NFL Weekend Injury Report: McDaniels vs. Belichick in Battle of Questionables

Go figure that the matchup between Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniel has a slew of fantasy-relevant players listed as questionable on both sides. The good news is that it's a light week for game-time decisions otherwise. The other bad news is that a lot of big names were ruled out Friday. And the third piece of bad news, which might also be good news in another context, is that games are spread out this weekend with three matchups on Saturday (IND-MIA, BAL-CLE, MIA-BUF)

Check it all out below and keep in mind that the bottom section, 'truly questionable', can be used as a checklist/cheatsheet for Saturday and Sunday when inactive lists and reports on game-time decisions come out. 

Good to Go 💯

• QB Colt McCoy (neck)
• QB Tyler Huntley (concussion) 
• RBs Brian Robinson (quad) & Antonio Gibson (foot)
• WR Amari Cooper (hip)
• WR Richie James (concussion) 
• WR Diontae Johnson (hip) & TE Pat Freiermuth (foot)

Ruled Out/Doubtful 🚑 

• QB Lamar Jackson (knee)
• QB Mike White (ribs)
• QB Kenny Pickett (concussion)
• QB Russell Wilson (concussion)
• RB Dameon Pierce (ankle) 
• RB Dontrell Hilliard (neck)
• WRs Courtland Sutton (hamstring) & Kendall Hinton (hamstring)
• WRs Brandin Cooks (calf) & Nico Collins (foot)
• WR Corey Davis (concussion) 
• WR DeVante Parker (concussion)
• WR Chase Claypool (knee)
• WR Treylon Burks (concussion)
• WR David Bell (Q - thumb/toe) 
• TE Hayden Hurst (calf)

Key Defensive Players + Offensive Linemen

• CBs Kenny Moore (ankle) & Brandon Facyson (illness)
• CBs Derek Stingley (hamstring) & Steven Nelson (ankle)
• CB Byron Murphy (back)
• DL/OLB Denico Autry (knee) + CB Kristian Fulton (groin)
• S Derwin James (D - quad) 
• CB Adoree Jackson (knee)
• DE Trey Hendrickson (wrist) + CB Mike Hilton (knee)
• CB Jamel Dean (toe) + DT Vita Vea (calf)

Listed as Questionable - Should Play 👍

• C Garrett Bradbury (back) + CB Cameron Dantzler (illness) + LB Danielle Hunter (neck)
• QB Trevor Lawrence (toe)
• WR Marquise Brown (illness)
• RB Josh Jacobs (calf)
• S Mike Edwards (hamstring) + CB Sean Murphy-Bunting (quad) + OLB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (hip)

Truly Questionable 🤔

Saturday Games

• RB Jeff Wilson (hip)

Wilson left Sunday's loss to the Chargers and didn't practice this week until a limited session Thursday (there's no Friday practice report ahead of a Saturday game). I'm guessing he doesn't play, which would mean more touches for Raheem Mostert and either Myles Gaskin or Salvon Ahmed in the backup role.

Early Games

• WRs Mecole Hardman (IR - groin) & Kadarius Toney (hamstring)
• WRs DJ Moore (ankle) & Laviska Shenault (shoulder)
• TEs Juwan Johnson (ankle) & Adam Trautman (ankle)

Andy Reid didn't sound optimistic about Toney and said he's leaning against playing Hardman. If I were him, I'd hold both out... the Texans are a much worse team with much worse injury problems right now.

DJM is a game-time decision after downgrading to limited participation Friday after full sessions the previous two days. Steve Wilks denied it was a setback and suggested the Panthers could know more Saturday.

Late-Afternoon Games

• RBs Rhamondre Stevenson (ankle) & Damien Harris (calf) - 4:05
• WR Jakobi Meyers (concussion) - 4:05
• WR Hunter Renfrow (IR - oblique) & TE Darren Waller (IR - hamstring) - 4:05
• WRs Tee Higgins (hammy), Tyler Boyd (finger) & Trent Taylor (hammy) - 4:25
• WR Julio Jones (knee) - 4:25

The Pats-Raiders and Bengals-Bucs games account for a huge share of fantasy-relevant GTDs this week. Someone on New England should have success running the ball, be it Stevenson, Harris or Pierre Strong (who played 70 percent of snaps after halftime last week, and got eight second-half touches to Kevin Harris' two). Stevenson managed just one limited practice this week, on Friday, while Harris and Jakobi Meyers were able to do multiple sessions (but only limited, never full). My guess? Harris is the only one of the three to play. But I don't really know, because Bill Belichick is good creating true game-time decisions and not letting too much info get out (so much as it's possible these days).

His protege of sorts, Josh McDaniel, didn't give reports much on Waller and Renfrow, both designated to return from IR and thus not listed on practice reports. But the Raiders need to activate them by late Friday afternoon in order to play them Sunday. (They're also listing Jacobs as questionable with the calf injury, again, but I'm pretty much ignoring it at this point.)

Last but not least we have Higgins and Boyd, who upgraded to full practice participation Friday, and then on the other side good ol' Julio Jones, who returned Friday for a limited showing (his first practice of the week). With Higgins and Boyd, you wonder how much/well they'll play even if they are active. Trenton Irwin and Russell Gage are the likely beneficiaries if any of those receivers are missing from the Bengals-Bucs game.

Primetime Games

• TE Daniel Bellinger (ribs) - SNF

Nick Vannett, mostly a blocker, picked up more snaps with Bellinger banged up last week. Vannett is in play for DFS showdowns, especially if Bellinger ends up inactive.

Key Defensive Players + O-Linemen

• DT Quinnen Williams (calf)
• DL Chris Jones (illness)
• CB Marshon Lattimore (ab) + LB Pete Werner (ankle) + DE Payton Turner (ankle)
• LB Travon Walker (ankle) 
• CBs Marco Wilson (neck) & Antonio Hamilton (neck)
• RT Tristan Wirfs (ankle) + S Antoine WInfield (ankle) 
• DE Chase Young (knee) + CB Benjamin St-Juste (ankle)