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Next Man Up: Regular Season Week 14

Matthew Mitchell

Every week players across the NFL suffer injuries. This weekly article will explore the injuries that affect your dynasty squads. We will briefly discuss the injured players themselves and the players who stand to benefit or suffer. To make them easier to follow, we will break down the injuries by division. Without further ado, let us examine the Regular Season Week 13 injuries and the next men up.

AFC East

Blood in the water

Miami wide receiver Jaylen Waddle was in and out of his team’s Week 13 loss with a leg injury. Team officials don’t believe the injury to be serious. At this time, he doesn’t appear to be in any danger of missing Week 14 at the Chargers. However, if he were to miss game action, the Dolphins would look to Erik Ezukanma and Trent Sherfield alongside stud receiver Tyreek Hill. A Waddle absence would also likely mean a bigger target share for tight end Mike Gesicki. Keep an eye on Waddle’s practice reps as the week progresses.

Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sustained an ankle injury late in his team’s Week 13 loss. The former Alabama star has been enjoying a breakout season in 2022. The injury is believed to be minor but something to monitor as the week continues nonetheless. Were he to miss game action, the Dolphins would turn to Skylar Thompson as regular backup Teddy Bridgewater is still dealing with an ankle injury. 

Patriot gets pounded

New England wide receiver Jakobi Meyers is believed to have suffered a concussion in his team’s Week 13 loss. The Patriot’s top target was injured after a brutal hit to the head by Bills safety Damar Hamlin. Meyers will have a couple extra days to clear the league-mandated concussion protocols since this game was on Thursday, but he will still need to clear them. If he cannot return for Week 14, the Patriots would turn to Kendrick Bourne to play alongside DeVante Parker, Nelson Agholar, and rookie Tyquan Thornton.

AFC South

TLaw breakout or break down

Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence suffered a scary-looking leg injury in his team’s Week 13 loss. It initially appeared that the star sophomore had potentially sustained a major knee or ankle injury. Miraculously Lawrence was able to return to the game and finish it out. He will undoubtedly be sore this week after the above sack by Justin Houston. If Lawrence cannot play next week, the Jaguars would turn to C.J. Beathard, which would be a downgrade for all the Jacksonville weapons.

Rookie gets wrecked

Tennessee wide receiver Treylon Burks suffered a head injury in his team’s Week 13 loss. The talented rookie made an amazing catch, his first career touchdown, before being crunched between two defenders. It was his last play of the day as he exited with a concussion. He will need to progress through the league’s new protocols ahead of Week 14 to be eligible to play. If he is unable to go, the Titans would be forced to lean on Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Robert Woods, and C.J. Board as their top three receivers. In all likelihood, they will rely that much more on stud running back Derrick Henry.

AFC North

A Raven gets roughed up

Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson suffered a knee injury in his team’s Week 13 game. The former MVP has struggled this season with a multitude of injuries to his receiving corps. Early reports indicate the team believes Jackson sustained a PCL injury. These typically take from 1-4 weeks to heal without surgery. This is the worst possible time for his dynasty managers. The Ravens will turn to Tyler Huntley for as long as Jackson is out. The former Utah star has played admirably in Lamar’s stead in the past. If he is available, he will provide a decent enough fill-in for your dynasty rosters in the short term. Don’t expect Jackson-type numbers, but he will keep your head above water until the MVP is back.

Bengal gets bungled

Cincinnati tight end Hayden Hurst sustained a calf injury in his team’s Week 13 victory. This is an unfortunate development for the former first round pick, as he has been a valuable part of the Bengal’s passing attack. Team officials have indicated Hurst is unlikely to play in Week 14 against the Browns. That would leave Cincinnati with Mitchell Wilcox and Devin Asiasi as the top tight-end options on their team. With Ja’Marr Chase now back, it is most likely that Cincinnati will rely on three-receiver sets featuring Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd as the majority of the passing game. Until Hurst returns, Cincinnati won’t feature a playable fantasy tight end.

AFC West

Will Sutton sit out?

Denver wide receiver Courtland Sutton sustained a hamstring strain in his team’s Week 13 loss. The talented pass catcher has struggled this season along with the rest of his offensive unit. He could miss a couple of games, depending on the severity of the strain. If he does miss game action, the Broncos will rely on Kendall Hinton and Jerry Jeudy, along with tight end Greg Dulcich as the top weapons in the passing game.

NFC East

Eagle gets grounded

Philadelphia wide receiver Quez Watkins suffered a shoulder injury in his team’s Week 13 victory. Watkins has been a valuable role player for the Eagles in their extremely successful 2022. However, he hasn’t truly been a dynasty asset for his managers. His absence will clear some things up and funnel a couple of extra looks at top targets A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. These two will be preferred plays for your dynasty rosters. Especially with tight end Dallas Goedert also out of commission. The Eagles are one of the most run-heavy team’s in the league and will likely lean in that direction as long as possible down the stretch.

NFC South

The NFC South emerged from Week 13 without any major fantasy-relevant injuries. 

NFC North

Pack back gets off track

Green Bay running back Aaron Jones suffered a shin injury in his team’s Week 13 victory. The former Pro-Bowler has been struggling with the rest of the offense through a down 2022. Head coach Matt LaFleur indicated the injury wasn’t a concern moving forward after the game. While he was in and out of the game, AJ Dillon took over the show and carried the Packers offense. Dillon is one of the better backups in the entire league and would be an excellent play if Jones missed any action moving forward. With a Week 14 bye week on tap Jones should be fine ahead of the next Packers game.

Bum knee for the new Bear

Chicago wide receiver Chase Claypool appeared to suffer a knee injury in his team’s Week 13 loss. The talented in-season acquisition has been thrust into the #1 role following the season-ending injury to Darnell Mooney. Claypool returned to the game and posted his best numbers of the season. With a Week 14 bye week at hand, Claypool should get some time to rest ahead of the four-game stretch to establish better chemistry with Justin Fields looking toward 2023. He is a WR3 play down the stretch. If he were to miss time, the Bears would be forced to lean on a grouping of Equanimeous St. Brown, Dante Pettis, and N’Keal Harry as their top receivers to go along with tight end Cole Kmet.

NFC West

Welcome to the huddle Mr. Irrelevant

San Francisco quarterback Jimmy Garpppolo sustained a broken foot in his team’s Week 13 victory. This was quite possibly the most consequential injury of the entire weekend. Team officials have revealed that the injury will end Jimmy’s season, leaving them with the current Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy as their starting quarterback. Josh Johnson is the only other signal caller on the team as it currently stands. Purdy played quite well in his first game action, but all indications point to the 49ers exploring all options as the season winds down. Names like Drew Brees, Philip Rivers, and others will undoubtedly be thrown around in the coming weeks, as San Francisco was a bonafide contender before this injury. If Purdy is the man, it would be a downgrade for the 49er’s receivers and a slight boost to CMC and Kittle as the short and intermediate passing options.

Rookie runner might be resting

Seattle running back Kenneth Walker III suffered an ankle injury in his team’s Week 13 win. In typical Pete Carroll fashion, the Seahawks have been sparing with details about their star rookie’s injury. Depending upon the severity of the ankle injury, Seattle would be left with DeeJay Dallas and Tony Jones Jr. as their only healthy running backs on the team. If this is the case, look for Seattle to follow their Week 13 format and increase the passing volume. DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Marquise Goodwin, and tight end Noah Fant would benefit from an expanded passing game. Geno Smith would also see a corresponding bump in his numbers. Keep an eye out for Walker’s practice reps as the week progresses.

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