Week 13 Fantasy Football Injury Report

We already have four games played this week before the weekend NFL slate even kicks off, so there was plenty of injury news that already happened. That doesn’t mean there isn’t some to deal with Sunday, so let’s get rolling.

Week 13 Fantasy Football Injury Report

Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets

Alarm bells went off Wednesday as Breece Hall wasn’t practicing despite the Jets coming out of the bye week. That was abnormal, but Hall practiced Thursday and Friday, so the concern has subsided a bit. He’s still being listed as questionable, so if he does miss the game, Braelon Allen is going to rank as a top-20 option at running back this week.

Austin Ekeler, RB, Washington Commanders

It’s not a surprise Austin Ekeler is out for this week after suffering a concussion at the end of the game Sunday. It’s the second time this season he’s had a documented concussion. That said, what is surprising is Brian Robinson Jr. is not on the injury report. He had his leg twisted against the Cowboys, but he’s ready to lead the Washington backfield. Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Jeremy McNichols are going to mix in behind Robinson but not be exciting options for fantasy.

Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars

Barring any type of setback, Trevor Lawrence will be back under center for the Jaguars. That’s good news for receiver Brian Thomas Jr., tight end Evan Engram and the offense as a whole. Lawrence is just an average option for fantasy, but Thomas and Engram are safer than they have been in the past couple of Jacksonville games.

J.K. Dobbins, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

We’ve known all week that J.K. Dobbins would miss Week 13 at a minimum. It’s not known how long he’ll be out, but Gus Edwards should take over as the lead back for the Chargers. Kimani Vidal and Hassan Haskins will both mix in behind him but they could both be looking at just 4-6 touches each, if that. Edwards is really the only option with any sort of trust for fantasy this week.

Josh Downs, WR, Indianapolis Colts
Alec Pierce, WR, Indianapolis Colts

If Anthony Richardson hasn’t been sabotaged by his weapons enough this year, he might be missing both Josh Downs and Alec Pierce against the Patriots. Downs is officially ruled out already, and Pierce is listed as questionable but hasn’t practiced this week. That would mean Michael Pittman Jr. and Adonai Mitchell would have to carry the load at the receiver position. The tight ends like Mo Alie-Cox and Kylen Granson would need to help out as well. Pittman and Mitchell would be fairly strong plays even though Richardson has shown inconsistencies this year.

Brock Purdy, QB, San Francisco 49ers

It does appear Brock Purdy will be ready to play this week, but that’s not locked in quite yet. He hasn’t been able to practice in full yet this week after sitting out Week 12, but time is running out on the season for the 49ers. The shoulder has kept him from practicing and it’s not ideal for him to roll into Buffalo at less than full strength. We also need to keep an eye on the weather, as that could be a serious threat to the passing game this week.

DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

It looks like there is a reasonable chance of DeVonta Smith playing this week as he’s been limited in practice. Last week, he was ruled out Friday, so we can view the questionable status as some sort of progress. It wouldn’t be ideal to rely on any other pass catcher outside of A.J. Brown and Dallas Goedert for the Eagles this week, even if Smith remains out.

Original Monday Injury Report

This week’s injury report is a bit longer than the past couple of weeks and could ripple into this upcoming week when fantasy managers are making their push for the playoffs. It could be a busy week on waivers, so let’s get rolling.

David Montgomery, RB, Lions

This could be a big deal since the Lions play on Thursday this week and his shoulder injury won’t have a long time to heal. If Montgomery misses Turkey Day, Jahmyr Gibbs is going to touch the ball at least 15-20 times and could end up as RB1 for the week. This past week saw Montgomery miss time and Gibbs rack up 24 touches, 99 scrimmage yards and two scores. 

Brian Robinson Jr., RB, Washington Commanders 
Austin Ekeler, RB, Washington Commanders 

It was a tough day for the Washington running back room on Sunday. Brian Robinson Jr. suffered a nasty-looking hit almost immediately where his leg got twisted very awkwardly. It looked like it could have been a serious injury, but Robinson was able to come back for parts of the game. It’s still worth keeping an eye on because Austin Ekeler may not be able to play this week. He was returning a kick on the last possession before getting walloped and suffering a concussion. That’s his second one this season, so his path to playing this week is going to be difficult. If both miss, Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez Jr. would be the next players up, and that’s a reasonably large dropoff in talent. 

Ja’Tavion Sanders, TE, Carolina Panthers 

Rookie tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders had one of the scarier injuries of the year when he was flipped over and landed on his head while trying to gain extra yards on a reception. He stayed down for a while and had to be put on a backboard, but fortunately he was discharged from the hospital shortly after the Panthers game. There really isn’t a fantasy-relevant tight end in the Carolina offense if Sanders misses time, but thankfully things ended as well as possible for Sanders. 

Romeo Doubs, WR, Green Bay Packers 

There aren’t many teams better suited to deal with an injury to the wide receiver room than the Packers. Romeo Doubs is dealing with a concussion, so the timeline for that injury is always different for every player. If Doubs misses, Jayden Reed, Christian Watson and Dontayvion Wicks will have slightly more focus on Thursday, but it’s still a crowded receiver group.

Gardner Minshew II, QB, Las Vegas Raiders 

The season has come to an end for Gardner Minshew II since he broke his collarbone late against the Broncos. That’s going to leave the Raiders with Desmond Ridder and/or Aidan O’Connell, who could be activated from IR by Friday. The Raiders play the Chiefs early this week, so O’Connell has a shorter time to prepare, but he’s still better than Ridder. 

Cedric Tillman, WR, Cleveland Browns 

This injury happened last Thursday in the snow game against Pittsburgh. Cedric Tillman suffered a concussion in the third quarter and is still in the protocol as of Monday. If he doesn’t play in Week 13, Jerry Jeudy, Elijah Moore and David Njoku will feel even safer as starting options since Tillman wouldn’t be sharing targets. 

Josh Downs, WR, Indianapolis Colts 

Anthony Richardson played so much better than the box score would indicate in Week 12, and multiple plays to Josh Downs came back due to penalties. Unfortunately, it looks like Downs won’t be in the lineup this week, as he’s considered a “longshot” to play due to a shoulder injury. Adonai Mitchell should step into that void along with Michael Pittman Jr. as the two main targets with Alec Pierce still functioning as the deep target.