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There are a lot of key WR injuries that are popping up at just the wrong time for fantasy football owners. With fantasy championship games now here in Week 16, the statuses of Julio Jones (hamstring), Stefon Diggs (foot), Keenan Allen (hamstring), John Brown (ankle), and Tyler Boyd (concussion) will have a big impact on our Week 16 fantasy WR rankings and start ’em, sit ’em decisions for owners. Here are the latest updates on these players and whether they’ll be available in the most important week of the year for most fantasy leagues.
For injury updates on players in the Dolphins-Raiders game, including Myles Gaskin, DeVante Parker, Mike Gesicki, and Derek Carr, click here; for news on George Kittle and Chase Edmonds, go here; for the latest on banged-up RBs Ezekiel Elliott, James Conner, James Robinson, Damien Harris, and Antonio Gibson, click here. For all the latest fantasy updates, follow us on Twitter @SN_Fantasy.
WEEK 16 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Is Julio Jones playing this week?
UPDATE: Jones did not practice on Thursday.
Jones (hamstring) has missed the past two weeks for the Falcons, but the team hasn’t yet shut him down for the season. While Jones wasn’t on the practice field Wednesday, Jason Butt of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Falcons interim coach Raheem Morris thinks Jones “is a little bit closer” to playing than he has been in recent weeks.
If Jones does play on Sunday, he will get a matchup with a Chiefs team that has been good against WRs this year. It’s also worth wondering just how healthy Jones would be since soft-tissue injuries tend to linger and he has been dealing with this one all year. That said, If Jones does suit up, it’s hard to recommend sitting him, as the Falcons may have to throw a lot to keep pace with the Chiefs.
In the event that Jones continues to miss time, Russell Gage will be the No. 2 receiver for the Falcons once again and can be trusted as a WR3/flex option. If Jones plays, Gage still has some upside, but he would more be a fringe flex play than a true start in a tough-looking matchup, even if it is favorable from a game-script perspective.
WEEK 16 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Is Stefon Diggs playing this week?
UPDATE: Diggs is practicing in full, which puts him on track to play on Monday.
Diggs (foot) suffered an injury late in the Bills’ big win over the Broncos and didn’t return. That said, Sean McDermott said Diggs’ ankle injury “doesn’t seem very worrisome” earlier in the week and confirmed that Diggs would practice on Wednesday this week, too.
The Bills don’t list an official injury report until Thursday, as they are playing a Monday Night Football game this week, but it seems like Diggs will be either “limited” or “full” in that session, barring a surprise. If he can get on the field for a full session, that means that he will play. If he is only able to log “limited” participation, that will be a mild concern, but he would still have a chance to play if all goes well and he doesn’t suffer any setbacks.
Diggs will be a WR1 against the Patriots in the absence of Stephon Gilmore. If for whatever reason he can’t get on the field, Gabriel Davis and Cole Beasley would be in line for far more targets along with John Brown (if healthy). Still, it seems more likely now that Diggs with be able to play this week.
MORE WEEK 16 DFS: Best stacks | Best values | Lineup Builder
Is Keenan Allen playing this week?
UPDATE: Allen is expected to be a game-time decision on Sunday.
Allen (hamstring) was limited last game for the Chargers and played fewer than half the snaps for the team. With 10 days between games, there was some hope that he would return, but missed practices on Tuesday and Wednesday are putting his status for this week’s game in jeopardy.
Unless Allen can get back on the field Thursday or Friday, he will probably be unable to play against the Broncos. His status will bear watching, as even if he’s able to play, he could be limited in a situation that would surely frustrate fantasy owners.
If Allen misses time, Tyron Johnson would be in line for more targets while Jalen Guyton could continue to serve as a deep threat for the team. Johnson would be a recommended flex play without Allen while Guyton would be a risk in season-long leagues but a quality play in DFS lineups. Mike Williams, Hunter Henry, and Austin Ekeler would also see an uptick in targets in Allen is out of action.
WEEK 16 FANTASY: Sleepers | Busts | Start ’em, sit ’em
Is John Brown playing this week?
Brown (ankle) was designated to return from IR by the Bills last week but ultimately wasn’t active against the Broncos. Ahead of Week 16, however, it’s expected that Brown will be able to make his return against the Patriots.
Brown will have to be watched in practice ahead of the Bills’ Monday Night Football game, but in all likelihood, he should play. He won’t carry a practice status officially until he returns from IR, but if reports emerge that he is continuing to practice, that should allow him to return to action.
On the off-chance that Brown can’t come back, Gabriel Davis would continue to be the No. 3 wideout for the Bills. Anyone who wants to play Brown this week should make sure that they have Davis just in case Brown is out of action again. Brown has high-end flex upside while Davis is on the lower end of the spectrum, but can still be trusted if he’s the team’s No. 3 receiver.
SATURDAY FULL-SLATE DFS LINEUPS: FanDuel | DraftKings
Is Tyler Boyd playing this week?
Boyd suffered a concussion in Week 15 against the Steelers after banging his head hard against the turf. With the Bengals on a short week after playing on Monday Night Football and Boyd having missed Wednesday’s practice, it seems likely that he will miss Sunday’s game against the Texans.
WEEK 16 DFS TOURNAMENT LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel
With Boyd likely absent, the Bengals will rely more heavily on Tee Higgins and A.J. Green at WR while Drew Sample and Giovani Bernard could also see some more targets as well. Sample is just a low-end streamer, but any additional passing volume could push Bernard from middling flex to low-end RB2 in a good matchup.
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