One of my favorite holiday traditions is watching movies with my family. Everyone has their own favorite, be it a Hallmark movie, a traditional classic like White Christmas or It’s a Wonderful Life, or even a comedic standard like Christmas Vacation or A Christmas Story.
My family is a little quirky, and my parents both have an interesting sense of humor. So, rather than watching a traditional holiday movie to put us in the mood, I grew up watching Monty Python and the Holy Grail in the background while hanging ornaments and stringing lights. Anyone looking for a goofy British comedy with plenty of quotable moments should look no further.
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At one point in the film, King Arthur attempts to cross an extremely narrow stream, where he is greeted by the Black Knight, who refuses to let him cross without a fight. After cutting off his left arm, Arthur asks him to step aside, and rather than giving up, he is told that “Tis but a scratch.” Arthur promptly cuts off his other arm. “Tis but a flesh wound!” So, the legs come next, until the Black Knight is just a bloody stump on the ground, screaming, “Come back here and I’ll bite your legs off!”
Never have I felt more seen.
My fantasy squads are all like the Black Knight at this point — missing limbs and limping around, just trying their best. Each passing week feels like I lose another limb, another critical piece of my team gone for the foreseeable future. Yet, we carry on. Hopefully, you were able to avoid all of these situations below, but if you ran into the King Arthur injury bug, I’ll keep my fingers crossed that you have a viable pivot option available.
Fantasy Football Injuries to Know
Quarterback
Michael Penix Jr. (QB – ATL)
Michael Penix Jr. exited the third quarter of Atlanta’s game against Carolina with a knee injury, with Kirk Cousins coming in for relief duties. What was initially described as an aggravation of a bone bruise took a turn for the worse, as later reports from Ian Rapoport confirmed that he sustained damage to his ACL, which would possibly require reconstruction surgery. The Falcons placed Penix on injured reserve (IR) on Monday and are continuing to evaluate his status.
Fantasy Impact: Thankfully for Atlanta, they have one of the most seasoned backups in the league at their disposal, and Kirk Cousins will remain the starter for the remainder of 2025. Cousins slides in for fantasy purposes as a QB2/streaming option for teams dealing with bye week issues in Week 12. Managers should keep in mind that Cousins will be without Drake London against New Orleans, and the Falcons are likely to rely heavily upon their running game in this contest.
Aaron Rodgers (QB – PIT)
Aaron Rodgers left Sunday’s 34-12 trouncing over Cincinnati late in the first half, after he sustained a left wrist injury to his non-throwing arm. Reports quickly surfaced that he was dealing with a slight break, with additional tests being run to determine if he could play during Week 12, or if going back on the field would complicate matters. Thankfully, imaging tests confirmed that surgery wouldn’t be necessary, but Rodgers will still need clearance from team doctors in order to take the field to play on the road against Chicago.
Fantasy Impact: Expect Pittsburgh to take things slowly with Aaron Rodgers in an effort to allow him maximum time to make a decision. Head coach Mike Tomlin already confirmed he would not practice on Wednesday, and a determination on his status would be made closer to game time.
Backup Mason Rudolph understands this system quite well and should handle the majority of first-team reps in practice throughout the week. Rudolph doesn’t have the same arm talent as Rodgers and prefers a more conservative script, but would be a one-week flier as a Hail Mary play for managers struggling with bye week issues.
Dillon Gabriel (QB – CLE)
Dillon Gabriel was playing admirably well against Baltimore on Sunday before his afternoon was cut short due to a concussion. Taken off the field and evaluated, Gabriel was placed into the league’s concussion protocol procedures, and he will need to pass through each stage to have a chance to take the field on the road against Las Vegas in Week 12.
Fantasy Impact: It is unlikely any fantasy manager started Gabriel, unless they were in an AFC North-only league. I’d have to imagine that those are few and far between. Regardless, the situation is worth knowing about, as it has a trickle-down effect for Cleveland’s running game, and anyone starting David Njoku, Harold Fannin Jr. or Jerry Jeudy. Fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders would draw the start if Dillon Gabriel misses time, and he appeared utterly lost on the field against the Ravens. All Cleveland receiving options would take a significant step backward if Gabriel misses time.
Running Back
Josh Jacobs (RB – GB)
Josh Jacobs was on his way to his best performance of the year against the New York Giants before visiting the blue medical tent in the first quarter on Sunday. Initially able to re-take the field, Jacobs was later ruled out at halftime with a knee injury, which required further testing.
Green Bay revealed on Monday afternoon that the scans showed no significant damage and that Jacobs was dealing with a knee contusion (bruise) instead. Head coach Matt LaFleur said the Packers weren’t considering placing Jacobs on IR, and that he has a chance of playing against Minnesota in Week 12. His practice reports should be monitored for further updates on the situation.
Fantasy Impact: Emanuel Wilson would handle the majority of work in the backfield if joSH Jacobs is unable to suit up, and he is one of the week’s top waiver wire grabs where available. In relief duty during Week 11, Wilson rushed for 40 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries against New York. Wilson is a capable receiver as well, and Green Bay would look to exploit matchups in space with checkdowns and screen plays.
Kimani Vidal (RB – LAC)
If there is a silver lining to this injury, it stems from the fact that Los Angeles was already on a bye during Week 12, so the decision to start or sit Kimani Vidal can be kicked down the road for some time. During a blowout 35-6 loss at the hands of Jacksonville during Week 11, Vidal rushed for just 13 yards on five carries and missed a significant amount of time on the sidelines while dealing with a thigh bruise.
Fantasy Impact: Kimani Vidal’s playing time for Week 13 against Las Vegas was already a murky subject, with rookie superstar Omarion Hampton close to a return. The latest reports on Hampton already had him working on the sidelines during team practices, and the expectations are that with another week of full rest, he should be available to return. His presence would greatly diminish Vidal’s value, who would be playing on the wrong end of a timeshare situation.
Jaylen Warren (RB – PIT)
Jaylen Warren left Pittsburgh’s Week 11 victory against Cincinnati with an ankle injury in the second half and did not return to action. Reports right out of the gate had this pegged as a minor injury rather than anything serious, with Warren confirming later he could have returned to action if needed, but resting during a blowout was taking a precaution. On Tuesday, head coach Mike Tomlin stated that he was “optimistic” about Warren’s availability for Week 12 against Chicago, but his practice reps will be monitored.
Fantasy Impact: Odds are that Jaylen Warren will be out there, but just in case, fantasy managers may wish to see if backup Kenneth Gainwell is available on the waiver wire. The last time Gainwell drew the start in Week 4, he rushed for 99 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries, and caught six passes for 35 yards. Gainwell would be an upside-RB2 play should Warren sit.
Bhayshul Tuten (RB – JAX)
Bhayshul Tuten finished with the heaviest workload of his rookie season on Sunday, carrying the ball 15 times for 74 yards and a touchdown against the Chargers. It appeared a shift was occurring in the Jacksonville backfield before Tuten left with an ankle injury. No further information was available, though he did mention to reporters at the conclusion of the game that he felt “good” and didn’t appear to be in any significant discomfort.
Fantasy Impact: This is a situation I’m monitoring closely, given Jacksonville’s insanely easy schedule ahead against teams that struggle to stop the run (Cardinals, Titans, Colts, Jets). Both Bhayshul Tuten and fellow backfield mate Travis Etienne saw a good deal of work this past weekend. Jacksonville seemed comfortable adopting an ultra-run-heavy approach, given injuries at the wide receiver position and mediocre play from quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Keep an eye on practice reports this week to determine Tuten’s status.
J.K. Dobbins (RB – DEN)
J.K. Dobbins’ injury status was an increasingly murky situation, with him initially being ruled out of Week 11’s contest against Kansas City, before Denver ultimately decided to place him on IR. His foot injury apparently requires corrective surgery, which will cost him the remainder of the regular season. Though there is a possibility Dobbins could return if the Broncos make a deep playoff run. However, his year is over for fantasy purposes.
Fantasy Impact: Rookie RJ Harvey will be asked to shoulder the majority of carries in the Denver backfield moving forward, with Jaleel McLaughlin spelling him when necessary. Head coach Sean Payton has long favored a committee approach, along with a hesitancy to rely too heavily on rookies for significant offensive contributions. In shallower formats, Harvey would be a priority addition, with McLaughlin becoming the new handcuff to roster in deeper leagues.
Emari Demercado (RB – ARI)
I’m fairly sure the Arizona backfield is cursed in 2025, as no one can stay on the field for more than a game or two without succumbing to injury. The latest body on the pile is Emari Demercado, who was in a prime spot to succeed on Sunday against San Francisco before departing in the second quarter with an ankle injury. It was later determined to be a high-ankle sprain, which is usually an injury that carries a multi-week absence. The Cardinals haven’t placed him on short-term IR yet, though it is a possibility
Fantasy Impact: Trey Benson was expected to return this week as he works his way back from arthroscopic surgery for his meniscus injury, and he would be in line to garner the start if he can practice early this week. Bam Knight and Michael Carter would see a handful of snaps as complementary options, should Benson be able to take the field.
Wide Receiver
Drake London (WR – ATL)
Drake London currently sits as the WR6 on the season, so this injury certainly is a major one to consider. At the conclusion of regulation against Carolina (a game where he already had seven receptions for 119 yards), London stretched out for a catch along the sidelines and appeared to bang his left knee against the turf.
London was diagnosed with a sprained PCL, and early reports expect him to miss Week 12’s contest against New Orleans. Head coach Raheem Morris seemed optimistic in his interview with reporters on Monday that this wasn’t a long-term injury, but London’s managers should count on him missing at least one week while recovering.
Fantasy Impact: Talk about a situation in flux. With Drake London likely out and Kirk Cousins now under center for the remainder of 2025, tight end Kyle Pitts and wideouts Darnell Mooney, David Sills and KhaDarel Hodge will be called upon to pick up extra targets.
Mooney would be the biggest beneficiary of the bunch, but expect Atlanta to lean on their biggest strength on offense to carry them through in the short-term — their running game. Sills and Hodge are desperation plays that should be avoided as pickups.
Calvin Ridley (WR – TEN)
If there is any “good” news about Calvin Ridley’s season-ending injury, I suppose that it would be that his fantasy managers likely had him benched regardless, given his futility in this woefully inept offense. Out for the remainder of 2025 with a fractured fibula, the 30-year-old wideout will finish the year with a 17/303/0 split, after consecutive seasons over 1,000 yards. Ridley is currently signed with Tennessee through 2027, but is a possible cut candidate, given his contract.
Fantasy Impact: Rookie wideouts Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor will continue to work as the Titans’ top receiving threats, with tight ends Chig Okonkwo and Gunnar Helm picking up the remainder of scraps left over. Putting this succinctly, this is an offense that we’d advise avoiding at all costs, despite constantly being in situations where passing the ball is necessary to stay competitive.
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