Fantasy Football Injury Reports For Week 17 (Thursday Updates): Tony Pollard, Derrick Henry, Jalen Hurts, Christian Watson, Stefon Diggs

December 29, 2022

Fantasy football injury updates and injury reports for RB, WR, QB, TE for Week 17 (2022), as of 12/29, including Derrick Henry, Tony Pollard, Jalen Hurts, Christian Watson, and more

Successful fantasy managers are battling it out in their league championship games this week, which makes staying on top of injuries especially important. As we head into Week 17 of the NFL season, it's been a week with significant injury news and constantly changing situations. These are the latest notable injury updates as of Thursday, December 29.

Fantasy football stalwarts such as Tony Pollard, Derrick Henry, Jalen Hurts, and many more have been dealing with injuries ahead of Week 17. 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 17.

Derrick Henry Injury Update

Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry (hip), who is doubtful to play on Thursday night against the Dallas Cowboys, will return to play in the regular season finale in Week 18 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to a source.

The Titans will get into the playoffs if they win in Week 18 -- Thursday's game against Dallas will have no bearing on whether or not they make the postseason. As a result, the Titans are resting King Henry and will also bench rookie quarterback Malik Willis in favor of practice-squad QB Joshua Dobbs.

Fantasy managers are likely pretty unhappy that they won't have Henry during championship week in most leagues, but you should be good if your championship matchup isn't until next week. Rookies Hassan Haskins and Julius Chestnut will see more playing time on Thursday night, with Haskins expected to have the bigger role.

Tony Pollard Injury Update

Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard (thigh) will be inactive on Thursday night against the Tennessee Titans, according to a source. Pollard came into the short week highly questionable, and it's not much of a surprise that the Cowboys are holding him out so that he'll be healthy for the postseason.

It will be his first missed game of 2022, and it couldn't come at a worse time for fantasy managers in championship week in most leagues. The 25-year-old has been more explosive than backfield mate Ezekiel Elliott and is the RB7 in half-point PPR formats this year. In any event, Elliott will have more fantasy upside with Pollard out as he looks to find the end zone for the ninth straight game. Rookie Malik Davis will back up Elliott on Thursday night.

Jalen Hurts Injury Update

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (shoulder) was seen doing some throwing at the start of Thursday's practice. It's more than Hurts did last week, but there's still a chance he'll be listed as a non-participant on Thursday's final injury report after he was a DNP on Wednesday.

The 24-year-old is dealing with a sprained right shoulder and missed the Week 16 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Although the Eagles have yet to lock up a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the NFC postseason, they could very well err on the side of caution and hold Hurts out for a second straight game this Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. Check back later for Hurts' official practice status. If he doesn't get cleared this weekend, Gardner Minshew will have plenty of QB2 upside in what would be his second start of the year.

Christian Watson Injury Update

Contrary to a previous report, Green Bay Packers rookie wide receiver Christian Watson (hip) did not practice on Thursday. Head coach Matt LaFleur said earlier that Watson would be limited on Thursday, but that didn't end up being the case. With back-to-back missed practices, the 23-year-old second-rounder will likely need to practice on Friday to have a shot at playing in Week 17 against the Minnesota Vikings.

Watson has really come on strong since Week 10, when he burst onto the scene with three touchdowns. All seven of his scores came in Weeks 10 through 13, and he's become one of quarterback Aaron Rodgers' favorite targets. However, fantasy managers may be without him this Sunday. If Watson isn't cleared, Allen Lazard, rookie Romeo Doubs and Randall Cobb would line up in three-wide sets.

Stefon Diggs Injury Update

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott said that wide receiver Stefon Diggs (illness) will not practice on Thursday due to an illness. The Bills are hoping to get Diggs back at practice on Friday, so fantasy managers shouldn't be too worried about his status right now for the Monday night showdown against the Cincinnati Bengals to close out Week 17 action.

However, if the 29-year-old pass-catcher doesn't show up on Friday and is questionable to play, the concern level will ramp up in what is fantasy championship week in most leagues. Diggs is looking for a bounce-back performance this week after catching just two passes for 26 yards in the Week 16 victory over the Chicago Bears. If he's on the field on Monday, Diggs is a must-start for fantasy lineups.

Tyler Lockett Injury Update

Updating a previous report, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett (finger) was officially listed as a non-participant at Wednesday's practice despite the fact that head coach Pete Carroll said that Lockett "did everything" during the team's walkthrough practice and "looked great."

The 30-year-old had surgery to fix a fractured left hand and miss the Week 16 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, but there is a chance he'll return to face the New York Jets this Sunday. Fantasy managers will want to keep a close eye on news surrounding Lockett as Sunday approaches, and there's a chance he could suit up without practicing at all this week. He has been a must-start fantasy wideout all year long, but he could be in for a disappointing performance if he returns against a strong Jets defense.

Lamar Jackson Injury Update

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (knee) missed his 11th straight practice on Thursday. It looks like backup Tyler Huntley will start under center for the fourth straight game in Week 17 against the division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football. At this point, Jackson is unlikely to play until the postseason after spraining his knee in Week 13 against the Denver Broncos.

With limited weapons in the passing game (that's putting it nicely), Huntley has predictably struggled to do much in Jackson's absence in the last three games. The 24-year-old has completed just 57.6 percent of his 59 pass attempts for 341 yards, one touchdown and an interception while carrying the ball 26 times for 72 yards. Huntley will be a low-upside, low-end QB2 in superflex leagues on Sunday night.

Antonio Gibson Injury Update

Washington Commanders running back Antonio Gibson (foot, knee) is missing another day of practice on Thursday. The Commanders don't seem to think Gibson's injury is very serious, but two missed practices to begin the weeks says otherwise, leaving his status for the Week 17 game against the Cleveland Browns very much in doubt.

If the 24-year-old is unable to get cleared to play this weekend, Jonathan Williams would serve as the backup to rookie Brian Robinson. Gibson hasn't seen double-digit carries in a game since Week 11, and he played a season-low 29 percent of the offensive snaps in the Week 16 loss to the San Francisco 49ers while dealing with his injuries. Robinson will have even more fantasy upside on Sunday if Gibson is held out.

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