Dynasty Injury Report: Week 13
We are headed toward the fantasy playoffs. With the regular season in the rearview mirror, it’s time to evaluate the recent injuries to get prepared for our critical playoff matchups. The injury report is even more important during this time of the year because one bad decision could immediately end your playoff run.
Week 13 had some injuries on the books, but it could have been worse. There will be some situations that will need monitoring throughout the week as we prepare to set our lineups for Sunday morning. Knowing who is injured could prevent you from making a major mistake.
Let’s take a look at some of the key injuries from last week’s slate of games.
QUARTERBACK
Brandon Allen, CIN
Allen left Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins with a chest injury. The injury happened during his fifth sack of the game. After investigating the injury, the Bengals quickly announced that Allen was out for the rest of the game.
Brandon Allen shows up to Zoom. Says he's OK: "It was just my wind and I knew what it was had done it before. Trying to get words out I was fine but wasn’t able to get my breath back for a while there. Couldn’t really spit out those words."
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) December 6, 2020
During a Zoom conference that took place after the game, Allen mentioned he just had the wind knocked out of him and it took him several minutes to regain his breath. This is a good sign that tells us he’s more than likely going to be able to play this Sunday in the Bengals’ week 14 contest against the Dallas Cowboys.
Since Joe Burrow is the team’s franchise quarterback, dynasty fantasy managers should consider Allen as just a short-term asset. He’s good to use in a pinch, but he will never be a long-term option.
RUNNING BACK
Antonio Gibson, WAS
A toe injury required Gibson to exit stage left early in the Football Team’s Monday night contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers. It’s hard to tell how long he will be out of commission. If he has turf toe then he could be out for a few weeks to a month which would cause him to be out for the remainder of the fantasy playoffs. However, if it’s just a light injury then he could be back as soon as week 14 or 15.
Dynasty gamers will need to monitor his status throughout the week. He could be on the field come game day or the Redskins could be in the position where they need him to rest to get ready for a potential playoff berth.
JD McKissic will come out the bullpen to relieve Gibson of his duties. Even with Gibson on the field, McKissic still managed to own a 19 percent share of the passing targets while averaging 6.5 targets per game. He shouldn’t be on your league’s waiver wire but he’s worth a look just in case. If Gibson is out for an extended period of time, then McKissic could develop into a league-winner down the stretch.
Darrell Henderson, LAR
Henderson had to leave early with a knee injury. No reports were stating he had a torn ACL or anything severe. This injury could linger for a few weeks or he could be back on the field this week. Fantasy managers will just need to pay attention to the practice reports throughout to week to see how he is progressing.
Cam Akers, LAR
The Rams made a surprise announcement when they released their injury report on Monday. On the report, they stated Akers was dealing with a shoulder injury. We have no clue how extensive the injury is and how it will impact Akers’ status for week 14.
Akers carried the load for the Rams, totting the rock 21 times for 72 yards and one touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals last Sunday. After flashing his talent off and on all season, this was considered his breakout game. He is rolling through the back end of the season with a lot of momentum. Dynasty managers will see a tremendous rise in his value if he can finish the year strong.
Joshua Kelley, LAC
Kelley endured an ankle injury that caused him to leave the game and not return. We will need to monitor the practice reports throughout the week to get a better understanding of how long he is going to be out of the lineup.
Things have not gone according to plan for the rookie running back. With just 346 yards and two touchdowns on the season, Kelley has been a very underwhelming asset in fantasy. Everything came to full circle when he was regulated to the bench by Kalen Ballage a few weeks ago.
WIDE RECEIVER
Brandin Cooks, HOU
Cooks avoided a possible career-ending injury when he had to be evaluated for a concussion. The good news was that he was cleared to return to the field. He finished the game with five catches for 65 yards.
Even though the worst didn’t happen. It was a reminder that one hard hit to the head could be the final blow to Cooks’ NFL career. He has endured a lot of head trauma throughout his career. Dynasty managers need to be cognizant of his situation since there’s a high risk of him not being able to play ever again if he gets another concussion.
TIGHT END
There were no significant injuries at the tight end spot this week. Just note that Mark Andrews should be back on the field sooner than later. He has been on the Covid-IR list for the last two weeks. He last appeared in week 11 against the Titans when he caught five balls for 96 yards and one touchdown.
George Kittle is still rehabbing his a broken foot that he suffered in week eight. He’s not quite ready to return but he’s due to return soon.
