Good Morning! The fantasy football injury report covers 35 players today. All of them did not get a full practice in at any point this week, or suffered a setback/new injury yesterday. I go over each team’s depth chart, identify the replacement, and give a vibe on their fantasy value.
QBs: Lamar Jackson, Kirk Cousins, Jimmy Garoppolo, Teddy Bridgewater, Jared Goff
RBs: Antonio Gibson, Elijah Mitchell, James Conner, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Javonte Williams, Melvin Gordon, Damien Harris, Jordan Howard, Mark Ingram, Alex Collins
WRs: Mike Evans, Antonio Brown, Marquise Brown, Jakobi Meyers, Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, Emmanuel Sanders, Jamison Crowder, Kadarius Toney, Rondale Moore, Tim Patrick, Nelson Agholor, TreQuan Smith, Chris Conley, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Ty Montgomery, Collin Johnson, John Ross
TEs: Jared Cook, Tommy Tremble
Arizona Cardinals: James Conner (RB)/Rondale Moore (WR) - Neither player was able to get to 100% participation this past week as they prepare for the Cowboys. Conner missed Thursday and returned yesterday, whereas Moore didn’t practice Wednesday. I imagine both will be game time decisions. Chase Edmonds will see the bulk of the load if Conner is out, coming off of a week where he put up 127 total yards on 24 touches. In the case of Moore, if he has a setback Antoine Wesley will move into the WR3 role behind AJ Green and Christian Kirk. Wesley scored a touchdown last week in this opportunity.
Baltimore Ravens: Lamar Jackson (QB)/Marquise Brown (WR) - Both players were not at practice yesterday as Lamar deals with his ankle injury and Brown is tending to an illness. Jackson isn’t likely to place in my opinion and Tyler Huntley’s ability to be solid is the reason why. There is no reason to rush Jackson back if Huntley is going to put up 250 total yards in each game. Earlier in the season, Jackson missed a game due to a non-COVID related illness and that may be Brown’s fate in Week 17. If he cannot go, Sammy Watkins will start opposite Rashod Bateman. Watkins is on a 40/600 pace (if he had stayed healthy).
Buffalo Bills: Emmanuel Sanders (WR) - Part of me believes that Sanders gutted out his knee injury last week due to the loss of Davis and Beasley for the game due to COVID. It makes sense given he really isn’t practicing this week and is unlikely to play Sunday with the two other wideouts returning. Gabriel Davis will take the spot of Sanders as WR3. Davis is on a 40/600 pace and eight touchdowns this season as a red zone threat.
Carolina Panthers: Tommy Tremble (TE) - The rookie tight end was placed into COVID protocol yesterday, all but ruling him out for Sunday’s game against the Saints. Ian Thomas will see the majority of the snaps at TE in his place. Thomas is on a 20/200 pace this season.
Chicago Bears: Justin Fields (QB) - The rookie quarterback was ruled out for Sunday’s game, and possibly for the remainder of the season yesterday. The coaching staff said he is not 100% and will not play more if he isn’t. Andy Dalton will start with Nick Foles backing him up when the Bears play the Giants. He threw four interceptions in his last start in Week 13 against Arizona.
Denver Broncos: Javonte Williams (RB)/Melvin Gordon (RB)/Courtland Sutton (WR)/Jerry Jeudy (WR)/Tim Patrick (WR)/Teddy Bridgewater (QB) - With their backs against the wall and Drew Lock at the helm, Denver won’t have their top three WRs (probably). Sutton was not placed into COVID protocol, but he is sick. Whereas Jeudy and Patrick were put into the protocols. Currently the team is going to go with Kendall Hinton, Diontae Spencer and Seth Williams as their top three healthy options. Hinton leads the way amongst the three with 13 receptions this season. Both running backs did not practice at 100% this week and I think that neither will miss the game on Sunday. They normally split the carries anyways between the two, so neither will be overworked.
Detroit Lions: Jared Goff (QB) - The starting signal caller will be out on Sunday as he deals with his knee injury. The team has expected to start Tim Boyle the entire time, giving him the first team snaps. Last week he was much better than his previous outing, pushing the ball downfield for 187 yards.
Houston Texans: Chris Conley (WR) - After not practicing at 100% all week long, Conley is questionable heading into this weekend’s game. If he cannot go, I expect Nico Collins and Chris Moore to see bigger roles in the offense behind Brandin Cooks. Collins has put up a 40/500 pace so far in his rookie season.
Kansas City Chiefs: Clyde Edwards-Helaire (RB) - Although the RB hasn’t practiced this week, he is still questionable heading into the tilt against the Bengals this week. I doubt he will play, especially after how well they ran the ball with Darrel Williams and Derrick Gore. Williams is on pace for 975 total yards this season and has averaged 3.7 yards per carry along the way.
Los Angeles Chargers: Jared Cook (TE) - The veteran tight end was placed into COVID protocol yesterday and is likely out against the Broncos. The Chargers will be going with Stephen Anderson and Tre McKitty as their two options going into the weekend. Anderson has made 15 receptions this season, mostly being utilized as TE3 in the depth chart.
Minnesota Vikings: Kirk Cousins (QB) - With the playoffs on the line, the Vikings will be without Cousins against the Packers on SNF. Cousins is unvaccinated and was placed into COVID protocol. Sean Mannion will be making his 2021 debut for the Vikings in the place of Cousins. Mannion is 0-2 as a starter in his career, throwing three interceptions and no touchdowns at a 61% completion percentage.
New England Patriots: Damien Harris (RB)/Jakobi Meyers (WR)/Nelson Agholor (WR) - These three players didn’t practice at 100% this past week any day Wed-Fri. Agholor was ruled out for the game on Sunday with a concussion. Harris and Meyers are expected to play barring a setback. If Harris suffers one, Rhamondre Stevenson will see an increase in snaps. Stevenson is on pace for 975 total yards if he had played in every game thus far. In the case of Meyers, if he cannot play the team will turn to N’Keal Harry opposite Kendrick Bourne. Harry has made two receptions in the last two weeks.
New Orleans Saints: Mark Ingram (RB)/TreQuan Smith (WR)/LIl’Jordan Humphrey (WR)/Ty Montgomery (WR) - It seems that every couple of days I go over why I went to so deep into a team’s depth chart in this post. The Saints are that team today with three WRs all banged up heading into the weekend. None of them practiced yesterday, Humphrey being the latest addition to injury list with an illness. If they cannot play against the Panthers, Deonte Harris will start opposite Marquez Callaway. Harris is returning from suspension this week, and was on a 50/850 pace prior to the absence. Ingram may have suffered a setback on Wednesday as he went from a full participant to limited the final two days of practice. If he cannot play, Tony Jones will back up Alvin Kamara. Jones has struggled this season, rushing at only a 2.7 ypc clip.
New York Giants: Kadarius Toney (WR)/John Ross (WR)/Collin Johnson (WR) - The trio of wideouts were ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Bears, joining Darius Slayton on the sidelines. This will test their depth as either David Sills or Pharoah Cooper will start opposite of Kenny Golladay. Sills had a reception last week, and Cooper hasn’t had one since Week 14.
New York Jets: Jamison Crowder (WR) - The slot wideout was downgraded to doubtful for this week's game against the Buc’s due to his injury. He has struggled to practice this week and I expect Braxton Berrios to see a bigger role in the offense as a result. Berrios scored a KR touchdown last week and is on a 45/450 pace this season.
Philadelphia Eagles: Jordan Howard (RB) - Although he did not practice in full the last two days, Howard is expected to play this week against Washington. Howard is a between the tackles rusher and is seldom used out of the backfield, averaging over five yards a carry this season. If he cannot play, Boston Scott and Kenneth Gainwell will see bigger roles in the game. Scott has averaged 4.5 yards per carry and is on pace for 550 total yards.
San Francisco 49ers: Elijah Mitchell (RB)/Jimmy Garoppolo (QB) - Despite Mitchell practiced all week in a limited fashion, he isn’t a guarantee to play this week. If he cannot go, Jeff Wilson will hold down the starting role once more. Wilson has averaged only 3.7 yards per carry this season and put up 57 total yards last week on 17 touches. Jimmy G is all but ruled out for Sunday with his thumb injury, Trey Lance poised to make the start with the playoffs on the line. Lance provides the rushing yards threat that we all love in fantasy.
Seattle Seahawks: Alex Collins (RB) - After being surpassed for the RB1 role to finish the season, Collins has been practicing in a limited capacity and not been on the game day roster. Rashaad Penny took the job and Deejay Dallas spells him. Dallas has averaged 4.4 ypc and been utilized as a rusher and pass catcher.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Mike Evans (WR)/Antonio Brown (WR) - I doubt many would have expected Evans to be the more likely of the two to play this Sunday against the Jets. Evans has practiced in a limited capacity all week and Brown was completely absent yesterday. It’s unclear if Brown suffered a setback or missed for personal reasons. Tyler Johnson and Scotty Miller will be the starters on the outside if Evans and Brown are out. Johnson is on pace for 30/350 this season.
Washington Football Team: Antonio Gibson (RB) - The starting rusher was placed into COVID protocol yesterday. Jarret Patterson will the starter this week, and Jonathan Williams will also see an increase in targets. Patterson has averaged 3.8 yards per carry this season as an undrafted rookie.