December 07, 2020
Week 13 in the NFL hasn't quite finished yet — there are still three games left to play (two of them rescheduled due to COVID issues) — but we like routine here. Which is why, like we've done every Monday since August, we've broken down the latest relevant injuries for fantasy football enthusiasts to keep an eye on.
A lot of the players we feature below are big names who are working their way back from injuries, hoping to help make an impact in the fantasy football playoffs. And some are collateral damage from the games this past weekend.
With so much activity surrounding players on the COVID-19 list, we've avoided focusing too much on those players, as their status changes rapidly during each week. Take a look:
CMC has played just one game since getting hurt in Week 2 — but interestingly he made a big impact in that game, scoring on the ground and catching 10 passes. He has been able to rest during the Panthers' Week 13 bye and could make an immediate impact yet again upon his potential return. Exactly why the Panthers, who are mostly out of contention, are willing to risk serious injury to have McCaffrey play a handful of meaningless games is anyone's guess, but he couldn't return at a better time for his owners in the fantasy playoffs.
Jacobs didn't practice this week and fantasy owners who were hoping for a surprise active designation were disappointed. His ankle injury is on the mend, and it appears a real possibility that he is able to suit up after the week off. See if he practices Wednesday — which will be a key indication about his chances for playing Sunday.
Despite being technically active, Kansas City's top rookie did not see the field on Sunday Night Football, much to the frustration of fantasy owners who were hoping he'd, you know, actually play. Though battling the flu, it appears he was active Sunday as an emergency option with Le'Veon Bell and Darrell Williams handling his duties at RB. It stands to reason he should be both active and playing next week.
Higgins, who continues to be somewhat productive despite the season-ending injury to Joe Burrow, reportedly left the end of Sunday's game — after securing five catches — with a hamstring tweak. It's unknown how much this injury will impact his Week 14 availability but practice reports later this week should reveal a lot regarding his status.
Swift missed the final two practices last week as he was not feeling great due to a non-COVID illness. He was expected to be a gametime decision and was held out in Week 13, with Adrian Peterson and Kerryon Johnson carrying the load against Chicago. There is a pretty good chance he is full go in Week 14.
Jones sat out Week 13 with a hamstring injury and Colt McCoy led the Giants to a surprising win over the Seahawks. He practiced in a limited capacity last week, which implies he is on the right track and it is expected that he will be able to practice in full and potentially start next week.
Freeman is eligible to return from the IR this week, and is a player to keep an eye on — though with New York rolling it would be surprising to see Wayne Gallman lose his starting role. Freeman, if he plays, will probably hit the gridiron as a change-of-pace type of back, at least to start.
Golladay has been working his way back from a hip injury and was seen running sprints on the sideline before he was held out of Detroit's Week 13 matchup. This implies things could be looking good for Week 14, and also could spell the end of Marvin Jones' impressive production of late.
The Chargers got demolished in Los Angeles, so any semblance of a running back depth chart was kind of torn apart. Still, Kelley is probably the top backup for the recently-returned Austin Ekeler — although he may not be moving forward as an ankle injury sidelined him Sunday. With Justin Jackson still out, Kalen Ballage might be worth a play for desperate owners.
The Jets wryly old veteran running back sustained a concussion Sunday, ceding starting running back duties to to Ty Johnson, who had 22 carries for 104 yards and a score and should be fantasy relevant next week.
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