Week 10 can be summed up nicely by a phrase my eight-year-old uses all too often: “I have good news and bad news; which one do you want to hear first?”
The bad news for fantasy managers was that scoring (and consequently, fantasy point totals) took a significant nosedive this week. In the 13 games played this past weekend, 16 of the 26 teams scored 20 or fewer points. Matchups in home leagues that appeared pretty lopsided at first finished closer than expected due to an overabundance of duds from marquee players.
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The good news? Week 10 had the fewest injuries to fantasy-relevant players this season. Most injury-related news stemmed from updates to existing scenarios rather than anything new occurring.
That said, here is a quick rundown of all the information that you need to know as we hurtle toward Week 11 and waiver wire runs.
11 Fantasy Football Injuries To Know: Week 11 Waiver Wire
Quarterbacks
Insider Adam Schefter broke the news last Saturday that Dak Prescott planned to undergo season-ending surgery on his partially torn hamstring but sought one final opinion before deciding.
Backup Cooper Rush struggled mightily against Philadelphia in his absence, completing just 13 passes for 45 yards total. The most likely scenario is that Prescott will be placed on injured reserve (IR) and be out for the remainder of the year. Downgrade CeeDee Lamb, Jake Ferguson and the remainder of this offense accordingly.
Trevor Lawrence is currently dealing with a significant AC joint sprain in his shoulder, per Dianna Russini, and is currently gathering information regarding his options moving forward. Most injury experts speculate surgery could be on the table, which would effectively end his 2024 season, depending on the level of damage he is dealing with.
Head coach Doug Pederson described Lawrence’s situation as a “pain tolerance deal” and labeled him optimistically as day-to-day, but we should prepare for a lengthy absence. Backup Mac Jones will start as long as Lawrence is out. All Jacksonville receivers should be downgraded significantly.
Running Backs
Brian Robinson Jr. missed Week 10 due to a lingering hamstring injury, although he was able to log limited practices on both Wednesday and Thursday last week. Washington’s coaching staff seems hopeful he would have a chance to play in Week 11 and labeled him as “limited” in Monday’s walkthrough practice (the Commanders play on Thursday night against Philadelphia).
Robinson’s return would greatly benefit Washington’s offense. Given the short week, fantasy managers should keep an eye on the practice report this week, but be prepared for Austin Ekeler and Jeremy McNichols to shoulder the load if Robinson remains out.
Dameon Pierce missed his second straight game with a groin injury, leaving Dare Ogunbowale and J.J. Taylor backup duties behind Joe Mixon. Even if Pierce could suit up for Week 11, he wouldn’t be viable in fantasy lineups unless something happened to Mixon. He remains an upside handcuff in deeper formats only.
Aaron Jones was carted off the field on Sunday and missed roughly a quarter of the game, dealing with a chest injury. Thankfully, he was able to return for the game’s final drive and appears to be OK moving forward. X-rays taken during his absence showed no broken ribs.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell said this would be a pain tolerance situation moving forward. Expect Jones to be limited in practice this week before eventually suiting up against Tennessee in Week 11.
Najee Harris briefly left Sunday’s game in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury before returning to the final game-winning drive. Injury experts speculate he is dealing with a “mild” high-ankle sprain, which could cause swelling and discomfort.
Harris is likely to be limited in practice leading up to Week 11. His managers should keep an eye on how he is moving. Should he miss any time, backup Jaylen Warren would get the start against Baltimore (a team allowing the fewest rushing yards per game).
Wide Receivers
Tyreek Hill’s status for Week 10 came down to the wire, but he was ultimately able to suit up and subsequently scored his first touchdown since Week 1 in Miami’s victory over Los Angeles. ESPN’s Lisa Salters broke the news that an MRI on his left wrist showed a torn ligament — an injury that has been bothering him since training camp but “worsened during his arrest incident.”
Hill plans to play through the injury, but fantasy managers should know he is dealing with it. Hill appeared no worse for the wear on Sunday, especially during his bodyslam touchdown celebration.
Nico Collins was upgraded to “questionable” this past Sunday after the team opened his practice window last Friday and logged a limited session. Although there was early optimism he would be able to suit up, Houston ultimately played it safe and ruled him inactive — a decision that wasn’t made until the late slate almost started.
We’d anticipate Collins being available for Week 11, barring any setbacks. Hamstring injuries are notoriously fickle, so monitor this situation closely.
Out since Week 7 with a quadricep issue, Tee Higgins didn’t log a single limited session in practice last week. Cincinnati’s coaching staff seemed hopeful he could return for Week 11, but he would need to get onto the practice field first.
The Bengals’ offense has been on cruise control lately, and Higgins’ return would only strengthen their output. Should he take the field, tight end Mike Gesicki and wideouts Andrei Iosivas and Jermaine Burton would be downgraded.
Amari Cooper missed the last two weeks with a wrist injury, but coach Sean McDermott said he is improving. Buffalo is hopeful he can suit up this week in a critical matchup against their heated rival Kansas City.
Should he miss this contest, the Bills have a bye in Week 12, giving him additional time to rest up if necessary. In the two games he has played for Buffalo, Cooper has five receptions for 69 yards and a touchdown.
Tight Ends
Dalton Kincaid suffered a knee injury on Sunday and later attempted to return to the game before eventually being ruled out. When asked about it afterward, he stated, “I thought that I could go, but I just didn’t feel good enough to run and protect myself.” Those are not particularly encouraging words.
Finishing with just two receptions for 24 yards, Kincaid is expected to undergo further testing and is considered day-to-day. Injury experts are speculating he might be dealing with a mild PCL sprain but are waiting for MRI results to confirm their assumptions. Should Kincaid miss Week 11, backup Dawson Knox would become a streamable flier and waiver wire pickup.
LaPorta suffered a sprained AC joint in his shoulder on Sunday, and head coach Dan Campbell is currently labeling him as “day to day” moving forward. Spotted after the game in the locker room, not using his arm to get dressed, LaPorta commented that tests showed “nothing major” but offered no further information. Campbell appeared hopeful that LaPorta could play in Week 11, but wouldn’t rule out the possibility of him sitting out to rest, so this doesn’t turn into a nagging injury. Should he miss any period of time, backup Brock Wright would slide into his role. Detroit has a very juicy matchup against the struggling Jacksonville Jaguars next week.
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