Fantasy Football Injury Reports For Conference Championships (Friday Updates): Patrick Mahomes, Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey, A.J. Brown, Hayden Hurst

There are only four teams remaining in contention for Super Bowl 57, but there are still some key players dealing with injuries that could affect DFS contests and postseason leagues. Some guys on this week's injury report have been dealing with bumps and bruises all season long, but there are a few new players in this week's fantasy football injury updates as of January 27th for the Conference Championship games.

Patrick Mahomes, Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey, A.J. Brown, Hayden Hurst, and more are at risk of missing or being limited in their conference championship games. We have some must-starts on this week's injury list, so fantasy managers should be ready to pivot should things go south.

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Patrick Mahomes Injury Update

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (ankle) took part in a full practice on Thursday for the second straight day and head coach Andy Reid confirmed he will start Sunday against the Bengals in the AFC Championship game.

Mahomes has apparently made great progressed since suffering a high-ankle sprain against the Jacksonville Jaguars last week. There's a risk Mahomes's mobility is limited so his DFS upside could be, too, but it's rarely been a good idea to bet against the former MVP and Super Bowl champion.

Deebo Samuel Injury Update

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel (ankle) was listed as limited in Thursday's practice for the second straight day this week. Samuel missed three games towards the end of the regular season with ankle and knee injuries, so this is something to keep an eye on, but it would be a surprise if Samuel wasn't active this Sunday for the NFC Championship game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The 27-year-old had over 100 receiving yards and a touchdown in the wild-card round, but he disappointed with four receptions for 45 yards in last week's win over the Dallas Cowboys. Samuel should be heavily involved in San Fran's offense again this weekend, but he'll be going up against a stingy Eagles defense.

Christian McCaffrey Injury Update

When asked about the chances that San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (calf) doesn't play in the NFC Championship game on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles, he said "zero." McCaffrey has been held out of both practices so far this week after picking up a bruised right calf in last week's playoff win over the Dallas Cowboys. The Niners called the 26-year-old day-to-day earlier in the week, and they likely held him out as a precaution on Wednesday and Thursday.

As long as CMC gets in some work on Friday, he should be ready to roll and should be a big part of the offensive game plan despite being out-carried by backup Elijah Mitchell in the Divisional Round. McCaffrey did very little last Sunday, but he saved his fantasy day by finding the end zone.

A.J. Brown Injury Update

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (hip) was removed from the team's injury report on Wednesday after tweaking his left hip in the blowout win over the division-rival New York Giants in the Divisional Round. The Eagles didn't need Brown much in their 38-7 victory, and he disappointed his fantasy managers with only three receptions and 22 receiving yards. He should be full-speed ahead for the NFC Championship game against the San Francisco 49ers this Sunday.

While the Niners D is one of the best in the league, they were very generous to opposing wideouts in fantasy in 2022, and Brown finished the regular season as the WR5 in half-point PPR scoring. A big bounce-back game could be in the cards this weekend.

Hayden Hurst Injury Update

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Hayden Hurst (calf) said that he will play in the AFC Championship contest against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. Hurst was added to the injury report on Thursday and was officially limited in practice after being a full-go on Wednesday. It's an injury that slowed the 29-year-old down at the end of the regular season, so it bears watching heading into this weekend's big game.

In the Divisional Round win over the Buffalo Bills, Hurst contributed five catches on six targets for 59 yards and a touchdown, his third TD on the year and first since Week 5. The Bengals offense is humming right now, but Hurst will be more of a sleeper DFS selection this weekend behind the likes of Travis Kelce, Dallas Goedert and George Kittle if he plays.

Elijah Mitchell Injury Update

San Francisco 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell (groin) is listed as questionable to play against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday in the NFC Championship game. Mitchell took part in Friday's walkthrough practice after missing practice on Wednesday and Thursday, but there's a chance he could be out or limited this weekend.

We'd be surprised if the 24-year-old didn't play, but he could be less effective in an already tough matchup on limited touches behind lead back Christian McCaffrey. In the team's two postseason game, Mitchell has 23 carries for 53 yards and no touchdowns while adding two catches for 25 yards. He'll be a touchdown-dependent, low-cost DFS sleeper against Philly. If Mitchell is out, rookie Jordan Mason would likely operate as CMC's backup.

Mecole Hardman Injury Update

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman (pelvis) is listed as questionable to play on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship tilt. Hardman was limited all week while trying to work his way back from an extended absence.

Hardman scored touchdowns in each of his last three games, but he last saw the field in Week 9. Given the long layoff, he'll be untrustworthy for fantasy lineups if he's active this weekend. The 24-year-old has plenty of speed to spare, but the Chiefs just have too many mouths to feed on offense as things currently stand.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire Injury Update

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said "there's a chance" running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (ankle) could come off Injured Reserve ahead of Sunday's game against the Bengals. The 23-year-old has been sidelined since Week 11 due to a high-ankle sprain.

He rushed for 302 yards and three touchdowns while catching 17 passes for 151 yards and three scores across 10 games in 2022. The former first-round pick would provide running back depth behind Jerick McKinnon and rookie Isiah Pacheco. Edwards-Helaire is the Chiefs RB3 and is off the fantasy radar for this weekend's main DFS slate if he's active.

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