Prime-Time First TD Bets — Monday Night Football, Week 16
Alex Christenson
A lot of folks might stop paying attention to fantasy football, as most championship weeks end after Monday Football. But there are still DFS games to play next week and plenty of injuries to talk about regarding the playoff picture as well.
Fantasy Football Injury Report: Week 18
James Conner, RB, Arizona Cardinals
Fantasy managers are not going to forget this game from James Conner anytime soon. He was questionable all week, but every report said he was ready to go against the Rams. We also knew that the Cardinals were eliminated and Conner had signed a contract extension, so we thought he was healthy. If he wasn’t, there was no motivation to play him. Then Conner made it four carries into the game and never touched the field again. Assuming he misses Week 18, Michael Carter and Trey Benson (if he’s active) will likely lead the backfield.
Chase Brown, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
Chase Brown made a very unselfish play for his team and paid the price for it with a high ankle sprain. He went to slide instead of scoring a touchdown so the Bengals could ideally run out the clock and kick a game-winning field goal. Instead, things went sideways after that, but the attention has turned to Week 18. The Bengals need a win against the Steelers to keep their hopes alive. Brown has not been ruled out yet, but if he can’t go, Khalil Herbert will be in line for all of the work from the Cincinnati backfield.
Jerome Ford, RB, Cleveland Browns
Jerome Ford battled an ankle injury on Sunday and only had one carry in the second half. The Browns had to shift to Pierre Strong Jr. and D’Onta Foreman without Ford, and that could be the case next week against the Ravens. It’s too early to tell, but it’s not an appealing spot no matter what, as the Ravens opened as 18-point favorites at most sportsbooks.
Drake Maye, QB, New England Patriots
The young quarterback took a major headshot early in the game against the Chargers and had to go to the locker room to get through the concussion protocol. He did return for a while before he was pulled due to the score, and Jacoby Brissett took over. Coach Jerod Mayo mentioned that Maye could sit in Week 18, but it’s too early to tell.
Kendre Miller, RB, New Orleans Saints
We still haven’t seen much from Kendre Miller without Alvin Kamara Last week, the Packers steamrolled the Saints and Miller was scripted out of the game. This week, he had a concussion in the second quarter and never returned. It’s a wait-and-see situation if Miller or Kamara plays in Week 18, but the motivation for the Saints is not that high.
Kenny Pickett, QB, Philadelphia Eagles
It came out after the game that Kenny Pickett was playing with a broken rib, which was surprising. It makes me question what in the world the Eagles were thinking when they had him QB sneak at the 1-yard line twice instead of just handing the ball to Saquon Barkley Pickett took a couple of big hits, and one of them knocked him out of the game. Tanner McKee filled in admirably, but we could see Jalen Hurts come back in Week 18 from his concussion.
Tyjae Spears, RB, Tennessee Titans
Tyjae Spears has already been ruled out of Week 18 with a knee issue, and he was dealing with a concussion this week. Spears was filling in for Tony Pollard admirably against Jacksonville before he exited and had right around 100 scrimmage yards. There is a chance that Pollard is back for Week 18, and he does have attainable incentives totaling $450,000. I wouldn’t be surprised if Pollard gives it a go, but Julius Chestnut would be in line next for carries if Pollard doesn’t play.
