Detroit faces a crucial Thursday Night Football matchup against the Dallas Cowboys following their disappointing Thanksgiving loss to Green Bay. Amon-Ra St. Brown exited in the first quarter with an ankle injury and did not return. How long will fantasy football managers be without their star wide receiver?
Amon-Ra St. Brown Injury Update
St. Brown got rolled up on while blocking on a run play during Detroit’s second offensive drive on Thanksgiving. The injury occurred with 6:19 remaining in the first quarter when offensive lineman Kayode Awosika inadvertently rolled onto St. Brown’s right ankle from behind during a rushing attempt by Jahmyr Gibbs.
St. Brown remained on the turf for a couple of minutes while trainers evaluated him. He eventually got up and walked off the field under his own power, heading straight to the locker room. The Lions initially listed him as questionable to return with an ankle injury, but he was later ruled out for the remainder of the contest.
After the game, head coach Dan Campbell provided an encouraging assessment. Campbell indicated that while St. Brown did not suffer a severe injury, the veteran receiver would likely miss some time. “So that’s the positive aspect, but it doesn’t imply that he won’t be out for possibly a week or two, if we’re fortunate,” Campbell commented regarding St. Brown’s condition.
On Friday, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that St. Brown has a low ankle sprain. This represents the best-case scenario given the concerning nature of how the injury occurred. “Sources indicate that Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown is thought to have suffered a low ankle sprain on Sunday, and while he is still undergoing assessments, the news regarding his return appears promising,” Pelissero stated.
The low ankle sprain diagnosis is far better than the high ankle sprain that many feared when watching the replay. High ankle sprains typically require 4-6 weeks of recovery, while low ankle sprains can heal in 1-3 weeks depending on severity.
St. Brown is a tough dude who has established himself as one of the most reliable receivers in the NFL. The Lions are in the thick of the playoff race at 7-5 and cannot afford to lose many more games if they want to secure a postseason berth. Detroit hosts Dallas on Thursday Night Football in Week 14 before traveling to Los Angeles to face the Rams in Week 15.
Pelissero’s report indicated that St. Brown looks likely to avoid injured reserve, which is excellent news for his return timeline. If the Lions had placed him on IR, he would have been required to miss a minimum of four games. By keeping him on the active roster, they retain flexibility to activate him as soon as he’s ready.
Campbell’s 1-2 week timeline aligns with the low ankle sprain diagnosis. It sounds like St. Brown avoided anything significant that would threaten his availability for the stretch run and fantasy playoffs.
St. Brown’s Fantasy Outlook
This is a tough situation for fantasy managers navigating the critical final weeks of the season. If you’re locked into a first-round bye, this is actually good news. St. Brown should be back by Week 16, which is the next time you would need him.
However, there are undoubtedly many fantasy managers out there who need to win next week to make the playoffs or who are in the playoffs without a bye and need to compete in Week 15. Unfortunately, it sounds like you may have to go without St. Brown for at least one week, possibly two.
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The Week 14 game against Dallas comes on Thursday Night Football, giving St. Brown only six days to recover from the ankle sprain. Do not expect to see him back for that one. Week 15 at the Rams comes ten days after that, which provides a more realistic target for his return.
You will likely see Isaac TeSlaa’s name pop up as a potential replacement on waiver wires. Don’t fall for it. TeSlaa was a hot sleeper candidate in August on the heels of a big preseason showing. But there has been no deliberate effort to get him on the field during the regular season despite opportunities to do so.
Even though TeSlaa ran just one fewer route than Jameson Williams on Thanksgiving, he saw only two targets compared to Tom Kennedy’s four. The coaching staff has shown no indication they view TeSlaa as a significant part of the offensive game plan with or without St. Brown.
The main impact of St. Brown being out is that fantasy managers will see Jahmyr Gibbs operate as a pure wide receiver more frequently. Gibbs’ receiving role should expand to help fill the void left by St. Brown’s absence. Additionally, Williams becomes a much more stable weekly option with increased target share.
Williams had the best game of his career with seven catches for 144 yards and a touchdown. That type of volume should continue as long as St. Brown remains sidelined, elevating Williams into WR2 territory for fantasy purposes.