Are Saquon Barkley, Geno Smith, Tony Pollard Hurt? Fantasy Football Injury Updates (Week 16)

We're headed into Week 16, which is the second round of the fantasy football playoffs in most leagues, the championship in some, and the first round in yet others. The vast majority of leagues have a playoff game of some kind, though, meaning staying updated on player injuries is more important for fantasy managers than ever.

Running back and quarterback are obviously two very important positions on most rosters, and there are a few key names that are dealing with ailments of some kind. Whether or not they'll play in Week 16 is crucially important, and will decide matchups in many leagues.

Let's break down three players, whether they're hurt, and what their chances of missing Week 16 are.

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Is Saquon Barkley Hurt?

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley has alluded to having an injury, but he's not listed on an official injury report, and the team hasn't released any information about anything he's suffering from. It's possible that he's dealing with nothing more than the usual wear and tear that playing RB in the NFL gives players.

Saquon Barkley on his injury: "Nothing crazy, a little minor. Just getting ready for next week."

— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) December 16, 2024

The concern came because he ended up playing significantly fewer snaps in Week 15, spending some time on the sideline with an undisclosed issue. He took a hit from Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and needed time to recover from it, apparently.

for those of you with Saquon Barkley on your fantasy roster

has barely played after taking a hit from Minkah Fitzpatrick in the redzone

Had his helmet on. On the sideline. Looked ready to play. Hopefully more in the second half.

— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) December 15, 2024

Obviously, if he misses practice or is limited due to some ailment, we'll know a bit more when the first practice report comes out. But it seems like he's fine. We don't anticipate him missing next week, and even if he goes into the game with an injury designation, he's obviously a must-start.

Is Geno Smith Hurt?

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (knee) was forced to exit his team's Week 15 contest with a knee injury. While he's certainly dealing with something, Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald was optimistic that he'd be able to practice this week. Smith reportedly avoided major injury.

Mike MacDonald on #Seahawks QB Geno Smith:
Mostly good news after tests, optimistic Geno will take most of the first team reps this week at practice.

Would not clarify what kind of knee injury he has. pic.twitter.com/rQCREdasMQ

— Alyssa Charlston-Smith (@Alyssacharlston) December 16, 2024

We don't know exactly what type of knee issue Smith has because head coach Mike Macdonald wouldn't clarify. It's possible the team isn't 100% sure yet or that they're trying to hide something, but we won't know for sure in all likelihood.

Still, it seems like he'll play in Week 16. If he's able to practice all week, there's little reason to think that the Seahawks would opt to bench him. They have an 8-6 record and desperately need more wins to secure a playoff spot.

Is Tony Pollard Hurt?

Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard (ankle) has been dealing with an ankle injury, and often missed practices or logged limited sessions because of that and a foot issue. It seems like it's a nagging problem. Often, players injure multiple parts of the same limb for various reasons. The team has managed his practice workload considerably, but he's still had plenty of volume in the games.

Tony Pollard is questionable to return with an ankle injury pic.twitter.com/u7VENfWRgG

— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) December 15, 2024

Last week, he briefly exited his team's game with an ankle issue before returning and finishing the game. It seems like it's bothering him more as time goes on. We'll likely see missed practices for Pollard this week, but his status on Friday will be extremely important.

If he's able to log a limited practice that day, his chances of playing will improve considerably. In Week 15, the former Dallas Cowboy missed practice on both Wednesday and Thursday before having an LP on Friday and playing in the game. He's had plenty of DNPs and LPs due to his ankle and foot problems.

We likely won't have much clarity until Friday if he'll play, and we may have to wait for the final list of inactives, released 90 minutes before kickoff, to know for sure if he'll take the field.

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