | Foot (LP)
Chris Moore has remained limited through the first two days of practice in Week 16. His value as a fantasy option will drop significantly if Cooks plays. Moore had been a volume-based option in the last two weeks, but he could see that volume taper off this week. Even if Moore plays, it’ll be tough to trust him if Cooks is active.
Noah Brown, DAL | Foot (LP)
Noah Brown found the end zone twice in Week 15, but any hope from managers that he could be an option this week is dented by his being limited through the first two days of practice. Brown has seen an uptick in value over the last two weeks but remains a tough option to trust, given the injury.
MORE: Fantasy QB Streamers and Rankings Week 16
Jakobi Meyers, NE | Shoulder (LP)
If Jakobi Meyers’ moment of madness last week benefitted or hurt you in fantasy, then you likely have mixed feelings about the New England Patriots WR. This week, he has been limited to open practice with a shoulder issue. However, Meyers has been a really tough option to trust this season. In deeper PPR leagues, he still has some value, but this injury situation rules him out of any real chance of being a 14-team option this week.