Fantasy Football Injury News Week 14: Ladd McConkey Stature is Growing
Chris Allen and Jorge Martin analyze the injuries that are impacting fantasy football into Week 14, highlighted by Ladd McConkey returning from a knee injury.
Chris Allen and Jorge Martin analyze the injuries that are impacting fantasy football heading into Week 14.
First off, there will be no further mention of Christian McCaffrey, Trevor Lawrence, and Jordan Mason in this article. We warned you to pick up Isaac Guerendo earlier this week, and his rostership is up to 77% in Yahoo leagues. Lawrence has been placed on IR and likely to miss the rest of the season in a lost year for the golden boy, and his absence will negatively impact BrIan Thomas Jr. and Evan Engram.
Well, enough about the players we already know are going to be out. Let's jump into some players who are on the borderline. These players could impact Week 14 fantasy football lineups that might have players on byes — six teams are sitting out this week. Make sure to check out our Inactives page at 11:30 a.m. ET to see which players have been ruled out. Good luck on your playoff pushes!
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Running Back
Breece Hall (knee): Hall came into Week 13 with the dreaded "Q tag" after a DNP-LP coming off of the Jets' bye. The result was his workload nearly getting cut in half. He combined for 23 touches in Week 11 but was down to 14 against the Seahawks. Braelon Allen was the beneficiary of Hall taking fewer snaps, and the rookie rusher has been a top-end handcuff to roster. However, with the Jets hitting bottom-five marks in yards per drive and EPA per play, Allen becomes a volume play unless Aaron Rodgers rebounds to close out the season. UPDATE: Hall is OUT, so this could be the Allen show. The rookie has seen more than 10 carries in a game twice this season, and faces a Miami defense that has now allowed more than 62 yards rushing to an RB since Week 5.
Bucky Irving (hip): I was worried after a video surfaced of Irving laboring to the locker room after their narrow win over Carolina. Of course, the (partial) good news was that the rookie RB was able to finish the game. He out-carried (62.0% rushing share) and out-targeted (9.0% target share to 3.0%) Rachaad White. But back-to-back DNPs puts his hold on the backfield in flux. White and Sean Tucker are healthy. Both can operate (less efficiently) as rushers and receivers, so the team can give Irving some time to rest. However, Mike Evans' status may be the larger factor as it pertains to the team's outlook for Week 14. UPDATE: Irving is expected to play. He could share the touches more to take the wear and tear off him, giving opportunities to White and Tucker. The Raiders are allowing 87 rushing yards per game to RBs, 17th in the league.
Roschon Johnson (concussion): Johnson went DNP-DNP the first two sessions of the week and has yet to clear the concussion protocol after missing Week 13. As of now, it does not look good for him to suit up in Week 14. UPDATE: Johnson was ruled OUT on Friday. Proceed to the next player.
D’Andre Swift (quadriceps): Swift also missed the first two days of practice with a quadriceps injury after he went for a combined 74 scrimmage yards on Thanksgiving. With Johnson trending toward sitting for a second week in a row, the Friday practice report should reveal a lot as to whether the top rusher for the Bears will continue to tote the rock under interim HC Thomas Brown. UPDATE: Swift is expected to play after returning to a limited practice, and his snap share rose to 69% with Johnson sitting out a large part of the last game. The 49ers are walking wounded on defense, and have allowed 100-yard rushers the past two weeks. Swift is a starter with the fantasy playoffs on the line.
Kenneth Walker (ankle): Walker being downgraded to a DNP after he practiced on a limited basis on Wednesday is a trend in the wrong direction. The Seahawks’ top back has seen no fewer than 16 touches in the three games since the team’s Week 10 bye, so this injury must have occurred on Sunday.
With the fantasy playoffs possibly on the line, Zach Charbonnet would be a starting option only if Walker were forced to miss. The Cardinals are in the middle of the pack allowing 91.5 rushing yards to running backs. If Walker is playing, fantasy managers have to start him because of his sheer volume. UPDATE: Walker was ruled OUT Saturday. Dwain McFarland pointed out that Charbonnet could be a great play because he would have a full-time role, as he did in Weeks 2 and 3 when he had 19 and 22 touches, respectively, with Walker sidelined. Walker went for 93 total yards two weeks ago against these same Cardinals.
Wide Receiver
Ladd McConkey (knee): On the one hand, seeing McConkey hobble off the field yet again this season doesn't inspire too much confidence. But, on the flip side, McConkey at least appears on track to play in Week 14. He has posted consecutive limited sessions as the Chargers prep for their annual trip to Kansas City. McConkey was L.A.'s entire passing game, even in a contest where he got hurt. His 117 receiving yards are impressive. But Herbert throwing for only 147 makes McConkey's role all the more critical to his team's success. If he's active, you're starting him. UPDATE: McConkey should play, and the Chiefs have been more leaky against WRs lately. Jakobi Meyers went for 6-97-0 against them last week.
Mike Evans (hamstring): Mr. 1,000 may have his streak in jeopardy if he cannot suit up or is limited following DNP-DNP designations to begin the week. Friday’s practice report will say so much.
Evans needs to average just under 100 yards per game over the last five weeks of the season to hit 1,000 yards for the 11th year in a row. The Bucs targeted him 12 times last week, and that should be the case most weeks for their WR1. The Raiders allow the ninth fewest receiving yards to WRs in the league at 123.7, and have given up just one 100-yard season to a wideout (Diontae Johnson in Week 3).
DK Metcalf (shoulder): Metcalf missed the first two practices before Week 13. So, an LP-DNP start to the week isn't too concerning. However, even though Metcalf was active last Sunday, the in-game reports likely made most gamers wish they had started someone else.
Per our Utilization game logs, Metcalf's catchable target rate hit a season-low as Geno Smith dealt with pressure on over a third of his dropbacks. Something similar happened a couple weeks ago in Seattle's first bout against the Cardinals. With Metcalf's health concerns, his chances are hitting a ceiling become limited in one of the most critical weeks of the fantasy season.
DJ Moore (quadriceps): Unfortunately, Moore is coming off one of his strongest games from a usage standpoint since Keenan Allen returned to the lineup. Fortunately, if Moore's injuries limit his time on the field, we have some idea of where the targets will go.
Allen and Moore essentially switched places in the pecking order on Thanksgiving. Luckily, the former Chargers WR found the end zone twice to boost his box score tally. Caleb Williams has limited negative plays and averaged 236.8 passing yards per game over the last month. Looking to his pass catchers for help during the Week 14 Bye-Pocalypse would be a reasonable move.
Malik Nabers (hip): After Nabers missed practice on Friday, concern built for his playing status today. His injury appears to be a less-severe version of what knocked out Ja'Marr Chase for multiple weeks in 2022. Dr. Edwin Porras said there is cause for concern about Nabers' playing status. He is looking like he'll go, but his role could be limited. That's putting fantasy managers who may have the playoffs on the line in a quandary. Since Week 4 when he went for 115 receiving yards and suffered a concussion that took him out for two games, Nabers has yet to eclipse 69 yards in any of his six games played. With a 36% target share on the season, could a limited role mean sitting him?
Even in a limited role, this is a great matchup. The Saints are seventh in the league allowing 33.9 fantasy points to WRs, and fifth with 163.1 yards to the position. With this matchup and Drew Lock throwing him the ball, Nabers could be a winning play with the playoffs on the line.
George Pickens (hamstring): Pickens is trending toward playing, though he will be test out the hamstring in pregame warmups to make sure he's able to play. That has to send shivers up the spine for fantasy managers who have come to rely on the WR18 on the season. The only good news here is that he is playing in the 1 p.m. ET window, so have a player at the ready in case inactives brings with it bad news on his status.
Tight End
Dallas Goedert (knee): Dr. Porras compared Goedert’s knee injury to the one that has kept Dalton Kincaid out of action since Week 10. So it’s not looking good for fantasy managers relying on Goedert going up against the Panthers defense that is the most inviting for tight ends at a league-high 15.9 fantasy points per game.
DeVonta Smith looking good to return to the lineup could mean he draws some of the targets that have gone Goedert’s way of late. Goedert has seen 14 total targets in the past three games.
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