The NFL season is in full swing. As happens every year, injuries are rearing their ugly heads. As fantasy football managers prepare to set Week 13 lineups, it’s important to stay informed on the latest injury news. Tyler Warren was a late addition to the injury report. What is his current status and outlook for this week?
Is Tyler Warren Playing Week 13?
Update: Warren is ACTIVE
Warren was healthy all week and did not appear on the injury report at any point during Indianapolis’ practice sessions. The tight end participated fully in Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday practices without any designation, suggesting he was on track for his normal workload against New England.
However, Warren was downgraded to questionable on Saturday. This late addition to the injury report is obviously a concern on the surface, particularly given the timing just one day before kickoff. Late-week downgrades typically raise red flags about a player’s availability.
Fortunately, the questionable designation stems from an illness rather than a physical injury. Warren has not been dealing with any ailments throughout the week, making this a sudden development that emerged on Saturday.
The Colts are very much a playoff team and fighting for seeding in the competitive AFC. Indianapolis cannot afford to rest players or take unnecessary precautions with postseason positioning on the line. Every game matters at this stage of the season.
It is exceedingly rare for a player to miss a game due to illness in the NFL. Players routinely suit up while dealing with colds, flu symptoms, and other minor ailments. The league’s protocols and medical staff work to ensure players can compete safely even when not feeling 100%.
While it’s not impossible for Warren to be ruled out, the likelihood remains low given the nature of the designation.
For fantasy managers rostering Warren, there’s really no reason to worry. The expectation should be that he plays his normal role against the Texans unless unexpected developments emerge Sunday morning.
On Sunday morning, Tom Pelissero reported that Warren is expected to play.
Warren’s Fantasy Football Outlook
It felt like the Chiefs did a good job with Warren on Sunday and he still finished with seven targets (26.3% reception share and 22.6% target share).
That’s the difference between a good and a great asset at the position.
MORE: Free Fantasy Football Start/Sit Optimizer
The rookie has cleared nine PPR points in nine of 11 games this season and I see no reason to expect anything different moving forward. Over his past three games, the Colts have adjusted the routes of their standout rookie and it elevates his floor even further.
Weeks 4-8: 7.4-yard aDOT
Weeks 9-12: 3.1-yard aDOT
At this point, a handful of catches feels like a baseline and that’s more than 90% of the TE pool can claim. He’ll struggle to keep up with Trey McBride at the tippy top of the TE board based on his importance in Arizona, but I’ll take my chances with Warren against just about anyone at the position after that and that’s tremendous value based on the price you paid this summer.
— Kyle Soppe, PFSN Fantasy Analyst