Dynasty Injury Report: Week 16

Bruce Matson Posted On December 30, 2020

The fantasy football season is over for the majority of leagues, but there are still some fantasy footballers who still participate in week 17 championship games. About half the league’s teams are eliminated from the playoff race with nothing to prove, making it easier for those teams to rest some of their veterans and injured players.

Dynasty fantasy football is a labor of love that lasts 365 days a year. Even if the season is over, we still need to be informed of player news and injuries. Some of these injuries will linger into the off-season. Other injuries that are not as serious will allow the player to participate in all the off-season activities. By knowing the timetables and the extent of the injuries, dynasty managers can be more informed to make decisions for their team.

As we head into the final slate of games of the regular season, let’s take a look at some of the more notable injuries from last week.

QUARTERBACK

Matthew Stafford, DET

Stafford had to exit the game on Saturday with a sprained ankle. The ankle injury isn’t deemed serious and he is wanting to play in his week 17 contests against the Minnesota Vikings. Whether he plays in this game is a different story.

The fact that Stafford is willing to play through injuries is a good sign that this isn’t a long-term issue. It also provides the notion that he still has the competitive fire in him even though he’s playing on a 5-10 Lions team. His dynasty value won’t change due to the injury. His age could be a factor, but his 2021 production will not be impacted by the injuries sustained from this season.

Deshaun Watson, HOU

Watson hurt his arm late in Sunday’s game against the Bengals. The injury isn’t deemed severe and there’s a very good chance that he will play this week. Dynasty managers will need to monitor the practice report throughout the week just in case he isn’t available.

Jared Goff, LAR

Goff broke his thumb and underwent surgery to have it repaired. He won’t be on the field for week 17 and will hopefully be back for the playoffs. John Wolford will be the team’s starting quarterback to finish the regular season. The Rams signed Blake Bortles off the Broncos’ practice squad as an insurance policy.

The injury will not impact his dynasty stock. Goff should be back for the playoffs and will most certainly be available at the start of the 2021 season. According to DLF’s ADP, he’s being selected as the 15th quarterback off the board in startup drafts. It will take a devasting injury for him to fall much further down the ranks.

The passing game for the Rams will be an unknown commodity. With Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson on the shelf with injuries, the team will need to rely on the pass to keep the chains moving. We could see an ugly passing attack on game day.

RUNNING BACK

Chase Edmonds, ARI

Edmonds is considered day-to-day with a hip injury. With it being the end of season, don’t be surprised if he’s not on the field come game day. Fantasy managers will need to watch the injury report for their week 17 championship games. Since the injury is a short-term issue, he should be ready to play for next season.

Darrell Henderson, LAR

After logging 12 carries for 62 yards, Henderson had to exit the game in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury. Reports are stating that he suffered a high ankle sprain which will cause him to be placed on injured reserve. He will be out for the remainder of the season, leaving the Rams to deploy Malcolm Brown and company for the final game of the season.

He should be fully healed by the start of the season. The injury will not affect his dynasty stock. Cam Akers is expected to be the key player out of the backfield. Henderson was valued as a promising ancillary piece to the offense.

Frank Gore, NYJ

The ageless Frank Gore is out for the season after a lung contusion he suffered during Sunday’s game. Hopefully, this isn’t his last rodeo. With him being 37 years old, the days of Gore lacing up his cleats are slowly dwindling. His retirement is already baked into his price point. Maybe we can get lucky and he will be back for at least one more season. There’s a good chance that his career might be over.

WIDE RECEIVER

KJ Hamler, DEN

Hamler had to exit the game after suffering a concussion in the Broncos’ week 16 contest against the Chargers. He will enter the league’s concussion protocol. The Broncos are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. There is no incentive to force Hamler on the field. With that being said, there’s a good chance they allow him the extra time to heal from the injury.

Sammy Watkins, KC

Watkins suffered a calf injury in the Chiefs’ win over the Falcons. Kansas City will rest the majority of their starters this week and Watkins is expected to return for the divisional round of the playoffs. This is a short-term injury, and it will not affect his dynasty value.

TIGHT END

Evan Engram, NYG

Week 17 is up in the air for Engram. He’s currently dealing with an ankle injury that could prevent him from playing against the Dallas Cowboys. Dynasty managers will need to monitor his status just in case he’s not able to play. This injury is not a threat to his long-term player value.

Dallas Goedert, PHI

Goedert had to exit last week’s game against the Cowboys with a calf injury. It’s uncertain if he will be available for the final game of the season. The Eagles are mathematically eliminated and there’s no rush to get him back on the field. The safe thing to do would be to let him take some extra time to recover from the injury to prevent any setbacks.

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Bruce Matson

Contributor at Dynasty League Football

I'm a financial counselor for a hospital in South Central Ohio. I graduated from Muskingum University with a bachelor's in business while minoring in Economics and Accounting. I won my first fantasy football title with Jake Plummer as my quarterback.