It’s always a challenge to navigate through injuries in fantasy football. The WR position has several players dealing with issues. The time to set Week 14 lineups is near.
What is the latest injury information on Christian Kirk, Keenan Allen, and Amari Cooper?
Latest News and Injury Updates Impacting Fantasy
Christian Kirk, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
Analysis last updated at 4:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Dec. 6.
With most injury situations, there’s at least some bit of ambiguity. That is not the case with Kirk.
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The Jaguars No. 1 wide receiver injured his groin on his first catch of the game Monday night very early in the first quarter. He made an acrobatic grab and went down with no contact. It was abundantly clear that Kirk was done for the game.
Unfortunately, we did not get good news after the game. It was quickly reported that Kirk “would miss some time.” Ian Rapoport later offered a more concrete timeline, indicating that Kirk will undergo surgery and is expected to miss 6-8 weeks.
While the Jaguars have not yet placed Kirk on IR, it is hard to imagine any scenario where he is able to return before the end of the regular season. In a best-case scenario, the Jaguars could get him back with a deep playoff run.
With Kirk out, rookie sixth-rounder Parker Washington replaced him as the primary slot receiver in three-receiver sets. He is certainly not a fantasy factor with C.J. Beathard under center, but there is some deep league appeal if Trevor Lawrence can get back on the field sooner rather than later.
If there’s one thing we can be confident in, it’s that Calvin Ridley won’t step up. In a game where Lawrence and Beathard combined for 320 yards, Ridley managed four receptions for 26 yards.
Zay Jones, who has missed much of the season with a lingering knee injury, is now as healthy as he’s been since Week 1. He will once again start in two-receiver sets and is the biggest beneficiary of Kirk’s absence. Consider Jones a startable WR3 for the remainder of the season.
Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
Analysis last updated at 9:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, Dec. 7.
Once slapped with the often misapplied “injury prone” label, Allen has been remarkably durable throughout his impressive 11-year career. The veteran receiver has yet to miss a game this season but is no stranger to appearing on the injury report.
A few weeks ago, Allen missed practice time with a shoulder issue but played through it. After fully recovering from that, he sustained a quad bruise, which also cost him practice time. He played through that.
When we saw that Allen didn’t practice on Wednesday, it wasn’t really cause for concern. My immediate thought was the team was just being careful with his quad.
As it turns out, it was actually nothing at all. Allen’s absence was purely veteran rest. He is fine and will play Sunday. Fantasy managers can fire him up as the elite WR1 he’s been all season.
Editor’s note:Â Allen was seen at practice on Thursday and was not listed on the team’s injury report.
Amari Cooper, WR, Cleveland Browns
Analysis last updated at 9:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, Dec. 7.
Cooper has battled multiple injuries this season but has yet to miss a game. That streak is currently in serious jeopardy after Cooper sustained a concussion early in the Browns’ loss to the Rams last week.
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Cooper did not practice on Wednesday, which is a bad sign for his availability. By way of example, Chris Olave was able to avoid missing a game despite his Week 12 concussion. He practiced in a limited capacity last Wednesday and Thursday before being upgraded to full on Friday. Typically, if a player is going to play the week after a concussion, he is able to get in a limited practice on Wednesday.
With that said, it’s too early to rule Cooper out. If he is able to get in a limited practice on Thursday, that would still give him a chance to get cleared in time.
We will update this article as soon as Thursday’s practice information comes out. If Cooper is unable to practice again, that all but guarantees he won’t play this week.
If Cooper can’t go, Elijah Moore would serve as the team’s WR1. He saw a season-high 12 targets last week. Although he only caught four of them, the volume puts him firmly in WR3 territory for Week 14.
Editor’s note:Â Cooper was listed as DNP again on Thursday.
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