Week 12 Fantasy Football Injury Recap
As The Fantasy Footballers’ lead injury analyst and sports physical therapist, I’ll be recapping the previous week’s injuries and giving a projected timeline for recovery all season long. Let’s look at the biggest injuries from Week 12 and take a look at what fantasy managers can expect heading into Week 13 and beyond.
If you’re looking for more detailed injury analysis, check out JoinTheFoot.com for additional premium resources, including access to the Injury Blitz Podcast hosted by yours truly. This bonus podcast, available to all #FootClan Premier members, is a short, yet informative injury podcast that drops late in the week in order to provide all the injury updates you need to set your lineup each week.
QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson
Concussion: Week-to-week
DTR took a huge hit in the second half when he released a pass with the defender’s shoulder catching him in the chin and neck area. Thompson-Robinson left with trainers for a concussion evaluation but did not return with Walker finishing the game. The majority of players that have entered the league’s protocol over the last two years have missed at least one game, but he will have his chance to clear depending on his practice status this week. If not, P.J. Walker will be the next man up against the Rams.
Players impacted: P.J. Walker
QB Baker Mayfield
Right Ankle Sprain: Day-to-day
Mayfield injured his right ankle in the first quarter Sunday against the Colts while trying to run a QB sneak at the goal line. He left with trainers but did return for their next drive and was able to finish the game with his ankle heavily taped. Head coach Todd Bowles confirmed on Monday that Mayfield’s MRI came back negative. Ultimately, I do not expect Mayfield’s Week 13 availability to be affected, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him miss practice time this week. He could also be negatively impacted as far as his mobility is concerned in the pocket.
Players impacted: Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Cade Otton
RB Travis Etienne
Chest Injury: Day-to-day
Etienne left briefly in the first half Sunday against the Texans with a chest injury, but he did return and finished with 24 total touches. While he may be limited in practice this week, this injury should not affect Etienne’s Week 13 availability, especially considering the fact that the Jaguars get an extra day with their Week 13 game taking place on Monday night against the Bengals.
Players impacted: D’Ernest Johnson, Tank Bigsby
RB Javonte Williams
Neck Injury (Stinger): Likely to play Week 13 without limitation
Williams reportedly picked up a stinger in the fist quarter, but he returned after missing just a handful of snaps. These injuries usually recover quickly, as was the case for Williams Sunday. Given the quick return, this should not limit him moving into Week 13. He may not even miss any practice reps.
Players impacted: Samaje Perine, Jaleel McLaughlin
RB Jonathan Taylor
Thumb Injury (Specifics Unknown): Situation to monitor
News broke on Tuesday morning that Colts RB Jonathan Taylor suffered a thumb injury in Sunday’s win over the Bucs. It’s unclear when the injury happened, but it is notable that JT only played 58% of the snaps compared to 88% of the snaps in his last game before the bye. ESPN Colts reporter, Stephen Holder, broke down the injury in this article, but it sounds like IR is a possibility depending on the severity of the injury. Regardless, it sounds like it could be Zack Moss as the lead ball carrier this week against the Titans. From Weeks 2-5 prior to when Taylor returned to a full-time role, Moss played 83% of the snaps and averaged 24.8 total opportunities per game.
Players impacted: Zack Moss
WR Amari Cooper
Rib Injury: Questionable for Week 13
Cooper took a big shot to the ribs Sunday against the Broncos and did not return. He was running a crossing route and took a huge hit to his right side when the pass fell incomplete. He underwent an X-ray on Monday, which was negative for a fracture. This is likely bruised ribs, but this is a very painful injury to try to play through, so even though the X-rays were negative, Cooper should be considered questionable for Week 13. He’ll likely miss practice time this week at a minimum.
Players impacted: P.J. Walker/Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Elijah Moore, David Njoku
WR Chris Olave
Concussion: Week-to-week
Olave was ruled out with a concussion he suffered on a big fall early in the third quarter. He exited for evaluation but did not return, finishing the day playing just 47% of the team’s offensive snaps. Fortunately, Olave had an awesome game for fantasy prior to injury but there’s more than a 50/50 chance Olave won’t be available next week given how frequently players miss at least one game in the NFL’s concussion protocol. For now, consider Olave week-to-week and questionable for next week’s contest against the Lions.
Players impacted: Derek Carr, A.T. Perry, Alvin Kamara, Taysom Hill
WR Rashid Shaheed
Quad Strain: Likely Out Week 13
Picking up a quad injury is certainly not ideal for any WR, but it’s particularly troublesome for Shaheed’s skillset. As an explosive player who wins downfield and runs 4.3, this injury is likely to impact his ability to reach top end speed moving forward. The Saints WR left Sunday’s game against Atlanta with a thigh injury and did not return despite being labeled as questionable. There’s a good chance he’s out next week against the Lions, and depending on the severity, this could be a multi-week injury. The Saints are already dealing with injuries to the aforementioned Chris Olave and Michael Thomas (Knee, IR). Derek Carr could be very shorthanded next week against Detroit if Olave can’t clear protocol.
Players impacted: Derek Carr, Chris Olave, Alvin Kamara, Taysom Hill
WR Demario Douglas
Possible Concussion: Situation to monitor
Douglas was returning a punt Sunday against the Giants when he got clotheslined and hit his head hard on the turf. The team ruled out him out after the play with a “head” injury, but following the game, Douglas spoke with reporters and said that he did not have a concussion. In the NFL, players who are in the protocol do not speak with the media following the game, so this is at least a good sign that Douglas may have been able to avoid a concussion. As we’ve seen on a few occasions this year, players can develop symptoms as the week goes on, so for now, fantasy players need to monitor Douglas’ practice participation ahead of Week 13. It’s worth noting that Douglas was in concussion protocol back in Week 6, so if he did happen to develop symptoms, there’s a strong chance he would miss next week’s contest against the Chargers.
Players impacted: Mac Jones/Bailey Zappe, DeVante Parker, Hunter Henry