Fantasy Football Injury Report: Week 14

Dalton Schultz will miss his second straight game, and that means that Brevin Jordan could be played as a streamer. He caught 3-of-4 targets last week but also ran 23 routes, a season-high. We can do a lot worse than a 15.4% target share against the Jets, who are in the bottom 10 in points per game allowed to tight ends. 

Taysom Hill/Rashid Shaheed/Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints 

Rashid Shaheed has been ruled out as of Saturday, and Taysom Hill appears to be on the wrong side of questionable. Jamaal Williams could take on more of a role if Hill is out because Hill played over 40% of the snaps last week and handled 13 carries. Lynn Bowden and A.T. Perry should both play a ton just as last week, but they also only combined for seven targets. Derek Carr cleared concussion protocol, so he’ll start once again for the Saints. 

Trevor Lawrence/Parker Washington, Jacksonville Jaguars 

It’s a surprise to see Trevor Lawrence even having a chance to play this week after he had his ankle stepped on and bent backward on Monday night. Lawrence does seem to be a true game-time decision. If he sits, C.J. Beathard would be the starting quarterback. It’s not the best matchup since the Browns are in the top five in defensive DVOA and the weather is supposed to be poor as well. I don’t believe we can turn to Beathard if he starts. Christian Kirk had to have surgery during the week, so we should see Parker Washington take on that role. He played 59% of the snaps on Monday night, but I don’t know how advisable it would be to chase that. 

Amari Cooper, Cleveland Browns 

As of early Saturday, Amari Cooper hadn’t been cleared from concussion protocol. It sounds like he could play, but if not, Elijah Moore should have a ton of opportunity. He saw 12 targets from Joe Flacco last week and would be the alpha receiver in the passing game. 

Geno Smith/Zach Charbonnet/Kenneth Walker, Seattle Seahawks 

Both Seattle running backs were upgraded to full practice on Friday, so it looks like they’ll both be active. The best guess here is there will be some type of split in the workload, but it’s also San Francisco on the other side of the game. The most likely outcome is that Seattle will be relying on the passing game. Things would get even worse if Geno Smith is out, because Drew Lock is the backup and that will torpedo the offense. 

Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs 

The Chiefs aren’t ruling out IR for Isiah Pacheco, so Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Jerick McKinnon will have to carry the load. I think there has been some overreaction about just how much we can expect from these backs. Part of the appeal for Pacheco was he was getting nearly all the work, but these two will split it. McKinnon is going to be the third-down back, while Edwards-Helaire will get the bulk of the carries. 

Aaron Jones/Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers 

The Packers don’t play until Monday, but the start of their week gave us a glimpse into who might suit up. Aaron Jones was limited and could possibly make it back, but he’d be hard to trust to see a full workload in his first game. Jones has struggled with injuries all season even though the matchup with the Giants is strong. Christian Watson seems to be a long shot to play since he injured his hamstring right at the end of the game last week, and he’s dealt with that injury already this year as well. Jayden Reed would have the best chance to be the No. 1 receiver alongside Romeo Doubs if Watson misses. 

Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints 

The past few weeks have brought a litany of injuries for Derek Carr, and this past Sunday was no exception. He took a huge hit, and the Saints said he had injuries to his arm, shoulder and a possible concussion. Jameis Winston would be the quarterback if Carr is forced to miss any time, and we know what he’s going to bring to the table. Winston will sling it, regardless of whether it is a good idea or not, so the fantasy appeal for the Saints likely won’t change too much.

Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers 

It looked as though Kenny Pickett was forced from the game with a head injury, but it turned out it was an ankle issue to the point of it requiring surgery. Pickett is expected to miss 2-4 weeks, and if that’s on the longer end, I wouldn’t be shocked if the Steelers eventually gave Mason Rudolph a shot. Mitchell Trubisky has not looked strong at all, and for as bad as the Pittsburgh offense has been this year, it will be worse with Trubisky or Rudolph under center. It’s tough to start any Steeler with even a shred of confidence right now. 

Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots

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It’s being reported that Rhamondre Stevenson is going to miss multiple weeks for the New England offense, and that’s going to leave Ezekiel Elliott as a prime waiver wire option. He had 17 rush attempts and four receptions this past week against the Chargers, and that type of volume is hard to come by. The Patriots have one of the worst offenses in football, but Elliott did at least generate 92 scrimmage yards, so it’s hard to not be interested to some extent. 

Brian Robinson, Washington Commanders 

The score in the game was already lopsided at halftime, but Brian Robinson never came back into the game with a hamstring injury. Antonio Gibson would be the main back, and that’s going to be a valuable role. Gibson was already the pass-catching option in the backfield, and if he’s now in line for double-digit carries, he should be an RB2 or flex-worthy option at worst. 

Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans 

Derrick Henry is officially in the concussion protocol as of Monday, so his status for this week’s game is going to be a question mark all week. Elliott may have a longer span of time as a usable player, but Tyjae Spears has looked pretty strong when he’s touched the ball this season. He took his 20 touches for 88 scrimmage yards and would be a locked-in flex option against the Miami Dolphins. Spears already has 33 receptions in 12 games, and that’s been in a part-time role. He’s also averaging over five yards per attempt and 5.8 yards per reception, so even with some regression, he’s going to be an extremely valuable player this week if Henry is out. 

Marquise Brown, Arizona Cardinals 

Marquise Brown has been battling a heel injury for a couple of weeks now, but he only played 53% of the snaps on Sunday. He severely hampered anyone who started him because he didn’t have a catch before leaving the game, and it’s hard to not have concern moving forward. Greg Dortch and Rondale Moore would be the lead in the receiving room. Trey McBride could take more of a starring role after another big game on Sunday with 8/89/1. With Zach Ertz securing his release last week, McBride could be a top-five tight end for the fantasy playoffs. 

Tank Dell, Houston Texans

Tank Dell suffered a fractured fibula early on in the game against the Broncos. Noah Brown filled in as far as snaps, logging 81%, but Nico Collins was a monster against Denver. He posted nearly 200 yards and will be the unquestioned number one. Brown, Robert Woods and perhaps even John Metchie could be more involved than they have been once the Texans gameplan without Dell in mind. 

Amari Cooper, Cleveland Browns

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Amari Cooper didn’t make it to halftime against the Rams due to a head injury, so he’s in the concussion protocol as well. Joe Flacco and receiver Elijah Moore flashed some of their old chemistry from the Jets, although it wasn’t an efficient day. Moore only had four receptions on 12 targets but made some nice plays, and no other player saw more than six targets. David Njoku saw those six targets, but backup tight end Harrison Bryant saw five as well, so it’s something to keep in mind for DFS in Week 14.