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Welcome back to the Saturday Injury Report! Every week I’ll be looking at injuries across the league for the upcoming slate of games.
Early Games
Ravens @ Browns
The Ravens could be without Miles Boykin again this week. The receiver logged three limited practices this week but is currently listed as doubtful. TE Nick Boyle (illness) missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday but returned on Friday. He’s listed as questionable for Sunday. Both players are well off the fantasy radar.
The Browns will be without TE Harrison Bryant (ankle) and WR Anthony Schwartz (concussion) this week. Both players did not practice all week and have been ruled out. WR Jarvis Landry has been limited in practice all week with a knee injury. I expect he plays his full complement of snaps this Sunday. Baker Mayfield (everything) practiced in full all week but is not a viable starter outside of superflex leagues.
Jaguars @ Titans
James Robinson (knee, heel) missed practice on Thursday but logged a full session on Friday. It turns out that Robinson missing Thursday practice was part of a “load management plan”. Hopefully, Robinson sees his usual workload this Sunday.
Titans RB Jeremy McNichols practiced in full all week and should be ready to play on Sunday. If he’s available on waiver wires, I’d consider stashing McNichols if you need RB help. WR Julio Jones practiced in full on Friday. Jones is currently still on the injured reserve list and isn’t on the injury report. It’s quite likely that the team activates him before Sunday and Jones should slide in as the team’s primary receiving threat.
Raiders @ Chiefs
TE Darren Waller is still dealing with the knee injury he suffered and has been declared out for this game. RB Kenyan Drake (ankle) has been ruled out for the rest of the season, clearing the way for RB Josh Jacobs to see most, if not all, of the receiving workload in the team’s backfield for this week. RB Jalen Richard is on the COVID19 list and is likely to miss the game, which further solidifies Jacobs’ role as a receiver.
The Chiefs are fully healthy for this game.
Saints @ Jets
The Saints will get Alvin Kamara back this week but will probably be without the services of both Mark Ingram and Ty Montgomery. Ingram and Montgomery have been placed on the COVID19 list and it’s unlikely either running back will be cleared by Sunday. Tony Jones will be backing up Kamara this week. WR Lil’ Jordan Humphrey is dealing with a hamstring injury. He was downgraded to DNP on Friday, a bad sign for his availability on Sunday. In his absence, there could be a handful of additional targets to be spread around the auxiliary receivers.
RB Tevin Coleman (concussion) has been ruled out against the Saints. TE Ryan Griffin logged a full practice and is a low-upside, high-downside play at the position. Most notably, WR Elijah Moore missed three consecutive practices this week and is currently listed as questionable. No player on the Jets has played this season after missing all three weekly practices, so I’d try to find an alternative receiver to play this week.
Cowboys @ Washington
Ezekiel Elliott practiced in full all week and should be ready to go this weekend with no limitations. Tony Pollard was diagnosed with a torn plantar fascia and has not practiced all week. Pollard notes that he’s remained in pain a week after tearing the ligament. I doubt that Pollard will play this weekend. WR Noah Brown was placed on injured reserve with a groin injury.
The Washington RB corps could get a boost this weekend with the potential return of JD McKissic. McKissic was limited in practice on Thursday and Friday and I expect that he suits up this weekend. WR Curtis Samuel was limited in practice all week and I expect that he plays through his groin injury. With TE Logan Thomas on season-ending injured reserve, the team will be looking for TE Ricky Seals-Jones to help fill that role. Seals-Jones practiced in full on Friday and could be a viable TE2 this weekend.
Falcons @ Panthers
Both teams are healthy as they head into their Week 14 matchup.
Seahawks @ Texans
The Seahawks will be without the services of Travis Homer this week. The running back appeared to have tweaked his hamstring/calf and did not practice on Thursday or Friday. Additionally, RB Adrian Peterson suffered a back injury and has been ruled out for Sunday. The Seahawks will deploy a three-headed backfield of Rashaad Penny, DeeJay Dallas, and Alex Collins. Collins practiced in limited fashion all week but has been feeling “considerably better”. I wouldn’t start any of the aforementioned RBs unless you’re truly desperate.
The Texans appear to be mostly healthy this week. Note that Brandin Cooks was limited in practice all week, but I suspect that he’ll see his usual complement of snaps. Rookie WR Nico Collins practiced in full on Thursday and Friday and could be in line for a bigger receiving role if Cooks’ injury is worse than we believe.
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Afternoon Games
Lions @ Broncos
The Lions already ruled out D’Andre Swift for Sunday and will also be without the services of RB Jamaal Williams this week. The team placEd Williams on the COVID19 list on Friday and he will not be cleared for the game. This leaves Detroit with an ugly RBBC consisting of Jermar Jefferson, Godwin Igwebuike, and “Craig Reynolds”. Jefferson did practice in full on Friday and I expect that he sees the bulk of the workload this weekend. Additionally, TE TJ Hockenson has not practiced all week and is listed as doubtful. In his absence, Josh Reynolds and Amon-Ra St. Brown are viable WR3 options.
Broncos RB Melvin Gordon was limited in practice all week but will suit up on Sunday. RB Mike Boone was placed on the reserve/COVID19 list and will not play this week. I’d be interested to see how Javonte Williams’ role changes with Gordon back in the lineup.
Giants @ Chargers
The Giants will start Mike Glennon this week against the Chargers. Glennon will be without the services of WR Kadarius Toney who was ruled out with an oblique injury. WR Sterling Shepard might return to action this week. Shepard was limited in practice all week and is listed as questionable for this game. WR Kenny Golladay will also play this Sunday after logging limited practices on Thursday and Friday. Saquon Barkley was limited in practice all week but does not have an injury designation for Sunday. Hopefully, we get to see some vintage Barkley performances over the next month.
The Chargers will be without the services of Keenan Allen on Sunday. Allen is on the reserve/COVID19 list and his absence opens up targets for Mike Williams, Jaylen Guyton, and Joshua Palmer.
Niners @ Bengals
Niners RB Elijah Mitchell will miss the game this week with a knee injury and a concussion. Jeff Wilson and JaMycal Hasty are expected to carry the mail this weekend. WR Deebo Samuel practiced on a limited basis on Friday after sitting on Wednesday and Thursday. Samuel has an outside shot to play on Sunday so monitor his status over the course of the weekend.
Bengals WR Tee Higgins was limited in practice all week with an ankle injury. I’d expect Higgins to play his usual complement of snaps this weekend. RB Joe Mixon did not practice all week due to an illness, but I expect that he suits up and receives his regular workload on Sunday.
Bills @ Buccaneers
Both teams are fully healthy this week.
Sunday Night Football
Bears @ Packers
QB Andy Dalton did not practice all week and is listed as doubtful. The team has already declared Justin Fields as the starter. Fields will get WR Allen Robinson (hamstring) back this week. Robinson practiced in full on Friday and hopefully is able to build on some of the chemistry him and Fields showcased a few weeks ago. WR Marquise Goodwin did not practice all week and is listed as doubtful for this Sunday. I have a sneaking suspicion that Goodwin will not suit up this weekend.
Packers WR Randall Cobb had surgery to repair an injured core muscle and will miss the next several games. It’s quite likely that Cobb might not be back until the playoffs, making him an easy drop candidate.
Monday Night Football
Rams @ Cardinals
Rams RB Darrell Henderson remains limited in practice with a quad injury. I suspect that Henderson plays on Sunday but believe that him and Sony Michel will have closer to a 50-50 workload split.
Cardinals TE Zach Ertz was limited in practice with a shoulder injury. Ertz should play through this injury but with DeAndre Hopkins back in the lineup, I expect his target share to decline. The Cardinals also activated RB Chase Edmonds from injured reserve. Edmonds could return to the team as early as Monday Night Football.
Enjoy the games, everyone!
