Week 17 Fantasy Football Injury News: Jalen Hurts, Josh Allen, and More
Chris Allen and Jorge Martin dive into the NFL injury news impacting Week 17 fantasy football championship lineup decisions, and if they could sit.
Chris Allen and Jorge Martin dive into the NFL injury news impacting Week 17 fantasy football championship lineup decisions.
It's Week 17. You made it to the title game. Enjoy the view. And hopefully after four NFL games have been played your chances of winning your league championship are still good. Now comes the “fun” part of the week—deciphering whether players who are injured going into the weekend have a chance to play, or if their play can be impacted.
When every decision could be the difference between winning and losing, every last morsel of information needs to be consumed and analyzed before setting your “winning” lineup. Thankfully, we're here to help.
Here is the latest injury information on fantasy-relevant players going into Week 17. This being championship week, we've narrowed the focus to players who are at the very least under consideration to start in the fantasy championship. So don't expect to see any deep sleepers in here.
As always, this article will be updated right up until the Sunday morning inactives are announced before the 1 p.m. ET games. OK, let's do this.
Premium
Get $25 Guillotine League Credits When You Join FL+
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nunc tinciedunt, ex sit amet cursus gravida, dui mauris vulputate felis.
Quarterback
Jalen Hurts (concussion): The last time we saw Hurts, he was giving a thumbs-up to a referee after taking a hit. Kenny Pickett had to close out the Eagles' bitter loss to the Commanders. Hurts is yet to practice. Pickett has to wear extra padding for the rib injury he picked up in Washington. While the quality of throws to Philly's pass catchers will decline, the frequency won't. A.J. Brown (63.0% target share) and DeVonta Smith (29.0%) hoarded the attempts last week, giving them low-end WR1 and WR2 appeal in Week 17.
UPDATE: Hurts has been ruled OUT, putting Pickett in charge of the Eagles' offense. AJB and Smith dominated targets with Pickett playing most of the game last week, which could be a good indicator that they'll do the same against a Dallas defense that is fourth in the league with 150.2 receiving yards per game allowed to WRs.
Josh Allen (shoulder/arm): The injuries continue to pile up for the would-be MVP. After revealing he has a fracture in his non-throwing hand, Allen has been tending to his right shoulder and elbow. Luckily, he's been a full participant in practices and is still averaging the second-most QB runs (8.7) and 11th-most passing attempts per game (33.3) over the last three weeks. Despite the Bills' dropback over expectation rate declining since Week 14, Allen remains one of the top QB options for the fantasy playoffs.
Anthony Richardson (back): An estimated missed practice on Christmas is one thing. But an actual DNP for a QB is something else. Richardson spent Thursday's session watching Joe Flacco take the first-team reps. On the bright side, the Colts reported Richardson is responding to treatment, and Friday's practice will be critical. If Flacco gets the start, we know what to expect. Indianapolis' dropback over expectation rate has surged to +2.0% in his four starts. Josh Downs and Michael Pittman slide up nearly a half tier in the ranks. In either case, it leaves Jonathan Taylor as the lone rusher against the Giants, who've allowed the fifth-most PPG to opposing RBs.
UPDATE: Richardson sat out practice Friday, and was eventually ruled OUT on Saturday. Flacco practiced with the first team the last two days of practice. Flacco on the road against that Giants offense, he is more sneaky DFS play than even a consideration as a QB2 in superflex leagues.
Tua Tagovailoa (hip): He's been downgraded to doubtful, so keep an eye out when inactives are announced before the 4:05 p.m. ET game. That's poor timing for fantasy managers, who probably will have had to make a decision whether to move on from Tua by then. This really impacts Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle (more on him below).
Running Back
James Conner (knee): If you had told me Conner had hyperextended his knee, I'd be waiting for the news the Cardinals put him on IR. But he's making his case to see some action in Week 17. Unfortunately, the practice clips show Conner with a noticeable limp after taking a toss. Meanwhile, Trey Benson (still limited) is trending toward returning to the field after missing Week 16. Should Conner rest (and Emari Demercado is already on injured reserve), Benson will be in an enviable position, as Conner has earned 21 and 19 touches in the last two weeks.
UPDATE: After three limited practices, Conner could play on Saturday. Keep an eye out for the pregame inactives to find out his status.
J.K. Dobbins (knee): The Chargers opened Dobbins' practice window earlier in the week, and the former Raven got in some limited work before the holiday. After a full practice on Thursday, Dobbins got the Q tag ahead of their game on Saturday. With Gus Edwards already ruled out, a split between Dobbins and rookie Kimani Vidal against the Patriots (allowing 10th-most PPG to RBs) makes sense. However, the threat of Hassan Haskins looms large. Haskins had a 27.0% route rate in Week 16 and snagged two targets while playing in two-minute situations. This will be Dobbins' first game back, and Vidal hasn't been a target earner, creating the potential for a three-man committee for Week 17.
Tony Pollard (ankle): Pollard hasn't had a full practice since Week 15. In fact, this will be his third week in a row with multiple DNPs to kick off his preparation for a game. However, Pollard hit season lows in snaps (40.0%) and touch rate (36.0%) against the Colts. Instead, Tyjae Spears took the lead with 10 carries and three targets. On the one hand, facing the Jaguars would warrant starting Pollard, as they've given up double-digit PPR points to every starting RB going back to Week 7. However, if he's active, the risk of re-aggravation makes him more of a midrange RB3. UPDATE: Pollard did not travel with the team when he came down with the flu, and was ruled OUT Saturday. Can you say Spears league winner?
Tyrone Tracy: The Giants' rookie rusher aggravated an ankle injury that hampered him most of the previous week. Tracy's snaps have declined from 84.0% back in Week 14 to 60.0% against the Falcons this past Sunday. Consequently, we've seen Devin Singletary's share of the carries jump to over 30.0% in back-to-back games. Friday's routine will give us a clearer indication of his Week 17 availability. However, even if he's active, you'd have to be desperate to start either RB connected to an offense scoring just 13.0 PPG over its last four games. UPDATE: No injury designation going into the game.
Chuba Hubbard: Hubbard has not only been ruled OUT, but he was placed on IR on Saturday, ending his season. Raheem Blackshear and Mike Boone are expected to step into more prominent roles, but Matthew summed it up perfectly that both are likely not startable. It's pretty simple, Tampa's run D is No. 5 in fewest rushing yards allowed to RBs. Friends don't let friends start backup RBs against a good run D in championship week.
Wide Receiver
Davante Adams (hip): In the past four games, Adams has caught 30 balls for 441 yards and five TDs. So many fantasy teams were unexpectedly carried to title games by Adams, only for him to log a DNP twice to start the week. So there is some concern, especially with the Jets out of contention. As of now, plan to have Adams in the lineup, but keep an eye on practice reports. In Week 15, Amon-Ra St. Brown had a massive 18 targets, catching 14 for 193 yards and a score against the Bills. UPDATE: Adams is expected to play, so fire him up as he tries to catch Aaron Rodgers' 500th career TD pass—he's one away from the mark.
Mike Evans: While Evans went LP-DNP in the first two practices, he currently has no injury designation. That should not be ignored, as he has an extensive history of hamstring problems. However, the veteran has played through minor injuries of late and still logged snap rates between 82% and 90% the past four games. Follow the practice reports just in case, but also remember he needs to average 91 receiving yards per game the next two weeks to reach 1,000 yards for the 11th straight season to start his career.
The Panthers could give up a fair number of those yards, as Evans has already stuck them for 118 yards and a score on eight receptions in Week 13.
CeeDee Lamb (shoulder): This is easy after Lamb was designated OUT on Thursday. The Cowboys travel to play an Eagles’ defense allowing just 123.1 receiving yards to WRs, fourth-fewest in the league. The Cowboys do not have a WR who would command 27% target share and 8.3 UR score that Lamb has registered, especially against that defense. Nothing to see here.
Drake London (hamstring): London has been limited in practice for two days by his hamstring injury, which dropped London’s route rate to 77% in Week 16. Could that hamstring injury slow London down in a matchup against the Commanders with an over/under of 47.5? There is an 87% chance of rain on Sunday night, which could cause uneven footing — never a good thing for a player battling a leg injury. London is the WR19 by our consensus rankings, so it would be hard to sit him going for a championship if he's active. UPDATE: He has no injury designation, so expect him out there while hoping the rain stays away.
Terry McLaurin (ankle): Scary Terry went DNP-LP in the first two sessions of the week, which is the direction that fantasy managers want to see for a player who has scored six touchdowns over the past four games. He has no fewer than 60 receiving yards in that span. Getting clear of injury would ease the minds of fantasy managers, especially in a matchup where the Falcons are allowing 35.1 fantasy points per game to the WR position. UPDATE: No injury designation. Fire him up with confidence.
Malik Nabers (toe): Nabers sitting out the first two days of practice leaves him as a game-time decision. Never a good sign, and these types of injuries can linger. Logging 51 targets in the last four games for an astounding 36% target share, Nabers is definitely a player to start in a matchup with the Colts visiting MetLife Stadium. Last week Calvin Ridley caught three balls for 78 yards and a score against Indy. With that target volume, Nabers would be a hard sit. UPDATE: Nabers practiced on a limited basis on Friday, and he's trending toward being active. He's the WR18 in our rankings.
Chris Olave (concussion): Olave, who has not played since Week 9, has been a full practice participant the first two days of the week. Will he play in a meaningless game with a backup quarterback in Spencer Rattler? Olave may want to run some routes in a real game before the end of the season, but the team has to weigh the risk of sending him out there after suffering what is at least his second concussion this season. He's a sit almost anywhere but the deepest leagues. UPDATE: Olave practiced in full all week, though beat reporter Nick Underhill does not expect him to play. And he was eventually ruled OUT on Saturday. Heal up, Chris.
Adam Thielen (hamstring): Just when it looked like Thielen had worked his way into high-end WR3 territory—our consensus rankings have him at 26.4—this injury popped up. After going on IR and missing seven games with a hamstring injury, this is a major red flag for a player who has been an underrated hero for fantasy teams down the stretch. Thielen has 27 receptions for 295 yards and a pair of scores, and heads into a matchup with the Buccaneers after putting up a stellar 8-99-1 line on them in Week 13. UPDATE: Thielen has no injury designation and is set to play in this potential shootout.
Jaylen Waddle (knee): After sitting out Week 16 and then the first practice session of this week, Waddle returned to a limited practice on Thursday. Is that enough to trust him in championship week? There is a chance for heavy rain in Cleveland, and oddsmakers have chimed in with 39.5 over/under. Coming off a missed game and playing in cold and wet conditions, Waddle is WR63 in our rankings. UPDATE: Another limited practice session on Friday gave hope Waddle could play, but he's looking like a sit in a game with rough weather with backup QBs starting. Stay away, unless you're betting the under.
Christian Watson (knee): After sitting out all week, Watson has not been ruled out for the game. It appears a matter of time before he's designated to sit, which is rough timing considering the Packers could be in for a track meet against the Vikings in a matchup with a 48.5 over/under. This is a 4:25 p.m. ET game, so make sure to have contingency plans if you're planning to start Watson. It'll be hard to start someone like Dontayvion Wicks in a final matchup, but Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed get upgrades and could be started. UPDATE:
Tee Higgins (ankle): With three limited practices, Higgins is questionable going into the home game against Denver. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported there is optimism that Higgins can play. Higgins has 10+ targets in three of the past five games with a solid Utilization Score of 8.6 over that span. The Bengals are clinging to a faint pulse of playoff life and need to beat a Denver team ahead of them in the postseason race. The Broncos are seventh in fantasy points allowed to WRs but did give up 87 receiving yards to Ladd McConkey last week and were blitzed by Jerry Jeudy (235 yards) and Elijah Moore (111) in Week 13.
Tight End
David Njoku (knee): Njoku missed Week 15 with a hamstring injury, then amassed 10 targets against Cincinnati the following week and picked up a knee injury for his efforts. Fortunately, Njoku's 5.6-yard aDOT has made Cleveland's switch from Jameis Winston to Dorian Thompson-Robinson less impactful. In fact, Week 16 was Njoku's third consecutive game with double-digit looks. Pass-catching TEs (e.g., George Kittle, Tucker Kraft, Brock Bowers) have averaged 10.5 PPR points or better against the Dolphins, so the matchup would be ideal for championship rosters. But if Njoku misses another game, managers won't have a choice but to look elsewhere to find a starter for Week 17.
UPDATE: Njoku has been ruled OUT. Hopefully a player like Chig Okonkwo has been picked up as an alternative in case Njoku was ruled out. Okonkwo faces a Jaguars defense allowing the seventh-most fantasy points to TEs. He's been rostered in just 26% of Yahoo leagues.
Premium
Go FantasyLife+
Your league is unique. Your advice should be too. Get personalized tools, rankings, and projections tailored to your fantasy football league settings.
