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Although most fantasy football leagues wrapped up in Week 17, there are some leagues that extend to Week 18, and DFS contests will continue through the Super Bowl. Our fantasy football injury reports as of Tuesday, January 2 will give you the latest news on the top banged-up players heading into Week 18 including Christian McCaffrey, Josh Allen, Tua Tagovailoa, Alvin Kamara, DeVonta Smith, Trevor Lawrence, Baker Mayfield, and more.
Being up-to-date on NFL injury news can give you an edge over your league mates in fantasy football. It's early in the week, but there's never a wrong time to check in on key players on your fantasy rosters.
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.
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Christian McCaffrey Injury Update
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said that running back Christian McCaffrey (calf) is dealing with a mild calf strain and will not play in the Week 18 regular season finale against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, Jan. 7. The 49ers have already clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC and a first-round bye, so McCaffrey and likely a lot of other starters are going to be rested in a meaningless game to close out the regular season.
It's a prime example of why most fantasy leagues wrap up their championships in Week 17. With the 27-year-old resting up the next two weeks, Elijah Mitchell and Jordan Mason will both have bigger roles in the Niners' backfield, with Mitchell being the more attractive fantasy play for those with something still on the line this week. CMC was a league-winner for fantasy managers in 2023, finishing as the RB1 through 17 weeks with 361.8 half-PPR points.
Josh Allen Injury Update
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott said that quarterback Josh Allen (neck) is dealing with some minor neck soreness coming out of the Week 17 win over the New England Patriots. When asked if the injury will affect Allen's status in practice this week, McDermott said, "not that I'm aware of." The 33rd Team's Ari Meirov reports that Allen suffered a stinger on Sunday.
The 27-year-old might be limited in some practice sessions this week, but he's ultimately going to play in a huge Week 18 divisional tilt against the Miami Dolphins that will decide the winner of the AFC East. The Dolphins are limping into the final regular season contest after getting absolutely destroyed by the Baltimore Ravens. Allen, the QB1 in overall fantasy points, will be a must-start in all lineups. In the first game against Miami in Week 4, he threw for 320 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions while also running one in.
Tua Tagovailoa Injury Update
The Miami Dolphins don't seem too worried about quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's shoulder injury. "I'm not really worried about it. Just where he is in the season, how crazy competitive he is, it's not a real big blip on my radar right now," head coach Mike McDaniel said. Tagovailoa injured his left shoulder late in Sunday's blowout loss to the Baltimore Ravens and was a little sore on Monday, but the 25-year-old should be available to face the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night in Week 18 in a contest that will decide the winner of the AFC East.
He'll be looking for a bounce-back performance after throwing for 237 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in the Week 17 loss. However, he could be without wideout Jaylen Waddle (ankle) for another game. With several prominent QBs potentially being rested in the final week of the regular season, Tagovailoa will firmly be on the QB1 map against Buffalo in Miami.
Alvin Kamara Injury Update
New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (ankle) is truly day-to-day after spraining his ankle in the Week 17 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to sources. He'll have a chance to play in Week 18 against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Jan. 7, but it's too early right now to know for sure. The Saints and fantasy managers should have a better idea of if Kamara can play this weekend after they get in a few practices, starting on Wednesday.
If it's a high-ankle sprain, the 28-year-old would be unlikely to play a week later. But in a must-win game in order to make it into the playoffs, perhaps Kamara will suit up at less than 100 percent. If he's active, he should be started in all fantasy lineups if you're still playing for a championship. If Kamara cannot go in Week 18, Jamaal Williams would line up as the Saints' starting RB.
DeVonta Smith Injury Update
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (ankle) was still on crutches and wearing a walking boot on Monday, according to head coach Nick Sirianni. When asked about Smith's status for the Week 18 regular season game against the New York Giants this Sunday, Sirianni only said, "We'll see." The Eagles said that Smith is dealing with a mild ankle sprain, but regardless, his status for this weekend is up in the air as the Eagles look for a win to hang on and win the NFC East.
We'll have a better idea of whether the 25-year-old will play once the Eagles begin practicing on Wednesday. If Smith cannot go against the G-Men, Quez Watkins, Julio Jones and Olamide Zaccheaus would have bigger roles in the passing game behind A.J. Brown and tight end Dallas Goedert. Smith caught three passes for 30 yards in Sunday's upset loss to the Arizona Cardinals before getting hurt.
Trevor Lawrence Injury Update
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said that quarterback Trevor Lawrence (shoulder) is "progressing" and "we'll see" what his limitations are at practice on Wednesday. Lawrence has been beat up in recent weeks and missed the first game of his career in the Week 17 win over the Carolina Panthers. The 24-year-old will attempt to practice this week and play in a must-win Week 18 contest against the Tennessee Titans.
C.J. Beathard took over the offense on Sunday and went 17-for-24 for 178 yards, no touchdowns or interceptions in the 26-0 win. In the Week 11 win over the Titans, Lawrence threw for 262 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. We'll know more on whether he'll play in Week 18 after the Jaguars hold a few practices. If Lawrence is active, he'll be a low-end QB1 option in fantasy.
Baker Mayfield Injury Update
Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said that quarterback Baker Mayfield's ribs are sore after the Week 17 loss to the division-rival New Orleans Saints but that he should be fine for the Week 18 regular season finale against the Carolina Panthers this Sunday. Mayfield managed to throw for over 300 yards for the third time this year against the Saints and had two touchdown passes as well, but he also threw two interceptions to snap the team's recent run of strong performances.
Most of his production didn't come until late in the second half when New Orleans already had the game in hand. The 28-year-old will hope to bounce back and win the NFC South with a win over Carolina this week. In Week 13 against the Panthers, Mayfield went 14-for-29 for 202 yards, one TD and one interception
Christian Kirk Injury Update
The Jacksonville Jaguars will open wide receiver Christian Kirk's (groin) 21-day practice window on Wednesday, and he could return for Week 18's regular-season finale versus the Tennessee Titans. The Jaguars hope to have all hands on deck on Sunday, currently engaging in a three-way tie atop the AFC South. Jacksonville put Kirk on injured reserve due to a core muscle injury that required surgery following the Week 13 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
With Kirk originally expected to miss between six and eight weeks, there's a chance that the 9-7 Jags may push for a sooner return. Before going down, the 27-year-old slot man was acting as one of quarterback Trevor Lawrence's (shoulder) favorite targets for the second year in a row despite Calvin Ridley's presence in 2023. Kirk reeled in 57 of his 85 targets for 787 yards and three touchdowns in 12 appearances, but he may not take on a full workload if available against the Titans.
Jameson Williams Injury Update
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell said that wide receiver Jameson Williams (ankle) is day-to-day but "nothing significant." Before getting hurt in the fourth quarter of Saturday's loss to the Dallas Cowboys, Williams caught two of his three targets for a season-high 69 yards and carried the ball once for a six-yard pickup. The 22-year-old isn't dealing with a serious injury and could be ready to play in the Week 18 regular season finale this Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.
However, with the Lions likely to be locked into the No. 3 seed in the NFC for the postseason, they may elect to rest some starters. Resting a banged-up Williams would make a lot of sense, so fantasy managers shouldn't expect to have him available this weekend. Besides, he hasn't been much of a fantasy asset in his second year in the NFL, catching 24 of his 42 targets for 354 yards and only two TDs in 12 games played.
Jayden Reed Injury Update
Green Bay Packers rookie wide receiver Jayden Reed (ribs), who left the Sunday night win over the Minnesota Vikings early after two impressive touchdowns, will have further tests on his injured ribs on Monday after X-rays came back negative Sunday night, according to sources. Reed is pretty sore, and it's safe to say his status for the Week 18 regular season finale against the Chicago Bears is in doubt. In addition to his two touchdowns, the 23-year-old caught six passes for 89 yards before leaving the game and not returning.
The second-rounder had an expanded role in the offense with both Christian Watson (hamstring) and fellow rookie Dontayvion Wicks (ankle, chest) out, and he did not disappoint. Reed now has 10 total touchdowns (eight receiving, two rushing) in his first 15 NFL games. Depending on the statuses of Reed, Watson, and Wicks, the Packers' receiving corps could be dangerously thin in a huge Week 18 matchup.
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