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Inside the Tent - Week 14 NFL Injury Insight

At RotoBaller, we can't stress enough the importance of keeping up with injuries and playing your best lineup week after week. Players are going to get injured, that's an unavoidable fact. What's avoidable though is making the wrong roster decisions based on the injuries surrounding your fantasy squad. If you want to dominate your leagues and win some dough in daily contests, you have to be proactive with injury research.

That's where I come in to serve you guys, the readers! I'm Aaron Burger, a third-year Doctor of Physical Therapy student, graduating in May. About a year ago, I decided to combine my love, fantasy football, with what I've been learning for three years now, injuries and the human body.

Each week, I'll be checking in on fantasy's biggest injuries to keep you informed. Be sure you also have RotoBaller bookmarked and follow us on social media to catch all the latest breaking NFL news and updates.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Inside the Tent Updates

Mitch Trubisky, QB - Chicago Bears

Trubisky is set to start for the Bears on Sunday at home against the Rams. He was dealing with a right shoulder injury, but the exact structure involved had not been reported. His labrum, rotator cuff, or shoulder ligaments could have been involved. He practiced fully all week and will be under center in a great NFC matchup.

Melvin Gordon, RB - Los Angeles Chargers

Gordon has been announced OUT against the Bengals in Week 14. He is ailing from a sprained right MCL, or medial collateral ligament in his knee, and could be out two or three more weeks realistically. Look for Jusin Jackson to get more work this week as Austin Ekeler has been getting a larger workload than usual.

Chris Thompson, RB - Washington Redskins

Thompson rushed three times for three yards and caught three of his five targets for 18 yards in the Redskins' loss to the Eagles in Week 13. This season has been quite the disappointment for Thompson and also for those who drafted him. Look for Thompson to bounce back in 2019 depending on who is under center for the Redskins.

Kerryon Johnson, RB - Detroit Lions

Johnson was not able to practice at all this week due to a sprained ligament in his knee. He has not played since Week 11 but could be back next week for the second round of the fantasy playoffs. Sprains are obviously easy to reaggravate though so hopefully he can stay on the field.

Keke Coutee, WR - Houston Texans

Coutee is a game-time decision for the Texans against the Colts on Sunday. He reaggravated his hamstring strain against the Titans in Week 12. If you have other options, they will be much safer than Coutee this week.

 

Week 13 Injury Updates

James Conner, RB - Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Injury: Conner suffered a right high ankle sprain in the Steelers' Week 13 loss to the Chargers. He had his foot bent awkwardly as he was being tackled by a defender which puts the ligaments on a stretch. High ankle sprains commonly involve the anterior tibiofibular ligament which connects the shin bone (tibia) and the bone that runs along the outside of the leg (fibula) just above the ankle. These sprains typically require a few weeks for return to play.
  • News: He was not able to practice this week and was announced OUT on Tuesday by Head Coach Mike Tomlin. Following the game on Sunday night, Tomlin told reporters that the injury was only a contusion which proved to be false but he most likely just didn't know the severity of the injury at the time he was interviewed.
  • Outlook: With Conner out this week and possibly for the fantasy playoffs, look for a heavy dose of Jaylen Samuels with Steven Ridley getting work here and there. Samuels is the more dynamic back which plays into the Steelers scheme. He will likely be on the field more which means more targets and rushing attempts.

Matt Breida, RB - San Francisco 49ers

  • Injury: Breida aggravated his existing ankle sprain in warmups on Sunday and then injured it further during the game itself, eventually leaving the game altogether. The injury is likely a lateral ankle sprain affecting the outside of the ankle and the structure involved is likely the anterior talofibular ligament. This is the ligament most commonly affected in lateral ankle sprains.
  • News: It was announced on Monday that Breida would miss Week 14 against the Broncos.
  • Outlook: With Breida officially out, look for Jeff Wilson to handle the brunt of the work for the 49ers. He showed flashes last week with Breida sidelined and could make for an appealing fantasy playoff sleeper if Breida is out next week as well. Kyle Shanahan running backs have been good fantasy backs and Wilson could be next in line during the fantasy playoffs.

Odell Beckham Jr., WR - New York Giants

  • Injury: Beckham is dealing with a quad contusion, or bruise. When an athlete is dealing with a contusion, the pain and swelling can make it difficult to perform to the best of their abilities. Their explosion and ability to put all their weight on the affected extremity may be decreased.
  • News: It was reported Saturday that Beckham will not travel with the team to Washington and therefore will be out for Week 14. This is quite the surprise as he was not on the team's injury report on Friday although he was limited in practice.
  • Outlook: With Beckham out, the Giants will likely lean on rookie Saquon Barkley and Sterling Shepard against the Redskins. Evan Engram has been quite the disappointment this year but he was able to practice in full on Thursday and Friday after another hamstring strain. This could be a Saquon Barkley game. Beckham should be back next week.

A.J. Green, WR - Cincinnati Bengals

  • Injury: It seems Green may have unfortunately returned too quickly from his toe injury as he reaggravated the same foot in Week 13. He attempted to start his route once the play started and immediately fell to the ground in pain and pointed to his foot. Green likely tore the ligaments surrounding his big toe and will need surgery to stabilize the joint so he can make a full recovery for 2019.
  • News: Green was officially placed on the IR on Wednesday, December 5th.
  • Outlook: With Green out, the Bengals will return to featuring John Ross and Tyler Boyd. Outside of Joe Mixon, this offense does not instill fear into opponents and they face a tough Chargers defense this week. Green will be ready for OTAs in the spring.

Emmanuel Sanders, WR - Denver Broncos

  • Injury: Sanders tore his Achilles tendon on Wednesday at practice. The Achilles tendon connects the calf muscles including the gastrocnemius, soleus, and plantaris to the foot and allows athletes to push off from the ground during running and jumping activities.
  • News: He was officially placed on the IR on Wednesday as well.
  • Outlook: With Sanders out for the rest of the year, expect more targets to go Courtland Sutton and Daesean Hamilton's way. Hamilton is primarily a slot receiver so there is definitely some appeal there. Sutton is more of a vertical threat compared to Hamilton so he has the higher ceiling. This will be a lengthy recovery for Sanders and he could miss some time in 2019.

Greg Olsen, TE - Carolina Panthers

  • Injury: Olsen ruptured the plantar fascia in his right foot on Sunday. The plantar fascia is the thick band on the bottom of the foot that helps to support the foot. Microtrauma, or repetitive stress, can make this structure more likely to rupture which is likely what happened to Olsen given his recent history of right foot ailments dating back to 2017. He could have been compensating due to the injury he was playing through which in turn put more stress on the plantar fascia.
  • News: He was placed on the IR on Wednesday, December 5th.
  • Outlook: This injury carries a recovery time of 2-3 months but he was also playing through an aggravation of his Jones injury from a year ago and didn't rule out surgery for that following the season. Given the interaction of these two injuries, it could definitely affect his rehab and the timeline he'll have to follow to get back onto the field in 2019 if he is able. Ian Thomas will once again serve as the tight end for the Panthers and has some appeal in a lackluster set of tight ends in 2018.

Give me a follow on Twitter at @FFAchesAilments - Check back next week and all season for insight regarding fantasy's biggest injuries!

More NFL Injury Analysis




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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Tyler Soderstrom

Returns to A's Lineup
Tyler Warren

Sidelined on Wednesday with Toe Injury
Jaylen Waddle

Questionable for Week 3 Against Buffalo
Joe Burrow

Bengals Not Closing the Door on Joe Burrow Returning This Year
CFB

LaNorris Sellers to Play Against Missouri?
Kyle Tucker

Progress has "Plateaued"
Isaac Paredes

has "Outside Chance" to Return This Weekend
CFB

Kaidon Salter Expected To Start for Colorado on Saturday
Willson Contreras

Goes on 10-Day Injured List, Done for Season
Justin Fields

Ruled Out for Week 3 Due to Concussion
Jayden Reed

Out Indefinitely After Foot and Shoulder Surgery
Washington Commanders

Preston Smith Signs With Commanders
Trey Jemison III

Joins Knicks on Two-Way Contract
Kevin McCullar Jr.

Signs New Two-Way Deal With Knicks
Matt Ryan

Returns to Knicks on Exhibit 10 Contract
New York Knicks

Alex Len Signs Exhibit 9 Deal With Knicks
Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Expected to Take on Larger Offensive Role With Hawks
Thomas Sorber

Undergoes Surgery
Dominic Canzone

Has Five-Hit, Three-Homer Game Tuesday
Cal Raleigh

Sets Single-Season Home Run Record for a Switch-Hitter
Jayden Reed

Undergoes Clavicle and Foot Surgeries, Out for Foreseeable Future
Bo Bichette

to Miss Rest of Regular Season
Zach Neto

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Hand Injury
Yordan Alvarez

Out on Tuesday, Dealing With "Significant" Ankle Sprain
Aaron Jones Sr.

Vikings Place Aaron Jones Sr. on Injured Reserve With Hamstring Injury
CFB

Diego Pavia Refutes Report of Seeking Seventh Collegiate Season
Christian Kirk

Expected to Return in Week 3
CFB

Diego Pavia Seeking Another Year of Eligibility
Tarik Skubal

on Track to Start Thursday
CFB

Kevorian Barnes Questionable Against SMU
Bo Bichette

has Short-Term Knee Injury, Could Return for Postseason
Tosan Evbuomwan

Joins Knicks
NBA

Kai Jones Links Up With EuroLeague Team
Bismack Biyombo

Returns to Spurs
Bones Hyland

Rejoins Timberwolves
Kobe Bufkin

Moves to Brooklyn
Trey Yesavage

Sets Franchise Strikeout Record On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

To Receive MRI For Sprained Left Ankle On Tuesday
Willson Contreras

Exits Early Monday With Right-Biceps Tightness
Yordan Alvarez

Exits With Ankle Sprain
Brock Bowers

Officially Active on Monday Night
Jauan Jennings

Day-to-Day With Ankle Injury
Logan O'Hoppe

Activated Off Seven-Day Injured List
CBJ

Denton Mateychuk Dealing With Groin Issue
Bo Horvat

Fine for Training Camp
Kirby Dach

on Track to Be Ready for Opening Night
Jose Altuve

Returns Against Rangers
J.J. McCarthy

Expected to Miss 2-4 Weeks With High-Ankle Sprain
J.J. McCarthy

Likely Out for Week 3 With High-Ankle Sprain
Jean Silva

Gets Finished For The First Time In His Career
Aaron Jones Sr.

Unlikely to Play in Week 3 Due to Hamstring Injury
Diego Lopes

Returns To The Win Column
Jayden Daniels

' Week 3 Status in Doubt
Rob Font

Outclassed In The Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
David Martinez

Wins His Second UFC Fight
Jared Gordon

Suffers Brutal TKO Loss At Noche UFC 3
Rafa Garcia

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Brian Thomas Jr.

Dealing with Wrist Injury
Dustin Stoltzfus

Drops A Decision At Noche UFC 3
Kelvin Gastelum

Gets Back In The Win Column
Diego Ferreira

Suffers Second-Round TKO
Alexander Hernandez

Extends His Win Streak With A Brutal TKO
Quang Le

Suffers First-Round Knockout
Santiago Luna

Shines In His UFC Debut
Christopher Bell

Earns his First Bristol Cup Series Victory
Alex Bowman

Falls Short of Advancing Through Cup Series Playoffs
Chase Briscoe

Collects his Third Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Ryan Blaney

Strong Top-Five Bristol Performance Advances him to the Playoffs
Corey Heim

Earns his First Career Cup Series Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Leads Greece to Bronze Medal
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Drops 28 Points in EuroBasket Finals
CFB

Indiana's Lee Beebe Jr. Out for Season with Knee Injury
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder Named EuroBasket MVP
Bryce Eldridge

Giants to Promote Bryce Eldridge
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Progressing in Recovery
Jonathan Kuminga

Receives New Offer From Warriors
Kenneth Walker III

Bounces Back with Big Week 2 Performance
Bijan Robinson

Rushes for 143 Yards in Week 2
Justin Fields

Currently in Concussion Protocol
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Calling Around to Available Free-Agent Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow

to Undergo Surgery, Out at Least Three Months
Emil Heineman

Aiming to Take the "Next Step" This Season
Braeden Cootes

Good to Go for Camp
Ivan Fedotov

Blue Jackets Acquire Ivan Fedotov From Flyers
Garrett Crochet

Punches Out 12 in Win
Cole Ragans

to Return on Wednesday
George Kirby

Strikes Out 14 in Win
Quentin Grimes

Still Not Close to a New Contract Agreement
Joel Embiid

"Looking Slender, Spry and in Positive Spirits"
Ty Gibbs

Has Arguably his Best Career Drive, but Only Finishes 10th
Chase Elliott

Despite Crashing Out at Bristol, Chase Elliott Advances to Round of 12
Austin Dillon

Misses Round of 12 After Extremely Mediocre Bristol Run
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Fails to Advance to Round of 12
Josh Berry

Finishes Last in All Three Round of 16 Races to Fail to Advance
CFB

Ryan Williams Explodes In Return To Field
CFB

Drew Allar Plays Mediocre Game In Blowout Win
CFB

LaNorris Sellers Exits Game In Blowout Loss
CFB

DJ Lagway Tosses Five Interceptions In Loss
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Plays Game Manager in Saturday's Win
CFB

CJ Carr Remains Poised In Narrow Loss
CFB

John Mateer Leads Oklahoma In Rout
CFB

Arch Manning Struggles Against UTEP
CFB

Jeremiah Smith Impresses In Win
CFB

Sam Leavitt Shines As Arizona State Rebounds From Week 2 Loss
Ivan Demidov

Turning Heads in Rookie Camp
NHL

Calvin de Haan Signs With Swedish Team
Samuel Girard

Skates With Non-Contact Jersey
Mackenzie Blackwood

Dealing With Injury Ahead of Training Camp
Spencer Knight

Signs Three-Year Extension With Blackhawks
Chris Buescher

May have Another Solid Run at Bristol
Corey Perry

Out 6-8 Weeks Following Surgery
Kyle Busch

Should DFS Managers Roster Kyle Busch at Bristol?
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Too Risky to Consider Rostering at Bristol?
Michael McDowell

Could be A Solid Value Option For Bristol DFS Lineups
Chase Elliott

Probably Won't Factor in for Bristol Win
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not as Strong at Bristol as Other Short Tracks
Alex Bowman

Needs to Win to Make Round of 12
Ross Chastain

has Never Led at Bristol but Has Been Pretty Consistent
Austin Dillon

Richmond Speed Unlikely to Carry Over to Bristol
Josh Berry

Might Run Well at Bristol, but Almost Certainly Won't Win to Advance
Justin Haley

Bristol One of Justin Haley's Few Recent Bright Spots
CFB

Austin Simmons Listed As Game-Time Decision Against Arkansas
CFB

Nico Iamaleava Struggles In Fourth Straight Loss
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Dealing With a "Tweak"
BUF

Alexandar Georgiev Joins Sabres on One-Year Deal
Corey Perry

Injured During Pre-Camp Skate
CFB

Antonio Williams Out Against Georgia Tech
CFB

CJ Bailey Flashes Again in Win Over Wake Forest
CFB

Jaxson Moi a Game-Time Decision for Tennessee on Saturday
Jean Silva

A Favorite At Noche UFC 3
Diego Lopes

Set For Noche UFC 3 Main Event
Rob Font

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
David Martinez

Set For Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
Rafa Garcia

An Underdog At Noche UFC 3
Jared Gordon

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Dustin Stoltzfus

Looks To Return To The Win Column
Kelvin Gastelum

In Dire Need Of Victory
Diego Ferreira

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Malcolm Brogdon

Heading to Knicks on One-Year Deal
Landry Shamet

Staying with the Knicks

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