Week 17 Friday Injury Report: Hurts Out, Richardson Questionable

Below you'll find four different categories, with our lists including key offensive linemen and defensive players whose presences/absences might impact fantasy decisions. The bottom section — truly questionable — is sorted by kickoff times and can be used as a checklist/cheatsheet for Sunday morning and afternoon when inactives come out. First, let's see who's definitely in and who's definitely out...

Good to Go 💯

• QB Drew Lock (shoulder)
• RB Tyrone Tracy (ankle)
• WR Terry McLaurin (ankle)
• WR Drake London (hamstring)
• WR Adam Thielen (hamstring)
• WR Alec Pierce (concussion)
• TE Brenton Strange (shoulder)
• TE Luke Musgrave (ankle)

Ruled Out/Doubtful 🚑 

• QB Jalen Hurts (concussion)
• QB Derek Carr (hand)
• RB Alvin Kamara (groin)
• RB Gus Edwards (ankle)
• WR CeeDee Lamb (shoulder)
• WR Sterling Shepard (hamstring)
• WR Cedric Tillman (concussion)
• WR Dyami Brown (hamstring)
• WR Sterling Shepard (hamstring)
• TE Cade Otton (knee)
• TE David Njoku (knee)
• TE Tanner Hudson (D - knee)

Players that figure to get more snaps than usual do the injuries listed above include Eagles QB Kenny Pickett, Saints QB Spencer Rattler, Saints RBs Kendre Miller and Jordan Mims, Cowboys WRs KaVontae Turpin, Jalen Tolbert and Jalen Brooks, Bucs WR Ryan Miller, Browns WR Michael Woods, Commanders WRs Olamide Zaccheaus and Jamison Crowder, Buccaneers TE Payne Durham and Browns TE Jordan Akins.

Key Defensive Players + Offensive Linemen

• LB Denzel Perryman (groin)
• DE Sam Hubbard (knee), DT Sheldon Rankins (illness)
• S Antoine Winfield (knee)
• LB Josey Jewell (neck), CB Jaycee Horn (D - hip), RT Taylor Moton (D - knee)
• LB Micah McFadden (neck)
• CB Kendall Fuller (knee), LB Anthony Walker (knee)
• CB Jaire Alexander (knee), LB Quay Walker (ankle), S Evan Williams (quad)
• LT Walker Little (ankle), S Darnell Savage (head)
• C Ben Brown (concussion)
• LB Dre Greenlaw (Achilles), G Aaron Banks (knee)

Listed as Questionable - Should Play 👍

• QB Tua Tagovailoa (hip) + WR Tyreek Hill (wrist) - 1 ET Sunday
• RB J.K. Dobbins (knee) - 1 ET Sunday
• WR Tee Higgins (ankle/knee) - 4:30 ET Saturday
• WR Davante Adams (hip) - 1 ET Sunday

Dobbins has missed the minimum of four games on injured reserve, and his likely return takes on added importance with Gus Edwards ruled out due to a knee injury. If Dobbins doesn't play, the Chargers will be down to Kimani Vidal and Hassan Haskins in the backfield, which is a difficult workload split to predict ahead of time. They've used Haskins as a goal-line back and passing-down specialist at times this season, while Vidal has been deployed as the latter but not former. Vidal has no more than eight touches in any game this year, and Haskins has maxed out at three.

Truly Questionable / Game-Time Decisions 🤔

Saturday

• TEs Will Dissly (shoulder) & Hayden Hurst (illness) - 1 ET
• RB Tyler Badie (back) - 4:30 ET 
• RBs James Conner (knee) & Trey Benson (ankle) - 8:10 ET

Conner and Benson both appear something like 50/50 to play, after the Cardinals listed them as limited practice participants throughout the week. They were eliminated from playoff contention with last week's loss, so there's less incentive to suit up at less than 100 percent. Michael Carter dominated RB work after Conner's departure last week, taking 71 percent of snaps and all seven opportunities, while DeeJay Dallas took 29 percent of snaps without a carry or target (although he did catch a one-yard TD earlier in the game from a fullback alignment with Conner also on the field).

Early Games

• QB Anthony Richardson (back/foot)
• RB Chuba Hubbard (knee)
• RB Tony Pollard (ankle)
• WR Malik Nabers (toe)
• WR Tyler Boyd (foot)
• WRs Jalen Tolbert (finger) * Jalen Brooks (knee)
• WR Xavier Legette (hip/wrist)
• WRs Chris Olave (concussion) & Marquez Valdes-Scantling (chest)

Hubbard's absence from practice Wednesday was attributed to 'rest', but he was then listed as limited Thursday and Friday due to a knee injury, with the final injury report deeming him questionable. He's probably fine, but I don't have anything to confirm that, and the Panthers aren't in a position where it makes sense to push guys through injuries if they're truly hurting/struggling. FWIW, Raheem Blackshear and Velus Jones are the healthy RBs on Carolina's roster (both mostly have NFL experience as return specialists).

Late-Afternoon Games

• WR Jaylen Waddle (knee)
• WR Christian Watson (knee)

Primetime Games

• RB Isaac Guerendo (hamstring) - MNF

Guerendo reportedly is expected to play, likely ending Patrick Taylor's brief moment of fantasy relevance. It remains to be seen, however, if Guerendo avoids an injury designation when the 49ers release their final report Saturday afternoon/evening.

Key Defensive Players + O-Linemen

• S Jabrill Peppers (hamstring)
• S Elijah Molden (knee)
• S Geno Stone (illness), RT Amarius Mims (ankle)
• G Evan Brown (neck), LB Baron Browning (neck)
• RT Rob Havenstein (shoulder)
• LB K.J. Britt (ankle)
• CB Sauce Gardner (hamstring)
• G Quenton Nelson (ankle)
• OLB Jadeveon Clowney (knee), G Damien Lewis (illness), DL A'Shawn Robinson (knee/sick)
• RT Andrew Wylie (concussion), CB Marshon Lattimore (hamstring)
• LT Spencer Burford (calf)