As fantasy managers prepare for the playoff stretch, having a fully healthy lineup is imperative.
Managers held their breath when Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk exited with a concerning injury during the first quarter of Monday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Is Christian Kirk injured? Will Christian Kirk play in Week 14? What is Christian Kirk's fantasy outlook?
Editor's Note: Our incredible team of writers won two writing awards and received 12 award nominations by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. A big congrats to our very own Byron Lindeque (Golf) and Jordan McAbee (NASCAR) for both winning Writer Of The Year awards! Be sure to follow RotoBaller's analysis and advice all year long, and win more. Win More With RotoBaller!
Christian Kirk Injury Update for Fantasy Football
On his first reception of the game, Kirk went to the ground and was in immediate pain. He was taken to the locker room by medical personnel and did not return. At the time, the Jaguars described it as a groin injury.
While meeting with the media on Monday, head coach Doug Pederson clarified that Kirk suffered a core muscle injury. He is expected to undergo surgery and miss time.
Christian Kirk Fantasy Football Outlook
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, core muscle injuries that require surgery typically sideline players for roughly eight weeks. That timeline would keep Kirk off the field until the very end of the playoffs if Jacksonville even qualifies.
Needless to say, Kirk will miss Week 14 against the Cleveland Browns and is expected to be placed on injured reserve. It's a crushing loss for the Jaguars, who benefited from the wideout's 56 catches, 761 yards, and three touchdowns over their first 11 games of the year.
In Kirk's absence, the Jaguars will rely on a larger dose of Calvin Ridley, Zay Jones, and Evan Engram in the passing game. The biggest increase in volume presumably belongs to Jones, who played a season-high 93 percent of snaps on Monday evening. He could sneak into the WR3/FLEX tier if Trevor Lawrence (ankle) is able to suit up next Sunday.
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!
Win More With RotoBaller
Be sure to also check out all of our other daily fantasy football articles and analysis to help you set those winning lineups, including this new RotoBaller YouTube video:
More Fantasy Football Analysis