Week 10 saw no shortage of injuries. With Deshaun Watson out for the season and numerous other players down with injury, fantasy players are scrapping the waiver wire for available bodies to put in their lineups. The Fantasy Injury Team’s week 11 injury report is here to explain all the injuries and how they impact fantasy production.
Quarterbacks
Derek Carr
Injury: Shoulder, concussion
Carr is on the week 11 injury report, as he suffered both a shoulder injury and a concussion on the same play on Sunday. Newer reports suggest Carr’s shoulder is clean, with no major injury, but he must get through the concussion protocol before he can play again. Fortunately, the Saints have a week 11 bye, which will afford Carr some time to recover.
Expected Return: Week 11
Fantasy Impact: We don’t expect a decline in fantasy production after a concussion.
Deshaun Watson
Injury: Left high ankle sprain, Right glenoid fracture
Watson was already on the week 11 injury report due to his ankle, but this morning a Shefter bomb was dropped on all of us today as Watson apparently suffered a right glenoid fracture requiring season-ending surgery. This is astonishing, considering he finished the game and threw the ball well despite this fracture. The glenoid is the socket of the shoulder ball-and-socket joint. It is part of the scapula bone, where the humerus (arm bone) connects to the shoulder blade. This is a rare fracture, and I do not know a single athlete who has suffered this injury. That said, the scapula has a good blood supply and should heal well with surgery. What will be interesting is to see if they repair his rotator cuff as well.
The Browns have not yet officially told us Watson’s injury, but reviewing the video is highly suggestive of a left high ankle sprain. Clowney clearly falls on Watson’s ankle from the outside, a classic high ankle sprain mechanism. Watson was able to finish the game but was wearing a boot afterward. His ability to finish the game and play well tells us his sprain is not severe enough to cause any instability. He may deal with some pain but should be able to play through it and play well.
Expected Return: 2024
Fantasy Impact: The glenoid fracture will require surgery. Most shoulder surgeries carry a 4-6 month rehab timeline. Watson should be ready to go next season.
Justin Fields
Injury: Thumb sprain/dislocation
Fields has returned to practice but has not demonstrated enough grip strength to play. Another week to rehab puts him one step closer to being ready to go. After a month from his injury, the pain, swelling, and range of motion should all be normal now. Regaining strength is typically the last thing to come all the way back. Early reports this week out of Chicago suggest they expect Fields to play. With the Bears clearly not playing for a playoff birth, there is no reason for them to rush him back; therefore, when Fields does play, you can expect him to be very close to 100%.
Expected Return: Wek 11-12
Fantasy Impact: The Bears are giving Fields adequate time to rehab properly. Because of this, he should be close to 100% and I would not expect any fit in his fantasy production.
Matthew Stafford
Injury: Thumb UCL injury
Stafford suffered a minor thumb UCL injury in week 8. The UCL is a ligament in the thumb that supports the thumb and keeps the joint stable. When injured, this creates pain and swelling, which can impact grip strength, as well as instability within the thumb joint that can lead to dislocations if severe enough. Stafford’s injury was never considered serious, likely indicating a grade I injury. Grade I injuries show little to no “laxity” or loss of stability. Therefore, the ability to play is purely getting pain down and strength back up.
With two weeks to rehab, Stafford is sure to be close to ready to go. He must demonstrate proper grip strength to avoid accuracy and fumbling issues.
Expected Return: Week 11
Fantasy Impact: Stafford could struggle with accuracy. As a back-end QB2, there’s no reason to start Stafford in 1QB leagues.
Taylor Heinicke
Injury: Hamstring
Heinicke is on the week 11 injury report as he injured his hamstring while scrambling on Sunday, but it is not considered severe. Hamstring injuries impact sprinting, especially top-end speed. As a quarterback, he is less likely to hit top speed than other skill positions, making this injury less impactful on him than it would a running back or receiver. With the week 11 bye, Heinicke could be healed and ready to go for week 12.
Expected Return: Week 12
Fantasy Impact: This will not impact throwing. Heinicke can be productive with his legs but his fantasy outlook should not be impacted for week 12.
Baker Mayfield
Injury: Thumb sprain.
Mayfield injured his right thumb on Sunday, but it is not expected to be severe. Mayfield should not miss any practice or games.
Expected Return: Week 11
Fantasy Impact: This is not expected to impact his production.
Running Backs
Rhomandre Stevenson
Injury: Back injury.
Rhomandre is on the week 11 injury report after he was seen being stretched out on the sidelines in Germany but was able to return to the game despite a back injury. Further testing was unremarkable, and Stevenson’s outlook is good.
Stevenson’s situation is very similar to Ja’Marr Chase’s last week. Low back injuries can be very painful and debilitating at first, but when there is no structural damage or disc injury, they often respond very quickly. Stevenson will get an extra week to rehab with the week 11 bye, and should come back strong in week 12.
Expected Return: Week 12 (week 11 bye)
Fantasy Impact: This should not impact his fantasy production in week 12
Saquon Barkley
Injury: High Ankle sprain
Saquon is again on the week 11 injury report after he aggravated his high ankle sprain on Sunday, leaving him limited in Wednesday’s practice. Unfortunately, this is all too common with the dreaded high ankle sprain. Last season, we saw this happen multiple times with Jonathan Taylor and many more before him.
The problem with high ankle sprains is when they are severe enough to cause instability within the ankle joint; it often does not fully heal, even when the pain resolves. The tibia and fibula bones separate to some degree, and if separated enough, they do not fully realign, leaving the ankle prone to further injury.
Still, early practice reports sound as if this was a minor “week,” and the injury is not necessarily threatening his week 11 outlook. Historically, running backs do not see a drop off in fantasy production in the first game after a high ankle sprain.
Expected Return: Week 11-12
Fantasy Impact: A sample size of 27 running backs since 2017 shows no drop off in fantasy production in the first game after a high ankle sprain, with 41% meeting or exceeding pre-injury production in the first game. If Saquon plays, you’ll still start him.
Alexander Mattison
Injury: Concussion
Mattison is on the week 11 injury report as he left Sunday’s game with a concussion. He will have to progress through the protocol in order to play.
Expected Return: Week 11-12.
Fantasy Impact: This is not expected to impact his fantasy production
De’Von Achane
Injury: Knee
This is a good week 11 injury report update! The electric rookie is primed to return to action after missing four games on the IR with a knee injury. Early reports this week suggest Achane has been ready to go and will immediately adopt his role.
The Dolphins never officially gave us a diagnosis, but his injury is widely believed to be an MCL sprain. With MCL or any knee injury, getting the swelling down and restoring strength and single-leg function is paramount. It will have been over five weeks from the time of Achane’s injury to week 11, which should have offered plenty of time to fully rehab and be ready to explode in this high-powered offense.
Expected Return: Week 11
Fantasy Impact: Running backs average a decline of 14% fantasy production and 21% snap count after an MCL injury. Still, with how well Achane was playing, he is worth starting.
Damien Pierce
Injury: Ankle
Pierce continues to be on the week 11 injury report after he missed the last two weeks with an ankle injury and did not practice Wednesday. Clearly, Pierce’s sprain is more than minor, meaning there is likely “laxity” or loss of stability secondary to ligament injury. These types of injuries will impact lateral agility and, therefore, have the potential to slow down shifter backs. Still, Pierce is a one-cut bruiser and, therefore, less likely to be impacted when he does return.
Expected Return: Week 11-12
Fantasy Impact: Running backs average a decline of 11% in fantasy production after this injury. Pierce has been less than stellar so far, and with Singletary playing well, it’s best to sit Pierce when he returns.
Khalil Herbert
Injury: High ankle sprain
Despite practicing all last week, Herbert was not activated to play on Thursday. With another 11 days to rehab, I would expect Herbert to return this week.
With a high ankle sprain, the tibia and fibula bones of the shin are gapped from one another, causing injury to the syndesmosis tissue that holds them together. This gapping can create instability in the ankle, causing pain and making it difficult to push off with power. We saw this when Herbert tried to return to the game in week 5, attempted to cut off his right ankle, and immediately fell to the ground.
With over five weeks to rehab, Herbert should have regained stability, reduced pain, and restored full function. While function should be full, high ankle sprains are notorious for lingering, recurring, and causing mechanical compensation up the chain into the knee, hip, and back. Let’s hope Herbert can stay injury-free for the rest of the season.
Expected Return: Week 11
Fantasy Impact: Surprisingly, running backs do not see a dip in fantasy production when they return from high ankle sprains. Add in Herbert’s time to rehab; he should be at 100%. However, Herbert was averaging a 64% snap rate. With how well Foreman is playing and the Bears wanting to get more out of rookie Roschon Johnson, it’s unlikely Herbert will see 64% of snaps this week.
Wide Receivers
Justin Jefferson
Injury: Hamstring
Jefferson continues progressing through rehab as he attempts to return from a week 5 hamstring injury. Jefferson has not logged a full practice yet, and the Vikings and Jefferson have made it clear they will wait for him to be 100% before they play him. Returning from a hamstring strain means demonstrating the ability to hit top speed consistently, change direction, perform maximal jumping height, and have symmetrical strength, range of motion, and single-leg function scores on the injured leg compared to the uninjured leg. Jefferson is still ramping up; reports suggest he has not yet hit all of these milestones. It’s possible he could clear all remaining hurdles on Thursday or Friday, but at this time, it sounds unlikely he will play this week. He will be critical to monitor his status before kickoff.
Expected Return: Week 11-12
Fantasy Impact: Receivers, on average, see a decline of 13% fantasy production and 14% snap count in the first game after a hamstring injury. For Jefferson, that’s nothing. If he plays, he starts.
Tee Higgins
Injury: Hamstring
Higgins is on the week 11 injury report as he has been ruled out for Thursday night’s game against Baltimore with a hamstring injury. Higgins has had a rough season thus far, but fantasy managers should have him back to make their playoff runs.
Expected Return: Week 12-13
Fantasy Impact: Stash him on your IR for now. Higgins should be able to make a big impact down the stretch of the fantasy season.
Dionte Johnson
Injury: Thumb injury
Despite playing on 82% of snaps in week 10 and no reports of any injury, Johnson did not practice Wednesday and is on the week 11 injury report due to a thumb injury. A thumb injury could obviously impact the ability to catch the ball but would not otherwise impact route running or run after catch. Because of the nature of an upper-body injury, it would not profile to impact his fantasy production. It’s unclear at this time exactly what the injury is.
Expected Return: Week 11-12
Fantasy Impact: It should not impact his fantasy outlook as long as Johnson’s thumb is healed enough to catch a ball and play.
Nico Collins
Injury: Calf injury
Collins returned to practice on Wednesday after missing week 10 with a calf injury. The calf is one of the most challenging injuries for a receiver to return from. Acceleration, top-end sprint speed, and jumping require high loads through the calf muscle. The calf functions like a spring; it loads when the foot hits the ground and recoils to create power at the ankle joint, allowing for speed and explosiveness. With a calf injury, the spring-like mechanism is disrupted, and it is much harder to create power.
Expected Return: Week 11-12
Fantasy Impact: Receivers see a massive 45% drop off in fantasy production in the first game after a calf injury, with only 1/17 (Antonio Brown 2017) meeting or exceeding his pre-injury output in the first game. This returns to normal in games 2-3 after the injury. If Collins plays this week, we strongly consider other options.
Keenan Allen
Injury: Left shoulder
Keenan left Sunday’s game with what looked like an AC joint injury. He was fortunately able to return and score a touchdown, hopefully indicating his injury is a grade I-II. He did not practice Wednesday due to the injury, and his progress throughout the week will be closely monitored. These injuries can get worse with a bad hit, but typically, grades I-II AC joint injuries respond well to rehab.
Expected Return: Week 11
Fantasy Impact: As long as Allen can move his shoulder through a full range of motion, this should not impact his production.
Noah Brown
Injury: Knee injury
After two straight big games, Brown is on the week 11 injury report. The Texans have not given us much information about Brown’s knee now, but we know he did not practice Wednesday despite playing a season-high 75% of snaps last week. Knees are notorious for swelling and stiffness regardless of the exact injury. These injuries can heal quickly, and often, players can get swelling down and range back by the next week. We’ll continue to monitor his practice status this week.
Expected Return: Week 11-12
Fantasy Impact: Brown’s route running and speed could be affected, which could result in a dip in his fantasy production.
Jaylen Hyatt
Injury: Concussion
Hyatt suffered a concussion on Sunday and has not practiced to start the week. He will need to progress through the protocol before playing
Expected Return: Week 12
Fantasy Impact: We do not typically see a decline in fantasy production after a concussion.
Michael Thomas
Injury: Knee injury
No stranger to injuries, Thomas is on the week 11 injury report. All that we know from the Saints is that Thomas suffered a “significant” knee injury. Numerous different tissues could lead to a “significant” knee injury. We will not speculate about the injury and await more details before providing an analysis.
Expected Return: TBD
Fantasy Impact: TBD
Tight Ends
Dalton Schultz
Injury: Hamstring
Schultz is on the week 11 injury report as he suffered a hamstring injury on Sunday but was able to play on 88% of the snaps. He logged a limited practice Wednesday, further suggesting this is a minor injury. Hamstrings impact top-end speed, such as on go-routes and deep crossing routes, more so than short and intermediate routes. Because of this, tight ends are less affected than receivers when dealing with hamstring injuries. Still, the hamstring recurrence rate is very high.
Expected Return: Week 11
Fantasy Impact: Tight ends see no dip in fantasy production but a 12% drop in snap rate after hamstring injuries. With Schultz playing 88% of snaps last week and being able to practice in some capacity to start the week, this is unlikely to be an issue for him.
Pat Freiermuth
Injury: Hamstring
Freiermuth has been activated from the IR and logged a limited practice Wednesday. Freiermuth, who aggravated a prior hamstring injury in practice ahead of week 7, has not played since initially injuring his hamstring in week 4. He’s had 4 weeks to rehab from the re-aggravation, and it sounds as if he may miss more time. I expect him to be close to fully healed by the time he returns to playing.
Expected Return: Week 11-12
Fantasy Impact: Tight ends see no dip in fantasy production but a 12% drop in snap rate after hamstring injuries. With Freiermuth having over a month to rehab he should be close to 100%
Gerald Everett
Injury: Back
Everett injured his back on Sunday and did not practice to start the week. When there is no structural injury, the challenge is to get the pain down and the range of motion restored. With acute low back injuries, this can happen quickly. We saw Ja’Marr Chase return in a week and put up a fantastic outing last week. Often times a week is plenty.
Expected Return: Week 11
Fantasy Impact: This would not profile to limit his fantasy production. However, Everett is the TE25 on the year and can be left on the waivers.