Friday Injury Report: Higgins a No-Go, Chase and Jefferson Questionable

Below you'll find four different categories, with our lists including key offensive linemen and defensive players whose presences/absences might impact fantasy decisions. The bottom section — truly questionable — is sorted by kickoff times and can be used as a checklist/cheatsheet for Sunday morning and afternoon when inactives come out. First, let's see who's definitely in and who's definitely out...

Good to Go 💯

• QB Kyler Murray (ACL)
• RB Kenneth Walker (hamstring)
• RB David Montgomery (ribs)
• RB Aaron Jones (hamstring)
• WR Deebo Samuel (shoulder)
• WR Drake London (groin)
• WR Christian Watson (back)
• WR DK Metcalf (hip)
• TE David Njoku (knee)

Ruled Out/Doubtful 🚑 

• QB Jaren Hall (concussion)
• RB Dameon Pierce (ankle)
• RB Emari Demercado (toe)
• RB Kendre Miller (ankle)
• WR Nico Collins (calf)
• WR Tee Higgins (ankle)
•  WR Zay Jones (knee)
• WR Treylon Burks (concussion) 
• WR DeVante Parker (concussion)
• WRs Marquise Goodwin (concussion) + David Bell (knee)
• WR Mack Hollins (ankle)
• TE Brevin Jordan (foot)
• TE Drew Ogletree (foot)
• K Ka'imi Fairbairn (quad)

There aren't many fantasy starters on this list, with Higgins and Collins being the obvious exceptions. We'll discuss the Bengals in more detail below, seeing as Ja'Marr Chase (back) is listed as questionable and could be a game-time decision. Tyler Boyd week, anyway?

Key Defensive Players + Offensive Linemen

• RT Dawand Jones (knee)
• G Daniel Brunskill (ankle) + T Nicholas Petit-Frere (shoulder) + CB Sean Murphy-Bunting (hand) 
• CB Jaire Alexander (D - shoulder) + LB Quay Walker (D - groin)
• S Minkah Fitzpatrick (hamstring) + DT Montravius Adams (ankle)
• DE Sam Hubbard (ankle)
• OT Trent Brown (personal)
• CB Dee Alford (ankle)
• G Trystan Colon (calf)
• CB Adoree' Jackson (head/neck) + T/G Evan Neal (ankle)
• OT Kolton Miller (shoulder)

Listed as Questionable - Should Play 👍

• RB Keaton Mitchell (hamstring)
•  LOGO] WR Alec Pierce (ankle)
• WR Trey Palmer (neck/illness)

Truly Questionable / Game-Time Decisions 🤔

Early Games

• WR Ja'Marr Chase (back)
• WR Josh Downs (knee)
• WRs Justin Jefferson (IR - knee) & K.J. Osborn (hamstring)
• TE T.J. Hockenson (ribs) 
• WR Robert Woods (foot)
• WR Demario Douglas (ankle)

Chase appears truly questionable and could come down to a game-time decision after limited practices Thursday and Friday. With Tee Higgins (hamstring) already ruled out, Cincinnati faces the possibility of Tyler Boyd being the de facto No. 1 WR for the first time in years. Trenton Irwin would also figure to occupy an every-down role, and we might see a season high for usage of multi-TE formations (the Bengals typically use 11 personnel around 80 percent of the time). Rookie WRs Andrei Iosivas and Charlies Jones (IR - thumb) also are candidates for significant roles in the event of a chase absence, with Jones seemingly on track to be activated from IR on Saturday.

Downs is perhaps closer to doubtful, as he didn't practice at all this week after aggravating a pre-existing knee injury and making an early exit from last week's win over Carolina. The Colts have a Week 11 bye, so it would be pretty weird to rush the rookie back again.

Minnesota is the No. 1 team to keep an eye on this weekend, with three key pass catchers listed as questionable. The good news is that a decision on Jefferson figures to be made Saturday; the Vikings probably wouldn't activate him from IR and then hold him out... though he's one of the few players important enough that it wouldn't be totally wild to use a roster spot on deception. Anyway, Osborn was a full participant Friday and may also be announced before Sunday because it all comes down to clearance from an independent neurologist. Hockenson is the more traditional situation, though I'm guessing he'll play, given that he stayed in last week's game after getting hurt and then practiced on a limited basis Wednesday through Friday this week.

Woods is on track to play after a full practice Friday, while teammate Nico Collins (calf) has been ruled out for the first time all season. Tank Dell and Dalton Schultz are better fantasy plays, but Woods and Noah Brown also have some merit.

Douglas is New England's de facto No. 1 WR, and he's more likely than not to play after logging limited practices each day this week. The Patriots are extremely thin at wide receiver, having ruled out DeVante Parker (concussion) again. Last week they used multiple TEs on nearly every snap, reviving Mike Gesicki in terms of playing time (but not targets). Gesicki is worth keeping in mind if you're desperate for a TE this week, though Hunter Henry remains the better bet to put up a decent line.

Late-Afternoon Games

• RB James Conner (knee) - 4:05 ET
• WR Michael Wilson (shoulder) - 4:05 ET
• WR Donovan Peoples-Jones (ribs) - 4:05 ET
• WR/RS KaVontae Turpin (hamstring) - 4:25 ET
• WR Curtis Samuel (toe) - 4:25 ET 
• TE Colby Parkinson (biceps) - 4:25 ET

Conner never progressed to full practice participation, but Arizona's waiving of RB Tony Jones on Thursday gives us at least one hint in the direction of JC returning. Conner isn't likely to get much help from his blockers, as the Cardinals don't have a good O-line in the first place and now have one starter ruled out and two others listed as questionable (both were unable to finish last week's games).

The rest of the guys listed here probably aren't of interest unless you're in an extremely deep league or trying to put together a terrible DFS lineup. Wilson does have Kyler Murray coming back, with the aforementioned stipulation that all of the Cardinals offense may be limited by O-line injuries.

Primetime Games

• WR Stefon Diggs (back) - MNF

Diggs is probably fine, but I'll list him here just to be safe after he was added to the injury report Friday as a limited participant. A surprise absence would mean more targets for Gabe Davis and Khalil Shakir, plus more playing time for Deonte Harty and Trent Sherfield (and backup TE Quintin Morris).

Key Defensive Players + O-Linemen

• CB Greg Newsome (groin)
• CB Marlon Humphrey (hamstring)
• C Josh Myers (knee) + G Jon Runyan (neck) + T Yosh Nijman (back)
• DL Kenny Clark (shoulder) + S Rudy Ford (calf) 
•   CB Steven Nelson (back) + S Jimmie Ward (hamstring) + LB Henry To'oTo'o (head)
• DT David Onyemata (ankle)
• CB Carlton Davis (toe) + Cb Jamel Dean (head) + DE Logan Hall (groin) + DT Calijah Kancey (quad)
• LT Trent Williams (ankle) + DT Javon Hargrave (knee)
• CB Tyson Campbell (hamstring) + S Andre Cisco (hamstring)
• G Will Hernandez (knee) + LT D.J. Humphries (ankle)
• LB Jordyn Brooks (hamstring)
• CB Marcus Peters (knee) + FB Jakob Johnson (concussion)
• CB Christian Benford (hamstring) + S Micah Hyde (neck)