In a perfect world, you are heading into this week stress-free. You have already locked up a first round bye in the playoffs and can afford to “rest” your players to prepare for a championship run. However, I know for most of us this week is not so easy. You could be fighting to squeeze your way into your league’s playoff or for higher seeding. As we turn towards the playoffs, the competition becomes tighter and the room for error decreases greatly.
One way to avoid a costly roster mistake is to have a full understanding of your player’s injury situations. Knowing what to expect out of your players and when to sit or start them is the difference between a league champion and just a playoff team. Welcome to the Week 14 Fantasy Football Injury Report where I provide a full analysis of a player’s injury situation and advise on how to handle them!
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Note: This injury report will be updated until the conclusion of Week 14. For the most current injury news and analysis, follow me on Twitter @SGPNFootballDoc!
Week 14 Early Inactives
Hayden Hurst (TE) Cincinnati Bengals
Chris Evans (RB) Cincinnati Bengals
James Robinson (RB) New York Jets
Nico Collins (WR) Houston Texans
Brandin Cooks (WR) Houston Texans
Treylon Burks (WR) Tennessee Titans
Lamar Jackson (QB) Baltimore Ravens
Week 14 Late Inactives
Kadarius Toney (WR) Kansas City Chiefs
Courtland Sutton (WR) Denver Broncos
Jimmy Garoppolo (QB) San Francisco 49ers
Jakobi Meyers (WR) New England Patriots
Rondale Moore (WR) Arizona Cardinals
Week 14 Fantasy Football Injury Report
Lamar Jackson (QB) Baltimore Ravens
PCL Strain, Initial Injury: 12/4/2022
Dynamic Baltimore QB Lamar Jackson kicks off this Week 14 injury report. Ravens fans and fantasy owners alike held their breath last Sunday as Jackson had to be helped off the field. He suffered a knee sprain and was quickly ruled out of the game. Tests revealed that Lamar suffered a PCL strain and is being referred to as “week-to-week”. The PCL is a stabilizing ligament in your knee that is often injured by another player running into the back of a player’s knee. The strain appears to be mild, as the recovery window being used by the team is between 1-3 weeks.
With a capable backup in QB Tyler Huntley and already squarely in the playoff picture, it is unlikely the Ravens will rush to start Jackson this week. He will want to be fully able to trust his knee before returning to the field as he relies on his legs so much to operate effectively. The good news is that it is very realistic for Jackson to return and be productive either next or the following week. His practice participation will be a key indicator of his progress, as he begins this week by not practicing Wednesday.
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson has not been ruled out yet with a knee sprain but is likely to miss this week. – SIT
Hayden Hurst (TE) Cincinnati Bengals
Calf Injury, Initial Injury: 12/4/2022
The Cincinnati offense has been shuffling players around this entire season due to their injury report and this will likely continue in Week 14. Bengals TE Hayden Hurst injured his lower leg early in the game last week and was quickly ruled out. He suffered a calf strain injury, meaning he has some damage to muscles in the back of the lower leg. The calf plays a key role in EXPLOSIVE power and allows for a quick burst, and change of direction. The recovery timeline is 1-3 weeks in mild cases and 4-6 weeks in more moderate cases.
These injuries also come with a fairly high reinjury rate. It can be difficult for a player to gauge how quickly their muscle is healing. All it takes is trying to sprint at an intensity their body is not ready for and they could be looking at reinjuring the calf even further. Hurst was not practicing to start the week and is unlikely to suit up in Week 14.
Bengals TE Hayden Hurst is doubtful to play this week with a calf strain and could miss more time. – SIT
Courtland Sutton (WR) Denver Broncos
Hamstring Injury, Initial Injury: 12/4/2022
One of the last injuries you want your fantasy football player coming down with is a hamstring injury. They are frustrating and nagging injuries to manage and unfortunately, Courtland Sutton managers have to deal with this nightmare for a crucial Week 14 injury report and likely beyond. The Broncos WR already screwed you over last week as he injured his hamstring early on and posted a nice goose egg in the stat sheet. It’s going to be difficult to trust Sutton much moving forward, especially while he is dealing with such a burdensome injury.
A hamstring strain refers to damage (tear) to the muscle in the back of the upper leg. The hamstring plays a BIG role in generating lower body power and controlling the ability to slow down. A player’s speed, cutting, and route running are all negatively affected during this injury. Based on the severity of the injury, the recovery timeline is 2-3 weeks for mild cases and 3-6 weeks for moderate cases. With the Broncos having virtually zero chance of making the playoffs, they may choose to shut Sutton down if the injury is anything more than mild.
One of the biggest downfalls of this injury is that it comes with a high reinjury rate that is hard to see coming. Reinjuries typically occur within the first two weeks of the injury when the player is trying to ramp up their rehab too fast. Sutton did not practice on Wednesday and his chances of playing this week are unlikely. I would not be surprised if this was a multiple-week absence.
Sutton is unlikely to play this week and possibly more due to his hamstring injury. – SIT
Tua Tagovailoa (QB) Miami Dolphins
Low Ankle Sprain, Initial Injury: 12/4/2022
Some positive news seems to be coming out of Miami on the Week 14 injury report. Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa has been dealing with an ankle injury for the past few weeks. He originally injured his ankle two weeks ago against Houston and then reinjured it last week. The injury is not deemed to be too serious however, and the expectation is that he will be playing on Sunday Night Football. Tua is likely dealing with a low or lateral ankle sprain which refers to damage to the lateral ankle ligaments, due to the foot rolling inwards.
This is the typical ankle sprain we think of when rolling our foot playing basketball. There is some swelling and pain associated with it early on but it comes with a short recovery timeline. In mild cases, it takes 1-3 weeks for the ankle to be fully healed. Tua’s mobility may be slightly limited due to this ankle sprain but he should not have an issue throwing the ball. He is already participating in practice in a limited fashion to start the week. I would expect him to play Sunday barring any setbacks.
Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa is dealing with a minor low ankle sprain and is expected to play this week. – MONITOR/START
Jimmy Garoppolo (QB) San Francisco 49ers
Foot Fracture, Initial Injury: 12/4/2022
The San Francisco 49ers are no stranger to a long injury report but Week 14 hurts a bit extra. After already seeing their starting QB Trey Lance go down for the season, 49ers fans watched QB Jimmy Garoppolo go down in a similar fashion last week. Garoppolo suffered a broken foot during a tackle last week and the initial diagnosis is that he would be out for the rest of the season and most of the offseason. However, this diagnosis changed a bit after more tests revealed he would not need surgery and there is a small chance he could return deep in the playoffs.
Depending on his rehab, there is a possibility that his recovery window is 7-8 weeks. This refers to the time it will take his foot fracture to heal. It is a bit unrealistic to expect him to be ready to play in a playoff game as soon as the foot heals. Head coach Kyle Shanahan made it clear that the team is going to operate as if they will not have Jimmy G for the rest of the season. Although his return timeline is a little murky, what is clear is that he will have no role for the rest of this fantasy football season.
Jimmy G is OUT for the rest of the fantasy football season and likely the NFL season. – DROP
Kenneth Walker III (RB) Seattle Seahawks
Foot Injury, Initial Injury: 12/4/2022
There is a little mystery surrounding Seahawks rookie RB Kenneth Walker III’s injury situation. Walker was quickly ruled out of the game after suffering an injury to his foot and ankle area. There have been some conflicting reports on where and what exactly the injury is. Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll described the injury as not an ankle sprain but that he “jammed” the ankle. Since an ankle “jam” isn’t really a thing, I’m going to go off what we do know.
Walker was unable to practice Wednesday and the team signed a free-agent RB to their practice squad on Tuesday. There is a real possibility Walker will be unable to play this week. His practice status will be the biggest indication. I would need Walker to participate in two limited or one full practice to feel confident he could produce this week.
Walker is dealing with an ankle injury and is not expected to play this week. – SIT
Treylon Burks (WR) Tennessee Titans
Concussion, Initial Injury: 12/4/2022
The rookie WR Treylon Burks in Tennessee has had a hard time staying on the field this season. While hauling in his first career TD catch, he paid the price with a big hit leading to a concussion. A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury that leads to disruption in the function of the brain. This disruption makes it difficult for players to process information quickly and react while on the field. Research has shown that most NFL players return to playing in less than seven days from injury but teams have taken more precautions with these injuries this year.
The league has a standardized protocol, requiring players to complete five steps before being able to play including having a full practice. Typically a player will be able to return in 1-2 weeks after injury. However, concussions are still largely a mystery and everyone’s recovery can be different depending on the symptoms. His practice status will be the biggies indicator of his progress and he starts the week not practicing on Wednesday.
Burks is dealing with a concussion and is OUT this week. – SIT
Mark Ingram (RB) New Orleans Saints
MCL Tear, Initial Injury: 12/5/2022
The Saints have had an extremely disappointing season and it is not getting better on this Week 14 injury report. New Orleans RB2 Mark Ingram had been seeing a large number of touches over the last few weeks. Unfortunately, just as Ingram was playing a bigger role in the offense, he injured his knee last week. He will likely miss the rest of the season. The Saints RB was clearly in pain late in the game. He even chose to run out of bounds short of a key first down due to his knee. It was found that he suffered an MCL tear and is looking at a 4-6 week recovery timeline.
An MCL sprain refers to damage to a ligament located on the inner (medial) knee. The MCL plays a major role in lateral (side to side) stability. Based on the recovery timeline given, there was some significant damage done to the ligament. Although it will not require surgery, with the Saints out of the playoff picture there is no reason for Ingram to try and return this season. He should have no issues rehabbing in time to be fully healthy in a few months.
Saints RB Mark Ingram is likely out for the rest of the season due to his MCL tear. – 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 14 being no different. RB Michael Carter was set to have a big game two weeks ago 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 mild low ankle sprain.
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 between 1-3 weeks.
There is some good and bad news for Michael Carter managers this week. The good news is that he is off the injury report and practicing fully this week. The bad news is that the Jets coaches got to see Zonovan Knight run and were clearly impressed with the rookie’s ability. Look for more split time in the Jets’ backfield.
Jets RB Michael Carter has recovered from his ankle injury but will likely not get a huge workload this week. – 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 coming off a major knee injury but he was progressing well early on.
Dobbins officially returned to practice in a limited fashion last Wednesday. He is still technically on IR and may need a couple of weeks of practice before getting game ready. His practice status and participation will be worth monitoring this week as he has a good chance to make a return to the lineup. He could play a key role for your team during the playoffs.
Ravens RB JK Dobbins returned to practice last week and is playing this week. I would have more faith in him next week but is a good option if limited. – START
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 the playoffs, the Bengals are hoping their star RB is not on the Week 14 injury report 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 has filled in nicely over the past few weeks.
For the first time since suffering his concussion, Mixon practiced in full on Wednesday. He is expected to play this week and head coach Zac Taylor made it clear he will be the starter when he returns.
Joe Mixon has returned to practice and is expected to play this week. – START
