Congratulations to all of the fantasy football managers still playing in a meaningful fantasy football game. For the majority of the fantasy managers, they are already taking that look back at what they could have done differently. To give yourself the best chance to win this week, let’s take a look at some receivers who, if healthy, could play a huge role.
What are the latest fantasy injury updates on Deebo Samuel, Keenan Allen, and Joshua Palmer as we enter Week 17?
WR Injury Updates
Deebo Samuel, WR, San Francisco 49ers
Samuel went on a tear recently, as he scored five of his six touchdowns this season in the three games heading into the San Francisco 49ers’ Christmas Day matchup against the Baltimore Ravens. He made four catches for 47 yards in the game, but now his status is in question heading into the Week 17 matchup against the Washington Commanders.
Coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters on Wednesday that Samuel missed the walk-through due to a sprained neck.
The injury doesn’t seem to be bothering him too much, as he had time for some social media beef with Micah Parsons and Cam Newton.
For fantasy managers, his status is huge this week with a matchup against a Washington Commanders defense that is terrible. The Commanders allow 261.6 yards per game, which ranks 31st in the league. Right now, it feels like Samuel is going to be able to go this week, but the next 24-48 hours will tell us a lot more.
Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
Editor’s note:Â Allen was not at practice for the Chargers on Thursday.
Allen had been a stud all year for the Los Angeles Chargers, as he is still currently second in the NFL in catches with 108. He trails CeeDee Lamb by only one catch, and Lamb played in two more games.
Allen missed the last two games with a heel injury, and he currently missed Wednesday’s practice with the heel injury. There have been many fantasy managers who already saw their season end in part because of Allen being hurt. If you made it this far with Allen being out, that is a testament to your team.
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You may just need to complete the championship run without him, as this feels like the Chargers are going to hold him out for the rest of the year. Quarterback Justin Herbert is out for the year with an injury, so it is hard to see the Chargers taking risks with these guys in a lost season.
Not only is Allen dealing with injury issues, but another Chargers receiver is as well.
Joshua Palmer, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
Editor’s note:Â Palmer was not at practice for the Chargers on Thursday.
Allen isn’t the only Chargers receiver dealing with injuries, as Palmer is dealing with a concussion. It has been a tough season for Palmer this year, as he battled injuries for the majority of the season.
He’s played in only 10 games this year and missed four consecutive games with an injury before playing the last two. Not only did he play, but he played solid. Two games ago in the historic loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, Palmer was the one player who stood out. He finished with four catches for 113 yards and one touchdown.
He followed that up with another five catches for 47 yards last week. However, concussions are an injury teams take very seriously. Because of the aforementioned reasons why I can’t see Allen playing, I think Palmer is going to be in a similar boat.
The Chargers aren’t playing for much right now, and it makes more sense to get him healthy heading into the offseason than to rush him back. Thursday will be a good indicator of what the Chargers are planning on doing.
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