We are officially in the home stretch of the NFL season and Fantasy Football playoffs are right around the corner. We are entering the part of the year when any injury can turn into a dreaded “season-ending injury”, especially in the Fantasy Football world.
Unfortunately, numerous players suffered injuries this week that will knock them out of your playoff rosters. As the playoff push comes to a close, it is becoming do-or-die time for your teams.
Help give your roster a boost by getting an understanding of what injury your players are dealing with and if you can rely on them this week. As always, I will be breaking down fantasy-relevant injuries and providing guidance on how to handle your guys this week. Welcome to the Week 13 Fantasy Football Injury Report!
Note: This injury report will be updated until the conclusion of Week 13. For the most current injury news and analysis, follow me on Twitter @SGPNFootballDoc!
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Week 13 1PM Inactives
David Njoku (TE) Cleveland Browns
Brandin Cooks (WR) Houston Texans
KJ Hamler (WR) Denver Broncos
Michael Carter (RB) New York Jets
Week 13 Late Inactives
Kadarius Toney (WR) Kansas City Chiefs
Joe Mixon (RB) Cincinnati Bengals
Mike Williams (WR) Los Angeles Chargers
Elijah Mitchell (RB) San Francisco 49ers
Myles Gaskin (RB) Miami Dolphins
Travis Homer (RB) Seattle Seahawks
Matthew Stafford (QB) Los Angeles Rams
Week 13 Fantasy Football Injury Report
Darnell Mooney (WR) Chicago Bears
Ankle Injury, Initial Injury: 11/27/2022
Unfortunately, we are kicking off this Week 13 injury report with a negative outlook. Chicago Bears WR1 Darnell Mooney injured his ankle last week, fittingly while he was blocking on this run-heavy team. He was quickly ruled out for the season this week as he will have to have surgery to repair torn ligaments in his ankle.
The Bears have officially placed him on IR and he will be looking for a better result in 2023. There has not been a ton of detail disclosed on what specific ligaments were torn, but he should have plenty of time to recover by the start of next season.
Mooney is OUT FOR THE SEASON after having surgery to repair ligaments in his ankle. – DROP
Travis Etienne (RB) Jacksonville Jaguars
Foot Injury, Initial Injury: 11/27/2022
Here is some positive news for the injury report in Week 13. Jaguars young RB Travis Etienne brought some fear to fans and fantasy managers last week. He had to leave the game early in the first quarter and did not return. It turns out the injury was not very serious and that he was medically cleared to return to the game.
The decision was made by head coach Doug Pederson to hold Etienne out of the game to not risk further injury. Etienne missed all of last season due to a Lisfranc injury to his foot, so Pederson’s caution is warranted. Etienne should be good to go for this week.
Jaguars RB Travis Etienne is expected to play and not be limited this week. – START
Allen Robinson (WR) Los Angeles Rams
Foot Injury, Initial Injury: 11/27/2022
Another WR on the Week 13 injury report whose season has come to an end is Rams wideout, Allen Robinson. Los Angeles made a splash in the offseason when they acquired the former reliable WR to pair with Cooper Kupp. However, Robinson’s season will end just as it began, with disappointment. He injured his foot very early last week and was immediately ruled out. The injury is called a stress fracture and it was quickly deemed that he would need surgery to its healing.
Stress fractures refer to bone breaking down typically due to overuse and are the precursors to a fracture if left untreated. Barring any setbacks, Robinson should be set to return by the offseason of 2023 and will look for a much more productive year.
Robinson is officially on IR and OUT FOR THE SEASON after having surgery on his foot. – DROP
Michael Carter (RB) New York Jets
Low Ankle Sprain, Initial Injury: 11/27/2022
The New York Jets have had a frustrating backfield to rely on in terms of fantasy. Due to the injury report and trades, there has been a constant shuffling of backs, with Week 13 being no different. RB Michael Carter was set to have a big game last week with RB James Robinson being a healthy inactive against Chicago.
However, he had a very poor fantasy performance due to being knocked out of the game with an ankle injury. The good news is that although he was unable to return to the game, his injury is a low ankle sprain and is considered mild.
A low ankle sprain is much less serious than a high ankle sprain and refers to damage to the lateral ankle ligaments, due to the foot rolling inwards. The lateral ligaments are fairly weak and are injured often. Fortunately, in mild cases, they do not carry long recovery times as players can return to the field between 1-3 weeks.
Jets head coach Robert Saleh said Carter is “day-to-day” and does have a chance to play this week. Even if Carter does play, I would expect his balance and cutting ability to be somewhat limited. This could lead to backs like Ty Johnson and Zonovan Knight getting some opportunities.
Jets RB Michael Carter is dealing with a low ankle sprain and has a chance to play this week. – MONITOR
Elijah Mitchell (RB) San Francisco 49ers
MCL Sprain, Initial Injury: 11/27/2022
Since Kyle Shanahan arrived, the San Francisco 49ers have had one of the most frustrating RB rooms in terms of fantasy. Whether it is due to injuries, trades, or just simply questionable usage, it always seems to be a mystery. Well, due to the Week 13 injury report there may be some clarity added but it is not in the best interest of the team.
49ers RB Elijah Mitchell came into the year as the likely starter but quickly went down with an MCL injury in Week 1. After missing some time, he recently came back and began splitting time with newly acquired RB Christian McCaffrey. Although frustrating to fantasy owners, this split backfield was a solid long-term answer as CMC has been dealing with some knee inflammation.
Shanahan will have to figure out a new RB plan going forward as Mitchell injured his MCL again last week. Initially thought to be a mild injury, it was actually found to be more serious with a grade 3 strain of his MCL. An MCL strain refers to damage to a ligament located on the inner (medial) knee that has a major role in lateral (side-to-side) stability.
Mitchell is looking at about a 6-8 week recovery timeline which definitely knocks him out of the Fantasy Football season. With CMC dealing with a nagging injury himself, San Francisco will be looking to one of their rookie RBs to take over this RB2 role.
Mitchell is out for at least 6 weeks with a severe MCL sprain. – DROP
Najee Harris (RB) Pittsburgh Steelers
Abdominal Injury, Initial Injury: 11/28/2022
The Pittsburgh Steelers are having a rough first year in life after Ben Roethlisberger and the injury report in Week 13 isn’t going to make it easier. Pittsburgh has struggled to find a run game all year and this may continue with RB Najee Harris being injured.
Harris was having a decent first half which included a rushing touchdown, but he was on and off the field much more than usual. He suffered an abdominal injury at some point and left for the locker room late in the second quarter. Harris was ultimately ruled out for the game at halftime.
There are still some questions regarding what type of injury Najee is dealing with exactly. An abdominal injury doesn’t tell us much and the team hasn’t disclosed specifically what is limiting him. What is being reported is that he did avoid a major injury and that he is questionable for this week’s game.
The team will need to see how he is feeling throughout the week but he was unable to practice to start the week on Wednesday. The Steelers were able to get some production out of their backup RBs Benny Snell and Anthony McFarland last week.
The team’s RB2 to start the year Jaylen Warren is also cleared to return this week from a hamstring injury. There should be more clarity on the Pittsburgh backfield throughout the week.
Steelers RB Najee Harris injured his abdomen and is questionable for this week. – MONITOR
Aaron Rodgers (QB) Green Bay Packers
Rib Injury, Initial Injury: 11/27/2022
Aaron Rodgers is having an abysmal year according to his standards and the Packers are well out of the playoff race. This can partially be explained by the fact that Rodgers has not been healthy for most of the season. It was recently found that Rodgers fractured his thumb early in the season but had been playing through it.
Already limited from one injury, things only got worse last week. He had to leave the game in the 3rd quarter due to a noticeable amount of pain in his midsection.
He is dealing with a rib injury and although he didn’t return to the game, there is optimism around his Week 13 status. Rodgers reportedly received good news from the tests and imaging run on his rib. The expectation from the team and Rodgers is that he will play.
He did not practice Wednesday. Rodgers has not looked like himself all year and I would expect he continues to be limited this week.
Packers QB Aaron Rodgers is dealing with both a thumb and rib injury but is likely to play. – MONITOR
JK Dobbins (RB) Baltimore Ravens
Knee Injury, Initial Injury: 10/16/2022
The Baltimore Ravens have been another team with a frustrating fantasy RB situation. Both RBs JK Dobbins and Gus Edwards were coming off ACL tears and there was some uncertainty on who would be their lead back. After missing the first two games of the season, Dobbins was able to return in Week 3 of the season. He was progressing each week of the ACL surgery recovery but then injured his knee again in Week 6. Dobbins was then put on IR after receiving a “minor surgery” to the same knee as his ACL tear.
This news of the second surgery was concerning for Dobbins’ fantasy production and has derailed his season a bit. I did not have high expectations for Dobbins this year coming off such a major knee injury but he was progressing well early on.
Dobbins officially returned to practice in a limited fashion on Wednesday. He is still technically on IR and may need a couple of weeks of practice before getting game ready. I would have little faith in him being fully healthy and productive for this week but that point may be right around the corner.
Ravens RB JK Dobbins has returned to practice this week but may not be ready to play just yet. – MONITOR
Damien Harris (RB) New England Patriots
Thigh Injury, Initial Injury: 11/27/2022
Here comes an easy decision for fantasy managers on the Week 13 injury report. Patriots RB Damien Harris has been a frequent flyer on the injury report this year. After dealing with a hamstring injury earlier in the year, Harris injured his thigh last week. He has already been officially ruled out for this week and is likely to miss several weeks with the injury. He is likely dealing with a thigh strain which refers to damage to the quadriceps muscle.
This soft tissue injury will take several weeks to heal and should not be rushed to avoid re-injury. This will lead to Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson gaining a large workload over the next few weeks.
Patriots RB Damien Harris is OUT this week with a thigh injury. – SIT
Josh Jacobs (RB) Las Vegas Raiders
Calf Strain, Initial Injury: 11/27/2022
Las Vegas RB Josh Jacobs got the W for not only the Raiders last week, but fantasy managers across the globe. Unfortunately, his heroic effort seems to have come at a price. Jacobs injured his calf in practice last Friday but decided to still play on Sunday, where he aggravated the calf. Although it did not seem to affect him during the game, Jacobs is not expected to practice much this week. He is also in jeopardy of not being able to play in Week 13.
A calf strain refers to damage to muscles in the back of the lower leg. The calf muscle is key in EXPLOSIVE power and allows for a quick burst, change of direction, and jumping. This injury comes with a 1-3 week recovery timeline in mild cases and 4-6 weeks in moderate cases. As Jacobs has already experienced, calf strains have a moderate reinjury risk and can be difficult to rehab.
It is often difficult for players to gauge how healthy the calf is until it is too late. Since he already injured the calf muscle for a second time, I would be leaning toward him not being able to play this week. His practice participation should paint a better picture.
Jacobs is dealing with a calf strain and is questionable for this week. – MONITOR
Kyle Pitts (TE) Atlanta Falcons
MCL Tear, Initial Injury: 11/20/2022
Despite not having a great year, the Atlanta Falcons are still squarely in the NFC South division race. However, losing their star TE for likely the rest of the season is not going to help their chances. Falcons TE Kyle Pitts has been placed on the injured reserve with an MCL tear that will need surgery to repair.
The MCL is a ligament located on the inner (medial) knee, and it plays a major role in lateral (side-to-side) stability. With a complete tear of the MCL, it takes between four and eight weeks to recover from this injury. With only six weeks left in the NFL season, Pitts will be missing at least four games on the IR. His fantasy football season is over, and his NFL season is likely over as well.
Falcons TE Kyle Pitts will be OUT FOR THE SEASON with a torn MCL. – DROP
Joe Mixon (RB) Cincinnati Bengals
Concussion, Initial Injury: 11/20/2022
The Cincinnati Bengals are looking to turn their season around after a slow start to the year. To have their best shot at a playoff birth, the Bengals are hoping their star RB is not on the Week 13 injury report for long. Joe Mixon suffered a concussion two weeks ago against the Steelers and is in the NFL’s concussion protocol. A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury that leads to disruption in the function of the brain. Research has shown that most NFL players return to playing in less than seven days from injury. However, this injury does provide uncertain expectations.
Concussions are still largely a mystery, and everyone’s recovery can be different depending on the symptoms. The league has a standardized protocol requiring players to complete five steps before being able to play, including a full practice to be medically cleared. As of Wednesday, Mixon finally has started practicing again, starting with limited participation. Back-up RB Samaje Perine filled in nicely the past two weeks and we may see some split snaps for the Bengals backfield.
Joe Mixon is NOT expected to play today as he has not cleared concussion protocol yet. – MONITOR/SIT
Ja’Marr Chase (WR) Cincinnati Bengals
Hip Injury, Initial Injury: 10/16/2022
One of the league’s best young players is looking to make his return to the field and off the injury report in Week 13. The Bengals top WR and fantasy football stud Ja’Marr Chase injured his hip several weeks ago against New Orleans. He was able to play through it initially but apparently reinjured the hip.
Chase has missed the past four weeks with this injury, and his recovery table initially was between four and six weeks. He was able to return to practice last week but did not feel 100% ready to return. We have also recently found out more regarding what the injury actually is. Chase reportedly suffered a hairline fracture to his hip bone against New Orleans and still decided to play the following week. This is where he aggravated the injury and potentially damaged the labrum of his hip. This month and a half have allowed his fracture and labrum to heal.
Due to this being his second week of practice, I am more confident that he can be productive in Week 13. It is not been confirmed yet that he will play as there was optimism last week as well. Once Chase deems himself healthy enough to play again, it would be hard not to start someone with his potential in your lineup.
Chase is questionable this week as he returned to practice from his hip injury – MONITOR
Matthew Stafford (QB) Los Angeles Rams
Concussion, Initial Injury: 11/6/2022
Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford finds himself right back on the injury report in Week 13. After playing the entire game in Week 9 and having no apparent head injury, it was revealed a few weeks ago that Stafford was in concussion protocol. A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury that leads to disruption in the function of the brain. The brain is vital to processing information quickly and helping players to react on the football field.
Research has shown that most NFL players return to playing in less than seven days from injury. However, this injury does provide uncertainty as concussions are largely a mystery, and everyone’s recovery can be different depending on the symptoms. The league has a standardized protocol requiring players to complete five steps before being able to play.
Stafford was unable to clear the concussion protocol three weeks ago and ultimately missed the game against Arizona. He was then able to play against New Orleans but was knocked out of the game with another concussion. Being right back in concussion protocol only a few days after exiting and also suffering a neck injury has led to the team ruling him out for last week. Stafford is still not practicing and could be shut down for the year.
Stafford suffered a second concussion in two weeks and is still not practicing. – SIT
