Week 16 delivered another brutal blow of injuries as fantasy managers jostled for the championship round. Injuries to Lamar Jackson, Jordan Love, Quinshon Judkins, George Kittle, and many others will make strategizing for the championship round difficult. How long will they miss? Can you trust them if they play? Below, in our Week 16 NFL injury recap, we break down the fantasy implications of all these injuries and more.

Quarterbacks

Josh Allen

Injury: Right foot sprain

Analysis: Allen gave Bills fans and fantasy managers a scare at the end of the first half as he fell to the ground after stepping awkwardly on his right foot. Allen underwent X-rays, which ended up being negative, and returned to play well. With fracture safely ruled out, Allen is likely dealing with a mild mid-foot sprain. A mild foot sprain can be managed well with treatment throughout the week and a sturdy tape job, and is unlikely to be a major factor in week 17. Allen should remain an elite QB1.

Lamar Jackson

Injury: Back injury

Analysis: Jackson took a nasty knee to his back and is dealing with a "severe bruise" but is day-to-day. Assuming this is truly just a bruise, Jackson will have a legit shot to play on Saturday. A bruise in the back will make it difficult to rotate the torso to throw and change directions, but only while the bruising is present. Six days can be enough to allow the bruising to subside somewhat, though it likely won't be fully gone, and he will probably still be dealing with a good bit of pain by next weekend, but should be in much better shape than he currently is. Practice reports throughout the week will be critical. If Jackson does play next week, it's entirely possible he is still limited in his throwing power and rushing upside, and fantasy managers may need to look elsewhere.

Jordan Love

Injury: Concussion

Analysis: Love has a concussion and will need to clear the NFL's protocol before returning.

Gardner Minshew

Injury: Tibial plateau fracture

Analysis: Mishew was initially feared to have an ACL tear, but imaging shows an intact ACL; he is dealing with a tibial plateau fracture. This is a fracture to the top of the tibia, the part that the femur sits on. He will undergo a period of non-weight-bearing to allow the fracture to heal, followed by an offseason of rehabilitation, but will be ready to return next season with no performance impact.

Marcus Mariota

Injury: Right hand and quad injury

Analysis: Mariota is dealing with a pair of injuries, each of which makes it unlikely he plays in two days. A right-hand injury obviously makes it difficult to grip and throw the ball, and a quad injury makes mobility difficult. With the Commanders playing on Thursday and having nothing meaningful to play for, it's unlikely Mariota plays. Most fantasy managers are not starting Mariota, but this is an obvious downgrade for McLaurin, Samuel, and others.

JJ McCarthy

Injury: Right hand injury

Analysis: McCarthy injured his throwing hand. The view from the sideline, when McCarthy was being evaluated, sure looked like it was a severe injury. Apparently, X-rays were negative for fracture, however he underwent an MRI on Monday which did in fact show a hairline fracture. Sometimes X-ray imaging is not sensitive enough to detect small fractures, in this case it didn’t. I’d expect McCarthy to miss the last two games of the season but have the majority of the offseason to fully train.

Running Backs

TreVeyon Henderson

Injury: Concussion

Analysis: Henderson suffered a concussion and will have to pass through the NFL's protocol.

Aaron Jones

Injury: Ankle injury

Analysis: Jones tweaked his ankle on Sunday but returned and ran well. This does not mean fantasy managers can ignore his practice status this week. Oftentimes, ankle sprains get worse the day after injury, and Jones was estimated as limited in practice on Monday. Ball carriers average an 8% dip in fantasy points after an ankle injury.

Jordan Mason

Injury: Ankle injury

Analysis: As of this writing we still don't have official word on Mason's ankle injury but it was severe enough to warrant being carted to the locker room. He was estimated as a non-participant on Monday, and it is unlikely that he will play Thursday night. Fantasy managers will need to make other plans.

Quinshon Judkins

Injury: Ankle dislocation / fibula fracture

Analysis: Judkins suffered a scary looking fibula fracture and ankle dislocation, but fortunately did not result in any knee damage. His injury is similar to fellow rookie Cam Skattebo, with Skattebo's being worse due to the wound being open and exposed to the elements.

Judkins' injury is also similar to Chris Godwin's injury last season, which took Godwin the better part of 48 weeks to return to action from. While he should make a full recovery, this injury is nothing to sneeze at as it has a long recovery with several physical hurdles to get through.

Most protocols call for a period of non-weight-bearing for 4-6 weeks, which can lead to rapid strength loss. Physical therapy interventions will help mitigate strength loss in the thigh and hip, but the lower leg will get weaker. He will be held out of any form of running or agility drills for at least 12 weeks, but often times 16 weeks, and full return to sport is a 9-12 month process, not the 4-5 months that is suggested in the reporting.

The major factor in Judkins favor is his age (22). I cannot emphasize enough how critical being in his early 20's is for healing and regaining full range of motion. The major downside is how late in the season his injury occurred, reducing the time until the start of next season. Judkins can make a full recovery, but it will take time for him to regain the same burst he displayed this season. I would not expect him to play in week one, and will likely make his debut mid-season with a full return to high-level production in 2027.

Kimani Vidal

Injury: Neck strain

Analysis: Vidal's head shook around after running into his own lineman this week. He underwent an MRI, which reportedly showed a neck strain secondary to a whiplash injury. This is as good news as neck injuries can present with, and there should not be any long-term effects; these can take a few weeks to get over. Vidal may end up missing week 17, opening the door for an Omarion Hampton takeover.

Wide Receivers

Amon-Ra St. Brown

Injury: Knee injury

Analysis: The Sun God was estimated as missing practice Monday due to a knee injury, after logging a season high 97% of snaps. This was most likely a veteran rest day due to soreness and should not be a major concern for week 17. With the Lions in must-win territory, there's no way St. Brown sits on Thursday.

Jordan Addison

Injury: Left knee injury

Analysis: Addison briefly left Sunday's game with a knee injury but returned and finished the game. Addison was not listed on Minnesota's Monday projected injury report and should be fine going forward.

Tyler Lockett

Injury: Wrist injury

Analysis: Lockett injured his wrist on Sunday. Severity is not known at this time, but Lockett will need to regain strength and stability to play next week.

Romeo Doubs

Injury: Wrist injury

Analysis: Doubs injured his wrist fielding an onside kick in the fourth quarter. Doubs will need to regain his full wrist mobility and strength to play next week. Fantasy managers will monitor practice status throughout the week.

Demario Douglass

Injury: Hamstring strain

Analysis: Douglass suffered a hamstring strain Sunday night. Hamstrings affect receivers more than any other position group, and receivers average missing 1.9 games and see a 16% dip in fantasy production. Douglass has not been reliable for fantasy this season, and this injury does not help.

Calvin Austin

Injury: Hamstring strain

Analysis: The Steelers speedster injured his hamstring on Sunday. A player like Austin, who relies on speed, will be more impacted than any other position and skill set. Receivers average a 16% dip in fantasy points, a deep threat like Austin projects to be even more affected upon return from injury.

Kayshon Boutte

Injury: Concussion

Analysis: Boutte suffered a concussion and will have to pass through the NFL's protocol.

Ryan Flournoy

Injury: Knee sprain

Analysis: Flournoy sprained his knee Sunday after taking a whopping hit by Denzel Perryman. It is not believed to be a major injury, but it could hold him out for the remaining two games. The second-year receiver has begun to emerge this season, and while he will probably begin his offseason rehabbing this knee injury, it should not linger too long, and he should have a full offseason to train and build off his 2025 campaign.

Tight Ends

George Kittle

Injury: Ankle injury

Analysis: Kittle injured his left ankle in the third quarter on a hip drop tackle. Kittle explicitly states it is not a high ankle sprain, and video review supports this. We can see his left ankle trapped in an inversion mechanism, which stresses the lateral ankle. He is likely dealing with a low ankle sprain, in which tight ends average missing 1.5 games but see no decline in fantasy points after. If Kittle can play next week, he should be reliable.

TJ Hockenson

Injury: Shoulder injury

Analysis: Hockenson apparently injured his shoulder on Sunday as he was listed as a DNP on Monday's estimated injury report. Hockenson still logged 75% of snaps on Sunday, and it is unclear exactly when his injury occurred. Monitoring Tuesday and Wednesday practices reports will be critical, but fantasy managers should know that tight ends average an 18% dip in fantasy points after shoulder injuries.

John Fitzpatrick

Injury: Achilles tear

Analysis: Fitzpatrick tore his achilles on Saturday, and his season is over. Achilles tears have a 9-12 month return to sport timeline.