Fantasy Football Injury Reports: Week 18 Updates for Rashee Rice, Chase Brown, James Conner, Tyjae Spears, Kenny Pickett, Aaron Jones, Tyler Badie

December 31, 2024

Fantasy football injury updates and injury reports for QB, RB, WR, TE for Week 18 (2024), as of 12/31, including Rashee Rice, Chase Brown, James Conner, Tyjae Spears, Kenny Pickett, Aaron Jones, Tyler Badie.

We're now heading towards the final week of the 2024 NFL regular season, and while most fantasy football leagues are now over, there are a few leagues that will run through Week 18.

Week 17 was an exciting week, and now the playoff picture is starting to take shape. But of course, there were still a bunch of important injuries you should watch and consider before the final week of the fantasy football season. You can't afford to make any mistakes right now!

Without further ado, let's look at some injuries to watch and consider heading into Week 18. 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.

Rashee Rice, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

After winning the Super Bowl as a rookie, Rashee Rice had an offseason marred by off-field drama and controversy. Despite his actions, he wasn't suspended for the 2024 season and was the Chiefs' clear No. 1 WR to start the campaign.

#Chiefs head coach Andy Reid on possible returns for Skyy Moore, Rashee Rice, Mecole Hardman and Jaylen Watson. @KSHB41 @41IsTheMic #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/WWykeycNKl

— Nick Jacobs (@Jacobs71) December 30, 2024

Rice racked up 288 yards and scored two touchdowns in his first three games of the season, but went down with an LCL tear in Week 4. The Chiefs said Rice would miss the rest of the regular season, but fans speculated on whether he could return in the postseason.

His teammate Marquise Brown recently teased Rice's return on social media, and considering that an LCL tear takes two to three months to heal, many Chiefs fans assumed Rice would be ready for the playoffs.

However, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid ruled out the chance of Rice's return, saying that he wouldn't play again until the 2025 season.

Chase Brown, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

After a slow start to the 2024 season, sophomore Bengals RB Chase Brown has come into his own recently. He averaged 119.9 all-purpose yards from Week 9 to Week 16 before suffering a high-ankle sprain in Week 17.

Chase Brown vs Joe Mixon comparison pic.twitter.com/VtZxnVYmnh

— Jay Morrison (@ByJayMorrison) December 30, 2024

Thankfully for the Bengals, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said Brown's injury is not "significant" and he has a chance to play in Week 18 against the Steelers. This is a crucial game for the Bengals' playoff hopes, and they need all the help they can get.

James Conner, RB, Arizona Cardinals

Most analysts, including NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, thought the Arizona Cardinals would shut James Conner down for the rest of the season after he suffered a knee injury in Week 16. But despite not being 100 percent, Conner suited up and played in Week 17.

Unfortunately, he re-aggravated his injury after just four carries against the Rams. Michael Carter played well after Conner exited the game, and it seems like the Cardinals have realized their mistake and will rest Conner in Week 18.

Additionally, Trey Benson is still out, so Carter could be the Cardinals' RB1 in the final week of the season.

Tyjae Spears, RB, Tennessee Titans

Tyjae Spears was supposed to break out and become a star next to Tony Pollard in 2024, but minor injuries have hampered him all season long. A hamstring injury caused him to miss three games, while he also missed another game due to a concussion.

Spears got concussed once again in Week 17, and his Week 18 status is "up in the air" according to Titans HC Brian Callahan. Seeing as this is his second concussion in two months, seeing him return to play in the final week is unlikely.

Tony Pollard could return from his own injury in Week 18, while Julius Chestnut showed some flashes in Week 17.

Kenny Pickett, QB, Philadelphia Eagles

After Jalen Hurts got hurt in Week 16, former Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett was called upon to be the team's signal caller in his place. Pickett couldn't get the job done against the Commanders, but led the Eagles to a win in Week 17 against the Cowboys, securing the franchise's 16th division title.

Kenny Pickett played the whole game with broken ribs. Had the broken ribs throughout the week. #Eagles

— Jeff Kerr (@JeffKerrCBS) December 29, 2024

However, Pickett broke his ribs before the game and re-aggravated the injury during the contest. The Eagles have nothing to play for, as they have locked up the No. 2 seed in the NFC, so third-string QB Tanner McKee will start if Hurts and Pickett are ruled out.

Aaron Jones, RB, Minnesota Vikings

One could make the case for the Vikings being the best team in the league this season, and Aaron Jones has been a big part of their resurgence. Jones is just 28 rushing yards away from breaking his previous single-season career-high, as he has racked up 1,093 yards on the ground so far this year.

However, Jones' quest to set a new career high could be in jeopardy. He suffered a quad contusion in Week 17 against the Packers, but according to HC Kevin O'Connell, Jones is "doing well" and is expected to practice this week and play in the team's crucial Week 18 game against the Lions.

Tyler Badie, RB, Denver Broncos

After playing in just one game as a rookie, Tyler Badie ran for 70 yards in his second game of the 2024 season and things were looking great for him. Unfortunately, the former Missouri Tiger suffered a scary back injury and a concussion in Week 4.

Would be a great comeback story for Tyler Badie https://t.co/h3NrefmQNo

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 24, 2024

Badie's NFL future was in serious jeopardy, but thankfully, he has successfully recovered from the injury setback and was activated from the Broncos' Injured Reserve list before Week 17. He was ruled out before their game against the Bengals but could play in Week 18 if everything goes right.

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