Week 11 was yet again filled with injuries. The week 12 fantasy football injury report is here just in time for the Thanksgiving day games to help you set your lineup. Be sure to check out this week’s podcast for a better look into the injuries below.
Week 12 Fantasy Football Injury Report: RBs
Joe Mixon
Mixon suffered a concussion in week 12. He still has not practiced making it difficult to determine his availability in week 12. If Mixon is on your team, you simply cannot expect to have him this week. Samaje Perine would be in line for extra snaps if/when Mixon is ruled out.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Chase Edmonds
Edmonds and CEH suffered a high ankle sprain and have since been placed on IR. This means they will miss at least 4 games. If either player can return this season, the earliest they could return would be the 2nd week of the fantasy playoffs. You can likely drop both players, as they haven’t played very well. They should both be fine by the time next season rolls around.
Jaylen Warren
Warren suffered a hamstring injury in week 11 during his only touch in the game. I would expect Warren to miss at least week 12. The most significant implication of this injury is that Najee Harris will likely continue to see more touches.
Week 12 Fantasy Football Injury Report: WRs
Mike Williams
Williams re-injured his high-ankle sprain early on in week 11. Initially, the team said he put in limited practice, but later reports revealed he missed Wednesday’s practice. I doubt he will be ready for week 12, so fantasy managers need a backup plan for week 12.
Ja’Marr Chase
Chase suffered an interesting hip injury in week 7 and has been out since. After suffering a fracture and labral tear, the team has been relatively positive and never placed him on IR. Chase put in a limited practice yesterday and appears on track to play again in week 12 against the Titans. We don’t have specific data on this type of injury to determine his performance, but if he plays, he is likely worth the start. Even if they limit his snaps, this type of player only needs a few touches to make something happen.
Kadarius Toney
I will not rest until I know if anyone from the Giants or Chiefs medical staff has assessed Toney’s sciatic nerve mobility! The tweet below begins to explain my reasoning.
Whenever we see recurring hamstring injuries like Toney, who has now endured three this season, we need to consider the health of the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is a long nerve that courses from the lumbar spine and branches down to the toes. The nerve can sometimes become inflamed or stuck for various reasons. In a normal situation, the sciatic nerve glides as our legs and back move.
When the nerve is inflamed or stuck, it cannot glide as much, putting it at risk for injury with running. It becomes most prone during sprinting, specifically when the leg is all the way forward in the stride. The body is smart and will protect this nerve at all costs. Guess how it protects the nerve? By creating a violent contraction of the hamstring that often causes the hamstring to tears. Yes, the body will literally sacrifice the hamstring muscle group to protect the nerve!
I cannot say this is what Toney’s problem is, but I can say that his recurring hamstring injuries warrant an assessment of the nerve health and mobility. Tests such as the slump test and straight leg raise are two simple, quick clinical procedures we can do to assess if the sciatic nerve is an issue in his health. If impairment during one of these tests is found, it’s not difficult to treat and might save his career!
From a fantasy perspective, Toney is electric when on the field. Receivers average a decline of 2.9 points in the first game returning from a hamstring injury, with only 24% meeting or exceeding this value.
Jerry Jeudy
Jeudy continues to miss practice with his calf injury. As Tom discussed o this week’s podcast, he likely sustained a strain of his soleus muscle. This muscle is extremely important in running and jumping and has a large impact on player’s performance after injury. According to our data, players will only miss 1.8 games, but see a massive decline of -5.6 fantasy points in the first game back. If Jeudy is able to return this week, I would not recommend starting him.
Week 12 Fantasy Football Injury Report: TEs
Gerald Everett
Tight Ends typically only miss 1 game with a groin injury. Everett missed last week and put in a limited practice yesterday. This is a great sign heading into week 12. With Mike Williams re-injuring his ankle. Everett could be in line for an increased target share in week 12. The Chargers play Arizona, who has been bleeding points to the tight end position all season long.
