Week 12 Injury Wrap: Martavis Bryant ready for close-up
Even with three games already out of the way, there’s a lot to discuss. Let’s go through our Saturday status walk-through.
• JuJu Smith-Schuster (hamstring) is out for Sunday night’s home showcase against Green Bay, which opens up Martavis Bryant as a lottery ticket. Bryant’s never been a reliable floor player, but there’s plenty of plausible upside here. Vance McDonald (ankle) is also a scratch, which slightly pushes up the Jesse James projection.
• Rishard Matthews (hamstring) didn’t practice Friday, making him a risky play against the Colts. If you wanted to talk yourself into Corey Davis or Eric Decker, you have more to work with.
• Devonta Freeman (concussion) is out for another week, which means the world will be on Tevin Coleman. Terron Ward, a solid player in his own right, figures to get about a third of the work. Julio Jones (ankle/knee) was removed from the injury report.
• Kelvin Benjamin (knee) was ruled out Saturday, after missing a full week of practice. Given how new he is to the Buffalo organization, I’d be surprised if he made a notable fantasy impact the rest of the year. Jordan Matthews (knee) and Charles Clay (knee) are both expected to play at Kansas City, though they’re listed as questionable. Mike Tolbert (hamstring) will not play.
• Matt Forte (knee) had a limited workout Friday and might play against the Panthers. I’m not going to risk a thing on him.
• Matt Moore picks up the start at New England, with Jay Cutler coming back from a concussion. Moore’s been known to lock in on Kenny Stills, for whatever that matters to you. Jarvis Landry has a strong volume history against the Pats, in part because New England isn’t concerned about death by 1,000 cuts.
[Week 12 fantasy rankings: Overall | PPR | QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | FLEX | DST]
• Dontrelle Inman (groin) had a full Friday workout after two partial days. Looks like he’ll play at Philadelphia.
• Jacoby Brissett is out of the concussion protocol and is cleared to start against Tennessee. He’s a solid QB2 for those in hybrid or Superflex formats.
• The Mike Davis backpats can stop for a moment — he’s dealing with a groin injury and is unlikely to play against San Francisco. If I had to use any Seahawks back, I’d roll the dice with J.D. McKissic. Jimmy Graham (ankle) missed two practices, but is expected to play through the questionable tag.
• Ty Montgomery (ribs) is unlikely to go Sunday night against Pittsburgh. Aaron Jones (knee) is already out, which means Jamaal Williams is the likely starter. The Steelers are 15-point favorites, so the Packers could be forced to junk the running game early.
• Will Fuller (ribs) is expected to miss another week, and looks like a reasonable cut in most leagues. Bruce Ellington has been running as a regular for three weeks.
• Martellus Bennett (hamstring/shoulder) probably won’t play against Miami. New England has plenty of depth either way. Chris Hogan (shoulder) remains week-to-week.
• The Jaguars are missing Allen Hurns (ankle) and Jalen Ramsey (hand) for their inter-conference match against Arizona. Perhaps WR Dede Westbrook will take a step forward in his second start; you’d expect Patrick Peterson to follow Marqise Lee around. John Brown (toe) is out for the Cardinals.
• George Kittle (ankle) has been practicing all week and should play against Seattle. C.J. Beathard is set to start again, much to the chagrin of the Jimmy Garoppolo public.
• Jameis Winston (shoulder) remains week-to-week. The Bucs are probably better off with a healthy Ryan Fitzpatrick over a dinged Winston.
• Although the Rams are without Robert Woods, ostensibly their best receiver this year, the Saints are missing their two starting cornerbacks, Marshon Lattimore and Ken Crawley. Advantage, Rams.
• Philadelphia PK Jake Elliott made it through the concussion protocol and is expected to play against Chicago.
