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Fantasy football injury updates and injury reports for RB, WR, TE for Week 16 (2024), as of 12/20, including Alvin Kamara, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Tony Pollard, Marquise Brown, Tyrone Tracy Jr., David Njoku, and more.
The 2024 NFL season is nearing its end, which means the fantasy playoffs have begun. The semifinals have arrived, meaning the ultimate goal of winning a championship is within reach. Now is not the time to get complacent and miss out on injury news for key players on your team.
In what is the second week of the playoffs in most fantasy leagues, there are multiple impactful injuries to keep an eye on heading into Sunday and Monday. Seeing which players are dealing with injuries and which ones aren't quite at 100% yet will go a long way if you're looking to win your fantasy matchup this week and advance in the fantasy playoffs.
Without further ado, let's look at some injuries to watch and consider heading into Week 16. Any top players previously questionable not discussed in this article have been removed from the Friday injury report and are good to go. Don't forget to bookmark our fantasy football player news page, or download the free RotoBaller fantasy football mobile app with push notification alerts to stay notified.
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Key Players Ruled Out This Week
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens: Out for Week 16 (hamstring), Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin III, Mike Williams all potentially in line for more work in passing game
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery: Out for regular season (knee), Jahmyr Gibbs, Craig Reynolds, Sione Vaki all potentially in line for more work out of backfield
San Francisco 49ers running back Isaac Guerendo: Out for Week 16 (foot, hamstring), Patrick Taylor Jr. in line for more work out of backfield
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette: Out for Week 16 (hip), Jalen Coker, Adam Thielen, David Moore all potentially in line for more work in passing game
Marquise Brown, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquise Brown (shoulder) has a chance to play in Week 16 against the Houston Texans after being activated off injured reserve. Brown hasn't played all season, so it will be interesting to see how involved the former Raven is in tomorrow's game.
Chiefs activate WR Hollywood Brown from IR and will make his season debut vs. Texans. pic.twitter.com/9eK7I0rjvN
— NFL (@NFL) December 20, 2024
Brown's return could impact the playing time of receivers like DeAndre Hopkins and JuJu Smith-Schuster, or he could be used more of a decoy, it's hard to know for sure. Either way, fantasy managers who stashed Brown shouldn't rush to start him in fantasy lineups until he proves he can earn consistent play time.
David Njoku, TE, Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku (hamstring) is officially questionable for Sunday's matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals. Njoku has been great when healthy, but it will be hard to trust him this week, healthy or not, as quarterback Jameis Winston was benched for Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Given he practiced in a limited fashion Friday, it is more likely for him to play this week compared to last week.
If Njoku were to miss his second consecutive game, Jordan Akins would be the next man up. He put up three catches for 30 yards last week in Njoku's absence.
Tyrone Tracy Jr., RB, New York Giants
New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. (ankle) is officially questionable for Sunday's matchup with the Atlanta Falcons after limited practice participation all week. However he is expected to play according to reports.
Duggan: Tyrone Tracy Jr. (ankle) expected to play Week 16.
— Underdog NFL (@Underdog__NFL) December 20, 2024
Tracy Jr. has taken over the starting role down the stretch due to his three-down potential and explosiveness, but this ankle injury combined with a tough matchup with the Falcons makes him hard to trust this week in a must-win matchup for fantasy managers. If he suffered a setback and missed Week 16, Devin Singletary would be in line to start, just like how the year started. Singletary lacks Tracy Jr.'s explosiveness, making him hard to trust as anything more than a low-end flex.
Tony Pollard, RB, Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard (ankle) is listed as questionable for Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts. After a breakout performance from backup Tyjae Spears in Week 15 in the passing game, it would make a lot of sense for the Titans to rest Pollard in a meaningless Week 16 game. However, despite not practicing all week, there does seem to be a chance Pollard plays.
Pollard has been banged up for the last few weeks, so this isn't unusual territory for the former Cowboy. He put up 17 carries for 45 yards and a touchdown in Week 15, so it's very possible he plays through the injury and still performs well.
Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, WRs, Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins wide receivers Tyreek Hill (wrist) and Jaylen Waddle (knee) have differing statuses for Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers. Hill seems likely to play despite a questionable tag and was only limited Friday as rest after a full practice Thursday. Hill is also dealing with personal issues, so he is worth following closely.
Dolphins also listing personal reasons next to Tyreek's name, as well as wrist. Team isn't specifying whether it's the personal reasons or the wrist injury that made him limited today and questionable for Sunday. Teams are under no obligation to share that. https://t.co/tprB8yquHz
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) December 20, 2024
Waddle on the other hand hasn't practiced all week, and is officially listed as doubtful. In his expected absence, Hill, tight end Jonnu Smith, and wide receiver Malik Washington would be more involved in the passing game along with star running back De'Von Achane.
Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (groin) is listed as doubtful for Monday's matchup with the Green Bay Packers. While normally a player dealing with an injury playing on a Monday would be especially troublesome for fantasy managers, an early doubtful tag allows them to pivot to players from the Sunday games if they desire to. Given there are rumors of a season-ending injury for a top player on a losing team, it seems extra likely Kamara misses Monday's game.
Breaking: Alvin Kamara’s groin injury is still being evaluated, but it’s possible it is a season-ending injury and he has played his last down this year, sources told @AdamSchefter. pic.twitter.com/gG5sTAv3uJ
— ESPN (@espn) December 19, 2024
Kendre Miller seems like the best option to have as a Kamara replacement. He is a young and versatile running back who could thrive in a newfound workhorse role. Miller, fellow back Jamaal Williams, and some of the wide receivers from either team serve as solid flex replacements potentially available on the waiver wire.
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