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As the fantasy football playoffs begin, injuries continue to wreak havoc all over the place sparing no one from chaos. Most leagues still allow transactions during the playoffs so the waiver wire will play a major factor in deciding championships. Hopefully you have accumulated depth at all positions because you are going to need it after this tumultuous Week 14. So without further ado, here is the next edition of the fantasy football walking wounded.
Todd Gurley (RB – STL)
Gurley suffered a knee injury late in the game against Detroit but as of now the Rams are saying the injury is not serious. However, St. Louis plays in the Thursday night game this week so his status is questionable at best right now. You will need to monitor his status early in the week and hope he makes it back onto the field.
Andy Dalton (QB – CIN)
The injury bug finally bit Andy Dalton who has never missed a start in his career. He sustained a broken right thumb which will likely end his season. Even if he was able to return during the NFL playoffs, his fantasy season is over which will have a significant impact on leagues’ playoffs. The Bengals’ backup is A.J. McCarron so this spells doom for A.J. Green while increasing Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard’s statuses.
Tyler Eifert (TE – CIN)
Eifert returned this week after suffering a stinger a couple weeks ago but left early over concerns of a concussion. This is not good news, especially being compounded with the loss of Andy Dalton. Eifert has been one of the best fantasy tight ends all year so another head injury could cause him to miss additional time in Week 15.
Jarvis Landry (WR – MIA)
Landry is probable for Monday night’s game against the Giants and he should be in for a big day against the Giants’ suspect secondary. He has not performed as expected on the whole this year, but in certain spots he has been dynamic and Monday should be one of those instances.
Thomas Rawls (RB – SEA)
The dire running back situation got even more catastrophic as Thomas Rawls sustained a fractured ankle and will miss the remainder of the season. He had been filling in admirably for Marshawn Lynch who is out for another couple weeks, but now the Seahawks will climb further down the depth chart and ride Fred Jackson and DuJuan Harris until Week 16.
Carlos Hyde (RB – SF)
In news that comes to the surprise of no one, the 49ers have officially shut Hyde down for the season, placing him on injured reserve. He has not played in several weeks with a foot injury so this was expected, especially with San Francisco’s season being completely lost anyway.
C.J. Anderson (RB – DEN)
The frustrating roller coaster ride that has been C.J. Anderson’s season took another turn on Sunday as he was active but did not play. Anderson broke out a couple weeks ago but an ankle injury has derailed his bounce back over the last couple weeks. Denver will need him to be a big part of the offense next week so look for him to see game action against the Steelers in Week 15.
LeGarrette Blount (RB – NE)
Blount left Sunday night’s game with a hip injury after running effectively for 53 yards on 10 carries. The extent of the injury is not known yet, but don’t expect too many details as the Patriots are notorious for being vague in their reports.
Michael A. Stein, Esq. is the Chief Justice of Fantasy Judgment, the industry's premier dispute resolution service, and is also the co-host of the Fantasy Alarm podcast. You can contact him at michael.stein@fantasyjudgment.com or on Facebook and Twitter (@FantasyJudgment).
Player News
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said the team does not “have any feelings on competition” when asked about the quarterback room.
O’Connell was asked about a potential quarterback competition on the Rich Eisen Show Wednesday and was unclear on whether J.J. McCarthy would have to compete to start. He said, “we’ve got an obligation as coaches to put our players in position to attack that competition phase.” O’Connell discussed first putting Brett Rypien and the newly acquired Sam Howell in a position to play before any competition would occur. He continued that McCarthy is “owning it” this offseason and is taking snaps from starting center Ryan Kelly. After missing last season with a torn meniscus, McCarthy has been ramping up workouts in the offseason and is the front-runner to start for the Vikings in 2025. As of now, Howell looks to be reinforcement at the backup spot in case it turns out McCarthy is not ready to start.
Texans re-signed DT Foley Fatukasi.
Fatukasi initially joined the Texans last offseason on a one-year contract. The 30-year-old was a rotational defensive lineman, tallying four tackles for loss and one sack. He returns to Houston for 2025, where he will be a part of a deep Texans front seven.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports Tyreek Hill’s second wrist surgery was part of the original plan and his timeline remains unchanged.
Hill announced the second surgery on social media and Pelissero quickly added some context to the situation. The speedy receiver suffered the wrist injury just before the start of the season and it lingered throughout the year, though he never missed a game because of it. If the second surgery truly is a non-story, an offseason to recover might be what Hill needs to return to form after a down 2024 season. On the other hand, Hill is 31 years old, played his worst football last year, and his offense prioritized targets for Jonnu Smith and De’Von Achane. As it stands, Hill might have the highest risk-reward split in fantasy drafts.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports there are “multiple people in the league who believe the new regime is not so high on Travis Etienne.”
Fowler also noted Tank Bigsby’s fumbling issue but didn’t directly relate that to the feelings of the new brain trust in Jacksonville. The Jags clearly felt they were lacking at running back this offseason and addressed that opening via the draft with Bhayshul Tuten in the fourth round and LeQuint Allen in the seventh. The pair of additions complicate an already-messy backfield by committee. Etienne is entering the final year of his rookie deal and is a long-shot to be brought back in 2026. The Jags could opt to move on early by trading him, clearing $6.1 million in cap space in the process. If the team does trade Etienne, Tuten would likely be the team’s top back in the long run, making him a high-upside bet in early fantasy drafts.
Broncos signed third-round pick WR Pat Bryant to a four-year contract.
The deal includes $1.4 million guaranteed and is worth $6.6 million in total. Sean Payton compared aspects of Bryant’s game to those of Michael Thomas in his post-draft press conference and there are at least a few similarities in their profiles. Bryant stands at 6'2/204 and ran a 4.61-second Forty at the combine. Thomas measured in at 6'3/212 and clocked a 4.57-second Forty. Though the two have similar physical characteristics, Thomas was known for his proficiency from the slot while Bryant primarily played on the outside as a field-stretcher at Illinois. Bryant’s transition to slot duties may take some time, but third-round draft capital makes him worth a shot in dynasty leagues.
Colts EDGE Samson Ebukam (Achilles) said he is expected to be cleared for training camp.
Ebukam suffered a torn Achilles in training camp last year and did not play in the 2024 season. He broke out in 2023 with a career-high 9.5 sacks in his first season with the Colts. He now has one year left on his deal and will be looking for a rebound season as he stares down free agency in 2026