November 18, 2019
It's almost fantasy football playoff time, and lucky for those in contention, the injury list is actually relatively short after Week 11 action.
With just three players with big fantasy value lost to new injuries Sunday — Marlon Mack, Auden Tate and Phillip Dorsett — we also took a look at a few other guys for whom there is new information available regarding existing or reaggravated injuries.
Take a look:
James Conner, RB, Steelers
Conner practiced all week leading up to the Steelers... eventful... loss last Thursday, but before the now infamous melee, Conner was off the field, as he re-injured his nagging shoulder injury. His Week 12 status appears to be in doubt, which will once again make Jaylen Samuels a startable option going forward — particularly against the lowly Bengals.
JuJu Smith-Schuster, Dionte Johnson, WR, Steelers
Both Smith-Schuster and Johnson left Thursday night's game with concussions, making Mason Rudolph's offense even more short-handed. There's a good chance it stays short-handed, with both recovering this week. With 10 days off between games, there is a chance one or both are healthy enough to return to the field next Sunday, but James Washington will become a hot waiver add this week with the status of Pittsburgh's top receivers unknown.
Marlon Mack, RB, Colts
Mack has been having a pretty solid fantasy season — with 862 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the season. His push for 1,000 yards will have to wait though, as the running back broke his hand Sunday and will miss at least one week of action. The next three on the depth chart are a bit of a mess, with Jordan Wilkins, Nyhiem Hines and Johnathan Williams all combining to back up Mack. Wilkins has seen more of a workload during the entire season but was out with an ankle injury in Week 11. Williams made his debut against the Jaguars and had 13 carries for 116 yards. Both are likely to be hotly pursued on waivers this week.
Emmanuel Sanders, WR, 49ers
Sanders — a mid-season trade acquisition for San Francisco — has played himself into a prominent fantasy role in recent weeks but he left Sunday's win with a rib injury — the same one that had him questionable before the game started. If he winds up missing time, Deebo Samuel appears to be the next man up as far as targets go.
Auden Tate, WR, Bengals
Tate has been one of the few positives coming out of Cincinnati during their lost season (get it?). But I guess Cincy can't have nice things this year. Tate left Sunday's loss with a brace on his neck and it's likely he will miss a little time going forward. The good news is he did leave with his teammates and wasn't forced to stay behind.
A.J. Green, WR, Bengals
Which leads us to Green — the former All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler. He was held out of Week 11's game but with Tate now on the injured list, all signs are pointing toward a Green return in Week 11. The wideout himself said his ankle was good to go before the game.
Robert Woods, WR, Rams
It is still unknown why Woods was inactive in the Rams win Sunday night, but a lot of people (including the writer of this article) were taken by surprise and pretty much screwed with his last minute withdrawal from the game. The Rams have said it is a personal matter and not an injury. We'll see what the longterm effects of him missing the game are this week.
Phillip Dorsett, WR, Patriots
Dorsett took quite a shot after catching a trick touchdown pass from Julian Edelman Sunday afternoon. The blow to his head likely caused concussion-like symptoms, and as such, the wideout will be in the protocol for a little while. His injury will open the door for more snaps for rookie N'Keal Harry.
Mitch Trubisky, QB, Bears
We know... who in their right mind has Trubisky rostered? Well, there are many two quarterback leagues out there, and there are many more owners who have Chicago skill players. Trubisky was pulled from the Bears' latest loss due to a hip injury that head coach Matt Nagy said was reaggravated. With their playoff hopes dwindling, there's a chance Trubisky just gets shut down for the season. Keep an eye on it.
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