This article is part of our Injury Analysis series.
With the fantasy playoffs under way, injuries become an even bigger component of weekly matchups. Unfortunately, this also coincides with the NFL standings rounding into form where teams with preseason playoff aspirations suddenly find themselves eliminated from contention. A premature end to the season can shift a front office's (and a medical staff's) focus to the future. As a result, teams may opt for a more conservative approach with player health and specific injuries, choosing to hold them out for additional rest or to get started on specific forms of treatment. Consequently, fantasy managers will need to play close attention to daily injury reports and be proactive on the waiver wire. Teams eliminated from playoff contention in Week 15 include the New York Jets and Tennessee Titans. The Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots were already mathematically ineligible for the postseason entering the week.
Zach Wilson (and Aaron Rodgers)
The Jets finished Sunday's loss to the Dolphins with Trevor Siemian at quarterback after Wilson was removed from the game. He was initially ruled out due to dehydration but was later placed into the league's concussion protocol. The team insisted on Monday that Wilson remains the starting quarterback if he can complete the mandatory five phases of the return to play protocol. However, as evident by C.J. Stroud's Week 15 concussion-induced absence, that is far from a guarantee. Siemian would start at quarterback against the Commanders if Wilson cannot play.
The loss also makes it even more unlikely that
With the fantasy playoffs under way, injuries become an even bigger component of weekly matchups. Unfortunately, this also coincides with the NFL standings rounding into form where teams with preseason playoff aspirations suddenly find themselves eliminated from contention. A premature end to the season can shift a front office's (and a medical staff's) focus to the future. As a result, teams may opt for a more conservative approach with player health and specific injuries, choosing to hold them out for additional rest or to get started on specific forms of treatment. Consequently, fantasy managers will need to play close attention to daily injury reports and be proactive on the waiver wire. Teams eliminated from playoff contention in Week 15 include the New York Jets and Tennessee Titans. The Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots were already mathematically ineligible for the postseason entering the week.
Zach Wilson (and Aaron Rodgers)
The Jets finished Sunday's loss to the Dolphins with Trevor Siemian at quarterback after Wilson was removed from the game. He was initially ruled out due to dehydration but was later placed into the league's concussion protocol. The team insisted on Monday that Wilson remains the starting quarterback if he can complete the mandatory five phases of the return to play protocol. However, as evident by C.J. Stroud's Week 15 concussion-induced absence, that is far from a guarantee. Siemian would start at quarterback against the Commanders if Wilson cannot play.
The loss also makes it even more unlikely that Rodgers makes a miraculously in-season return from his Week 1 Achilles tendon tear. With the playoffs out of reach, it makes more sense for the Jets to protect Rodgers than it does to let him play. He is eligible to return to practice later his week, but it is unlikely he suits up again this season.
The Titans quarterback suffered a sprained ankle in the waning minutes of the team's loss to the Texans. Coach Mike Vrabel has since compared the injury to ankle injuries suffered by former starter Ryan Tannehill. Both Tannehill's injuries were considered high-ankle sprains, meaning this is not a "normal" lateral ankle sprain. As a result, Levis seems likely to miss Sunday's game versus the Seahawks, and it wouldn't be surprising if he is done for the remainder of the year. If Levis is out, the team will turn back to Tannehill. The veteran free-agent-to-be has not started since Week 16.
Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey
Purdy briefly left San Francisco's win over Arizona after suffering a stinger in his nonthrowing shoulder. A stinger is an injury to a bundle of nerves between the neck and the upper extremity known as the brachial plexus. The effects of a mild stinger often resolve quickly, and Purdy's return to the game suggests it will be a non-issue moving forward. Teammate Christian McCaffrey also had a brief injury scare, appearing to hurt his right knee late in the first half. However, McCaffrey downplayed the incident after the game saying it was simply normal "stuff that goes on during a game." Both players remain must starts in all formats, though the 49ers have a tough matchup on tap in Week 16 as they host the Ravens on Monday Night Football.
Chase is expected to miss time after suffering a sprained shoulder. The involved joint is the acromioclavicular (AC) joint, not the ball-and-socket joint of the shoulder. The easiest way to recognize the difference in injuries is the terminology used. The term shoulder dislocation is used when the glenohumeral joint (the ball-and-socket joint) has been forced out of alignment. A shoulder separation is reserved for injuries involving the AC joint.
The AC joint sits where the collarbone meets the shoulder blade and serves as a strut for the arm. Because Chase is expected to miss time, potentially multiple weeks, it is likely he has a moderate sprain. These injuries can also include damage to the surrounding musculature. Fortunately, surgery has not been mentioned, meaning he has a chance to return by the end of the regular season. When he does return, Chase can support the joint with a brace or pad modifications. These can be functionally limiting but should not drastically affect his productivity. Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd should see an increase in opportunities with Chase sidelined.
Turf Burns
Keenan Allen: The Chargers receiver did not play in the team's lopsided loss to the Raiders due to a heel injury. The team has not provided an update on his status since ruling him out. However, his absence could be linked to Los Angeles' short week of preparation, and it is more plausible Allen is able to play against the Bills. Consider him day-to-day for now.
Josh Jacobs: Like Allen, Jacobs' chances of avoiding missed time due to injury was complicated by the short turnaround that comes with playing on Thursday night. However, the Week 16 schedule now pays into Jacobs' favor, as Las Vegas plays Kansas City in one of the three Monday night games. The extra day gives him a better chance to move past the quadriceps injury that sidelined him against the Chargers. Still, fantasy managers should closely monitor his level of participation in practice to get a more definitive answer on his availability.
Tyreek Hill: Hill tried everything he could to get ready for Sunday's game against the Jets but was ruled out shortly before kickoff. Hill is nursing an ankle sprain suffered in Week 14 and remains a question mark for Miami's Week 16 game against Dallas. Those invested in Hill shouldn't be surprised if he remains limited in practice yet again and should prepare for this to come down to another game-time decision.
Keaton Mitchell: The Ravens rookie running back suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) on a gruesome-looking play where he hyperextended the joint after an awkward plant. He will miss the remainder of the year, and his recovery is likely to carry over into next season. Gus Edwards and Justice Hill move back up the Baltimore running back depth chart.
Chris Olave: Olave was unable to shake both an illness and ankle injury that kept him off the field last week. The ankle is the bigger issue of the two and remained a problem Monday as he was listed as a nonparticipant for practice. The Saints face the Rams on Thursday night, shortening Olave's recovery timeline. Look for this to be a game-time decision yet again.
