Week 18 Friday Injury Report: Waddle Trending Up, Mooney a Game-Time Call

There will be more healthy players rested this week than guys actually too injured to play, and we'll likely also see some teams err on the side of caution with players that might suit up if the games were more important. This article strictly focused on the injuries, not the players being rested by the Eagles, Chiefs, Rams, Bills, Texans (possibly) and Chargers (possibly). 

Note that the Chargers' decisions largely depend on what happens Saturday in the Pittsburgh-Cincinnati game, as a Steelers win would lock the Chargers in as the No. 6 seed with a first-round game in Baltimore (assuming the Ravens beat the Browns), whereas a Steelers loss would allow the Chargers to move up to No. 5 (and face the Texans) with a win over the Raiders this Sunday.

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 💯

• RB Josh Jacobs (wrist)
• RB Rasheen Ali (hip)
• WR Malik Nabers (toe)
• WR Ladd McConkey (toe)
• WR Ricky Pearsall (illness)
• WR Dyami Brown (hamstring)
• WR Rome Odunze (illness)
• WR Drake London (knee)
• WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling (back)
• WR Jordan Whittington (ankle)
• TE Dallas Goedert (hamstring)
• TEs Payne Durham (quad) & Devin Culp (ribs)

Ruled Out/Doubtful 🚑 

Resting

• QB Jalen Hurts, RB Saquon Barkley, WR A.J. Brown, WR DeVonta Smith
• QB Matthew Stafford, RB Kyren Williams, WR Puka Nacua, WR Cooper Kupp
• QB Patrick Mahomes, RB Kareem Hunt, TE Travis Kelce

Rams RB Blake Corum, Chiefs RB Carson Steele, Eagles RBs Will Shipley (Q - head) and Kenneth Gainwell, Bills RB Ray Davis and Texans RB Dameon Pierce are the top candidates to get extra backfield work this week due to teammates resting. Other potential contributors of note include Eagles WR Johnny Wilson, Rams WRs Jordan Whittington, Tutu Atwell and Tyler Johnson and Chiefs WR Nikko Remigio.

Injured

• QB Brock Purdy (elbow)
• QB Tua Tagovailoa (hip)
• QB Derek Carr (left hand)
• QB Anthony Richardson (back)
• RBs Jerome Ford (ankle) & Pierre Strong (head)
• RBs Alvin Kamara (D - groin) & Kendre Miller (head) 
• RB Ameer Abdullah (D - groin)
• RB Isiah Pacheco (ribs)
• RB Tyjae Spears (concussion)
• RB Justice Hill (illness)
• RB Gus Edwards (ankle)
• WR Deebo Samuel (ribs/wrist)
• WR Joshua Palmer (heel)
• WR Ja'Lynn Polk (shoulder)
• WR Tyler Boyd (foot)
• TE David Njoku (knee)
• TE Cade Otton (D - knee)
• K Nick Folk (abdomen)

Players that figure to see additional snaps due to the injuries listed above include 49ers QB Joshua Dobbs, Saints QB Spencer Rattler, Browns RB D'Onta Foreman, Ravens RBs Rasheen Ali and/or Keaton Mitchell, Saints RBs Jamaal Williams, Jordan Mims and Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Raiders RB Alexander Mattison, Titans RBs Tony Pollard and Julius Chestnut, Chargers RBs Kimani Vidal and Hassan Haskins, 49ers WRs Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing, Chargers WR DJ Chark, Titans WR Mason Kinsey, Browns TE Jordan Akins, and Bucs TEs Payne Durham and Devin Culp.

Key Defensive Players + Offensive Linemen

• CB Denzel Ward (shoulder), LB Jordan Hicks (head)
• DE Sam Hubbard (knee)
• CB Jaycee Horn (hip), LB Josey Jewell (head)
• S Amani Hooker (shoulder)
• DT Denico Autry (knee), DT Folorunso Fatukasi (ankle), RG Shaq Mason (knee)
• LB Micah McFadden (neck), RT Evan Neal (ribs), C John Michael Schmitz (ankle)
• LB Zack Baun, DT Jalen Carter, LB Nakobe Dean, CB Darius Slay, etc. (all doubtful - rest)
• RT Lane Johnson, LT Jordan Mailata, G Landon Dickerson (doubtful - rest)
• LT Walker Little (ankle)
• CB Marshon Lattimore, C Tyler Biadasz (D - ankle)
• CB Jaire Alexander (knee), S Zayne Anderson (head), S Evan Williams (quad)
• G Teven Jenkins
• CB Jamel Dean (knee), S Antoine Winfield (knee)
• C Ben Brown (head), S Jabrill Peppers (hamstring), CB Christian Gonzalez (head)
• LB Denzel Perryman (groin)
• G Spencer Burford (calf), CB Deommodore Lenoir (shoulder)
• DT Chris Jones (calf), DE George Karlaftis (rest), CB Trent McDuffie (knee)
• RT Jawaan Taylor (knee), S Justin Reid (rest), LB Nick Bolton (rest)
• RT Rob Havenstein (shoulder), LT Alaric Jackson (rest), RG Kevin Dotson (rest)
• CB Josh Jobe (knee), RT Abraham Lucas (abdomen)
• LB Anthony Walker (knee)
• CB Sauce Gardner (hamstring)
• LB Pat Jones (knee)

Listed as Questionable - Should Play 👍

• QB Drake Maye (hand) - Sunday 1:00 ET
• RB Miles Sanders (ankle) - Sunday 1:00 ET
• WR Tee Higgins (ankle) - Saturday 8:00 ET

Truly Questionable / Game-Time Decisions 🤔

Saturday

• RB Chase Brown (ankle) - Saturday 8:00 ET
• WR Michael Woods (knee) - 4:40 ET

Brown didn't practice this week, following his fourth-quarter exit from last Saturday's win over the Broncos. Khalil Herbert played all 10 snaps after Brown's departure and took four carries for 24 yards, potentially setting up Herbert for a huge workload if Brown doesn't play. Bengals coach Zac Taylor said Brown will be a game-day decision.

Early Games

• RB Tony Pollard (ankle)
• RB Austin Ekelr (IR - concussion)
• RB Will Shipley (concussion)
• WR Darnell Mooney (shoulder)
• WR Chris Olave (concussion)
• WR Christian Watson (knee)
• WR Xavier Legette (hip)
• WR Sterling Shepard (hamstring)
• TE Juwan Johnson (knee)
• TE Chig Okonkwo (abdomen)
• TE Hunter Henry (foot)

Pollard and Mooney are expected to be game-time decisions. Henry managed limited practices all week and seems likely to play, while Okonkwo's situation is less promising after a midweek addition to the injury report and a missed practice Friday. Olave, meanwhile, is technically probably healthy enough to play, but Saints beat reporter Nick Underhill expects the WR to be held out again.

Late-Afternoon Games

• WRs Tyreek Hill (wrist/illness) & Jaylen Waddle (knee)
• WR Michael Wilson (hamstring)
• TE George Kittle (ankle/hamstring)

Primetime Games

• RB Craig Reynolds (back)
• WR Kalif Raymond (foot)

Key Defensive Players + O-Linemen

• CB Cam Taylor-Britt (ankle), RT Amarius Mims (hand)
• CB Donte Jackson (back)
• RG Robert Hunt (knee), RT Taylor Moton (knee)
• LB Christian Harris (ankle)
• LB Terrel Bernard (quad)
• LB Pete Werner (head)
• LT Kolton Miller (wrist)
• CB Sean Murphy-Bunting (toe)
• OT Colton McKivitz (knee), S Ji'Ayir Brown (ankle)
• S Chamarri Conner (head)
• DT Byron Murphy (back)
• LT Terron Armstead (knee), DT Calais Campbell (neck), S Jevon Holland (wrist)
• DT Quinnen Williams (hamstring), RT Morgan Moses (knee), G Alijah Vera-Tucker (ankle)
• LB Alex Anzalone (arm)