This article is part of our Injury Analysis series.
With the fantasy playoffs in full swing, this week's column will be an all-Turf Burn version, focusing on the multiple injuries that may be standing between you and fantasy glory.
Le'Veon Bell: A flu bug prevented Bell from playing in Week 14, but it appears the running back is feeling better. He was a full participant in Monday's practice and is in line to return as New York's feature back in its Thursday night matchup with the Ravens. Even if he is 100 percent, Baltimore presents a tough matchup as the Ravens defense is ranked sixth best against the run in yards per game allowed. Bell should get a healthy dose of carries with Bilal Powell (ankle/illness) and Ty Montgomery (foot/hip) less than 100 percent.
Mike Evans: The Buccaneers wideout will miss the remainder of the season after straining his hamstring in Week 14. The injury occurred on Evans' lone reception, a 61-yard touchdown grab, in the first quarter. The severity of the injury has not been made publicly available, but Tampa does not expect him to return this year barring an unforeseen improvement. It's worth noting Evans injured the same muscle group during an offseason minicamp. Previous injury is a noteworthy indicator for future injury, making Evans a risky play even if he is somehow cleared to return before the end of the season. Receivers Breshad Perriman and Justin Watson will move up the depth chart but seem unlikely to replace Evans' level of production. Perriman seems
With the fantasy playoffs in full swing, this week's column will be an all-Turf Burn version, focusing on the multiple injuries that may be standing between you and fantasy glory.
Le'Veon Bell: A flu bug prevented Bell from playing in Week 14, but it appears the running back is feeling better. He was a full participant in Monday's practice and is in line to return as New York's feature back in its Thursday night matchup with the Ravens. Even if he is 100 percent, Baltimore presents a tough matchup as the Ravens defense is ranked sixth best against the run in yards per game allowed. Bell should get a healthy dose of carries with Bilal Powell (ankle/illness) and Ty Montgomery (foot/hip) less than 100 percent.
Mike Evans: The Buccaneers wideout will miss the remainder of the season after straining his hamstring in Week 14. The injury occurred on Evans' lone reception, a 61-yard touchdown grab, in the first quarter. The severity of the injury has not been made publicly available, but Tampa does not expect him to return this year barring an unforeseen improvement. It's worth noting Evans injured the same muscle group during an offseason minicamp. Previous injury is a noteworthy indicator for future injury, making Evans a risky play even if he is somehow cleared to return before the end of the season. Receivers Breshad Perriman and Justin Watson will move up the depth chart but seem unlikely to replace Evans' level of production. Perriman seems to be the player with the most upside, as he finished Sunday's win with three catches for 70 yards and a touchdown.
Noah Fant: The Broncos are optimistic Fant will be available in Week 15 after picking up minor foot and hip injuries during his impressive Week 14 performance. The former Iowa Hawkeye finished Sunday's win over the Texans with 113 yards and a touchdown. As long as these injuries remain minor, look for Fant to take the field against the Chiefs.
Derrius Guice: Guice has shown an affinity for injury since being drafted that prevented him from becoming a reliable fantasy option. Knee issues have been at the heart of his problems and date back to his time at LSU. Last season, he missed the entire year after tearing his left ACL and an additional eight games this year with a torn meniscus in the opposite knee. The left knee is now once again a problem after he sustained a sprained medial collateral ligament (MCL) on Sunday. He already has been ruled for the team's upcoming contest with the Eagles, and it's hard to imagine Washington risking his long-term health at this point of in season. He's shown flashes of brilliance, but Guice is droppable in yearly formats and a precarious hold in keeper or dynasty leagues.
Derrick Henry: The Titans running back managed to produce another fantasy-friendly stat line despite briefly leaving the game with a hamstring problem. The issue has not been described as an outright strain but could limit Henry's availability in the practice week ahead. Henry has been too good to consider benching but he will proceed with an increased level of injury risk.
T.Y. Hilton: The Colts remain noncommittal on an exact return to play target for their Pro Bowl receiver. Instead they continue to list Hilton as week-to-week as he works his way back from a twice strained calf muscle complex. Hilton will have to see a respectable level of practice reps before he can be counted on and, even then, he will return with a significantly elevated level of risk. Calf injuries are particularly problematic for wideouts, and Hilton is likely to remain limited for the remainder of the season. Zach Pascal has begun to show signs of reliability in Hilton's absence, catching 12 passes for 183 yards and a touchdown over the past two weeks.
Lamar Jackson: The NFL MVP-candidate is nursing a bruised quadriceps muscle sustained Sunday in Buffalo. Before you completely panic, understand this likely is a situation in which the Ravens are taking a conservative approach with their franchise quarterback due to a shortened week of practice. While quad contusions can be painful and limiting, it is still likely Jackson is active against the Jets. Barring some significant setback, look for Jackson to gradually build up his level of participation as the week progresses before taking the field Thursday.
Josh Jacobs: The rookie running back did not play Sunday due to a lingering shoulder injury. The injury is being described as a fractured shoulder, meaning Jacobs is likely dealing with a broken scapula (shoulder blade). The Raiders will not rule him out for the rest of the season just yet but may start to look toward next season with their playoff odds rapidly dwindling. Keep a close eye on his level of participation in this week's practices, but it sounds like DeAndre Washington may be in line for another start in Week 15.
Daniel Jones: A high ankle sprain forced the rookie quarterback to hand back the starting quarterback duties to veteran Eli Manning for Monday's night loss to the Eagles. However, the Giants continue to maintain that Jones will return to the top spot on the depth chart once his ankle heals. Still it was initially believed Jones' injury would keep him out multiple weeks, and Manning could get another start or two before all is said and done. High ankle sprains often take longer to heal than normal lateral ankle sprains and can be more limiting upon return.
Patrick Mahomes: The X-rays performed on Mahomes' injured throwing hand did not reveal a break, and the injury is being labeled as a bruised hand. However, coach Andy Reid admitted the injury did affect Mahomes' grip on the ball and altered the team's approach on offense, which limited his throws down the field and and had him running the ball a bit more. The injury is unlikely to prevent the reigning MVP from playing, but it could prove detrimental to his final stat line. Scale back your expectations for the week ahead.
Rashaad Penny: The 23-year old Seahawks running back will miss the remainder of the season after tearing his ACL in Sunday's loss to the Rams. Unfortunately, the timing of injury makes it very likely that Penny's recovery carries over into the start of the 2020 season. While the return to play timeline for an injury of this magnitude has improved over the years, cases like Adrian Peterson's quickened recovery are exceptions and not the norm. Additionally, Penny appears to have sustained additional damage to the knee, likely prolonging his time out. Chris Carson remains the most fantasy-relevant Seattle running back with C.J. Prosise and Travis Homer expected to see an increase in responsibilities.
Calvin Ridley: The second-year receiver will not play in Atlanta's final three regular season contests after suffering an undisclosed abdominal injury. It's hard to speculate on the specifics surrounding the injury, but surgery likely is an option if the associated damage is significant. Fortunately, most of the procedures linked to the area have a high success rate, and Ridley should be fine in time for mini-camp should he need to make a trip to the operating room.
Bo Scarbrough: The Lions running back is battling sore ribs but doesn't anticipate he will miss any time. Player availability following this type of injury is often linked to pain management, and Scarbrough should be okay in time for this week's game against Tampa Bay. He may do so with additional padding, but it shouldn't affect his overall fantasy value in a meaningful way. Since joining the active roster, Scarbrough has amassed 301 rushing yards on 72 carries.
Jameis Winston: The Buccaneers do not believe a fractured thumb on his throwing hand will prevent Winston from playing in Week 15 against the Lions. However, it is plausible the injury does negatively impact his grip and alter his delivery and throwing accuracy. Not exactly an encouraging development for a quarterback who has thrown 23 interceptions on the season. With Mike Evans sidelined for the year, Winston's already volatile fantasy production will only be exacerbated by this latest setback.
