Injuries are a part of life – just ask any 40-year-old man who thought, “Surely, I can make it through this pickup basketball game without pulling something. I think I’m in good shape”.
Injuries are unfortunate but ultimately expected. Especially in a violent contact sport like football, there is no way to remain healthy without picking up some bumps and bruises along the way.
In our fantasy game, managers have to predict and accommodate for injuries, frustrating as they may be. There is no “good” time for a player to suffer an injury, except perhaps when they would already be sidelined due to a bye week. We always wish for our players to remain healthy all year long, and we hate to see them unavailable during the playoff stretch.
Yet here we are.
Week 14 was ugly on the injury front – from setbacks to season-ending events. I hope you don’t have too many of these players on your roster, and if you do, that pivot options are available. Here is a quick rundown from the blue medical tent, complete with backup options to consider, should they be relevant.
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10 Fantasy Football Injuries to Know: Week 15 Waiver Wire
Quarterbacks
Someone needs to remind Carr that he isn’t a carbon copy of Taysom Hill. Midway through their victory over the hapless New York Giants, Carr took off scrambling down the sidelines and made the puzzling decision to leap over multiple defenders rather than slide. He came down awkwardly on both his left hand and head, staying down on the field for an extended period. Unable to return to the game after consulting with medical professionals, it was later revealed that Carr suffered a “significant fracture in his non-throwing hand” (per Tom Pelissero), and he was also placed into the league’s concussion protocol. Initial reports deemed this season-ending, but Saints coach Darren Rizzi later confirmed that he didn’t expect Carr to be placed on IR, and this was a week-to-week situation. With New Orleans on the outside of playoff contention and Carr expected to miss at least Week 15, fantasy managers should downgrade every receiving option on the team. Alvin Kamara will continue to be the focal point of this offense but is the only startable asset for now.
After O’Connell finished his follow-through on a pass attempt, he was pushed from behind by a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defender on a seemingly harmless play. Bracing himself before he hit the ground, O’Connell’s knee took the brunt of his weight, and he could not get up. Medical personnel put his leg into an air cast, and he was carted off the field. Backup Desmond Ridder completed the remainder of the game. Ian Rapoport later reported that O’Connell suffered a bone bruise in his knee, dodging any worst-case scenario. The team has not ruled him out for Week 15 at the moment, but his status is questionable, at best. Ridder would start next week if O’Connell is unable, and his presence under center represents a significant downgrade for Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers.
Running Backs
Walker managed to log a limited practice on Wednesday of last week and then was sidelined on Thursday and Friday before ultimately being ruled out with an ankle and calf issue. Zach Charbonnet went absolutely ballistic in his absence and finished the week as the overall RB1. Following the game’s conclusion, head coach Mike McDonald stated that Walker was undergoing additional tests to determine the severity of his calf injury and more information would be released over the next several days. Given the nature of soft tissue injuries and Walker’s extensive laundry list of medical maladies, I’d expect him to miss practice at the beginning of the week, and his outlook for Sunday’s contest against Green Bay is murky at best. Charbonnet is rostered in most leagues, but backup Kenny McIntosh is universally available as a Hail Mary FLEX in PPR formats.
Irving came into Week 14 questionable with a hip injury but managed to start and play through the pain. During the first quarter, after he had several touches, Irving was spotted on the sidelines, and it was later revealed that he had back tightness and could not return to the contest. In his absence, Rachaad White finished with 19 touches for 109 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, propelling Tampa Bay to a 28-13 victory over Las Vegas. During the press conference after the game, Todd Bowles said that Irving’s status for a critical Week 15 game against the Los Angeles Chargers would ultimately come down to if his back can “loosen up.” It is anyone’s guess if this will be the case, and even if Irving can start, what sort of workload can he manage without things flaring up? I’d anticipate White seeing a more even distribution of touches and would downgrade Irving to a mid-range RB2 status. If Irving cannot suit up, Sean Tucker will back White as the change-of-pace option. Tucker is available as a stash in most formats.
This injury was devastating on many different levels. After the Panthers bye in Week 11, Brooks was slowly eased back into action following his return from a torn right ACL at the end of his college career. Ranked atop my board as the best running back in his draft class, I was excited to see Brooks in action, as he reminded me of a younger version of Jamaal Charles. Sadly, in the second quarter, when attempting to cut on a juke move, Brooks immediately fell in a heap and needed assistance getting off the field. Imaging on Monday confirmed the worst news possible – Brooks had re-torn his ACL and will miss the remainder of the 2024 season. Now, needing to begin rehab yet again, one has to wonder what his status is for next year and what sort of shape he will be in. Chuba Hubbard will remain the workhorse for Carolina for the remainder of 2024, with Mike Boone serving as his handcuff until Raheem Blackshear (chest) is fully healthy. Boone and Blackshear are off my radar as adds unless you participate in an extremely deep format.
The New York Jets seemed initially optimistic that Hall (knee) would be able to play this past week, but he could not practice on Thursday and Friday and was eventually ruled out ahead of Sunday’s game against Miami. Rookies Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis split carries out of the backfield, with each player finishing the game at 16 touches. Davis was arguably the more dynamic option of the two since he found the end zone, but the presence of both options caps any breakout potential. Per Adam Schefter, New York isn’t planning on shutting down Hall for the remainder of the season, and his status for Week 15 is currently up in the air. Even with the Jets officially out of playoff contention, the team remains hopeful that he can return to the field in the short term. Should Hall suffer any setback or miss Week 15 due to the team playing it cautiously, I’d prefer Braelon Allen of the two alternatives by a hair. Both Allen and Davis would be FLEX streamers in a PPR format.
Last week’s waiver-wire darling came through for fantasy managers who blew the remainder of their FAAB budget to acquire his services. During the first start of his career, Guerendo finished with 78 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries, adding another 50 receiving yards on two catches. Near the game’s conclusion, Guerendo was replaced by Patrick Taylor Jr., and head coach Kyle Shanahan later revealed that Guerendo had sustained a foot sprain and would be evaluated further. Describing his status as “day to day,” Guerendo is under a time crunch to return to action, with San Francisco squaring off against Los Angeles in the Thursday Night game. During the team’s initial walkthrough practice on Monday, Guerendo was listed as a non-participant, and his chances of playing appear slim. Taylor Jr. will surely be one of the largest waiver-wire grabs this week, but don’t be so quick to gloss over Israel Abanikanda, who the team signed once Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason were placed on IR. The Rams surrender the fifth-most rushing yards per game (over 141 on the ground each contest), and have given up 93 points to their opponents over the last three weeks.
Wide Receivers
Pickens was added to the injury report on Friday of last week with a hamstring injury, and the team was relatively quiet about its severity leading up to Sunday. A surprise inactive, it was revealed after the game that he is dealing with a Grade 2 strain, and he isn’t expected to be available for the Steeler’s crucial Week 15 game against interstate rival Philadelphia. Mike Williams will operate as the primary outside deep threat for quarterback Russell Wilson, with tight end Pat Freiermuth as a check-down security blanket on shorter routes. Tertiary options such as Van Jefferson and Calvin Austin are completely off my radar as pickups. I expect Pittsburgh to rely heavily upon their running game to keep them competitive in this contest.
McConkey’s injury status leading into Sunday read like a children’s rhyme of shoulders and knees (thankfully, his head and toes remained unscathed). McConkey was able to make it through three limited practices last week and stated that he would do everything in his power to play, but the team chose discretion as the better part of valor and ruled him inactive. A revelation since being integrated more into the offense in Week 8, it was evident that the Los Angeles had a hard time moving the ball without McConkey, especially against a stout Kansas City Chiefs front. Joshua Palmer (6/78) and Quenton Johnston (5/48/1) attempted to fill McConkey’s void, but neither option is adept at running crisp routes that Justin Herbert can rely upon. Given that McConkey was able to practice multiple times last week, I’d expect him to retake the field in Week 15 against Tampa Bay in a must-win contest for both teams.
Tight Ends
On the final play of the first half against Kanas City, Dissly came down awkwardly on his shoulder and was later ruled out for the remainder of the game. Further testing revealed damage that is expected to have him miss “multiple weeks” (per Fox Sports Jordan Schultz), but the team didn’t commit to placing him on IR. A low-end streaming option at an otherwise thin position the last several weeks, fantasy managers will need to pivot elsewhere for aid. With Hayden Hurst (hip) still on IR and ineligible to return until Week 16, Los Angeles will turn to three-year veteran UDFA Stone Smartt instead. The team has spoken glowingly about his ability to step into a larger role, and given their struggles running the ball, Smartt will need to step up immediately.
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