Week 13 Injury Report: Quarterbacks
Baker Mayfield
Injury: Ankle
Mayfield is dealing with soreness and discomfort in his right ankle but suffered no structural damage. Mayfield went on to finish the game, so his injury being mild is not a surprise. This is his right ankle, the one he pushes off for throw power. In some cases, this would impact a quarterback’s ability to generate power, but with how mild this injury is, it’s unlikely to have much functional impact.
Expected Return: Week 13
Fantasy Impact: This is unlikely to impact Mayfield’s fantasy output, but QBs do average a decline of 12% in fantasy production.
Will Levis
Injury: Ankle
Levis is good to go despite an ankle injury. Ankle sprains carry a 26% recurrence rate per medical literature, though as a quarterback, this number is likely lower. Monitoring his practice status throughout the week will be critical for his availability, though he is not likely started in 1QB leagues. His top pass catcher, Deandre Hopkins, has played better this year with Levis than Tannehill.
Expected Return: Week 13
Fantasy Impact: QBs see a mild decline of 11% in fantasy production after ankle sprains. Levis should not be started anyway.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson
Injury: Concussion
DTR is on the week 13 injury report after suffering a concussion on Sunday. He will not play this week, and Joe Flacco will start in his place.
Expected Return: Week 14
Fantasy Impact: We do not expect a decline in fantasy production after a concussion
Week 13 Injury Report: Running Backs
Jonathan Taylor
Injury: Thumb
Taylor is on the week 13 injury report and will miss a few weeks after undergoing thumb surgery on Wednesday. Presently, the exact injury has not been revealed, but we know that the Colts do not view him as an IR candidate at this time. Taylor will need to regain range of motion and strength to return to the field. It is possible that he will don a wrap or brace for a few weeks, which could curb his receiving ability.
Expected Return: Week 15-17
Fantasy Impact: This will not impact Taylor as a runner, but could impact him as a pass catcher when he returns. Zack Moss capable in the passing game, and we may see Moss have more of a role even when Taylor returns.
Travis Etienne
Injury: Chest/ribs
Etienne suffered a minor chest injury but was able to return to the game and managed to log 24 total touches. Etienne was limited in practice all week and is questionable to play. Typically, as long as backs can regain their full torso rotation and shoulder mobility, they can play through the pain. The fantasy RB 3 on the year should not be affected in week 13 by this injury.
Expected Return: Week 13
Fantasy Impact: This should not affect Etienne’s fantasy output in week 13.
Aaron Jones
Injury: MCL
Jones missed week 12 with an MCL injury and will not play in week 13. The MCL supports the inside of the knee, preventing it from caving in and helping with proprioception, or the ability to know where a limb is in space without looking. This makes it critical for running backs, who need to cut on a dime. MCL injuries are notorious for swelling and causing stiffness to the knee joint. Getting swelling under control is crucial, and he must regain range of motion, strength, and single-leg function before playing.
Jones has injured his MCL four times in his career and averages missing 1.5 games.
Expected Return: Week 14-15
Fantasy Impact: Running backs struggle when returning from an MCL injury. They average missing 3.1 games and see a dip of 14% fantasy production and 21% snap rate when they return, with 35% meeting or exceeding pre-injury fantasy production in the first game back. The Packers are notoriously conservative when bringing injured players back (35% and 36% snap share in the two games after injury this season).
Breece Hall
Injury: Hamstring
Hall is on the week 13 injury report as he was limited in practice Wednesday and Thursday with a hamstring injury but returned to a full practice Friday.
Hamstrings have a high recurrence rate and can impact a player’s top-end speed. As a running back, Hall does not reach his true top speed on most plays unless he breaks a long run. We will carefully monitor his practice participation throughout the week, but at this time, this injury does not sound concerning.
Expected Return: Week 13
Fantasy Impact: Running backs do not average a decline in fantasy production when returning from a hamstring injury.
Kenneth Walker
Injury: Oblique
Walker did not play in week 12 with an oblique injury. Initial reports suggested he would miss several weeks, and is doubtful to play on Thursday. Obliques are strong muscles that help rotate the torso and brace for impact, making them very active muscles for running backs.
Expected Return: Week 14-15
Fantasy Impact: This season, we have seen Christian McCaffrey, Jaylen Waddle, Puka Nacua, and Amon-Ra St. Brown all play well in the first game after an oblique injury. Whenever Walker returns, expect him to play well.
De’Von Achane
Injury: Knee
Achane missed week 12 after re-injuring his knee, which kept him out for several weeks. Achane’s game is built on speed and change of direction, attributes that this injury could slow. Additionally, this is Achane’s 3rd notable injury since entering the league. Prior injury is the number one risk factor for future injury. Achane’s injury history and small stature raise questions about whether he can hold up in this league. Talent is no concern, but we will see if he can handle the physicality of the NFL. He will play this week.
Expected Return: Week 13
Fantasy Impact: Running backs average a decline of 14% in fantasy production after this injury. Achane’s high upside makes it difficult to sit him, but fantasy players should at least consider other options.
Ezekiel Elliot
Injury: Thigh
Elliot starts practice this week on the week 13 injury report as he was limited with a thigh injury. When reported as a “thigh” injury, it almost always is a quad injury. The quads are gigantic, strong muscles that create power and speed when running. When injured, it can slow an athlete’s acceleration, top speed, and power. Quads carry about a 10% re-injury rate.
Expected Return: Week 13-14.
Fantasy Impact: Despite the heavy involvement in athletics, running backs only see a mild decline in fantasy production when they return from a quad injury. Still, Elliot is RB40 on the year. You don’t need to be starting him.
Week 13 Injury Report: Wide Receivers
Amari Cooper
Injury: Rib/oblique
Cooper is on the week 13 injury report after he took a shot to the right side of his ribs, knocking him out for the rest of the game. X-ray’s were negative, and Cooper is dealing with bruising to the ribs and an oblique injury. The ribs and obliques are often injured together due to their anatomical relationship. The oblique muscles attach to the ribs and function to rotate and brace the torso.
In general, the ability to play after a rib/oblique injury comes down to pain tolerance. However, we cannot neglect the mechanics of the ribs. When we rotate, such as twisting to catch a pass, most of the rotation comes from the thoracic spine. Many ribs attach to the thoracic spine, so when the spine rotates, the ribs must move. With injury, the local muscles can spasm, limiting rotation. This motion will have to be restored for Cooper to play well. Additionally, the lat muscles attach from the ribs to the arm bone and must be able to stretch for a receiver to reach overhead to make a catch. With injury, this muscle can become tight. This motion must also be restored to play. As of Friday, Cooper is expected to play this week.
Expected Return: Week 13
Fantasy Impact: This season, we have not seen much drop-off in fantasy production from players returning from rib/oblique injuries. As long as Cooper can play, he should play well.
Chris Olave
Injury: Concussion
Olave suffered a concussion in week 12 and must pass through the NFL’s concussion protocol before he can play. Olave did log a full practice on Friday making it likely that he can play.
Expected Return: Week 13-14
Fantasy Impact: We do not expect any decline in fantasy production after a concussion.
Keenan Allen
Injury: Quad
Allen is questionable as he deals with a quad injury which forced him to miss Wednesdays and Thursdays practices. The quads are critical for power and speed when running. When injured, it can slow an athlete’s acceleration, top speed, and power. Despite this, receivers don’t see much hit on their production after a quad injury. Quads carry about a 10% re-injury rate.
Expected Return: Week 13
Fantasy Impact: This injury should not impact the WR3 on the year. Do not for one second consider benching him if he plays.
Tee Higgins
Injury: Hamstring
Higgins is still on the week 13 injury report as he continues to rehab his hamstring injury that occurred in practice before week 10. Hamstrings impact receivers more than other positions. This is because receivers are the offensive position that most frequently can get up to top speed simply because of the distance they run on a given route. The load on the hamstring increases to its peak at top-flight speed. This is why running backs, who typically do not cover a great distance on any given play, are much less impacted.
Monitoring Higgins’s practice participation this week will be critical in determining his availability for week 13. Early reports suggest Higgins “may” be ready for their Monday night showdown against Jacksonville. The timing of the game puts fantasy players in a pickle. Receivers average missing 1.7 games.
Expected Return: Week 13
Fantasy Impact: Consider this holistically. Sure, a 12% dip in fantasy production (average for WRs after a hamstring) is not significant for a star, but Higgins has only two good games all season, and Burrow is done for the year. Higgins may continue to struggle even when he does return, plus the Bengals playing Monday night does not give fantasy players much room to pivot. Best to sit Higgins this week.
Marquise Brown
Injury: Heel
Brown did not practice all week as he tends to the heel injury that has bothered him the past few weeks. Coach Gannon suggests Brown will play, but if he does, it likely is not at 100%. Heel injuries are typically one of two things. A bruise or tension from tightness in the posterior chain (calves and hamstring) that pulls on the heel, creating a plantar fasciitis-like pain. Of course, the heel bone could also fracture, but he would be out several weeks if that were the case. Fortunately, both of these situations usually feel fine when the athlete is warmed up.
Expected Return: Week 13
Fantasy Impact: This should not impact Brown’s stat line. He hasn’t been great this year, but could be worth a WR3 or flex spot, depending on your roster.
Noah Brown
Injury: Knee
Brown logged limited practice on Wednesday and Thursday but did not practice on Friday, putting his status for this week in question. Knee injuries can impact receivers’ ability to run crisp routes and run after the catch.
Expected Return: Week 13-14
Fantasy Impact: With Brown’s limited practice participation this week, a knee injury that could slow him down, and only 5 career double-digit fantasy games in a 6-year career, you can’t possibly want to start Brown this week.
Jerry Jeudy
Injury: Groin
Jeudy popped on the week 13 injury report with a groin injury that kept him out of practice Wednesday but has since been removed from the report. The groin muscles help stabilize when on one leg, which is always during football. However, the groin stabilizes from the inside of the hip and is not very involved in cutting and only mildly involved with sprinting. The Broncos are downplaying the severity of Jeudy’s injury, and he may be ready to go this week.
Expected Return: Week 13
Fantasy Impact: Receivers do not see any drop off in fantasy production after groin injuries. However, Jeudy is the WR55 and has been absolutely terrible for fantasy; do not start him.
Tank Dell
Injury: Calf
The electric rookie is on the week 13 injury report as he missed Wednesday’s practice with a calf injury but was able to log limited practices Thursday and Friday. His injury is considered “minor” but clearly bothered him enough that it warranted imaging after the game. The calf is incredibly important for a wide receiver. Calf injuries all highly effect acceleration, sprinting, and jumping. This is why we see calf injuries significantly impact receiver production. Additionally, recurrence rates are as high as 14-16% in medical literature.
Expected Return: Week 13-14
Fantasy Impact: Receivers average a major decline of 44% in fantasy production in the first game after a calf injury. Since 2017, only 1/18 receivers (Antonio Brown, 2017) have met or exceeded their pre-injury fantasy points baseline in the first game after a calf injury. For Dell, a 44% reduction of the 14.2 ppg he is averaging would be 8 points. As crazy as this sounds, it’s worth considering other options this week.
Rashid Shaheed
Injury: Quad
Shaheed is expected to miss some time with a quad injury. The quad is one of the main speed muscles, creating tremendous force when accelerating, sprinting, changing direction, and jumping. Shaheed’s game is built on speed, so this injury could certainly impact his production. Receivers average missing 1.3 games, and the recurrence rate is about 10% in the medical literature.
Expected Return: Week 14-15
Fantasy Impact: Despite receivers, on average, seeing no decline in fantasy production after a quad injury, as a speed receiver, this will likely hinder Shaheed’s upside when he returns.
Demario Douglass
Injury: Concussion
Douglass will miss week 13 due to a concussion. He must pass through the NFL’s concussion protocol to play in week 14.
Expected Return: Week 14
Fantasy Impact: We do not expect a decline in fantasy production after a concussion.
Michael Wilson
Injury: Shoulder
Wilson has missed the last two games with a shoulder injury and will not play in week 13. The nature of his injury is unclear, but obviously, he does not have the full strength and/or range of motion to play. Another week to rehab may get him where he needs to be to play next week.
Expected Return: Week 14
Fantasy Impact: When he is able to play, shoulder injuries do not profile to impact fantasy production.
Week 13 Injury Report: Tight Ends
Trey McBride
Injury: Groin
McBride is questionable for week 13, as the second-year tight end tends to a groin injury. Groin injuries are less involved in sprinting and cutting, making these injuries less concerning for tight ends.
Expected Return: Week 13
Fantasy Impact: Tight ends only see a mild decline of 7% fantasy points after a groin injury. McBride has been heavily involved lately and should be started as long as he plays.
Dalton Schultz
Injury: Hamstring
Schultz played only 48% of snaps last week as he injured his hamstring and will not play in week 13. Hamstrings typically don’t affect tight ends as much as receivers but still can hinder getting down the field and running after the catch. Tight ends average missing 2.3 games with hamstring injuries.
Expected Return: Week 14-15
Fantasy Impact: Tight ends average no decline in fantasy production and a 12% dip in snap rate after hamstring injuries.