Fantasy Football Injury Reports For Week 15 (Friday Updates): Lamar Jackson, Tee Higgins, Mike White, Amari Cooper, Dameon Pierce

NFL bye weeks are finally over, but players dealing with injuries will continue to put fantasy managers in tough start-or-sit predicaments. The fantasy football playoffs are here, so it's time to pay extra attention to injury updates for Saturday, Sunday, and Monday games. Our injury updates and reports for Week 15 as of Friday, December 16th will give you the latest scoop on key guys. As always, some players have more "real" risk to miss Week 15 than others, but things change quickly, so it's important to stay up to date.

Lamar Jackson, Tee Higgins, Mike White, Amari Cooper, Dameon Pierce, and more are all in real danger of missing Week 15. We have plenty of must-starts on this week's injury list, so fantasy managers should be ready to pivot should things go south.

To keep close tabs on all of the news across the NFL, make sure to favorite or bookmark the fantasy football player news page, or download the free RotoBaller fantasy football mobile app with push notification alerts on all the latest news. Let's look at the updates for some wide receivers and see whether they may play in Week 15.

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Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley Injury Updates

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (knee) didn't practice all week and has officially been ruled out for Week 15 against the Cleveland Browns on Saturday. It will be Jackson's second straight absence due to a knee sprain suffered in Week 13. It remains to be seen if the 25-year-old dual-threat signal-caller will be able to return for a Week 16 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday.

Tyler Huntley suffered a concussion in the Week 14 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he's since cleared the league's protocols and will make his second straight start on Saturday against the Browns. Huntley will profile as a low-end QB2 in superflex leagues against Cleveland

Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd Injury Updates

Cincinnati Bengals wide receivers Tee Higgins (hamstring) and Tyler Boyd (finger) are officially questionable to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 15. Both practiced in full on Friday, but we've seen Higgins be "active" on game day and play just a few snaps on two occasions this season. That said, this is a tricky situation to navigate for fantasy managers if both or either of them is active.

If both are ruled out, Trent Taylor, Trenton Irwin, and Mitchell Wilcox could see more targets, but there's a chance those vacated targets go to Joe Mixon and/or Samaje Perine. Ja'Marr Chase is a must-start regardless, but he could be in for a monster target share in the absence of Higgins and Boyd.

Mike White and Corey Davis Injury Updates

New York Jets doctors will not clear quarterback Mike White (ribs) for contact before the Week 15 game against the Detroit Lions on Sunday, paving the way for second-year QB Zach Wilson to start. White wanted to play and has practiced this week, but team doctors are not signing off on it. The 27-year-old has thrown for over 300 yards in two of his three starts since the Jets benched Wilson, but he'll have to sit out at least this week while he recovers.

Unless Wilson absolutely goes off and looks like a new QB, it's likely the Jets will go back to White when he's cleared. Even though the matchup against Detroit's defense is nice, Wilson should be viewed as a low-end QB2 for fantasy purposes. It's worth noting Corey Davis (concussion) is out, so Elijah Moore, Denzel Mims, and Tyler Conklin are all candidates to see more targets. It remains to be seen if White will get cleared in time for next Thursday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 16.

Amari Cooper Injury Update

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said that wide receiver Amari Cooper (hip) will give it a go and play against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday in Week 15. Cooper has been battling through a hip injury, but he looked good on the practice field on Friday. The 28-year-old missed two practices this week but returned on Thursday, so he will be active this weekend. He caught just two of his seven targets for 42 yards while playing 86 percent of the offensive snaps in last week's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Cooper isn't 100 percent healthy and is still developing chemistry with quarterback Deshaun Watson heading into Watson's third game of the season, making Cooper a potential bust as a WR2 in Week 15.

Dameon Pierce Injury Update

Houston Texans rookie running back Dameon Pierce (ankle) will not play in Week 15 against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, according to league sources. Pierce wasn't able to practice all week and could be in danger of missing next week's game against the Tennessee Titans on Saturday as well. The 22-year-old leads all rookie running backs in 2022 with 939 yards and four touchdowns on 220 carries over 13 games played. He's also added 30 receptions on 39 targets for 165 yards and another score through the air.

With Pierce sidelined, veteran Rex Burkhead is expected to see most of the backfield touches, and he could be pretty busy as a pass-catcher with both Brandin Cooks (calf) and Nico Collins (foot) out for a second straight game. Dare Ogunbowale will also be asked to step up in a change-of-pace role behind Burkhead.

DJ Moore Injury Update

Carolina Panthers wide receiver DJ Moore (ankle) is officially questionable to play against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 15. Moore was a full participant in practice on Wednesday and Thursday but logged a limited session on Friday. Although Moore hasn't been a fantasy superstar this season, his availability is important for fantasy managers heading into a favorable matchup.

The Steelers have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to wide receivers this season, and Moore had one of his best games this season with Sam Darnold under center, catching four passes for 103 yards and a touchdown. If Moore can play, he's a solid flex option with WR2 upside. If he's out, Terrace Marshall and Laviska Shenault enter the fantasy radar as low-upside flex plays in traditional 12-team leagues.

Treylon Burks Injury Update

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Treylon Burks (concussion) will miss his second straight game as he remains in concussion protocol. With him out, Robert Woods, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Austin Hooper, and Chigoziem Okonkwo will operate as the top four targets for Ryan Tannehill once again.

However, the Los Angeles Chargers defense is one of the worst teams at stopping the run, so there should be a heavy dose of Derrick Henry which could mean a low-volume passing game. For now, Okonkwo and Hooper are closer to the fantasy radar than any Titans' wide receiver.

Russell Wilson Injury Update

Denver Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett said that quarterback Russell Wilson (concussion) has been ruled out for Week 15 against the Arizona Cardinals. Backup Brett Rypien will make his second start of the season in Wilson's absence. Denver is prioritizing Wilson's safety with the team already eliminated from playoff contention. The next chance Wilson will get to suit up will be in Week 16 against the Los Angeles Rams on Christmas Day.

Rypien will be making just his third career start after going 4-for-8 for 16 yards with a touchdown and interception in the fourth quarter in last week's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Cardinals are a solid matchup for QBs, but Rypien will be without receivers Courtland Sutton (hamstring) and Kendall Hinton (hamstring), making him a desperation low-end QB2 in superflex leagues.

Kenny Pickett Injury Update

The Pittsburgh Steelers are listing rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett (concussion) as doubtful for the Week 15 game against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, and the team plans to announce their starting QB on Saturday. Pickett was a "partial participant" in practice on Friday, and they'll get concussion-protocol clarity on Saturday.

Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph split first-team repetitions in practice this week with Pickett limited, and there appears to be a real sentiment among Steelers beat writers that Rudolph could get the nod under center over Trubisky after he came on in relief of Pickett last week to toss three interceptions. Rudolph hasn't played at all in 2022, but he could represent an upgrade over Trubisky at this point.

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