And it all boils down to this! Welcome to the finish line for the majority of fantasy football leagues, as Week 17 represents the finale and championship round. Anyone left with a high waiver-wire bid or anything left in their FAAB clip should feel free to use it now, whether to bolster their own roster or block an upgrade for their opponent. Be proactive and aggressive when adding pickups this week – it is better to have someone on your bench go off than in your opponent’s starting lineup.
There were a number of significant injuries that shifted the landscape on Sunday, along with playoff-bound teams that will consider shutting down starters nursing maladies, allowing them an opportunity to rest. Here is a quick run-through of the most significant injuries and how they will impact your final waiver wire bidding.
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Fantasy Football Injuries to Know
Quarterback
Jordan Love (QB – GB)
Love suffered a dirty helmet-to-helmet hit during Sunday’s game against Chicago, midway through the second quarter. Lying motionless for several moments, he was escorted off the field to the injury tent before being removed to the locker room, where it was confirmed that he sustained a concussion. Malik Willis came in for relief duty and played admirably well (9-of-11 passing for 121 yards and a touchdown, also rushing for 44 yards on scrambles) – and this has been a theme over the last few years.
Fantasy Impact: At this point, we should be well accustomed to the NFL’s concussion protocol and understand that it typically takes a whole week for players to return to action. Love is likely to miss Week 17 against Baltimore in a must-have matchup for both teams. Fantasy managers can view Malik Willis as an upside QB2 pivot option, in the event that they are dealing with injury situations or a rough matchup on paper for their starting option. We would also advise managers to keep an eye on Willis’s health status, who appeared to injure his shoulder against the Bears but was able to play through the pain. Willis *should* be able to go, but monitor practice reports and statuses accordingly.
Marcus Mariota (QB – WAS)
Washington’s quarterback situation is quickly turning into a “last man standing” situation. Mariota was thrust back into starting duties after the Commanders opted to shut down Jayden Daniels for the remainder of the season, but he injured both his right hand (needing stitches after it was stepped on by another player) and a pulled quadriceps muscle. To complicate matters further, Washington has a short week of rest and takes on Dallas during Thursday Night Football.
Fantasy Impact: Journeyman Josh Johnson would presumably draw the start against the Cowboys if Mariota is unable to play, in a game where both teams have been eliminated from playoff contention. Although the Cowboys secondary is still horrible, we’d advise looking elsewhere for help on the waiver wire in your championship matchup.
Gardner Minshew (QB – KC)
Minshew drew his first start of the year in Week 16 after Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL the week prior, and didn’t last long before he was knocked out of action. Taken off the field with a knee injury, the initial fears were that he had also sustained a torn ACL, but tests taken afterwards thankfully ruled that out. Instead, he was diagnosed with a “non-displaced tibial plateau fracture,” and Kansas City placed Minshew on IR, ending his season.
Fantasy Impact: South Dakota State product Chris Oladokun (drafted in the seventh round during 2022) will start for Kansas City in Week 17 at home against Denver. Though he played relatively well against Tennessee in spot duties last week, it would be absolute madness to consider playing him in a championship game against one of the NFL’s toughest opponents. His presence under center caps the upside of Travis Kelce, Xavier Worthy, and the Chiefs’ running backs.
J.J. McCarthy (QB – MIN)
I would hate to place the “injury-prone” label upon McCarthy this early in his career, but he certainly does have a difficult time staying on the field. During Sunday’s victory over the hapless New York Giants, McCarthy was knocked out of action after sustaining an injury to his hand, forcing backup Max Brosmer into action. Reports state that X-rays taken were negative and ruled out a broken bone, but McCarthy is set to undergo additional testing to see the extent of the damage. Head coach Kevin O’Connell labeled JJMC as “day to day”, and he was a non-participant in Monday’s estimated practice report.
Fantasy Impact: Considering that the injury is to McCarthy’s throwing hand and that the Vikings are playing on a short week against Detroit, it is difficult to envision a scenario where he manages to take the field against the Lions. Backup Max Brosmer is the assumed starter in a matchup best left avoided. In his lone start this season against Seattle, Brosmer threw four interceptions and looked utterly lost under center.
Running Back
Jordan Mason (RB – MIN)
Sunday’s game against New York was a house of horrors for Minnesota, with both Mason and Aaron Jones departing the Vikings’ first possession due to ankle injuries. Though Jones was able to return and play for the remainder of the game, Mason was ruled out shortly afterwards and missed the rest of the contest. The severity of his injury hasn’t been released, but Minnesota did list him as a non-participant in their estimated injury report released on Monday.
Fantasy Impact: Whenever Mason or Jones miss action, the other option typically sees a boost in value, propelling them to mid-RB2 territory. Jones will be heavily relied upon for Minnesota against Detroit, in a matchup where most analysts expect the Lions to throttle the Purple People Eaters. With Max Brosmer under center, Jones will be featured as long as he can remain standing.
Quinshon Judkins (RB – CLE)
Judkins sustained a dislocated right ankle and fractured fibula in the first quarter of Cleveland’s loss against Buffalo, ending his 2025 season. The Browns stated that he is set to undergo surgery on Tuesday and will face a four to five-month recovery timeline, with the hopes that he returns to the practice field for spring drills during the offseason. Fellow rookies Dylan Sampson and Raheim Sanders will split backfield duties, with Sanders operating as the early-down option and Sampson functioning as the pass-catching and third-down back.
Fantasy Impact: Sampson would be the preferred add in the Browns’ backfield, given his prolific usage as a checkdown option for quarterback Shadeur Sanders. We don’t have much faith that the team will have success moving the ball downfield on Pittsburgh, but fantasy managers who are in desperate need of an add at the position in PPR formats could stream Sampson as a FLEX option in a pinch.
Kimani Vidal (RB – LAC)
Midway through the fourth quarter, Vidal was removed from Sunday’s contest against Dallas with a neck strain, after rushing the ball five times for 11 yards. Playing the clear second-fiddle behind Omarion Hampton against the Cowboys, Vidal has been ceding snaps to the rookie ever since his return. Currently described as “day to day” by the Chargers, Hassan Haskins would pick up a spot start if Vidal isn’t able to play Week 17 against Houston.
Fantasy Impact: Make no mistake, this is now Hampton’s backfield, and any backup option is only coming in for spot snaps while he takes a breather. Both Vidal and Haskins are best left avoided, and would only produce value if Hampton suffered an injury, or was tackled just short of the goal line for the possibility of a vultured touchdown.
Wide Receiver
Ryan Flournoy (WR – DAL)
This is an upsetting addition to the list, since Flournoy was carving out a nice role for himself behind CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens in Dallas. After catching two passes for 18 yards and a touchdown against Los Angeles, Flournoy was targeted in the head by Denzel Perryman, who was subsequently suspended two games for his dirty hit. Thankfully, Flournoy didn’t sustain a concussion, and he is only nursing a knee injury at this point. Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram indicated that Flournoy is going to attempt to play on Thursday on the road against Washington, and the team listed him as a limited participant during Monday’s estimated report.
Fantasy Impact: If Flournoy can take the field, he is an interesting flier to start against a Washington Commanders team that allows the second-most yards per game on defense. Despite being knocked out of the playoffs, Dallas is playing for pride. Flournoy is a FLEX option in deeper formats if he can get out there, and if he misses time, his targets would likely be allocated towards tight end Jake Ferguson.
Calvin Austin (WR – PIT)
Austin’s inclusion here with a hamstring injury coincides with the league suspending hothead D.K. Metcalf after he inexplicably punched a fan on the sidelines. Their absences will leave Pittsburgh short of receiving options for Week 17 on the road against Cleveland, with the Steelers needing to string together victories to remain in playoff contention.
Fantasy Impact: The absence of both Austin and Metcalf would thrust veterans Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Adam Thielen into larger roles, against a defense that is easier to beat through the air than in the running game. Neither is a recommended starting option for your championship week, but MVS always carries the shot of a long touchdown reception for managers desperate enough.
Pat Bryant (WR – DEN)
In the final minute of Denver’s 34-20 loss against Jacksonville, Bryant was rocked with a big hit and carted off the field. Before the injury, he had caught five passes on eight targets for 42 yards, operating as the 1B option behind Courtland Sutton. Bryant was taken to a local hospital for further evaluation for a concussion and was eventually released on Monday after all other tests came back negative. Placed into the league’s five-step protocol, it will be nearly impossible for him to take the field on Thursday against Kansas City.
Fantasy Impact: Bryant’s expected absence opens up additional targets for Troy Franklin and Marvin Mims Jr. , as Denver attempts to fend off the Los Angeles Chargers for the AFC West title. Franklin would be the player I would recommend targeting in his absence, given his connection with quarterback Bo Nix and his prior success this season. Franklin slides into the WR3 conversation, with Mims being an upside FLEX.
Tight End
George Kittle (TE – SF)
Kittle was in the midst of a breakout game against Indianapolis on Monday Night Football, racking up seven receptions for 115 yards and a touchdown through the third quarter. Unfortunately, Kittle walked off the field gingerly with an ankle issue and was forced to miss the entire fourth quarter. Thankfully, San Francisco was able to stave off the Colts without him, but it is concerning that he couldn’t power through the injury. Head coach Kyle Shanahan stated on Monday that it was too early to know the severity of his injury.
Fantasy Impact: Jake Tonges would slide in as the receiving threat at tight end, should Kittle remain sidelined. San Francisco has already clinched a spot in the playoffs, though the team is jockeying with Los Angeles and Seattle for the NFC West lead and a higher seed. Tonges managed to have a string of good games earlier this year (especially Weeks 4-6) when Kittle was out of action, catching multiple touchdowns as a target for Brock Purdy. Given the lack of depth at tight end, he would be a low-end TE1 streamer if needed.
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