Anyone who has followed my writing career for some time knows I’m a creature of habit when it comes to fantasy football. My OCD-riddled brain works best when things are neat, tidy, compartmentalized and broken down into pieces. Some might find it quirky or strange to see someone taking notes with a pad and paper while watching NFL Network’s Red Zone each week — my wife thinks it is another Sunday afternoon.
I jot things down that stick out to me while listening to Scott Hanson zip back and forth amidst the chaos. Unique plays, rookie snap share counts, defensive metrics and injuries as they occur. Whatever happens to strike my fancy at the time.
- Waiver Wire Advice
- Weekly Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
- Fantasy Football Start/Sit Advice
- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
Unfortunately, this weekend’s injury portion was not only lengthy but also filled with star players who will undoubtedly impact this week’s waiver wire run and the playoff stretch. A glance at my notes has me humming Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust” jingle.
Here is a rundown of players who sustained injuries this past weekend, the most recent updates regarding their status and relevant waiver wire recommendations moving forward.
12 Fantasy Football Injuries to Know: Week 16 Waiver Wire
Quarterback
Patrick Mahomes was bent backward awkwardly amidst a high-low tackle on Sunday and immediately limped off the field with assistance from several linemen. Carson Wentz came on in relief and finished the remainder of the game in a 21-7 blowout of Cleveland. It was later revealed Mahomes sustained a “mild” high-ankle sprain, which is currently considered week-to-week by the team.
I’d assume Kansas City would play this cautiously, given their 13-1 record and how important Mahomes is for their playoff stretch. With the Chiefs already clinching a playoff spot and two games ahead of Buffalo for the top seed in the AFC, it would make sense for him to sit out Week 16 against Houston rather than attempt to play through it and risk aggravation.
Mahomes was typically ranked as a low-end QB1 option. Should he sit in Week 16, fantasy managers should downgrade Travis Kelce and DeAndre Hopkins accordingly. Wentz becomes an intriguing stopgap solution in two-quarterback leagues, but I’d avoid the situation in standard-format leagues.
Jalen Hurts confirmed he sustained a fracture in his non-throwing hand but was able to play through it on Sunday without issue. I don’t foresee this injury as cause for concern unless Hurts lands directly on it in the future.
During the middle of the third quarter on Sunday, Geno Smith took a hit to his lower leg area and limped off the field. Clearly in pain on the sidelines, he later went to the locker room for further evaluation. Smith was able to return to the field with a heating pad on his knee but could not return to the game.
In his absence, the Seahawks caught a glimpse of the Sam Howell horror show, and the team has to be crossing their fingers that this isn’t as serious as it appeared. Head coach Mike Macdonald spoke with the media on Monday and stated tests performed on Smith’s knee were positive, and the team hoped to see him practice throughout the week, per Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba and DK Metcalf managers are keeping their fingers crossed Smith he can return for a critical Week 16 matchup against Minnesota at home. Keep an eye on practice reports for updates.
Running Back
Alvin Kamara made one of best highlight-reel catches I’ve seen from a running back in quite some time, fully extending his arm out to come down with a touchdown pass and tip-toeing into the end zone on a trick play. Unfortunately, he pulled his groin while making that exceptional grab and was later removed from the game.
Backup Kendre Miller played admirably well during his absence, rushing for 46 yards on nine attempts in the second half. Interim head coach Darren Rizzi referred to Kamara’s injury as an “adductor strain” on Monday, with the team considering his status as day-to-day. With New Orleans out of playoff contention and quarterback Derek Carr questionable, at best, to play in Week 16, one has to wonder if it makes sense for Kamara to push himself to be out there on the field.
To further complicate matters, the Saints are on the road against Green Bay for Monday Night Football, resulting in a tricky pivot spot for fantasy managers. If you managed to handcuff Kamara and already have Miller on your squad, I’d play whoever the starter is. If Miller is on another team, I’d closely monitor practice reports to see if Kamara has a chance to start.
This injury is a real shame, considering everything Nick Chubb already went through to take the field in 2024 after blowing out his knee. Removed from Sunday’s contest against Kansas City midway, it was later confirmed Chubb had broken his left foot and would miss the remainder of the season. From a glass-half-full perspective, it was reassuring to hear from head coach Kevin Stefanski that Chubb would not require surgery to address the fracture.
That said, his absence will loom large moving forward. Expect Jerome Ford to inherit the bulk of Chubb’s touches, with D’Onta Foreman and Pierre Strong mixing in on early-down, short yardage and goal-line work. Ford is sure to be one of the most significant waiver wire pickups of the week and is a “spend whatever you have left to acquire him” type of player.
I include Trey Benson on this list not as an indicator of his standalone value but as an indicator of the circumstances currently taking place in Arizona. Removed in the second half of Sunday’s game with an ankle injury and later ruled out, Benson is currently being evaluated to determine his status for the remainder of the year.
James Conner will continue to dominate touches in the Cardinals backfield as he has all season, with DeeJay Dallas temporarily serving as the new handcuff to grab, thanks to Emari Demercado being placed on injured reserve (IR). The current RB11 on the season in PPR formats, Conner has been surprisingly durable this year and is on pace to finish his first entire season with a team since being drafted in 2017 by Pittsburgh.
Dallas will spell Conner occasionally when he needs a breather, but I doubt he makes any significant dent in his overall workload. We are still awaiting further updates from the team, who have been radio-silent, on the Benson front since Sunday’s game.
After missing the first two practices last week with an ankle injury, Tony Pollard got in a limited session on Friday and ultimately started against Cincinnati. He appeared right as rain during the first few drives, rushing for 22 yards and a touchdown, but things quickly worsened. Pollard later lost a fumble and was removed from the game after re-aggravating his ankle sprain.
Second-year backup Tyjae Spears stepped up in his absence, serving as Mason Rudolph‘s primary check-down option in the second half of the game. Tennessee has offered no updates regarding Pollard, so until we hear something, it is not easy to determine if he will miss any time. We would operate under the assumption Pollard will follow a similar practice routine as last week, missing time early on before ultimately deciding on Friday. The Titans are set to square off against Indianapolis in Week 16, a defense that has been rather stingy to running backs of late.
Jaleel McLaughlin left Sunday’s game against Indianapolis midway after sustaining a quadriceps injury and could not return to action. In his absence, Javonte Williams and rookie Audric Estime split backfield carries, with Estime operating as the early-down bruiser and Williams the finesse option.
Denver has a quick turnaround in a short week, with a game on Thursday Night against the Los Angeles Chargers. McLaughlin was listed as a non-participant on Monday’s estimated practice report, per Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com, and he faces an uphill battle to suit up in a critical matchup with playoff implications.
Estime and Williams would see a slight uptick in value should McLaughlin sit out, but it is nearly impossible to trust this backfield for fantasy relevance, given how many times Sean Payton has burned people in the past.
Wide Receiver
A.J. Brown was vocal to the media about Philadelphia’s need to get him more involved in the offense after consecutive quiet outings, and he responded with his best game of the season in Week 15, catching eight of his 11 targets for 110 yards and a touchdown. Late in the game, when it was already out of reach, Brown was hip-drop tackled near the sidelines by a Pittsburgh defender and had difficulty getting to his feet.
As hip-drop tackles often lead to high-ankle sprains due to the mechanisms involved, it was reassuring that Brown told Eagles media after the game he expects to be fine moving forward, per 94WIP’s Eliot Shorr-Parks. We hope Brown suits up for Week 16, but there is a chance that swelling might have occurred afterward or the team could choose to limit his snaps.
While blocking close to the line of scrimmage on a rushing attempt, Jaylen Waddle was undercut by a Houston Texans defender right around his knees and came up limping. Writhing in pain on the sidelines, Dolphins fans held their breath, hoping he avoided any significant ligament damage. Waddle remained in uniform on the sidelines for the remainder of the game. After its conclusion, head coach Mike McDaniel stated the team would learn more information after conducting imaging.
Thankfully, a positive update was provided yesterday when McDaniel confirmed the knee injury wasn’t significant and no surgery was necessary, but his status for Week 16 is questionable and he is considered day-to-day, per the Palm Beach Post’s Joe Schad.
Rookie Malik Washington stepped into Waddle’s role seamlessly this past week. We anticipate he will be the biggest beneficiary should Waddle miss any time. With most passing targets being funneled to Tyreek Hill, Jonnu Smith and De’Von Achane, Washington’s upside is limited. It is difficult to envision him being anything more than a PPR Flex dart throw against a stingy San Francisco defense in Week 16.
Alec Pierce came down hard on his head during a contested catch against Denver on Sunday and went directly to the Colts locker room to be evaluated for an injury. He was later ruled out with a concussion and has been placed into the league’s mandatory protocol.
Most players miss at least one game when attempting to clear through the five-step process, so fantasy managers should anticipate being without Pierce’s big-play ability in Week 16. Rookie Adonai Mitchell would stand to be the biggest beneficiary of his absence, but it is challenging to trust any Colts receiver due to the scattershot tendencies of quarterback Anthony Richardson.
Tight End
Zach Ertz has been surprisingly relevant this season for fantasy managers and currently sits as the overall TE9 of the year. A trusted short-yardage option for quarterback Jayden Daniels, his sure hands and adept route-running made him a streaming asset all season long.
Sadly, Ertz suffered a concussion this past weekend against New Orleans when his head slammed into the turf on a tackle from behind. His status for Week 16 against Philadelphia is questionable.
The Commanders were already without wide receiver Noah Brown for the rest of the year, which complicates matters even further. If Ertz cannot pass through the protocol in time, it would mean additional targets for Dyami Brown and rookie Ben Sinnott, who fantasy managers have been clamoring to see more of. Given the Eagles ‘ ability to shut down receiving threats, we can’t recommend either as a waiver wire pickup this week.
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