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Hopefully, you are reading this article today knowing you have locked up a spot in the semi-finals. If your matchup is coming down to Monday Night Football, then I wish you the best of luck and hope you earn a spot in your league’s final four.
We had a reprieve for a few weeks, but the injury bug came back in a big way to start the fantasy playoffs. We had several stars suffer injuries and saw many others get dinged up. We have a lot to cover, so let’s get to work.
Make sure you follow RotoBaller on X and check out RotoBaller.com for all your fantasy football needs. Let’s dive into all the major injuries from Week 15.
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Patrick Mahomes - QB, Kansas City Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes suffered a high-ankle sprain in yesterday’s victory over the Cleveland Browns.
Patrick Mahomes limps off after getting tangled up on a failed 4th down pic.twitter.com/WnIgmsscfN
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 15, 2024
Head coach Andy Reid has stated Patrick Mahomes is day-to-day and his ankle is pretty sore, however, the team later declared Mahomes was considered week-to-week. The star quarterback was unable to finish the game following his injury. It’s unclear if this was due to the injury, or if the Chiefs were just playing it safe.
Either way, Mahomes is sure to undergo further testing later today to determine the full extent of the injury. Gamers should monitor the RotoBaller newsfeed for any news on his status. Should Mahomes miss any time, Carson Wentz would start in his place. Wentz would be a clear downgrade for all Chiefs’ skill players.
Josh Allen - QB, Buffalo Bills
Josh Allen led the Buffalo Bills to a thrilling 48-42 victory over the Detroit Lions. He had a banner game as he threw for 363 yards and two touchdowns to go along with 68 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. However, we soon learned that Allen had X-rays taken shortly after Buffalo's win.
Josh Allen went to the x-ray room just outside the Bills’ locker room after the game, but he just said he simply wanted peace of mind after taking a “funky fall.” No reason for concern after the x-rays were taken. No broken bones.
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) December 16, 2024
Fortunately, X-rays showed no broken bones, and Allen himself said he took a "funky fall" and just wanted to make sure. He should be fine for a Week 16 matchup with the New England Patriots.
Alvin Kamara - RB, New Orleans Saints
The Saints RB1 left Sunday’s contest against the Washington Commanders following a groin injury.
Saints RB Alvin Kamara is questionable to return today due to a groin injury.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 15, 2024
Alvin Kamara would never return to the game. He hadn’t done much damage on the ground before exiting but did catch four passes for 58 yards and a touchdown. This was a tough one as many gamers were counting on a big game from Kamara. He salvaged his day with a receiving touchdown, but this wasn’t exactly what managers wanted to see.
New Orleans has since announced that Kamara is considered day-to-day, but it’s not good news he couldn’t return to the game. We will have to watch the Saints’ practice reports over the next few days to get a better gauge of his Week 16 status. Second-year back Kendre Miller would function as the Saints lead rusher if Kamara is out. Miller will be one of the most popular adds off waivers this week.
Saquon Barkley - Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles RB1 Saquon Barkley left last night’s game against the Steelers late in the first half following an injury scare.
INJURY REPORT: Saquon Barkley is being checked out in the medical tent
— The Fantasy Source (@FantasySource_) December 15, 2024
Fortunately, he would return to the game in the second half. Fantasy owners were pleased to see Barkley wasn’t seriously injured. However, they were less than happy with his final stat line as Barkley had one of his worst performances of the season.
After a fantastic regular season, Barkley’s Week 15 dud surely cost many gamers a spot in the semi-finals. The star running back gets a chance to bounce back in Week 16 with a date against the Washington Commanders.
Joe Mixon - RB, Houston Texans
Joe Mixon briefly left Sunday’s victory over the Miami Dolphins with an ankle injury.
Joe Mixon -
Not seeing much here. If anything, possible at his Left ankle, but seems mild.
Gut says he’ll return based off this video.Note: his prior ankle injury was to his Right ankle. pic.twitter.com/8xejR86fHu
— Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT (@jmthrivept) December 15, 2024
Fortunately, Mixon would return to the field and finish the game. It appears the eighth-year back avoided a major injury and should be okay for Week 16. Houston does play on a short week as they face the Chiefs this Saturday, so games should still monitor the Texans’ practice reports just in case Mixon’s ankle gets worse over the week.
Kyler Murray - QB, Arizona Cardinals
Kyler Murray briefly exited last night’s victory over the New England Patriots with an injury scare.
Kyler Murray #cardinals
Gets sandwiched between two pass rushers and injured on this play. Will look out for updates on his injury pic.twitter.com/WXrrm9gdRo
— Tom Christ, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT (@FantasyInjuryT) December 15, 2024
Despite the awkward-looking hit, Murray would return to the game. We don’t know exactly what ailed Murray, but we will keep our eyes peeled for any updates. He should be fine for Week 16 but keep an eye on Arizona’s practice reports just to be sure.
Geno Smith - QB, Seattle Seahawks
Geno Smith was injured in last night's loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Geno Smith -
Not seeing a whole lot here other than a “jam” situation as his cleat sticks in the turf. Not much at the ankles.
Wonder if it’s his knee after forced max flexion with his cleat sticking.He remains on the sideline with staff for now. pic.twitter.com/dyQYLsYWnp
— Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT (@jmthrivept) December 16, 2024
He never returned to the game. The team is calling it a knee injury. The severity is currently unknown, but it's obviously not a great sign that he was unable to return to the game. Sam Howell took over at quarterback and struggled to get going. We should know more about Smith's injury later today or tomorrow.
Howell will be in line to start if Smith misses action. He did not play well last night after taking over and should be considered a downgrade for all of Seattle's skill players. Howell should only be added in two-quarterback and superflex leagues.
Zach Ertz - TE, Washington Commanders
Zach Ertz left yesterday’s game after getting injured on a play where he made a spectacular one-handed catch.
Zach Ertz hit his head on the turf after this beautiful one-handed catch. He's in the medical tent now.#RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/GLDUx42Z2R
— COMMANDERS FOOTBALL (@HogsHaven) December 15, 2024
Unfortunately for Ertz, he suffered a concussion on the play and missed the rest of the game. We will need to follow the Commanders’ practice reports this week to be sure, but Ertz will likely miss Week 16. His absence would elevate rookie Ben Sinnott into the TE1 role. Sinnott hasn’t seen the field much in his debut season and won’t be a reliable streaming option in Week 16 if Ertz is forced out of action.
Tony Pollard - RB, Tennessee Titans
The Titans lead back briefly exited yesterday’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals with an ankle injury. This was concerning to see as Pollard came into the game nursing an ankle injury, so there was some initial concern this could be serious. Fortunately for his fantasy managers, he returned to the game. Pollard should be okay for a Week 16 showdown with the Indianapolis Colts, but gamers shouldn’t be surprised if he misses some practice time this week.
A.J. Brown - WR, Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia’s WR1 was enjoying a fine game against the Pittsburgh Steelers when he suffered what appeared to be an ankle injury.
AJ Brown #eagles
Hip drop tackle leading to a left ankle injury, likely a high ankle. Hopefully he will be okay pic.twitter.com/kjtK8EvCPF
— Tom Christ, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT (@FantasyInjuryT) December 16, 2024
A.J. Brown would not return to the game. There’s no word yet on the severity of this injury, but there is some concern for a high-ankle sprain. The mechanism of injury did not look good and Brown was in noticeable pain after the play. We should get an update on his status either today or tomorrow. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best.
Should Brown miss any time, it would elevate fellow receiver DeVonta Smith into the WR1 role. He would become the clear top option in Philadelphia’s passing offense. However, the Eagles would likely lean more on Saquon Barkley and the ground game if Brown is forced out of action.
Jaleel McLaughlin - RB, Denver Broncos
Jaleel McLaughlin left last night’s game with a quad injury. His status is currently unknown, but we should be getting an update from Denver on the severity of his injury later today. McLaughlin hasn’t really been on the fantasy radar this year despite getting a lot of hype in the run-up to the season.
He looked like he had earned a larger role in the offense following a 15-touch outing in Week 13, but he disappointed yesterday even before getting injured. If McLaughlin is out for an extended period, it could mean Javonte Williams re-emerges as a viable volume-based flex play, but rookie Audric Estime will surely be involved as well.
Jaylen Waddle - WR, Miami Dolphins
Jaylen Waddle exited Sunday’s loss to the Houston Texans with a knee injury.
Jaylen Waddle went down in a lot of pain after he got his leg caught up here. He's being further evaluated. pic.twitter.com/u9Zqqmm9IN
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulliNFL) December 15, 2024
Ultimately, he couldn’t return to the game. Waddle has been a frustrating player for gamers to roster. He had finally started heating up the last few weeks but an injury struck at the worst time.
We should know more about the severity of Waddle’s most recent injury later today. Jonnu Smith and Tyreek Hill would likely see the majority of targets in the passing game if Waddle is out. Sophomore back De’Von Achane would also continue seeing a healthy amount of targets as well.
Malik Nabers - WR, New York Giants
New York’s star rookie receiver was injured in bizarre fashion when a teammate stepped on his foot.
Malik Nabers appears to get injured by an accidental kick from his own teammate pic.twitter.com/leBBeAhXIg
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 15, 2024
Luckily for the Giants and fantasy gamers, Malik Nabers was fine and would shortly re-enter the game. It was good to see as this would have been a ridiculous way for fantasy managers to lose Nabers. He had a solid outing yesterday and posted a 10-82-1 line on 14 targets.
Next week, Nabers gets a date with an Atlanta Falcons defense that allows the second-most PPR points per game to opposing wide receivers per Fantasy Football Today. Hopefully, the rookie can give fantasy managers another strong performance in Week 16.
Dalton Schultz - TE, Houston Texans
Dalton Schultz briefly left Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury. After a short visit with trainers, Houston’s TE1 would re-enter the game. This doesn’t look like anything major and Schultz should be fine for Week 16. Gamers should still monitor Houston’s practice reports just to make sure. Schultz will be on the streaming radar this week as Houston takes on a Kansas City Chiefs defense that entered Week 15 22nd in DVOA against tight ends per FTN Fantasy.
Xavier Legette - WR, Carolina Panthers
Xavier Legette injured his groin in yesterday’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys and was unable to return to the game. Head coach Dave Canales has said the team is still gathering information on Legette’s injury, and they will know more once they run additional tests.
Legette has emerged as a viable streaming candidate in recent weeks, but he let managers down in a big way this game as he only caught two passes for seven yards before his exit. We should know more about Legette’s status later today. Rookie Jalen Coker had a strong performance with Legette sidelined and might be worth an add off waivers depending on the severity of Legette’s injury.
Nick Chubb - RB, Cleveland Browns
Nick Chubb broke his foot in yesterday’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Browns HC Kevin Stefanski says RB Nick Chubb suffered a broken foot vs. Chiefs. pic.twitter.com/bJS47VQiWy
— NFL (@NFL) December 15, 2024
We are still waiting on an official timeline, but Chubb is likely looking at an extended absence. His season is most likely over. He struggled to return to form following a devastating knee injury last year and is a free agent after this season. His time in Cleveland may be coming to an end.
Jerome Ford handled the bulk of touches once Chubb exited the game. He will be in line for RB1 duties moving forward and will be a top add off waivers this week.
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