Week 14 Fantasy Football Injury Recap
Just like in Week 13, there were some big-time names who went down with an injury in Week 14. As The Fantasy Footballers’ injury analyst and sports physical therapist, the majority of my content will cover injuries in the NFL. All season long, I’ll be recapping the previous week’s injuries and giving a projected timeline for recovery. Let’s look at the biggest injuries from Week 14.
Jameis Winston
Fractured Right Thumb: Week to week
Winston exited briefly on Sunday for x-rays and only ended up missing a few plays, but his x-rays showed a “tiny” fracture in his right thumb. He ended up returning to the game, so this tells us that the fracture was not located in the joint (knuckle) of his thumb. However, this is likely a non-displaced avulsion fracture, where a tiny chip breaks off. Worth noting, Winston is getting a second opinion on his thumb, so even though he finished the game, it’s no guarantee that he plays in Week 15. If he does play, Winston’s grip strength could be affected, making his accuracy even more of a concern for pass catchers.
Other players impacted: Ryan Griffin, Chris Godwin, O.J. Howard
Patrick Mahomes
Right Hand Injury: Day to day
Mahomes appeared to injure his right hand on Sunday, specifically the pinky side of the hand versus the thumb. X-rays on his hand were negative. While Mahomes is likely going to be sore in the early part of this week, he should be fine for Week 15. The pinky isn’t quite as integral to grip strength like the thumb is, so Mahomes shouldn’t have any issues with grip strength or ball security.
Other players impacted: Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins
Derrius Guice
Left Knee MCL Sprain: Out 2-4 weeks
Rightfully so, the fantasy world got nervous as soon as Guice went down on Sunday. At this point, his knee injuries are well documented, but it looks like Guice avoided major injury. He exited early with a left knee injury, the same knee that he had surgery on to address a torn ACL in 2018. On the play, Guice got hit low and was upended, his knee collapsing inward. Fortunately for Guice, his foot was not planted on the ground, or this could have been another serious knee injury involving another ACL sprain or tear. He escapes with an MCL sprain and likely faces a 2-4 week recovery timeline.
Other players impacted: Adrian Peterson, Chris Thompson
Rashaad Penny
Torn Left ACL: Out for the year
Penny was finally coming into his own in his second year in the NFL, but his season is over. In the first five minutes of the game, Penny suffered a non-contact injury when he planted on his left leg. A Monday MRI confirmed what the team originally feared – a torn ACL. Penny will undergo surgery to reconstruct the ligament and begin rehab. He’s not a lock to be ready for Week 1 in 2020.
Other players impacted: Chris Carson, C.J. Prosise
Derrick Henry
Left Hamstring Strain: Day to day
Henry has been battling a left hamstring injury for two weeks now but has been battling through soreness. On Sunday, he appeared to aggravate the injury and was seen on the sideline with ice packs on the back of his thigh where the hamstring is located. He also left the field early before halftime to head to the locker room, likely for treatment. Henry did end up finishing the game but told reports, “Ain’t no quitting in me.” He also admitted to battling soreness. You won’t hear many others in the industry saying this, but this is a legitimate situation to monitor that gives me concern. Given the way the Titans use Henry, it’s likely going to be a risky situation moving forward.
Other players impacted: Dion Lewis
Alshon Jeffery
Torn Right Achilles Tendon: Out for the year
Alshon Jeffery exited in the first half of Monday Night Football and didn’t return. He was lined up on the outside in his usual starting stance (right foot behind him) and pushed off as the ball was snapped. On the push-off, he immediately comes up hobbling, unable to flex his right ankle. The Achilles tendon is stressed with a forceful contraction of the calf muscle, which is exactly what happens when a receiver pushes off at the line of scrimmage. Jeffery’s 2019 is over.
Other players impacted: Carson Wentz, Zach Ertz, Dallas Goedert, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside
Mike Evans
Right Hamstring Strain: Out for the year
Evans made his presence felt before exiting early on Sunday, hauling in a 61-yard TD bomb from Jameis Winston on his only catch of the day. However, while trying to get out of an ankle tackle from the defender, Evans attempts to quickly bring his right leg forward while extending his knee, causing an injury to his hamstring. An MRI on Monday confirmed this is a serious hamstring strain, one that is likely to cost Evans at least a month. Evans may have helped you win your week to advance in the playoffs, but to win in the semis, you’ll need another receiver.
Other players impacted: Jameis Winston, Chris Godwin, O.J. Howard, Breshad Perriman
DeVante Parker, Jared Cook, Albert Wilson, Vance McDonald
Concussion: Day to day
Parker, Cook, and Wilson all suffered a concussion on Sunday and all of these guys were forced to exit early. As always, these players enter the concussion protocol and will attempt to progress throughout the week. Even though I’m listing these players as a group, a concussion is an injury where recovery happens on an individual basis so owners will need to monitor practice reports for the Dolphins and Saints.
Other players impacted (Dolphins): Ryan Fitzpatrick, Mike Gesicki, Patrick Laird, Allen Hurns
Other players impacted (Saints): Drew Brees, Josh Hill, Alvin Kamara
Other players impacted (Steelers): Diontae Johnson, James Washington, Nick Vannett
Calvin Ridley
Abdominal Injury: Out for the year
Tate posted on his Instagram that he will be out for the year. He exited Sunday with an abdominal injury and was taken to the hospital. The exact details as to what is going on with this injury are unknown but this could be an internal organ situation. Regardless, it doesn’t sound like Ridley’s availability will be affected for the offseason conditioning program.
Other players impacted: Julio Jones, Russell Gage, Matt Ryan
Fractured Foot: Out for the year
It’s been a tough rookie season for Campbell, who is now done for the year. This is his fourth injury of the season, which lands him on injured reserve. His season started with a hamstring issue in training camp, he missed two games after hernia surgery and then broke a bone in his hand, which required surgery. In his first game back from his broken hand, he broke a bone in his foot. I have yet to see details regarding the specifics of the broken foot, but regardless, Campbell should be ready for the team’s offseason training camp.
Other players impacted: Zach Pascal, Jacoby Brissett, Jack Doyle
Auden Tate
Sprained MCL: Out at least one week
Tate suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his knee on Sunday, forcing him to exit early against the Browns. An MRI on Monday confirmed a sprained MCL, which indicates that he will miss Week 15. If this is a grade I injury (mild sprain), he could only miss one week, but if this is a grade II injury, he’ll require a 2-4 week recovery and will essentially be done for the year when it comes to fantasy football.
Other players impacted: Tyler Boyd, John Ross, Andy Dalton
D.J. Chark
Foot Sprain: Out at least one week
Chark was seen in a walking boot and on a scooter after the Jaguars’ game on Sunday. He’s battling a foot sprain that is likely to keep him out multiple weeks. These are almost always a multi-week absence and are particularly tricky for skill position players where you have to cut and rotate through the foot. Chark’s season for fantasy football purposes is essentially over.
Other players impacted: Gardner Minshew, Dede Westbrook, Chris Conley
Mark Andrews
Right Thigh Contusion: Week to week
Andrews escaped major injury on Sunday, as he escaped with a thigh/quadriceps contusion just above his knee. When a bruise (contusion) forms in the muscle, a hematoma (or blood) forms in the muscle, creating stiffness, pain, and tightness. If this game was on Sunday, he’d have a chance to play, but it could be tough for Andrews to play on Thursday night on a short week.
Other players impacted: Lamar Jackson, Hayden Hurst, Marquise Brown
Noah Fant
Left Foot Sprain: Likely out at least one week
Fant was forced from Denver’s Week 14 game against the Texans early with a foot injury and didn’t return. Fortunately, x-rays taken on Fant’s foot were negative. However, as stated with Chark above, these injuries are typically a multi-week injury. I doubt we see Fant in Week 15, but he could return in Week 16 or Week 17.
Other players impacted: Drew Lock, Courtland Sutton
Ryan Griffin
Left High Ankle Sprain
Griffin got his ankle rolled up on by a teammate on Sunday, causing his ankle to externally rotate while planted on the ground. With just two weeks left in the fantasy football season and this being an injury that always carries a multi-week absence, Griffin can be dropped in season-long formats.
Other players impacted: Sam Darnold, Jamison Crowder, Robby Anderson
Comments
I loved the injury update