Injuries objectively suck. To this day it’s unclear why God hasn’t turned them off. Anyone who plays Madden of NCAA Football and does NOT turn off injuries is a monster in my humble opinion.
Of course, injuries continue to be a rather large part of fantasy football analysis, which is why Fantasy Life will continue to grind each and every fantasy-relevant issue throughout the season.
What follows is a breakdown on every fantasy-relevant injury ahead of Week 12. Check out the late Friday edition of The Fantasy Life Podcast for a full breakdown on the issues from Fantasy Life lead betting analyst Matthew Freedman and myself.
Quarterback
Joe Burrow (right wrist, IR), Bengals
You don’t need us to tell you that all parties involved in this Bengals offense are far worse off with UDFA Jake Browning now forced to take over under center.
Ja’Marr Chase should still be able to maintain something close to weekly WR2 production based on pure concentrated volume alone (think of what Garrett Wilson has had to deal with this season), while a similar sentiment is true for workhorse RB Joe Mixon.
That said: The scoring upside of both is nuked inside of what now figures to be one of the NFL’s lowest-scoring offenses during the final month and a half of the regular season.
Derek Carr (concussion, not listed), Saints
Carr is good to go after having a full bye week to recover. He’s set up reasonably well this week against A.J. Terrell and company, who don’t form a weak secondary, but they have posted bottom-seven numbers in yards per attempt (15.3, 26th), pass TD rate (18.4%, 29th) and passer rating allowed (120.1, 31st) on passes thrown 20-plus yards downfield this season.
He’s a low-floor QB2 for this spot and hopefully healthy enough to enable Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed to have some fantasy goodness in this condensed passing game that will be without Michael Thomas (knee, IR).
Running Back
Derrick Henry (ankle, not listed), Titans
Obviously, fantasy managers are continuing to start Henry regardless through thick and thin; just realize the expectation for an explosion should be ESPECIALLY high ahead of this smash spot.
Overall, this Panthers defense has allowed an opposing RB to score 15-plus PPR points in all but two games this season, notably getting absolutely fleeced by Raheem Mostert (34.2 PPR points), Kenneth Walker (30.6), Tyler Allgeier (24.4), David Montgomery (20.9) and Bijan Robinson (20.3).
Also, note that backup RB Tyjae Spears remains rostered in only 38% of Yahoo leagues – he’d instantly be in the upside RB2 conversation should Henry be forced to miss any time down the stretch. The rookie is good with the football in his hands.
Kyren Williams (ankle, not listed), Rams
Head coach Sean McVay noted, “We definitely want to be mindful of taking some snaps off him.” Still, McVay hinted about the same earlier in this season and wasn’t exactly a man of his word.
Sep 10, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams (23) carries the ball while being chased by Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner (54) during the first half at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
Overall, Williams posted 97%, 100%, 73%, 85% and 83% snaps in five full games as the Rams’ undisputed No. 1 RB.
While the pass-game ceiling isn’t quite as high with Cooper Kupp (ankle) expected to play, Williams comes in as the Fantasy Life consensus RB15 and should be in starting fantasy lineups of most shapes and sizes.
D’Andre Swift (ankle, not listed), Eagles
A little bit banged up, but still very much expected to lead the way ahead of the Eagles’ high-profile Week 12 matchup against the Bills.
Swift has ripped off a top-24 PPR finish in an exceptional nine consecutive weeks; he’s largely taken over this backfield and is deserving of matchup-proof RB1 treatment thanks to his rock-solid efficiency and a workload that has featured 15-plus touches in every game since Week 1.
Dameon Pierce (ankle, questionable), Texans
Devin Singletary has ripped off PPR RB3 and RB11 over the past two weeks on the back of an elite 83% snap share. One problem: Pierce is likely back after managing to practice in full all week long. Honestly, it’s surprising he even has a questionable tag.
Pierce’s expected return will likely relegate Singletary back to more of a 1.A/1.B situation – something that was more or less confirmed by offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik. Both are risky RB3 bets against a Jaguars front seven that has allowed the third-fewest rushing yards to the position this season.
D’Onta Foreman (ankle/shin), Bears
Appears to be on track to suit up for Monday night’s matchup against the Vikings after getting in a limited practice on Friday.
This isn’t good for Khalil Herbert’s fantasy upside, as the de facto starting RB found himself in a full-fledged three-back committee in his return from injured reserve last week.
None of these backs warrant top-30 treatment at the position as long as this sort of usage persists inside of an offense not exactly overflowing with fantasy-friendly opportunities in the first place considering how much Justin Fields runs.
Jerick McKinnon (groin, out), Chiefs
Isiah Pacheco should see even more consistent work, although Clyde Edwards-Helaire could also just simply get an increase in his usage.
Ultimately, Pacheco remains the only recommended start here – Sunday’s matchup against the Raiders presents a GREAT bounce-back opportunity for Pacheco, who is coming off three consecutive performances with 10 or fewer PPR points. He’s the Fantasy Life consensus RB16 for this one.
Samaje Perine (knee), Broncos
Matched a season-high 14 PPR points last week thanks in large part to his status as the offense’s two-minute back.
Still, the ex-Bengals veteran hasn’t seen more than 10 touches in a game since Week 5; he’s not a realistic fantasy option ahead of Sunday’s BRUTAL matchup against Myles Garrett and company.
Emari Demercado (toe, questionable), Cardinals
James Conner remains the only viable fantasy option in this RB room – the veteran has peeled off PPR RB33 and RB23 finishes in his first two games back from injury and comes in as the Fantasy Life consensus RB21.
Kendre Miller (ankle, out), Saints
He's only seeing a handful of snaps per game anyway with both Alvin Kamara and Jamaal Williams healthy.
The former is the only viable fantasy option at the moment and should benefit from the return of Derek Carr (concussion). Fire up Kamara as a top-five option at the position.
Wide Receiver
Justin Jefferson (hamstring), Vikings
The Vikings have a Week 13 bye and seem to be trending toward letting their stud WR get one extra week to recover. While Jefferson himself noted, “If I’m feeling good, I will play,” it’d be a lot easier to be confident in his health with a full practice on Saturday.
Hopefully, we have some clarity by Sunday morning, otherwise, fantasy managers NEED to be prepared to have a pivot ready for Monday night’s matchup against the Bears if choosing to risk it with Jefferson.
Cooper Kupp (ankle, not listed), Puka Nacua (shoulder, not listed), Bennett Skowronek (hip, questionable), Rams
Head coach Sean McVay confirmed that Kupp will suit up Sunday against the Cardinals.
While the fireworks haven’t occurred quite as frequently this season, Kupp earned weekly WR1 treatment whenever healthy enough to suit up a long time ago.
A similar sentiment is true for Nacua just to a lesser extent. Both should be in starting lineups of all shapes and sizes ahead of this potential boom spot against the Cardinals’ 27th-ranked scoring defense.
A.J. Brown (thigh, not listed), Julio Jones (knee, not listed), Quez Watkins (hamstring, questionable), Eagles
AJB is good to go; fire him up as his usual sky-high WR1 self against a Bills defense that was far more lethal a month or two ago before they were ravaged by injuries.
The return of Watkins could relegate one of Olamide Zaccheaus or Julio out of their respective part-time role as the offense’s low-volume No. 3 field-stretching WR.
Keenan Allen (shoulder, not listed), Jalen Huyton (groin, questionable), Chargers
Allen played through the pain last week and walked away with a 10-116-1 boom that should have been even bigger. Allen earned no-doubt starting WR1 treatment anytime he’s healthy enough to suit up a long time ago.
Meanwhile, Guyton looks like a game-time decision and is only a dicey WR5-type if healthy enough to suit up. QB Justin Herbert might not have another choice but to feed Quentin Johnston should both be sidelined ahead of Sunday night’s brutal matchup against the Ravens.
Tee Higgins (hamstring, out), Bengals
Ja’Marr Chase should still be able to maintain something close to weekly WR2 production based on pure concentrated volume alone (think of what Garrett Wilson has had to deal with this season), while a similar sentiment is true for workhorse RB Joe Mixon.
Dec 5, 2021; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (85) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Los Angeles Chargers in the first half at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports
That said: The scoring upside of both is nuked inside of what now figures to be one of the NFL’s lowest-scoring offenses during the final month and a half of the regular season.
Tyler Boyd still isn’t anything more than a meh WR4 despite the absence of Higgins with the Bengals implied to score just 16.75 points – the fourth-lowest mark in Week 12.
Chris Godwin (knee/elbow, not listed), Buccaneers
Has gained at least 50 receiving yards in all but one of his last seven games, but has found the end zone just once all season. No WR has more targets than Godwn (75) with just one receiving TD to their name.
The man has to be due at some point – it’d make sense if a bounce-back performance of sorts comes against a Colts defense that has allowed some big-time performances to the position this season on their way to contesting their opponent’s targets on just 12.7% of opportunities – the fifth-lowest mark in the NFL.
George Pickens (shin, not listed), Steelers
The absence of Matt Canada has led to the idea that maybe better days could be ahead for Pickens and company. The bar isn’t high: Here are some notable accomplishments by the Steelers' offense during his two-and-a-half-year tenure.
- Pittsburgh ranked 21st, 26th and 28th in points per game during the 2021 to 2023 seasons.
- Only the Panthers and Giants averaged fewer yards per play than the Steelers (4.8).
- Only the Giants and Jets had a lower percentage of drives that went for TDs (15.3%).
- The team’s 17.7% play-action rate ranks dead last and never increased in the absence of Ben Roethlisberger.
Head coach Mike Tomlin just wants to see points. Same, man – here’s to hoping the new-and-improved Steelers offense gets Pickens and company going down the stretch, but the second-year talent remains a shaky boom-or-bust WR4 for the time being.
Noah Brown (knee, out), Texans
Brown again failed to practice all week. Treat Tank Dell as the true No. 1 here; the rookie is on FIRE:
- Week 9: 6 receptions-114 yards-2 TD (11 targets), PPR WR2
- Week 10: 6-56-1 (14), WR13
- Week 11: 8-149-1 (10), WR3
Fire up Dell as a legit WR1 and Collins as a boom-or-bust WR3 with the former outcome certainly on the table ahead of Sunday’s potential shootout against the Jaguars.
Woods is more of a deeper league FLEX play than someone managers should really go out of their way to start.
Zay Flowers (hip, questionable), Odell Beckham Jr. (shoulder, questionable), Rashod Bateman (foot, not listed), Ravens
Flowers practiced in full on Friday and said he’ll suit up Sunday night against the Chargers. The rookie was horrifically robbed of a 68-yard house call last week, but has still flashed plenty as both a route-runner and YAC-merchant.
Yes, Flowers has a position-high 72 targets with one or fewer TDs this season. Also yes, he is now the favorite for No. 1 pass-game option duties and sure looks a lot like someone who should have every opportunity to absolutely boom down the stretch.
OBJ said he’s a game-time decision. It’d be a lot cooler if OBJ (52% routes in Week 11) didn’t lose so many reps to Nelson Agholor (45%), but the 31-year-old veteran has still managed to post 5-56-1, 1-40-1 and 4-116-0 receiving lines in his last three games. Keep an eye on the shoulder, but there’s upside WR3 potential here down the stretch.
And then there’s Bateman, who still hasn’t reached 40 receiving yards in a game this season, although opportunities could be more plentiful the rest of the way considering the former first-round pick posted back-to-back season-high marks in route rate (77%, 76%) in Weeks 10 and 11.
Bateman isn’t a recommended start for the time being, but he might be a good waiver wire pickup after he inevitably gets dropped off many rosters during Week 13 bye-mageddon.
Marquise Brown (heel, questionable), Michael Wilson (shoulder, out), Zach Pascal (hamstring, questionable), Cardinals
Hollywood is shaping up as a legit game-time decision after failing to practice on Thursday or Friday.
While fireworks haven’t gone off for Brown since Kyler Murray has returned, I’d bet on him and Kyler connecting on plays like this potential 28-yard TD more times than not moving forward.
Hell, even Rondale Moore (79% route rate in Week 11) and Greg Dortch (82%) are viable FLEX candidates with full-time roles in this ascending passing game should Wilson remain sidelined. There’s sneaky shootout potential ahead of Sunday’s matchup against the Rams.
Michael Thomas (knee, IR), Saints
Chris Olave’s good-not-great production has hardly always been Derek Carr’s fault, but when you throw in this injury Thomas (knee, IR): It seems likely that Olave will see as much volume as he can handle. He’s a borderline WR1 for Week 12, while this situation is also a bump to usual No. 3 WR Rashid Shaheed, who has been making big-time plays all season already anyway.
Fifth among 99 qualified WRs in yards per reception (16.9), Shaheed is a legit borderline WR3 this week and someone I would start ahead of guys like Rashee Rice and Odell Beckham Jr. among others.
Treylon Burks (concussion, out), Titans
The Titans continue to roll with Chris Moore and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine in three-WR sets alongside DeAndre Hopkins with Burks sidelined. Still, Kyle “One L” Philips is also plenty involved, rendering everyone other than the artist known as Nuk as non-viable fantasy plays.
Fire up Hopkins as a solid volume-based WR2 with a winnable get-right matchup this week against the banged-up Panthers secondary. He’s Fantasy Life’s consensus WR24.
Zay Jones (knee, questionable), Jaguars
I don’t buy the hype surrounding the idea that Jones is responsible for Calvin Ridley’s good games. Are we really saying that Jones – playing in what was basically his first full game since Week 1 – demanded the attention of the Titans' secondary and coaching staff to the extent that HE is the reason why Ridley boomed?
Yes, the splits say what the splits say.
Also yes, Jones wasn’t even on the f*cking football field for one of Ridley’s TDs last week. Correlation doesn’t imply causation, friends.
Sep 10, 2023; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Zay Jones (7) celebrates his touchdown in the second quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Kudos to the Jaguars passing game for putting forward one of their best performances of the season, but one boom doesn’t exactly change the fact that Ridley has been a boom-or-bust WR3 all season long.
Sunday’s matchup against the Texans should give us a better idea as to whether Trevor Lawrence and company have truly taken a leap forward, or if last week’s productive performance against the Titans was more of a matchup-induced boom than anything.
Mack Hollins (ankle, out), Falcons
Drake London will lead the way, while KhaDarel Hodge, Scott Miller and Van Jefferson should all factor into three-WR sets inside of this run-first Desmond Ridder-led “attack.”
Note that Ridder is the NFL’s only QB to start at least 10 games over the past two seasons and fail to throw for double-digit TDs (he’s at 8). On the bright side, Ridder has also struggled mightily with taking care of the football, posting the position’s fourth-worst turnover-worthy play rate (5.6%) among 39 QBs with at least 100 dropbacks this season.
Oh, what’s that? That’s horrible and not in any way a bright side? My bad.
Darius Slayton (neck, doubtful), Sterling Shepard (hip, not listed), Giants
The Tommy DeVito experience was somewhat competent in Week 10, but even that didn’t produce a top-45 PPR WR finish.
The league’s 32nd-ranked scoring offense continues to rotate six bodies at WR; Saquon Barkley is the only recommended fantasy start inside this dumpster fire of an offense.
DeVante Parker (concussion, questionable), Patriots
Never got in a full practice. Either way: Parker hasn’t reached even 35 yards in a game since his okay enough 6-57-0 season debut.
The only somewhat viable fantasy WR in New England is Demario Douglas, who managed to post three top-26 PPR finishes in four games prior to the team’s Week 11 bye.
Also, note that JuJu Smith-Schuster posted a 100% route rate back in Week 10 – it’s possible he sees more volume moving forward, although it’s unlikely to yield anything close to a must-start role inside of the league’s 31st-ranked scoring offense.
Mecole Hardman (thumb, out), Chiefs
Sunday’s matchup with the Raiders should provide some level of a get-right spot for the game’s best QB.
Overall, Patrick Mahomes has posted 340-2-1, 348-2-1, 406-5-0, 258-2-0, 292-4-0 and 202-1-0 passing lines against this group since 2020; it just sucks that nobody other than Travis Kelce is a must-start fantasy option.
This includes Rashee Rice, who sadly did NOT see a post-bye bump in usage. Still a solid enough FLEX option in good matchups like the one on Sunday, but he’s still only seen more than five targets in a game twice all season.
Marquise Goodwin (concussion, out), Browns
The field-stretching specialist is out another week and won’t be on the fantasy radar upon returning inside this DTR-led offense.
Tight End
Mark Andrews (ankle, IR), Ravens
Andrews is the only TE not named Travis Kelce to capture the overall fantasy TE1 crown since 2015. This sucks: Prayers and good vibes go out to the three-time Pro Bowler on a quick and successful recovery.
Second-year Ravens TE Isaiah Likely is the next man up and certainly flashed plenty of upside as a rookie on his way to posting 6-77-1, 1-24-1 and 8-103-0 receiving lines in his only three games with a snap rate north of 50%.
Still, he managed just one reception for four scoreless yards in Week 1 with Andrews sidelined. Likely is the Fantasy Life consensus TE13 ahead of Sunday night’s smashable matchup against the Chargers.
T.J. Hockenson (ribs), Vikings
Hockenson is playing through quite a bit of pain, but that hasn’t impacted his volume, role, or performance.
Fire up the TE2 in PPR points per game as an easy top-two option at the position ahead of Monday night’s smashable showdown with the Bears.
Dallas Goedert (forearm, out), Grant Calcaterra (ankle, out), Eagles
Goedert doesn’t look all that close to returning after failing to practice all week.
The Eagles were happy to rotate Jack Stoll, Calcaterra and Albert Okwuegbunam last week – none are viable fantasy options in the absence of Goedert considering Jalen Hurts seems more than happy to just condense his passing volume around the team’s talented WRs.
Gerald Everett (chest, questionable), Nick Vannett (concussion, out), Chargers
This would be a fantastic situation to target every week in “team” TE fantasy leagues where managers simply get the position group’s cumulative production.
Alas, that’s not the case for most of us mere mortals: Parham will only garner mid-tier TE2 consideration if both Everett and Vannett remain sidelined.
Even then, he’d hardly be a must-start option against a Ravens defense that is one of just 10 units to allow fewer than 10 PPR points per game to the position this season.
Hayden Hurst (concussion, out), Panthers
Tommy Tremble is the next man up here and posted an okay enough 68% route rate last week with Hurst sidelined.
Then again Stephen Sullivan (22% routes in Week 11) and Ian Thomas (14%) have also been involved in recent weeks inside of an offense that always likes to rotate at the position.
There’s also the whole problem of this passing game generally being terrible. So yeah, let’s stay away from this group if at all possible in fantasy land. Cool? Cool.
Andrew Ogletree (foot, out), Colts
This offense insists on rotating at least three bodies at the position week in and week out; none see enough volume to be considered realistic fantasy options.
Other
- Buccaneers CB Carlton Davis (hip, questionable), CB Jamel Dean (ankle/foot, out), LB Devin White (foot, questionable), LB Lavonte David (groin, out)
- Steelers FS Minkah Fitzpatrick (hamstring, out)
- Saints CB Marshon Lattimore (ankle, out)
- Giants DL Dexter Lawrence (hamstring, doubtful)
- Panthers S Jeremy Chinn (quad, out), Sam Franklin Jr. (quad, questionable), CB C.J. Henderson (concussion, doubtful), CB Jaycee Horn (hamstring, doubtful), LB Frankie Luvu (shoulder, questionable), LB Marquis Haynes (back, questionable), LB Yetur Gross-Matos (hamstring, out)
- Bills S Taylor Rapp (neck, out), CB Dane Jackson (concussion, out)
- Colts C Ryan Kelly (concussion, out)
- Patriots OT Trent Brown (ankle, questionable), OL Riley Reiff (knee, questionable)
- Browns CB Denzel Ward (shoulder, out), S Juan Thornhill (calf, questionable)
- Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey (calf, questionable)
- Ravens OT Ronnie Stanley (knee, questionable)
