NHL Best Bets for Thursday (1/9)
Kenneth Le
The first week of the fantasy football playoffs kicked off with an absolute dud Thursday night, with zero touchdowns between the 49ers and Rams and Puka Nacua the only relevant player to put up a competent fantasy total. So you can’t afford any more missteps this week. With that in mind, let’s look at the injury report as we head into a very full Sunday of football.
Fantasy Football Injury Report: Week 15
Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets
It appears Breece Hall might only miss the one game he already missed, though why the Jets are letting him play is beyond me. The season is over as far as contending goes, and he had ACL surgery last year — it doesn’t make much sense to play through any knee injury. However, the Jets seem optimistic that he will be back for Week 15. If not, expect Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis to continue to split the work.
Evan Engram, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars are losing starting offensive players all over the board, as Evan Engram is having surgery for a torn labrum. He’s out for the remainder of the season, so backup quarterback Mac Jones will be throwing to Brian Thomas Jr. at receiver and likely Brenton Strange at tight end.
David Njoku, TE, Cleveland Browns
This is a curious case — it was reported Wednesday that David Njoku might be out for Cleveland against the Chiefs. He still hasn’t practiced, but there is some hope that he can suit up Sunday and hasn’t been ruled out yet. If he can’t go, Jordan Akins would likely be the next man up, but that is not a solid fantasy option.
Bucky Irving, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Fortunately for Tampa, receiver Mike Evans is off the injury report and ready to go for Sunday. The same can’t be said for Bucky Irving, who still has the questionable tag hanging on him. He wasn’t able to practice all week and he had to leave Week 14 against the Raiders early with an injury. Rachaad White has experience leading a backfield, so he’s likely to get the bulk of the touches with Sean Tucker chipping in if Irving is out.
George Pickens, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers were able to get away with not having great receivers last week against the Browns, with George Pickens missing that game. That is not likely to be the case this week against the Eagles. Scotty Miller, Mike Williams, Calvin Austin III and Pat Freiermuth are all going to be involved here, but Freiermuth would be the only one I’m considering using for fantasy.
Kenneth Walker III, RB, Seattle Seahawks
We can be just about sure Kenneth Walker III will miss this week against the Packers, since he’s listed as doubtful. Zach Charbonnet will have another opportunity where he should get just about every touch out of the backfield and has the receiving chops as well, so he’s a comfortable starting option.
Ladd McConkey, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
Ladd McConkey was back to practice this week, at least in limited fashion. There seems to be a better chance that he’s going to play this week than there was last week, and the Chargers need him. They don’t have a reliable option outside of him right now, because Joshua Palmer and Quentin Johnston aren’t exactly reliable.
Original Monday Injury Report
It’s not the lengthiest injury list we’ve had all season, but the injuries we do have were pretty major. There are a few that are likely season-ending, and that’s unfortunate. We’re coming down to the last month of the season, so let’s talk about players who may need to step into larger roles.
Jonathon Brooks, RB, Carolina Panthers
Jonathon Brooks spent most of this season rehabbing a torn ACL and was just starting to ramp up and earn touches in the NFL. It was a true bummer to see him take a handoff and come up lame with a non-contact injury. Carolina has said he needs a full battery of testing to see what’s going on with his leg injury. Non-contact injuries typically don’t have a great track record. There are too many instances where it’s a major injury, but we’ll hope that’s not the case. Chuba Hubbard will continue to be the engine in the backfield for the Panthers if Brooks is indeed out for the remainder of the season.
Bucky Irving, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Bucky Irving came into the game with an existing injury, and it sure seems like Tampa should have just made him inactive. He handled just five touches for a total of 18 yards before exiting with back and hip issues. If he does miss, everyone will feel better about starting Rachaad White next week. He had 19 touches for over 100 scrimmage yards compared to just three touches for Sean Tucker. We’ll have to see how the week develops around Irving before making any calls.
Aidan O’Connell, QB, Las Vegas Raiders
A player leaving the field with an air cast is never a good sign, and that’s what happened to Aidan O’Connell on Sunday. That makes two quarterbacks who are out for the year for the Raiders, including Gardner Minshew II. As things stand, that means Desmond Ridder is going to be starting for the Raiders by default. That may not be the best news for Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers, but there just aren’t any other options for the Raiders. Look for the team to sign someone in the coming week at the position for depth.
Derek Carr, QB, New Orleans Saints
The Saints believe that Derek Carr broke his non-throwing hand late in the game against the Giants, which could cost him time. With Taysom Hill and a litany of other players already out, Jake Haener could be in line to start. New Orleans has started Spencer Rattler in the past, but that didn’t work very well. I can’t say that Haener is more likely to find success given the talent around him.
Isaac Guerendo, RB, San Francisco 49ers
Apparently, the running back room for the 49ers is cursed. Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason will be on IR for another three games at least, and now Isaac Guerendo is dealing with a foot sprain. He had a strong showing against the Bears with over 120 scrimmage yards and two scores, and he says he’s alright. The 49ers have repeatedly lied on their injury report all year, so it’s tough to get a good read here. Patrick Taylor Jr. would be next in line, and we could potentially see Ke’Shawn Vaughn mix in, so let’s hope Guerendo is healthy moving forward. San Francisco has a tough turnaround this week and plays on Thursday night against the Rams.
George Pickens, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
It was a surprise to see George Pickens listed as inactive on Sunday, but that might not be the only game he misses. The reports are he’s dealing with a Grade 2 hamstring strain, which would likely mean a multi-week absence. The Steelers play the Eagles this week, and there isn’t a receiver I’d feel comfortable starting for fantasy this week, except for maybe Pat Freiermuth at tight end.
