Gross Bombs: NFL Props for Week 16
Josh Gross
Week 8 was a brutal week for injuries, especially if you were an NFL quarterback. There was a high number of injuries to that position that will have cascading effects on fantasy players at every position.
Let’s get into which offenses could be hampered the most.
Saturday Injury Report Update
Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kansas City Chiefs
No manager was sitting Isiah Pacheco this week against the Dolphins, but it doesn’t hurt him that Clyde Edwards-Helaire is out. The floor is raised just a bit, and now Jerick McKinnon could be an interesting DFS dart throw and a flex for anyone in a desperate spot.
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
The Rams still have their starting quarterback up in the air after Matthew Stafford didn’t practice all week. He could still play since he’s listed as questionable, but backup Brett Rypien seems likelier to start at this juncture.
Kyler Murray/Emari Demercado, Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals have taken Kyler Murray off the injury report, and he traveled with the team to Cleveland, but they have not named him the starter this week yet. I’m hard-pressed to think he would sit out at this point, but the Cards could opt to feed rookie Clayton Tune to the Cleveland defense and give Murray a softer landing spot next week.
Emari Demercado won’t be able to suit up, which means Keaontay Ingram and Tony Jones will have to shoulder the load. I don’t believe either should be considered for fantasy this weekend.
Robert Woods/Dameon Pierce, Houston Texans
The absence of Robert Woods means more work flows through Nico Collins and Tank Dell, but we know from Week 8 that doesn’t guarantee fantasy production. Dameon Pierce missing should mean that Devin Singletary is the lead back, but the matchup isn’t the best we’ve seen. It’s best to expect low-end RB2/flex-style production from Singletary this week.
Curtis Samuel, Washington Commanders
I’m very excited for Jahan Dotson this week now that Curtis Samuel will not be active. Dotson has finally started seeing work with 18 targets in the past two weeks, and New England is horrible against the WR2. They’ll be working to take away Terry McLaurin, so Dotson should have more chances to produce. In DFS, Jamison Crowder could enter the fray as a very risky flier.
DeVante Parker, New England Patriots
The New England receiver room is awfully thin right now, as they are down to Demario Douglas, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Ty Montgomery, Jalen Reagor and Kayshon Boutte. It’s difficult to project anything special for anyone, though Demario Douglas will likely have the best chance at fantasy success.
Drake London, Atlanta Falcons
In the Atlanta receiver room, they’re missing their alpha option in Drake London. Van Jefferson, Mack Hollins and KhaDarel Hodge would be in line for the lead role, but the biggest beneficiary might be tight end Kyle Pitts. The Falcons are starting Taylor Heinicke at quarterback, so it’s hard to know who he’ll favor in this situation.
Darren Waller, New York Giants
The hamstring that has been bothering Darren Waller all year caught up with him, and he’ll miss this game. Daniel Bellinger would be the next tight end in line for his role, but it’s likely spread out among a handful of receivers. If Bellinger doesn’t score a touchdown, he won’t be worth playing.
Original Week 9 Injury Report
Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings all but confirmed Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles on Sunday, and they are just waiting on the MRI. Most of the time, the team knows when an Achilles tears, so Cousins will be done for the year. The Vikings could consider trading for a quarterback, but for now, Jaren Hall stepped in and only had to throw four passes. This would be a significant downgrade for the entire offense, including T.J. Hockenson, Jordan Addison, K.J. Osborn and Justin Jefferson when he returns from his injury.
Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
Either the Colts are lying or they’re a very dumb team because Jonathan Taylor had 11 carries for 94 yards in the first half and one carry in the second half. Supposedly, he wasn’t injured, but there is no possible excuse for him to only get one carry if something didn’t happen. We’ll need to keep an eye on this situation because Zack Moss would vault back into borderline RB1 territory if he had the backfield to himself.
Desmond Ridder/Drake London, Atlanta Falcons
We’re not sure if Desmond Ridder was hurt or benched since he cleared concussion protocol, but coach Arthur Smith said Taylor Heinicke playing in the second half wasn’t performance-based. Well, one of those things can’t be true, and Heinicke didn’t turn the ball over in the second half when he went 12-for-21 passing. Even if there’s a quarterback change, we can’t have any confidence in an offense that continues to waste three consecutive top-10 picks on offense.
Speaking of those picks, receiver Drake London left the game with a groin issue, so that’s something to keep an eye on. The next receivers on the depth chart are players like KhaDarel Hodge, Mack Hollins, Van Jefferson and Scott Miller. It’s hard to think they’d be reliable fantasy assets.
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
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The early news on Monday is the Rams are still considering placing Matthew Stafford on IR. Based on that, it would sound like he did some damage to his right hand. That’s typically important for a right-handed quarterback, and that means Brett Rypien would step in. He has four career touchdowns against eight interceptions in his career. Managers of Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua are going to have to expect a lower level of production for the foreseeable future.
DeVante Parker/Kendrick Bourne, New England Patriots
Kendrick Bourne tore his ACL on Sunday, so he will be done for the season. On top of that, DeVante Parker took a vicious head shot that could lead to a concussion, so New England could be thin this upcoming week. Demario Douglas, JuJu Smith-Schuster and possibly Jalen Reagor could be the top three options, and that’s not likely to be interesting for fantasy.
Tyrod Taylor/Darren Waller, New York Giants
The hamstring injury to Darren Waller is quite concerning because it happened early on in the game, and he was ruled out almost immediately. I would expect to replace him in Week 9 if Waller is on my roster, but nothing is official yet. Tyrod Taylor had to be taken to the hospital with a rib injury, but Daniel Jones was cleared for contact this morning.
Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers
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The Steelers are on a short week since they play the Titans on Thursday night, and that might not be enough time for Kenny Pickett to shake off a rib injury. If he can’t play, Mitch Trubisky should be next in line to start, but the Pittsburgh offense is arguably the worst in the league, so I wouldn’t be interested at all.
Curtis Samuel, Washington Commanders
This injury could help resurrect what’s been a lost season for Jahan Dotson, who went off on Sunday while Curtis Samuel only played 19% of the snaps. That’s the fewest snaps he’s played all year, and it coincided with Dotson being targeted 10 times, the most in any game this year.
