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We saw how impactful a late-season injury can be for fantasy football in Week 12. The Green Bay Packers were without top RB Josh Jacobs due to a knee injury. As a result, Emanuel Wilson stepped in as the next-man-up and capitalized on it for fantasy managers, scoring twice en route to 25.5 fantasy points in a win over the Vikings. We'll be monitoring Jacobs' status on the short week with the Packers facing the Lions on Thanksgiving. We'll also be looking at the overall NFL injury report with fantasy analysis for key players. 

Latest news and updates

Joe Burrow, QB, Bengals (toe): We came close to seeing Burrow activated off IR in Week 12. That wasn't the case and now the expectation is Burrow will try to get on the field on Thanksgiving vs. Baltimore. It's now or never for Cincinnati and its playoff hopes. If Burrow is back, it's an upgrade for all the receivers. It will be interesting to see if Chase Brown maintains his volume of carries; he has 27 combined carries over the past two games. If Burrow does return, it seems like he could be without one his key weapons.

Tee Higgins, WR, Bengals (head): Higgins went down hard on a catch attempt late in the team's loss to New England on Sunday. He wasn't able to return after suffering a concussion. With Higgins headed for the NFL's protocol and the Bengals on a short week, it's unlikely the wideout will have enough time to play on Thursday night vs. the Ravens. If Higgins is out, Ja'Marr Chase returns from suspension and should go back to heavy target volume — especially if Burrow returns. Andrei Iosivas could see more work and is an intriguing add off the waiver wire if Higgins sits. Also keep an eye on TE Mike Gesicki, who could have streaming value. 

Baker Mayfield, QB, Bucs (shoulder): The Tampa Bay QB was forced from Sunday Night Football vs. the Rams in the second quarter after suffering a sprain in his non-throwing shoulder. By that point, the Bucs were getting run out of the stadium in a 34-7 loss, so there wasn't much reason for Mayfield to risk further injury trying to return. Teddy Bridgewater came in relief and didn't do much with 62 yards on 8 of 15 attempts. Mayfield is set to undergo an MRI on Monday, then we'll know more about his status for Week 13 vs. the Cardinals.

Aaron Rodgers, QB, Steelers (wrist): Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin anticipates Rodgers being ready for Week 13 vs. the Bills. Rodgers was held out of Week 12's loss to the Bears due to a fractured left wrist. It's Rodgers' non-throwing hand so the team likely wanted a bit more time for it to heal. With Rodgers potentially back, it would provide a slight boost in value for receivers DK Metcalf and Calvin Austin III. Pittsburgh should continue to lean into the run game with Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell, the two best fantasy starts on this team right now. 

Josh Jacobs, RB, Packers (knee): As we mentioned above, Jacobs was out last week due to the knee injury. He had been getting limited practices in prior to Week 12 and Green Bay knew it had the short week with the Thanksgiving game vs. Detroit. There's a chance Jacobs could have played this week if it were the playoffs. With that said, the short turnaround could mean he sits another game to get extra rest. Wilson looked serviceable in relief on Sunday vs. the Vikings. He'll remain a very strong RB start in fantasy if Jacobs is out again. 

Drake London, WR, Falcons (knee): This is rough for all parties. London missed Week 12 and there's a chance the Falcons play it safe with their top wideout. If that's the case, we may not see London back on the field in 2025. It would be a big blow to fantasy managers and Atlanta's offense. QB Michael Penix Jr. is done for the season and backup Kirk Cousins threw for two TDs and 199 yards and a pick vs. the Saints on Sunday. Darnell Mooney saved his fantasy day by catching a 49-yard TD to finish with a 3-74-1 line. There isn't much value in this Falcons passing game with London out and Cousins under center. 

Alvin Kamara, RB, Saints (knee): Kamara exited in the first half of Sunday afternoon's matchup vs. the Falcons and did not return. He had five touches for 15 yards prior to exiting. Devin Neal stepped in and got the majority of the work in the backfield. He finished with seven carries for 18 yards while also catching five of seven targets for 43 yards. If Kamara misses any time, Neal would be the last healthy back left. Kendre Miller went down for the season back Week 7. Neal would have some flex value given his involvement in the passing game from Week 12 and the Saints likely needing to pass more as six-point underdogs against the Dolphins. 

Week 13 NFL Injury Report

Quarterbacks

• Joe Burrow, Bengals (toe)

• Baker Mayfield, Bucs (shoulder)

• Aaron Rodgers, Steelers (wrist)

• Dillon Gabriel, Browns (concussion)

Running backs

• Josh Jacobs, Packers (knee)

• Bucky Irving, Buccaneers (shoulder/foot)

• Alvin Kamara, Saints (knee)

• Trey Benson, Cardinals (knee) — IR

Wide receivers

• Tee Higgins, Bengals (concussion)

• Drake London, Falcons (knee)

• Brian Thomas Jr., Jaguars (ankle)

• Marvin Harrison Jr., Cardinals (appendix)

• Chris Godwin Jr., Bucs (leg)

• Terry McLaurin, Commanders (quad)

• Matthew Golden, Packers (shoulder)

• Elic Ayomanor, Titans (hamstring)

• Rashod Bateman, Ravens (ankle)

• Jayden Reed, Packers (collarbone/foot) — IR

• Kalif Raymond, Lions (ankle)

• Keon Coleman, Bills (coach's decision)

Tight Ends

• Dalton Kincaid, Bills (hamstring)

• Darren Waller, Dolphins (pectoral)

• Michael Mayer, Raiders (ankle)

• Tyler Higbee, Rams (ankle) — IR

Out for season

• Malik Nabers, Giants (knee)

• Tyreek Hill, Dolphins (knee)

• Najee Harris, Chargers (Achilles)

• Austin Ekeler, Commanders (Achilles)

• James Conner, Cardinals (foot)

• Antonio Gibson, Patriots (knee)

• Miles Sanders, Cowboys (knee)

• Cam Skattebo, Giants (ankle)

• Tucker Kraft, Packers (knee)

• Travis Hunter, Jaguars (knee)

• Calvin Ridley, Titans (leg)

• Joe Mixon, Texans (foot) 

• Sam LaPorta, Lions (back)

• Michael Penix Jr., Falcons (knee)