RADIO
Week 13 was not a particularly kind week for the wide receiver position. Fantasy managers saw several players leave their respective games early. It's no doubt unfortunate, as some of those early exits likely were the difference between a win or a loss, a playoff spot, or an early end to their fantasy football season.
That's fantasy football. Injuries are and will always be a part of it. No one wants to see them happen. Not for our fantasy teams, but mostly for the players. Still, since they're never going to stop, the only thing we can do is plan and prepare.
Let’s look at some of the biggest receiver injuries fantasy managers should be tracking for Week 14. As always, if you have any start/sit questions, please give me a follow @RobFFSlayer.
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Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins
Jaylen Waddle played through a leg injury in the team’s Week 13 loss to the 49ers. The injury most likely played a role in his lackluster performance in which he caught just one of his five targets for nine yards. San Francisco’s stifling defense certainly didn’t help matters.
Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle said he’s ready to go Sunday night vs. Chargers after getting banged up with leg injury in yesterday’s game.
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) December 5, 2022
Jaylen Waddle gave fantasy managers some good news though, indicating he’s ready to go for Sunday night against the Chargers. While the injury may have limited him vs. the 49ers, it doesn’t seem like it will have any long-term effect. Right now, fantasy managers should be expecting Waddle to be available this upcoming weekend.
Mike Williams, Los Angeles Chargers
Mike Williams re-aggravated a high ankle sprain in Week 11 against the Chiefs. Prior to that, Williams had been out of action since Week 8, which was the team’s bye week. Following the re-aggravation, Williams has been unable to play in the team’s last two games, but things finally seem to be moving in the right direction.
Staley: Mike Williams (ankle) should return to practice this week.
— Underdog NFL (@Underdog__NFL) December 5, 2022
With head coach Brandon Staley expecting Williams to practice this week, there is at least some hope that he might finally return to action this upcoming weekend against Miami. The Chargers' season is in a really tough spot. They’re currently on the outside looking in at the playoffs, so getting Williams back would be a welcome boost.
However, the team has rushed teammate Keenan Allen and Williams himself back too soon, only to see each player re-aggravate the injury. The team could very well bring him along slowly this week and see how the ankle responds, with the plan of him returning in Week 15.
At least, however, there seems to be some light at the end of the tunnel. Right now, Williams still seems to be 50/50, but he’s on the right side of questionable this week. Fantasy managers will need to track the team’s injury report, but there are reasons to be cautiously optimistic. However, if he’s ultimately unable to get back on the field this week, it seems like he’ll definitely be back next week.
Jakobi Meyers, New England Patriots
Jakobi Meyers left the Patriots’ Week 12 contest early with a shoulder injury. He would return to that game and play sparingly – very sparingly. However, entering their Week 13 game against the Bills, Meyers was limited in practice every day. The fact he didn’t miss any practice time was a positive sign regarding his availability for Week 13.
Meyers was active against the Bills but didn’t appear to play the same number of snaps as he typically had throughout the season. He certainly appeared limited, to some degree. Then, later in the game, Meyers was running across the back of the end zone and was hit hard, unsuspectingly. The hit was flagged. A helmet-to-helmet hit on a defenseless receiver. Meyers exited the field and immediately went into the medical tent, no doubt for a concussion test.
Long list of absences at today’s Patriots practice:
Jakobi Meyers
Damien Harris
Isaiah Wynn
Trent Brown
Mike Onwenu
Jalen Mills
Jabrill Peppers
Jamie Collins
Garrett GilbertAlso no sign of Marcus Cannon, who’s eligible to come off IR. pic.twitter.com/FdLSxSY1bK
— Zack Cox (@ZackCoxNESN) December 6, 2022
While there hasn’t been confirmation that Meyers is in the concussion protocol, with the new guidelines the league put in place following Tua Tagovaioloa’s injury, fantasy managers could very easily make that assumption. Meyers did not practice yesterday and is most likely a long shot to play this upcoming weekend. With the likely concussion and the nagging shoulder injury, fantasy managers should expect to be without Meyers for Week 14.
Treylon Burks, Tennessee Titans
Treylon Burks also took a nasty hit in the end zone this past weekend that landed him in the league’s concussion protocol. It becomes difficult to assess Burks’ availability for this upcoming weekend, but typically players tend to miss one or two games with a concussion.
#Titans HC Mike Vrabel: @TreylonBurks is feeling well and we'll see how he feels at the end of the week with concussion
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) December 5, 2022
Fantasy managers will be able to track his progress through the concussion protocol based on his practice availability and that’ll shed a lot of light on whether or not he’ll be available this weekend. At this time, while concussion recovery times are different for each player, fantasy managers should be bracing for the fact that Burks will unlikely be able to progress through the protocol in time.
Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos
Courtland Sutton left Denver’s Week 13 early due to a hamstring injury and was unable to return. Head coach Nathaniel Hackett has since deemed Sutton’s injury as “day to day.” This is good news as it was originally feared to be a multiple-week absence.
WR Courtland Sutton is "day to day" with a hamstring injury.
Injury updates » https://t.co/N2c0ElgZaS pic.twitter.com/lEJM63Z5Ky
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) December 5, 2022
However, despite the positive report from Hackett, fantasy managers should be skeptical. Hackett also coined Jerry Jeudy’s ankle injury as being “day to day” and Jeudy went on to miss the next two weeks.
Considering hamstring injuries have a high rate of reinjury and can be easily re-aggravated, fantasy managers should be leery about using Sutton this weekend even if he is active. However, considering Denver’s record and the state of their season, there’s no reason to play Sutton at less than 100%.
Fantasy managers should be expecting Sutton to miss this week and possibly next week as well, although the practice reports will give us a more accurate representation of what’s going on. That said, it seems to be a long shot that he plays this weekend.
Brandin Cooks, Houston Texans
Who knows what to expect from Brandin Cooks anymore this season? On the team’s official website and their Week 13 injury report, the injury listed for Cooks is “not injury related – rest.” He was a DNP on Wednesday, was limited on Thursday, and had another DNP on Friday.
Later Friday afternoon, the team announced that Cooks would not play in Week 13 and was ruled out due to a calf injury. At this stage, it’s pretty much impossible to predict if Cooks will play in Week 14. The best fantasy managers can do is pay attention to the team’s practice reports, but even that might not tell the full story. We likely won’t have clarification on his status until late in the week.
Rondale Moore, Arizona Cardinals
Rondale Moore injured his groin in the team’s Week 11 loss to the 49ers. He was unable to practice in any capacity leading up to their Week 12 game against the Chargers and he was ultimately ruled out. Arizona had their bye in Week 13, which gave Moore an extra week to heal up.
Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury said he is hopeful WRs Greg Dortch and/or Rondale Moore can return this week from injury.
— José M. Romero (@RomeroJoseM) December 6, 2022
Head coach Kliff Kingsbury seems optimistic that Moore should be able to return to practice this week, which would put him on track to return to action this week. If he does return this week, it’ll be the first time Moore will play alongside both DeAndre Hopkins and Marquise Brown. There will be concerns if there’s enough volume to keep Moore afloat with those two alphas. Even if he is active, it’s probably best to take a wait-and-see approach with him.
Hunter Renfrow, Las Vegas Raiders
Hunter Renfrow has been on the IR for the last four weeks with an oblique injury. He’ll be eligible to be activated and return to active status for the Raiders’ Week 14 game against the Rams. However, it sounds as if this is unlikely.
While TE Darren Waller and WR Hunter Renfrow are both eligible to come off IR in time for next Thursday’s game at the #LARams, #Raiders coach Josh McDaniels is not sure if the short window will have them ready in time for that game. McDaniels did say the two were getting “close.”
— Paul Gutierrez (@PGutierrezESPN) November 30, 2022
The Thursday night game isn’t doing any favors for Renfrow and head coach Josh McDaniels didn’t seem too optimistic about his chances to return this week. It’s possible Renfrow returns in Week 15, but fantasy managers shouldn’t be too optimistic about his availability for their Thursday night contest.
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