Chris Allen and Jorge Martin present the Injury News impacting Fantasy Football for Week 16. 

Start your studs. Dance with who brung you. Pick your trite line that helps fantasy managers make lineup decisions during the fantasy football semifinals. What they must consider above everything is injuries, and we have plenty of them. It's time for our weekly look at fantasy-relevant players, as the stakes are raised in the penultimate week in the fantasy calendar.

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Quarterback

Patrick Mahomes (ankle): Mahomes is doing his best Wolverine imitation, as he was a full participant in all three practice sessions after he was contorted in a painful manner, resulting in him leaving last week’s victory with a bum ankle. We’ve seen Mahomes perform on the biggest stage with an injured ankle — sorry, Eagles fans. Can he do the same against a Texans defense that has an excellent pass rush and corners like Derek Stingley playing at a high level? Mahomes is a QB2 in our rankings, down at No. 17. 

Running Back

Nick Chubb (foot IR—out for the season): A comeback season turns into another year of injury concerns for Nick Chubb. Cleveland's top rusher wound up on IR after breaking his foot in Week 15. So now, we have an RB worth picking up off the waiver wire and starting in the playoffs. Jerome Ford not only got the workload but looked the part of an RB1 against Kansas City. Plus, he gets to face the Bengals, who have allowed either 100 yards or a TD to opposing RBs in five straight games. Cleveland's turn to Dorian Thompson-Robinson as its starting QB puts a damper on the Browns' offensive outlook. Consequently, Ford grades out as a low-end RB2 for the semifinals. 

Zach Charbonnet (oblique): Charbonnet's oblique injury was something of a surprise after Seattle's RB2 handled 50% of the carries in Week 15. Fantasy managers were able to breathe a sigh of relief after Charbonnet logged a limited session on Thursday, but another problem arose. Kenneth Walker got in his first full practice since Week 13. Assuming no setbacks for either RB, we're back to the split backfield that earned Walker the sixth-most carries of any rusher. Accordingly, Charbonnet becomes tough to trust in the playoffs. 

Isaac Guerendo (hamstring): Guerendo's hamstring injury will sideline him for Week 16, bringing yet another SF RB onto our collective radars. Patrick Taylor (2020 UDFA, former Packer) takes over the backfield and should see a majority of the carries. However, Miami has yet to allow a 100-yard rusher this season and has given up just two scores on the ground since November. Taylor hit a 40.0% route rate in his final season in Green Bay. With fewer attempts going to the RBs, we should expect more work for the primary pass catchers in Week 16.

Alvin Kamara (groin): Anytime you hear a player's name and "second opinion" mentioned in the same sentence, it's probably not a good thing. While Kamara had one of the best touchdown catches of the season, his 25 snaps and five carries were a season low. Meanwhile, KenDre Miller functioned well as the lead back (5.1 YPC) despite no usage in the passing game. Regardless of whether Kamara is active or not, he has another RB vying for touches. The Saints are also playing on Monday night, so we won't get confirmation until most of our options are locked. As a result, considering other rushers with projectable workloads would be the better option for Week 16.

Tony Pollard (ankle): On the one hand, Pollard had a similar practice routine last week. He posted consecutive DNPs before getting in for a limited session to close out the week. However, Sunday's matchup against Cincinnati ended with a different result. Pollard seemingly re-aggravated his ankle injury as he was on the field for a season-low 45% of the snaps. So, even if he's active, your risk tolerance should determine whether or not he's in your starting lineup. Tyjae Spears was effective as a rusher (75% rushing success rate to Pollard's 41.2%) and snagged six targets for 87 yards as a receiver. Fantasy managers should look elsewhere for production unless they're desperate.

Tyrone Tracy (ankle): The rookie went LP-LP to start the week, leaving open the possibility that he will sit this week out. Tracy has 32 touches in the past two games, though could that be curtailed with him battling an injury? The Falcons host the Giants, with Aaron Jones combining for 84 yards against them in Week 14.

David Montgomery (knee-IR): After pairing with Jahmyr Gibbs with much success the past two seasons, it looks like Monty’s out for the season with a knee injury. He’s getting second opinions, but it would be surprising to see the bruising RB on a football field even during the NFL playoffs. Gibbs will be among the more popular plays in DFS, as his track record when Montgomery sits is stellar.  

Trey Benson (ankle): Benson went DNP twice to start the week, and is likely going to sit this week. James Conner has a moon landing of his own this week against the Panthers. 

Wide Receiver

Jaylen Waddle (knee): A defender rolled up on the back of Waddle's knee during a tackle, ending Waddle's day early in Week 15. The initial news of "no structural damage" from HC Mike McDaniel was positive. But a "day-to-day" designation from the Dolphins' playcaller has resulted in multiple missed practices. Even if Waddle was active, the injuries to Miami's offensive line are the greater concern. Without their starting tackles, Tua Tagovailoa hit season-low efficiency marks while taking multiple sacks and giving the ball away. Since the Dolphins have other options to keep the offense moving — Tyreek Hill, De’Von Achane, Jonnu Smith — Waddle shouldn't be in starting lineups in Week 16.

George Pickens (hamstring): Pickens is already out for the third game in a row, and if fantasy managers make the final they may need to consider dropping the talented WR. Calvin Austin was the main beneficiary among the WRs, totaling 28% target share last week, though he would be a punt play at Baltimore this week. 

Hollywood Brown (shoulder): HC Andy Reid said that there is a “good chance” that Brown makes his debut for the Chiefs after logging full practices three times this week. If he is activated, Brown could boost a KC passing game that has been underwhelming since Rashee Rice was lost for the season in Week 3. That said, Brown at best should reside on fantasy benches, at least the first week back on the field. The Texans are 25th in the league, averaging 33 fantasy points per game allowed to WRs.

Tight End

Zach Ertz (concussion): Ertz left the Commanders' Week 15 matchup in the second quarter with a concussion. The good news is that he's been able to practice in a limited fashion, indicating that he's progressing through the concussion protocol. If Ertz gets the all-clear, he's worth considering in the semifinals. The veteran TE is ninth in target share among his positional peers and he's second on the Commanders in looks from Jayden Daniels. Plus, despite Philadelphia's secondary being stingy to opposing passers, they've been generous to TEs. The last four pass-catching tight ends to face the Eagles have all found the end zone. Coincidentally, Ertz was one of the four. Regardless, the lack of pass catchers at Daniels’ disposal would lend credence to a hefty workload for Ertz in what should be a highly contested divisional rematch. If he's active, it'd be hard to find better options.

David Njoku (hamstring): The Browns’ star TE went DNP-DNP to start the week, and as of now it would be a surprise if he were to play after sitting out last week. That’s even worse news for Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who is supplanting Jameis Winston in the starting lineup. It’s hard to trust any Browns pass catchers playing with DTR, even against a Bengals defense that is sixth in the league with 232 passing yards allowed per game. 

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