NFL Week 13 Friday Injury Report: Game-Time Calls Include Dell, Godwin, Allen, Olave

NFL Week 13 Friday Injury Report: Game-Time Calls Include Dell, Godwin, Allen, Olave

This article is part of our Injury Analysis series.

Below you'll find four different categories, with our lists including key offensive linemen and defensive players whose presences/absences might impact fantasy decisions. The bottom section — truly questionable — is sorted by kickoff times and can be used as a checklist/cheatsheet for Sunday morning and afternoon when inactives come out. First, let's see who's definitely in and who's definitely out...

Good to Go 💯

    

Ruled Out/Doubtful 🚑 

Players that figure to take on larger roles due to the above injuries include Browns QB Joe Flacco, Colts RB Zack Moss, Packer RB AJ Dillon, Cardinals WR Greg Dortch, Saints

Below you'll find four different categories, with our lists including key offensive linemen and defensive players whose presences/absences might impact fantasy decisions. The bottom section — truly questionable — is sorted by kickoff times and can be used as a checklist/cheatsheet for Sunday morning and afternoon when inactives come out. First, let's see who's definitely in and who's definitely out...

Good to Go 💯

    

Ruled Out/Doubtful 🚑 

Players that figure to take on larger roles due to the above injuries include Browns QB Joe Flacco, Colts RB Zack Moss, Packer RB AJ Dillon, Cardinals WR Greg Dortch, Saints WR Lynn Bowden, Patriots WR DeVante Parker, Patriots WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, Texans TE Brevin Jordan, Panthers TE Ian Thomas.

You probably don't want to be starting any of those guys besides Moss and (kind of) Dillon, but it wouldn't be too far-fetched to use Dortch/Bowden/Parker in deeper formats during a week with six teams on bye. Flacco and Jordan are only options for leagues that start two QBs/TEs, and Thomas should probably be avoided altogether given that he's had plenty of chances to play a lot and never sees many targets.

   

Key Defensive Players + Offensive Linemen

          

Listed as Questionable - Should Play 👍

Hall was a full practice participant Friday, potentially making him the healthiest of Gang Green's running backs with both Dalvin Cook (shoulder) and Israel Abanikanda (illness) also listed as questionable. I expect Hall to be busy in a game that likely will see both offenses take a conservative approach.

Etienne is on track to either be listed as questionable or avoid a designation when the Jags release their final injury report Saturday. They're facing the Bengals on MNF, and Etienne was able to return to last week's game after suffering the injury, though backup D'Ernest Johnson played a lot more than usual.

      

Truly Questionable / Game-Time Decisions 🤔

Early Games

Olave and Burks were full practice participants Friday but still need clearance from independent neurologists. The Titans passing game doesn't seem capable of supporting anyone besides DeAndre Hopkins — and even he's had more bad weeks than good.

New Orleans already has its Nos. 2 and 3 wide receivers ruled out this week, and definitely will be without Michael Thomas (knee - IR) for at least two more games beyond Sunday. A.T. Perry figures to play a ton of snaps again, and the same could be true for Lynn Bowden (and to a lesser extent Keith Kirkwood) if Olave ends up inactive. Don't be surprised if RB Alvin Kamara and TE Juwan Johnson are the Saints' top two pass catchers this Sunday. Also don't be surprised if they try to run the ball a ton, even if/when the Lions build a lead. One of the other possibilities here is an increased role for Taysom Hill, be it as a runner or receiver.

Hollywood Brown is the only guy listed above who didn't practice Friday, nor did he practice earlier this week, but he played through the same heel injury last week and was targeted 12 times (6-86-0). Trey McBride, the Cardinals' other high-volume pass catcher, was a limited participant Thursday and Friday. FWIW, Coach Jonathan Gannon said the upcoming Week 14 bye won't impact the decision on McBride's active status. Either way, McBride will see plenty of targets after the bye, without question, after the Cards waived Zach Ertz on Thursday. If McBride is out this Sunday, the Cards likely will deploy a rotation led by Geoff Swaim and Elijah Higgins.

The Texans also have two key pass catchers listed as questionable, in addition to TE Dalton Schultz (hamstring) already being ruled out. Noah Brown (knee) returned to limited practices Wednesday and Thursday but then sat out Friday, while Tank Dell was held out Wednesday before being limited Thursday and Friday. This could be a big volume game for Nico Collins, and there's also an opportunity for Robert Woods and TE Brevin Jordan to see more snaps/routes/targets than usual. Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said Wednesday that he expects Dell to be fine this week.

Last but certainly not least is Keenan Allen, who returned to practice Friday after missing the previous two sessions. He's not someone I'd ever bet against playing when listed as questionable, especially with the Chargers on the ropes and Allen having an outside chance at breaking the single-season receptions record (he'd need 53 over his final six games... or 53 over the next five if he wants credit without the 17-game-season asterisk).

     

Late-Afternoon Games

Godwin was a midweek addition to the injury report Thursday (LP) and a non-participant Friday, with coach Todd Bowles deeming the wide receiver a game-time decision. That doesn't sound great, and it could open the door for Deven Thompkins to join Mike Evans and Trey Palmer in three-wide sets (which have accounted for 70 percent of Tampa's snaps this year).

        

Primetime Games

Reed returned to practice Friday on a limited basis after missing the previous two sessions. There were no signs of limitation in the Thanksgiving win over Detroit, as he handled his usual workload en route to 50 yards and a touchdown. He also got five carries the past two weeks, after just two through the first two-plus months of the season. If Reed is out, it'll either be Wicks (listed as questionable) and/or Malik Heath filling in as Green Bay's No. 3 receiver.

McKinnon looks to be on the right track after limited practices Thursday and Friday. His absence last week allowed Isiah Pacheco to get way more playing time in passing situations, and the fantasy relevance here is mostly about how he impacts his backfield mate (plus DFS showdown contests, to be fair).

         

Key Defensive Players + O-Linemen

   

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jerry Donabedian
Jerry was a 2018 finalist for the FSWA's Player Notes Writer of the Year and DFS Writer of the Year awards. A Baltimore native, Jerry roots for the Ravens and watches "The Wire" in his spare time.
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