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As we head into Week 13 of the NFL season, it's been a week with significant injury news. Fantasy managers must monitor these situations closely. These are the latest notable injury updates as of Thursday, December 1st.
Fantasy football stalwarts such as Aaron Rodgers, Justin Fields, Najee Harris, and many more have been dealing with injuries ahead of Week 13. We have plenty of must-starts on this week's injury list, so fantasy managers should be ready to pivot should things go south.
To keep close tabs on all of the news across the NFL, make sure to favorite or bookmark the fantasy football player news page, or download the free RotoBaller fantasy football mobile app with push notification alerts on all the latest news. Let's look at the updates for some wide receivers and see whether they may play in Week 13.
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Justin Fields Injury Update
Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields (shoulder) is expected to be limited in practice again on Thursday, while Trevor Siemian (oblique) is expected to miss yet another practice, according to offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. It's the same designations the two QBs had on Wednesday, so nothing has changed. Fields is trending towards being a game-time decision in Week 13 against the Green Bay Packers after sitting out last week's loss to the New York Jets.
Out of playoff contention, the Bears won't risk endangering their franchise signal-caller if he's not ready. It sounds like Siemian won't be ready to play, so if Fields doesn't get the green light, the Bears offense will be led by either Nathan Peterman or recently signed Tim Boyle on Sunday. If Fields plays, he'll be a must-start QB1 in fantasy.
Aaron Rodgers Injury Update
Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said that quarterback Aaron Rodgers (rib, thumb) will practice on Thursday. "As far as how much he'll do, it'll be limited," LaFleur said.
Rodgers has been playing through a fractured right thumb, but he also injured his rib in the Sunday night loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Scans on Monday ruled out any significant damage, so Rodgers plans to play through the injury in Week 13 against the Chicago Bears, a team he continues to dominate in his career.
Michael Carter Injury Update
There was no sign of New York Jets running back Michael Carter (ankle) on the practice field on Thursday. Carter also missed Wednesday's practice, so he's trending towards missing the Week 13 game against the Minnesota Vikings unless he can return to practice in some form on Friday.
The 23-year-old is only dealing with a low-ankle sprain, but he's still in danger of sitting out this weekend. Fantasy managers need to have a backup plan in case he's inactive. If Carter doesn't play, rookie Zonovan Knight figures to have a prominent role in the game plan, possibly sharing touches with Ty Johnson and James Robinson, who was a healthy scratch in Week 12.
Jakobi Meyers Injury Update
New England Patriots wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (shoulder), who is listed as questionable for Week 13 due to a shoulder injury, is expected to play on Thursday night against the Buffalo Bills, according to a source.
Meyers was limited in practice on the short week and said that he plans to play after injuring his shoulder early in last Thursday night's loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The 26-year-old was able to return to that game to catch three of his four targets for 62 yards.
Najee Harris Injury Update
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (oblique) didn't practice on Wednesday and also missed Thursday's session after getting injured in the Monday night win over the Indianapolis Colts. Harris' injury isn't believed to be serious, but his status for the Week 13 game against the Atlanta Falcons is up in the air.
Rookie Jaylen Warren (hamstring) missed Monday's game but practiced in full on Wednesday and said "I'm ready to go" for this weekend. If Harris is limited or out this weekend, it's possible that Warren would lead the Steelers backfield against Atlanta.
Antonio Gibson Injury Update
Washington Commanders running back Antonio Gibson (foot) was listed as a DNP at practice on Thursday after he was limited on Wednesday. It remains to be seen if Gibson was just being rested or if this is an actual setback with his injury, but we should know more on Friday.
The 24-year-old had only 12 touches behind rookie Brian Robinson in last week's win over the Atlanta Falcons, so his stock was already trending down. If Gibson is unable to play on Sunday, Robinson's fantasy ceiling will go up dramatically and Jonathan Williams would see an increased role in the backfield as Robinson's backup.
Lamar Jackson Injury Update
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (quadriceps) returned to practice on Thursday after he did not finish Wednesday's session due to a quadriceps injury. Jackson missed the first 15 minutes of individual drills on Thursday before jogging out onto the field.
The 25-year-old dual-threat QB is likely to be limited again on Thursday, but he's unlikely to miss the Week 13 game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday. It's an injury worth keeping an eye on, but if active, Jackson will remain a must-start QB1 in fantasy despite a tough matchup.
JuJu Smith-Schuster Injury Update
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (illness) returned to practice on Thursday after he missed Wednesday's session with an illness. Smith-Schuster should be just fine to suit up in Sunday's rematch of last year's AFC Championship game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The 26-year-old should be a fine target as a WR3/flex for fantasy managers, although he's disappointed in his last two games with only five receptions on seven targets for 71 scoreless yards. Cincy's defense has been more stingy against opposing receivers in the last three weeks, only allowing 22.3 half-PPR points to the position.
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