This article is part of our Injury Analysis series.
This isn't the worst week for game-time decisions, but it is Week 18, which means some teams will rest starters and others will pull them early to prepare for the playoffs. Even non-playoff teams sometimes approach the finale different, giving more snaps to young players or testing out a young QB, e.g., Washington's Sam Howell.
The bottom section her — truly questionable — can be used as a checklist/cheatsheet for Saturday and Sunday when inactives come out. First, let's see who's definitely in and who's definitely out...
Good to Go 💯
RB Miles Sanders (knee)
RB Christian McCaffrey (knee/ankle)
RB Aaron Jones (ankle) + WR Christian Watson (hip)
RBs Kenneth Walker (ankle) & DeeJay Dallas (ankle)
WR DeVante Parker (concussion)
WR Jerry Jeudy (ankle)
WR Deebo Samuel (knee)
Ruled Out/Doubtful 🚑
QB Lamar Jackson (knee)
QB Justin Fields (hip)
QB Colt McCoy (concussion)
RB James Conner (shin)
RBs Brian Robinson (knee) & Antonio Gibson (knee)
RB Travis Homer (ankle)
WRs DeAndre Hopkins (knee) & Robbie Anderson (back)
WR Kendall Hinton (hamstring)
WR Ben Skowronek (calf)
WR Skyy Moore (hand)
WR Phillip Dorsett (hamstring)
TE Kylen Granson (ankle)
Jamin Davis is also questionable. Antonio Gibson will not play - he was moved to IR earlier this week. Washington's RBs: Jonathan Williams, Jaret Patterson
— Ethan Cadeaux (@Ethan_Cadeaux) January 6, 2023
Friday's injury report for Cardinals-49ers.
Lots of guys out. pic.twitter.com/nJhIDvOLCz
— Josh Weinfuss (@joshweinfuss) January 6, 2023
Key Defensive Players + Offensive Linemen
OT Jack Conklin
This isn't the worst week for game-time decisions, but it is Week 18, which means some teams will rest starters and others will pull them early to prepare for the playoffs. Even non-playoff teams sometimes approach the finale different, giving more snaps to young players or testing out a young QB, e.g., Washington's Sam Howell.
The bottom section her — truly questionable — can be used as a checklist/cheatsheet for Saturday and Sunday when inactives come out. First, let's see who's definitely in and who's definitely out...
Good to Go 💯
RB Miles Sanders (knee)
RB Christian McCaffrey (knee/ankle)
RB Aaron Jones (ankle) + WR Christian Watson (hip)
RBs Kenneth Walker (ankle) & DeeJay Dallas (ankle)
WR DeVante Parker (concussion)
WR Jerry Jeudy (ankle)
WR Deebo Samuel (knee)
Ruled Out/Doubtful 🚑
QB Lamar Jackson (knee)
QB Justin Fields (hip)
QB Colt McCoy (concussion)
RB James Conner (shin)
RBs Brian Robinson (knee) & Antonio Gibson (knee)
RB Travis Homer (ankle)
WRs DeAndre Hopkins (knee) & Robbie Anderson (back)
WR Kendall Hinton (hamstring)
WR Ben Skowronek (calf)
WR Skyy Moore (hand)
WR Phillip Dorsett (hamstring)
TE Kylen Granson (ankle)
Jamin Davis is also questionable. Antonio Gibson will not play - he was moved to IR earlier this week. Washington's RBs: Jonathan Williams, Jaret Patterson
— Ethan Cadeaux (@Ethan_Cadeaux) January 6, 2023
Friday's injury report for Cardinals-49ers.
Lots of guys out. pic.twitter.com/nJhIDvOLCz
— Josh Weinfuss (@joshweinfuss) January 6, 2023
Key Defensive Players + Offensive Linemen
OT Jack Conklin (ankle)
OTs Duane Brown (shoulder) & George Fant (knee)
DT Vita Vea (calf) + CB Carlton Davis (shoulder) + S Logan Ryan (knee) + OT Donovan Smith (foot)
CBs Marco Wilson (neck) & Antonio Hamilton + LB Zaven Collins (calf) +
LB Dre Greenlaw (back)
LB Leighton Vander Esch (neck) + C Tyler Biadasz (ankle)
DT Aaron Donald (ankle) + S Nick Scott (shoulder)
DL Leonard Williams (neck) + CB Adoree' Jackson (knee) + OLB Azeez Ojulari (ankle)
CB Avonte Maddox (toe) + OT Lane Johnson (groin) + DE Josh Swet (neck)
Listed as Questionable - Should Play 👍
QB Tyler Huntley (shoulder)
WR Tyler Lockett (shin)
WR Jakobi Meyers (shoulder)
RB Elijah Mitchell (IR/R - knee)
TE Irv Smith (IR/R - ankle)
We talked to Tyler Lockett after practice today. Said he got hit in his right leg where the plate is from his 2016 surgery, so he said it hurt bad in the moment. But he said it shouldn't impact him for Sunday's game saying "I should be good to go.''
— Bob Condotta (@bcondotta) January 6, 2023
Truly Questionable 🤔
Saturday Games
WR Mecole Hardman (pelvis) + K Harrison Butker (back)
RB Josh Jacobs (hip)
WR Treylon Burks (groin)
Key fantasy players in contract years on non-playoff teams, i.e., might not play much if at all Week 18
David Montgomery
Josh Jacobs (Q)
Kareem Hunt
D'Onta Foreman (Q)Other starters: Parris Campbell, Mack Hollins, Olamide Zaccheaus, Chris Moore
— JerryWishesYouWould (@JerryDonabedian) January 7, 2023
Early Games (1 ET)
QB Teddy Bridgewater (finger/knee) - not starting
RB D'Onta Foreman (knee)
WR DeSean Jackson (illness)
WR Julio Jones (knee)
TE Jonnu Smith (concussion)
TE C.J. Uzomah (ankle)
TEs Juwan Johnson (quad) + Taysom Hill
This is isn't an especially important bunch for fantasy; we're mostly looking at backups whose absences could mean a bit more work for the starters (Demarcus Robinson, Hunter Henry, Tyler Conklin). In Jones' case that doesn't mean much, as the Bucs are locked into the No. 4 seed in the NFC and likely will pull starters early Sunday.
With Foreman, it's worth noting he was added to the injury report Friday and is scheduled for free agency after the season. Even if his knee injury is minor and he plays, it's possible Chuba Hubbard and Raheem Blackshear get more work than usual. Foreman probably did enough this year to get some guaranteed money on his next contract, but that goes out the window with a serious injury in the season finale.
Dolphins are hoping Teddy Bridgewater can be active in a backup role after making "unbelievable" progress throughout the week https://t.co/rj74gKpTSY
— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) January 6, 2023
Late-Afternoon Games
QB Jalen Hurts (shoulder)
TEs Eric Saubert (knee) + Eric Tomlinson (ankle)
Hurts is the 'questionable' everyone is talking about this week, following limited practice participation Wednesday through Friday. The Eagles still need a win to avoid dropping from No. 1 to No. 5 in the NFC, but they don't necessarily need Hurts in the lineup to get that done against a Giants team that figures to rest/pull its star players. Possibilities here include Hurts playing some of the game but not all of it. There's also a scenario with these late games where a bunch of teams pull starters, as the Eagles and 49ers will largely be facing backups and may go up big by halftime, in which case the Dallas-Washington game starts to look meaningless for playoff seeding. I still like CeeDee Lamb best of the premium WRs this week, but he's not without risk of an early exit... and the same goes for A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.
SNF
TE Josiah Deguara (calf)
Key Defensive Players + O-Linemen
CB L'Jarius Sneed (hip) + G Joe Thuney (ankle)
CB Kristian Fulton (groin) + S Amani Hooker (knee)
S Minkah Fitzpatrick (ankle)
CBs Marcus Peters (calf) & Brandon Stephens (illness) + DE Calais Campbell (knee)
CB Jamel Dean (toe) + S Mike Edwards (hamstring)
S Marcus Maye (shoulder) + OT James Hurst (foot) + OT Ryan Ramczyk (hip)
CB Stephon Gilmore (wrist)
CB Steven Nelson (illness)
DE Arik Armstead (foot) + DT Javon Kinlaw (knee)
LB Jamin Davis (knee) + S Kamren Curl (ankle)
CB Jeff Okudah (elbow)