NFL Week 16 Friday Injury Report: Stroud Out Again, Collins Plans to Play

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 Geno Smith (groin)
• RB Jonathan Taylor (thumb)
• RB Isiah Pacheco (shoulder)
• RB James Cook (illness)
• RB Kareem Hunt (groin)
• RBs De'Von Achane (toe) & Raheem Mostert (knee/ankle/rest) 
• WR Chris Godwin (knee)
• WRs Zay Flowers (foot) & Odell Beckham (illness)
• WR Treylon Burks (illness)
• WR Noah Brown (knee)
• WR Darnell Mooney (illness)
• WR Jason Brownlee (ankle)
• K Matt Gay (hip)

Ruled Out/Doubtful 🚑 

• QB Kenny Pickett (ankle)
• QB Zach Wilson (concussion)
• QB C.J. Stroud (concussion)
• RB Rhamondre Stevenson (ankle)
• RB Brian Robinson (hamstring)
• WR Ja'Marr Chase (shoulder)
• WR Keenan Allen (heel)
• WR Christian Watson (D - hamstring)
• WR Marquise Brown (heel)
• WR JuJu Smith-Schuster (ankle)
• WR Kyle Phillips (hamstring)
• WR Dee Eskridge (ribs)
• TE Luke Musgrave (IR - kidney)

Pickett, Wilson and Stroud all appear in at least some danger of missing more time beyond Week 16, especially Wilson with the Jets on a short schedule ahead of Thursday Night Football in Week 17 against Cleveland.

Ezekiel Elliott figures to handle a large workload for the third straight week with Stevenson out again, and at this point you wonder if the Pats will just keep Stevenson out for Weeks 17-18 as well. Kevin Harris got a few carries last week, including a 16-yard TD, but Elliott has taken about 90 percent of the snaps and RB touches since Stevenson suffered his high-ankle sprain.

Washington's RB workload is more difficult to project, after Antonio Gibson failed to benefit in the first game of Robinson's absence, logging 45 percent of snaps. Chris Rodriguez led the team with 10 carries, while Jonathan Williams (concussion) got only two opportunities but 19 percent of snaps. Williams is out this week, leaving Derrick Gore as the No. 3 back. Maybe Gibson sees more work in Take II sans Robinson... or maybe not.

We've got some star WRs sidelined this week, with potential snap beneficiaries including Bengals WR Trenton Irwin, Chargers WRs Jalen Guyton and Alex Erickson, Packers WR Dontayvion Wicks (ankle), Cardinals WR Greg Dortch (shoulder), Patriots WR DeVante Parker and Titans WR Chris Moore. 

Packers TE Tucker Kraft will get at least one more week filling in for Musgrave as an every-down player, and it sounds like Kraft will probably have that role Week 18 as well. The Packers designated Musgrave to return from IR on Thursday, but he didn't actually practice Thursday or Friday and told reporters his kidney laceration was quite severe.

Key Defensive Players + Offensive Linemen

• S Minkah Fitzpatrick (knee)
• S Micah Hyde (neck)
• CB Deane Leonard (D - ankle)
• LT Charles Leno (calf) / C Tyler Larsen (knee)
• CB Byron Murphy (hamstring)
• CB Jerry Jacobs (hamstring) / LB Derrick Barnes (D - shoulder)
• DE Will Anderson (ankle) / LB Blake Cashman (hamstring)
• LB Anthony Walker (knee) / S Juan THornhill (calf) / Ogbonnia Okoronkwo (pec)
• LB De'Vondre Campbell (neck) / S Darnell Savage (shoulder)
• DT Jeffery Simmons (knee) / DE TK McLendon (shoulder)
• LB Jack Gibbens (back) / LB Luke Gifford (hamstring)
• S K'Von Wallace (quad) / S Amani Hooker (IR - knee) / CB Sean Murphy-Bunting (hip)
• CB Devon Witherspoon (hip) / C Evan Brown (illness)
• RT Braden Smith (knee)
• RG Robert Hunt (hamstring)
• LT Tyron Smith (D - back) / DT Johnathan Hankins (ankle)
• CB Greedy Williams (knee)
• G Teven Jenkins (concussion) 
• LB Nik Bonitto (knee)
• S Jabrill Peppers (hamstring)
• CB Darius Slay (knee) / G Landon Dickerson (thumb)

Titans Depth Chart

Listed as Questionable - Should Play 👍

• RB Kenneth Walker (shoulder)

Truly Questionable / Game-Time Decisions 🤔

Saturday Games

• RB Ty Johnson (shoulder)

Johnson took 6-to-10 touches in each of Buffalo's last four games, so an absence would boost projections for James Cook and Latavius Murray for a road matchup with the not-so-vaunted Chargers defense. You're probably starting Cook anyway given what he's done of late, whereas Murray is glued to waiver wires or benches but might nonetheless score some points this week.

Early Games

• WR Nico Collins (calf)
• WRs Jayden Reed (toe) & Dontayvion Wicks (ankle) / RB AJ Dillon (thumb)
• QB Will Levis (ankle) / TEs Chigoziem Okonkwo (illness) & Josh Whyle (knee)
• RB Zack Moss (arm) / WR Michael Pittman (shoulder)

Collins said he'll be ready to play, following limited practices Wednesday and Friday. If so, it's a big hit to Noah Brown's value, especially with Case Keenum replacing C.J. Stroud under center.

The Packers are banged up all around this week, apart from the O-line being healthy. Wicks and Dillon at least appear on track to play, whereas Christian Watson (hamstring) is listed as doubtful and Reed didn't practice at all this week. Reed might still suit up, but without any practice he looks no better than 50/50 and might have his role scaled back even if he plays.

Levis returned to practice Friday as a limited participant, apparently doing enough to be listed as questionable rather than doubtful/out. Ryan Tannehill will start if Levis isn't deemed ready.

Moss didn't practice at all this week, while Pittman cleared concussion protocol but then ended up with a questionable tag anyway due to a shoulder injury he apparently picked up during practice. I'm guessing Pittman plays and Moss doesn't. Jonathan Taylor (thumb) is back this week anyway, so Moss doesn't figure to do much even if he suits up.

Late-Afternoon Games

• QB Trevor Lawrence (concussion) / WR Zay Jones (hamstring)
• WR Tyreek Hill (ankle)
• WR Greg Dortch (shoulder)
• RB D'Onta Foreman (personal) / TE Cole Kmet (oblique)

Coach Doug Pederson said Friday that Jones isn't likely to play, whereas Lawrence is better than 50/50 to do so. That's the ideal scenario for Calvin Ridley's volume, though he'll be facing a Bucs defense that probably isn't as bad as it looks on paper given how Tampa's injury issues have cleared up quite a bit the past two weeks.

Hill managed back-to-back limited practices to close out the week, and I'm guessing he'll suit up even if he's not at his best. The Dolphins can't afford to take this game lightly with matchups against Baltimore and Buffalo on the horizon. As great as the 10-4 record looks, they could still feasibly land anywhere between first and sixth/seventh for AFC playoff seeding.

Dortch should play, and could see quite a few targets with Marquise Brown (heel) ruled out this week and seemingly uncertain to play again this season.

Foreman and Kmet are two I don't really have a feel for. Kmet was a mid-week addition but still managed limited practices Thursday and Friday. Foreman missed Thursday's practice due to a personal mater, and then returned Friday as a limited participant. I'm not sure why an off-field thing would limit his participation or threaten his game availability, unless it's some kind of dispute with the organization that's being kept under wraps. Anyway, the Chicago backfield has been a three-man affair with subpar cumulative production, and Roschon Johnson ultimately got the most snaps and touches last week. A Foreman absence would make Johnson much more attractive as a Week 16 play, though still rather risky.

Primetime/Monday Games

• TE Hunter Henry (knee) - SNF
• RB Josh Jacobs (ankle) / TE Michael Mayer (toe) - Monday at 1:00 ET
• RBs Jerick McKinnon (groin) & Clyde Edwards-Helaire (personal) - Monday at 1:00 ET
• WR Kadarius Toney (hip) - Monday at 1:00 ET
• WR DeVonta Smith (knee) - Monday at 4:30 ET
• RB Elijah Mitchell (knee) / WR Jauan Jennings (concussion) - Monday at 8:15 ET

Jacobs returned to a limited practice Friday, while Smith sat out for a second straight day. I'll try to post an update Saturday evening after the teams from the three Monday games release their final injury reports. It's unclear if McKinnon and Edwards-Helaire, in particular, are actually in danger of missing the upcoming game. Mayer definitely is, as his workload was scaled back a bit last week and he's now missed back-to-back practices. 

Key Defensive Players + O-Linemen

• OT Spencer Brown (finger) / DE A.J. Epenesa (ribs)
• OT Trey Pipkins (wrist) / DT Nick Williams (shoulder) / CB Essang Bassey (concussion)
• LT Duane Brown (back) / DE John Franklin-Myers (hip) / S Jordan Whitehead (knee)
• S Percy Butler (illness)
• DE Jonathan Bullard (ankle) / DT Harrison Phillips (back) / OT BRian O'Neill (ankle)
• LB Ivan Pace (shoulder) / IR Jordan Hicks (shoulder)
• LB Denzel Perryman (Achilles) / Maliek Collins (hip)
• G Joel Bitonio (back)
• CB Jaire Alexander (shoulder) / S Rudy Ford (back)
• C Daniel Brunskill (illness) + C Aaron Brewer (ankle)
• S Jamal Adams (knee) / OLB Frank Clark (illness)
• DT David Onyemata (ankle) / OLB Bud Dupree (back) / RT Kaleb McGary (MCL)
• S Antoine Winfield (calf) / DE William Gholston (knee)
• CB Tyson Campbell (quad) / Andre Cisco (groin)
• S Jevon Holland (knee) / CB Xavien Howard (hip) / CB Cam Smith (hamstring)
• EDGE Emmanuel Ogbah (hamstring) / RT Austin Jackson (oblique)
• G Zack Martin (thigh) / S Malik Hooker (ankle)
• CB Antonio Hamilton (calf) / LB Josh Woods (IR - abdomen)
• LT Trent Brown (hand) / OL Conor McDermott (head) / LB Jahlani Tavai (ankle)
• LT Donovan Smith (neck)
• LT Kolton Miller (shoulder) / C Andre James (ankle) / G Dylan Parham (illness)
• DT Dexter Lawrence (hamstring)
• LBs Zach Cunningham (knee) & Nicholas Morrow (abdomen)
• LT Ronnie Stanley (concussion)
• DT Javon Hargrave (hamstring) / DT Arik Armstead (foot)