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 every fantasy-relevant issue throughout the season.
What follows is a breakdown of every fantasy-relevant injury ahead of Week 14. Check out the late Friday edition of The Fantasy Life Podcast for a full breakdown of the issues from Fantasy Life lead betting analyst Matthew Freedman and myself.
Quarterback
Lamar Jackson (illness, not listed), Ravens
Jackson missed practice on Thursday, but he returned on Friday and is good to go for Sunday’s rainy matchup against the Rams.
Here’s to hoping Lamar can finish the season strong, as his fantasy production hasn’t exactly matched the overall highs that this Ravens offense has experienced this season:
- 2023: 18.5 fantasy points per game (QB9)
- 2022: 19.7 (QB6)
- 2021: 20 (QB9)
- 2020: 22.2 (QB8)
- 2019: 27.7 (QB1)
Trevor Lawrence (ankle, questionable), C.J. Beathard (shoulder, not listed), Jaguars
Good news: Lawrence is “only” dealing with a high ankle sprain and is a game-time decision for Sunday.
Still, early-week chatter made it sound like more of a pipe dream than a potential reality, and T-Law would be far more of a middling QB2 than usual in fantasy land considering:
- He’s unlikely to provide anything close to his usual 20.7 rushing yards per game or goal-line Superman-reach prowess.
- This week’s matchup in Cleveland combines a not-great weather forecast with the league’s single-best defense in EPA allowed per pass play.
Beathard couldn’t even put up decent efficiency statistics with the help of Kyle Shanahan and younger versions of San Francisco’s ridiculously talented skill-position assets – how do you think things are going to go in this spot behind PFF’s 20th-ranked offensive line that will also be without starting LT Walker Little (hamstring) AND essentially the team’s No. 1 WR Christian Kirk (groin, IR)?
Geno Smith (groin, questionable), Seahawks
Well, this doesn't sound good!
The Seahawks play at 4:05pm ET, so fantasy managers need to utilize extreme caution for Smith and any other Seahawks player for that matter.
Derek Carr (concussion/rib/right shoulder, questionable), Saints
Carr is making his way through the protocol and has a chance to start Sunday after suffering what seemed like (another) devastating injury last week. He’s on track to do so after practicing in full on Friday.
Oct 1, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) warms up before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports
It’s probably a net positive for Chris Olave and company to have Carr under center, but there’s just something about the Jameis Winston experience that is hard to look away from for better and (mostly) for worse.
In Olave’s case though, he could expect all kinds of fantasy-friendly volume if Winston does have to start at any point, as Olave boasts an absurd 40% target share with Winston under center this season – no other Saints player is higher than even 16%.
Aaron Rodgers (Achilles, out), Jets
It’s pretty wild that Rodgers is back to practice at all, although the “need to be in the running for a playoff spot” part of the comeback equation doesn’t look promising.
Specifically, The New York Times gives the Jets under one percent chance of making it into the postseason. Zach Wilson will be under center in Week 14; it’s not surprising that the Jets are only implied to score 15 points – the second-lowest mark on the slate.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson (concussion, not listed), Browns
Joe Flacco is fully expected to draw the start even if the Browns are going Week 1 Jonathan Gannon and refusing to announce an official starter.
Flacco’s scouting report from Week 13: He didn’t suck! Mr. Elite was actually okay and loves Elijah Moore (season-high 12 targets!), so there might actually be hope left for this Browns’ passing game just yet … but probably not this week due to token Cleveland winter weather.
The potential absence of Amari Cooper (concussion) would push Moore into the WR3 conversation, but I’ll still generally be answering close start/sit questions with the guy NOT in the offense implied to score just 17 points.
Running Back
Isiah Pacheco (shoulder, out), Jerick McKinnon (groin, not listed), Chiefs
Head coach Andy Reid wouldn’t rule out Pacheco landing on the injured reserve list. It’s a big-time blow to the offense considering the second-year RB had emerged as one of the few consistent sources of production inside this descending attack.
While a committee of sorts seems likely, Clyde Edwards-Helaire looks like the next man up:
CEH has turned his 40 carries into just 140 yards (3.5 yards per carry) this season while working well behind McKinnon in the passing game.
The expectation for 15-plus combined carries and targets is enticing, although more inefficiency – and a now-healthy Jerick McKinnon – could lead to a short leash of sorts for the fourth-year back.
Edwards-Helaire enters the RB3 equation alongside guys like Keaton Mitchell, Jerome Ford and the Texans RBs.
Not exactly a must-start asset, but also not someone who should be overly shied away from thanks to a potential shootout game script.
Overall, only Cowboys-Eagles (52) has a higher game total than Chiefs-Bills (48.5).
Breece Hall (ankle, questionable), Jets
He got in a limited session on Friday after starting the week with back-to-back DNPs.
Hall is sadly just the RB22 in PPR points per game this season and hasn’t gained more than 50 rushing yards in a game since Week 5. Of course, it’s not like his offensive scoring environment has done him many favors: The Jets are the only NFL team to not have a single RB with a rush attempt inside the five-yard line through 13 weeks of action.
Madness.
He’s a low-end RB2 ahead of Sunday’s iffy-weather matchup against the Texans. Dalvin Cook would be a gross volume-based RB3 play if Hall is ultimately unable to suit up.
Raheem Mostert (knee), Dolphins
Expected to play his usual 1A role ahead of Monday night’s smash spot against the Titans.
Mostert should be in fantasy lineups of all shapes and sizes as the lead back of an offense implied to score a week-high 29.75 points.
Jonathan Taylor (thumb, out), Colts
Zack Moss played a robust 94% of the offensive snaps last week and now boasts the week’s third-best matchup in combined rush yards before contact inside of a Colts offense that has low-key scored the same amount of offensive TDs as the Texans and Chiefs.
Throw in the potential for the Jake Browning-led Bengals to keep things interested in a potential shootout, and Moss is my overall RB2 on the week.
Travis Etienne (ribs, questionable), D’Ernest Johnson (knee, questionable), Jaguars
Etienne is expected to continue playing through the pain. While the third-year RB is the only Jags fantasy option who needs to be in fantasy lineups with Trevor Lawrence (ankle, questionable) potentially sidelined, his utilization has been looking iffy since returning from the team’s Week 9 bye.
Treat him as more of a borderline RB1 as opposed to the top-five option he was for most of the first two months of the season.
Aaron Jones (knee), A.J. Dillon (groin), Packers
Another missed game from Jones would again lead to Dillon garnering volume-based RB2 treatment.
He’s posted the following utilization over the last two weeks with A-aron sidelined:
Dillon comes in as Fantasy Life’s consensus RB24 ahead of guys like Chuba Hubbard and Jerome Ford, who simply aren’t operating in offenses with the same sort of scoring upside that Green Bay has demonstrated in recent weeks.
Kenneth Walker (oblique, questionable), Zach Charbonnet (knee, questionable), Seahawks
This situation is a bit of a mystery.
It’s tough to tell just how healthy either Walker or Charbonnet are, making the possibility of Deejay Dallas and/or Kenny McIntosh factoring in more than usual a distinct possibility. There’s also the question as to whether Walker will re-assume his early-season workhorse role … or work as more of the 1A option that we saw before missing the last two weeks of action.
Oh yeah, and there’s also the BRUTAL matchup against a 49ers defense that has allowed 59, 66, 88 (to the Seahawks) and 46 rushing yards in four games since their Week 9 bye.
I’ll be answering close-ish start/sit questions featuring a Seahawks RB with the other guy if everyone is healthy, while either Walker or Charbonnet still wouldn’t exactly be a must-start top-15 option if the other is inactive due to the potential for this offense to sputter as a whole.
D’Onta Foreman (ankle, not listed), Bears
The Bears had all three of their RBs healthy in Week 11 and accordingly deployed a gross three-way committee.
However, Roschon Johnson worked as the clear lead dog in Week 13 with Foreman sidelined.
None can be trusted as more than dicey RB3 types with the potential for nobody to see over half of the backfield’s snaps or opportunities; just realize it’d make sense if Johnson makes a nice post-bye leap and gets more of a chance to seize control of the backfield down the stretch.
He’s my favorite piece of the backfield to own from a rest-of-season outlook.
Kendre Miller (ankle, out), Saints
Jamaal Williams will continue to see a few touches behind Alvin Kamara, but this is truly more of a one-back offense than we’ve seen in New Orleans in quite some time.
Of course, Taysom Hill continues to do Taysom Hill things.
Wide Receiver
Tyreek Hill (ankle), Dolphins
DNP and limited to start the week, but still tentatively expected to suit up Monday night against the Titans.
Hill is the most un-benchable player in fantasy football ahead of this smash spot.
Justin Jefferson (hamstring, not listed), Vikings
Welcome back! The consensus top-five WR posted 9-150-0, 11-159-0, 7-149-1 and 6-85-2 receiving lines in his only four fully healthy games before suffering a hamstring injury in Week 5 against the Chiefs.
Get your popcorn ready for this Sunday’s matchup against the Raiders’ underwhelming secondary.
Christian Kirk (groin, IR), Zay Jones (knee, not listed), Jaguars
Kirk’s absence means more condensed targets for TE Evan Engram, Jones and Calvin Ridley. Rookie WR Parker Washington will also see more usage in three-WR sets.
Still, the potential for Trevor Lawrence (ankle) to be out or limited ahead of a bad-weather matchup with the Browns’ talented defense isn’t exactly a good spot for anyone involved.
Ridley is a mid-tier WR3, Jones a WR5 and Engram a low-end TE1 – at least better days will be ahead in Weeks 16 and 17 against the Buccaneers and Panthers.
Chris Olave (illness, questionable), Rashid Shaheed (thigh, questionable), Saints
Olave is reportedly expected to suit up despite missing back-to-back practices to end the week.
Shaheed seems very unlikely after failing to practice all week.
Derek Carr (concussion) is making his way through the protocol and has a chance to start Sunday after suffering what seemed like (another) devastating injury last week.
It’s probably a net positive for Olave and company to have Carr under center, but there’s just something about the Jameis Winston experience that is hard to look away from for better and (mostly) for worse.
In Olave’s case though, he could expect all kinds of fantasy-friendly volume if Winston does have to start at any point: Olave boasts an absurd 40% target share with Winston under center this season – no other Saints player is higher than even 16%.
Look for A.T. Perry and Lynn Bowden to join Olave in three-WR sets; neither are expected to see enough volume to be worthy of fantasy consideration.
Christian Watson (hamstring), Jayden Reed (chest), Packers
It sucks to see Watson go down just when it seemed like he was ready to really start replicating last season’s weekly second-half magic.
Look for Reed and Romeo Doubs to lead the way in this suddenly ascending Jordan Love-led attack, but Dontayvion Wicks is also a sneaky-solid FLEX in deeper leagues, or more likely a DFS showdown dart for my fellow degens out there.
Reed (WR27) and Doubs (WR40) are both recommended starts in Fantasy Life’s consensus ranks.
Amari Cooper (concussion/ribs, questionable), Marquise Goodwin (concussion, not listed), Browns
Cooper seems to have a chance at suiting up on Sunday, but he did only manage to get in a limited session on Friday after starting off the week with back-to-back DNPs.
If active, Cooper would be an interesting WR3 with boom potential against the Jaguars’ pass-funnel defense. Still, nothing in Cleveland has exactly been easy this season, and Joe Flacco does indeed love him some Elijah Moore (season-high 12 targets in Week 13).
I’ll still generally be answering close start/sit questions with the guy NOT in the offense implied to score just 17 points.
Puka Nacua (shoulder, not listed), Rams
Puka is good to go for Sunday – let’s just hope Mother Nature just ruins the afternoon for all fantasy parties involved. Projected 15-20 MPH wind speeds have historically been incredibly problematic in fantasy football land in a small sample.
Sep 17, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (17) runs the ball against San Francisco 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir (2) during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Intriguingly, Fantasy Life resident meteorologist Chris Allen (he’s not actually a meteorologist, but he did write a badass article on all the fantasy implications of bad weather) noted “In short, good passers stayed good. At least for fantasy purposes, they did.”
Still, Nacua is more of a low-end WR2 as opposed to a must-start WR1 against arguably the best pass defense in football.
Josh Palmer (knee, out), Chargers
Posted 4-66-1, 3-77-0, 4-60-0 and 5-133-0 receiving lines in his last four fully healthy games.
The Chargers are dying to get a consistent second option in this passing game – and Palmer has done a better job of achieving just than any other WR since the offense lost Mike Williams (knee, IR) for the season.
If active in Week 15, Palmer will warrant immediate upside WR4 treatment.
Noah Brown (knee, questionable)
Was limited on Wednesday, full on Thursday and didn’t practice on Friday. Not great!
If active, Brown is a WR4 with a TOUGH matchup vs. the Jets’ league-best defense in PPR points per game allowed to the position. Still, he should provide value in Weeks 15 and 17 against the Titans if healthy enough to have his usual full-time role by then.
Nico Collins will be flanked by John Metchie and Robert Woods should Brown join Tank Dell (ankle, IR) on the sideline.
Tyler Boyd (ankle, questionable), Bengals
Mid-week injury additions are never good, but Boyd did at least manage to get in a limited session on Friday.
While Jake Browning’s low-aDOT would seemingly mesh well with Boyd, he’s posted mediocre 3-22-0, 3-23-0 and 5-37-0 receiving lines in three games since losing Joe Burrow (wrist, IR).
Overall, Boyd has been held under 60 receiving yards in all but one game this season; he’s a low-ceiling WR4 at best despite the potential for Bengals-Colts to supply some sneaky fireworks.
Jason Brownlee (ankle, out), Jets
Garrett Wilson and Xavier Gipson remain the offense’s two full-time WRs.
Wilson is a volume-based WR2 with Zach Wilson returning under center for the Jets’ incoming bad-weather matchup against the Texans.
Tight End
Dallas Goedert (forearm, not listed), Eagles
He said early in the week he planned to play and accordingly managed to stack up three consecutive full practices. Goedert is tentatively expected to work in his usual every-down role for Sunday night’s MASSIVE NFC East showdown against the Cowboys.
While Goedert’s early-season production was a bit more boom-or-busty than managers would prefer due to the abundance of high-end weapons in this passing game, this is still fantasy’s TE11 in PPR points per game on the season ahead of guys like David Njoku and Kyle Pitts.
Fire him up as a low-end TE1 ahead of this potential shootout.
Taysom Hill (foot/left hand, questionable), Juwan Johnson (quad, questionable), Saints
Head coach Dennis Allen said Hill’s foot is the bigger issue here. He didn’t practice all week. It’s problematic when considering whether or not the do-it-all vulture will be healthy enough to handle his now-usual double-digit touch workload.
Sadly, it’s tough to be overly excited about any other TE here if Hill misses time; Johnson was thrust into a rotation alongside Foster Moreau and Jimmy Graham in Week 13 after dominating usage in Week 12.
Hill will be a more dicey low-end TE1 than normal if active, while Johnson would still only be an upside TE2-type if thrust into “starting” duties.
Dalton Schultz (hamstring, out), Texans
Backup TE Brevin Jordan ran a route on a nice percentage of Stroud’s dropbacks, making him a solid upside TE2 for however long Schultz (hamstring) remains sidelined.
The ever-erratic nature of the Jets' offense has caused their defense plenty of problems throughout the season, yet Gang Green still hasn’t allowed an opposing offense to reach even 275 passing yards in a single game.
Jordan is more of an upside TE2 than someone who needs to be in fantasy lineups.
Dawson Knox (wrist, questionable), Bills
It remains to be seen if Knox will be healthy enough to return ahead of Sunday’s potential shootout with the Chiefs. His presence could be problematic for both Dalton Kincaid and Khalil Shakir, who have each thrived with full-time roles with Knox sidelined for the last month.
“Why would the Bills care about Knox?”
Well, they do have 53.6 million reasons to continue playing the veteran in something close to a full-time role, which could lower the weekly target ceiling for both of the Bills’ surging complementary pieces.
Kincaid tentatively remains a mid-tier TE1 – and Shakir an upside WR4 – but we could be dealing with some sad utilization takeaways on the Sunday night edition of The Fantasy Life Podcast.
Tyler Higbee (neck, doubtful), Rams
More targets should now be condensed around the team’s stud WRs and Kyren Williams, although potential brutal weather conditions in Baltimore could prove problematic.
Oh yeah, the Ravens secondary is also, you know, maybe the single-best group in football.
Neither Puka Nacua nor Cooper Kupp are ranked inside Fantasy Life’s consensus top-18 players at the position this week.
Tyler Conklin (hamstring, not listed), Jets
He racked up the air yards last week but remains a non-recommended start due to the sad state of life inside this now Zach Wilson-led attack.
Jeremy Ruckert is also involved enough to keep Conklin away from a full-time role. So yeah, find someone else. PLEASE.
Hayden Hurst (concussion, out), Stephen Sullivan (shoulder, questionable), Tommy Tremble (hip, questionable), Panthers
Ian Thomas could be looking at a full-time role if both Sullivan and Tremble are ruled out.
Even then, the veteran would be little more than a TD-dependent TE2 inside of a passing game that sure hasn’t made a habit of racking up trips into the red zone.
Durham Smythe (ankle), Dolphins
The little-used TE actually boasts solid enough underlying route rates more weeks than not, but the Dolphins remain more than happy to concentrate their pass-game volume on the far more dangerous WRs and RBs.
Smythe is nothing more than a DFS dart ahead of Monday night’s likely beatdown against the Titans.
Other Injuries to Monitor
- Buccaneers LB Devin White (foot, out), LB Lavonte Davis (groin, not listed), LB K.J. Britt (back, questionable), DT Vita Vea (toe, questionable), DB Jamel Dean (ankle/foot, out)
- Falcons CB A.J. Terrell (concussion, questionable), CB Jeff Okudah (ankle, questionable), CB Mike Hughes (hand, questionable), DE LaCale London (knee, out), DT David Onyemata (ankle, out)
- Falcons C Drew Dalman (ankle, questionable), OT Kaleb McGary (knee, out)
- Panthers CB Jaycee Horn (hamstring, not listed), CB Troy Hill (ankle, not listed), SAF Jeremy Chinn (quad, not listed), S Vonn Bell (shoulder, not listed)
- Browns CB Denzel Ward (shoulder, questionable), CB Cameron Mitchell (hamstring, questionable)
- Jaguars CB Tyson Campbell (quad, out), CB Tre Herndon (concussion, out), CB Christian Braswell (hamstring, out)
- Jaguars LT Walker Little (hamstring, out)
- Lions C Frank Ragnow (knee/back/toe, out)
- Saints DE Cameron Jordan (ankle, questionable), DE Isaiah Foskey (quad, out), LB Pete Werner (shoulder/oblique, questionable)
