What This Is:
*A no-nonsense quick-hitting analysis of fantasy-relevant player injuries that could impact performance on game day.
What This Is Not:
For any questions related to this article such as “should I drop [player A] for [player B]?” please refer to the staff’s weekly projections.
General Guidelines:
The following general rules apply for big shake-ups on the weekend:
*Players who are downgraded from full or even partial practice to “Did Not Practice” on Friday or Saturday, for any medical reason, are a long shot to play. Typically you’ll see teams say these players are a “game time decision” which is code for “they ain’t playing”.
*Players who have a concussion have up until Saturday night/Sunday morning to clear the protocol.
*If no “final update” is available, the player has either been officially ruled out or no news is good news.
Doubtful or already ruled out:
- Antonio Brown - OUT
Patrick Mahomes - Concussion/Toe
Let’s not bury the lede. He has a concussion and a toe injury, which will undoubtedly spike his volatility compared to any other week in his short career. This is of course due to the re-injury risk of the concussion and the toe. Just this year there were several players who re-injured their toe or battled through pain. Of course, there’s also the increased re-concussion rate that lingers for an entire month post-injury - particularly within the first ten days. So, in an unexpected and unprecedented situation, Mahomes is as volatile as they come this week.
And I don’t care.
The most electric and entertaining QB the league has ever seen who has shattered any record in his way with one of the best offensive minds in the league alongside the best group of pass-catchers to boot. How do you fade him? I will not be responsible for you losing money when this dude simply chugs along doing what he has been for the better part of three years now. Of course, if you’re conservative, you’ll likely take it easy on Mahomes weight this week. I don’t blame you, and clinically, I really get it. But you have to be okay if at the end of the night Mahomes did Mahomes things.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire - Ankle/Hip
CEH was limited all week after being downgraded last week. He is expected to play according to some, but it’s not a slam dunk. The primary factor in his favor is that teammate Le’Veon Bell is unlikely to go and they need depth. It’s well within the realm of possibilities that CEH is limited in touches. His floor is zero touches. He’s a high leverage play but given the nature of hip and ankle injuries, he’s moderately volatile at best even if he sees the ball.
Good luck!
