As we head into the weekend of fantasy football championships for most leagues, the WR injury report being relatively light is somewhat of a relief. However, there are still some players on this week’s NFL injury report that will have fantasy managers concerned.
Let’s take a look at the latest injury reports from around the league for the likes of Christian Watson, Tyler Lockett, Jerry Jeudy, and Chris Olave. As we consider those injury reports, we’ll break down the fantasy implications both for season-long leagues and Underdog Fantasy Best Ball drafts.
WR Injury Report Heading Into Week 17
Christian Watson, GB | Hip (Active)
Update: Watson is active in Week 17.
It looked as though Watson might be trending toward missing Week 17 after being absent from practice Wednesday and Thursday. However, he was able to get back to practice in a limited fashion on Friday, resulting in him being listed as questionable. Watson now looks to be a game-time decision for this weekend. That suspicion that Watson will be a game-time decision in Week 17 was confirmed by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport on Sunday morning.
This is a tough situation for fantasy managers. First of all, the Packers play in the 4 p.m. ET window, which means if Watson ends up getting ruled out, options to replace him will be limited. To compound that, hip issues can be tricky and easy to aggravate if a receiver has to lay out to make a catch. That could result in him missing an extended part of the game, disappointing fantasy managers.
MORE: Week 17 PPR Fantasy Football Rankings
If you are playing in season-long leagues, Watson is going to be a tough player to judge this week. He has been so effective in the past few weeks that leaving him out seems inconceivable. However, the danger of him being ruled out 90 minutes before kick-off or aggravating his injury early in the game could be costly in the week of fantasy championships.
That said, if you’re playing in Underdog Fantasy Best Ball leagues, then Watson could be the perfect player to draft. His upside is extremely enticing, and if he gets hurt or ruled out, you can mitigate it with the rest of your roster. Additionally, the injury situation could knock down his value in drafts.
Tyler Lockett, SEA | Hand (Active)
Update: Lockett is active for Week 17.
The Seahawks had made it clear last week that Lockett could play this week. After being a non-participant to open the week, he worked his way into being limited on Thursday and then a full participant on Friday.
The only reason that Lockett is questionable is that head coach Pete Carroll and the training staff want to confirm how he feels after a full day of work. On Friday, ESPN’s reporter Brady Henderson tweeted that a source told him Lockett should play in Week 17. That was then further confirmed by Jeremy Fowler and Ian Rapoport on Saturday night and Sunday morning.
It always sounded like the Seahawks would have a good idea Saturday about Lockett’s status, so the reports from Saturday night and Sunday morning should be reliable. That should mitigate any concerns over making a decision for a player that takes the field in the late window.
It’s hard to imagine benching Lockett this week if he’s active. The matchup with the New York Jets is tough, but at least it should be DK Metcalf getting the matchup with star rookie CB Sauce Gardner this week. That makes Lockett a tempting option in season-long lineups or as a late-round Underdog Fantasy target.
Jerry Jeudy, DEN | Ankle (Active)
Update: Jeudy is active for Week 17.
There was some concern over Jerry Jeudy after he appeared to hurt his ankle early in practice on Wednesday. However, he was able to remain limited on Thursday and Friday before being tagged as questionable at the end of the week. After practice, Broncos interim head coach Jerry Rosburg said he expects Jeudy to be active.
The last time Jeudy faced the Kansas City Chiefs, he found the end zone three times. While that seems unlikely to happen again, it does emphasize how there is an opportunity for the matchup to provide value for Jeudy if he is active. That element makes Jeudy extremely tempting to start this week or take a shot on in Underdog Fantasy drafts.
Chris Olave, NO | Hamstring (Active)
Update: Olave is active for Week 17.
As he looks to return from a hamstring injury, Chris Olave was listed as questionable after being limited all week. The belief is that Olave will be able to go, and that was echoed by Rapoport on Sunday morning. The matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles is essentially league-average, so the limiting factor is whether Olave is back to full speed after his hamstring issue.
MORE: Fantasy QB Streamers and Rankings Week 17
Starting him in your fantasy lineups this week is a big risk, especially with the Saints’ offense transitioning to more of a run-based attack in recent weeks. In deeper Underdog Fantasy Best Ball leagues, he might be worth the risk, but this is one of those situations where you might be better off leaving him to someone else.