NFL Week 14 Friday Injury Report: Pacheco Out, Saints Sore, Geno Questionable

This is kind of the same deal as last week, with a ton of fantasy-relevant guys listed as questionable in the early games. That's better than having a bunch of game-time decisions later on, of course, and it could end up being like last week when nearly all of the guys that looked shaky on Friday ultimately were active come Sunday.

New Orleans, Jacksonville and Miami are some of the more banged-up teams this week, with the Saints and Jaguars in particular looking to be in rough shape with some of their top guys on both offense and defense (in addition to Saints S Marcus Maye and Jags WR Christian Kirk landing on injured reserve this week).

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 💯

• QB Lamar Jackson (illness)
• Dorian Thompson-Robinson (concussion)
• RB Kareem Hunt (groin)
• RB Jerick McKinnon (groin)
• WR Puka Nacua (shoulder)
• WR Julio Jones (groin)
• TE Dallas Goedert (forearm)
• TE Tyler Conklin (hamstring)
• K Daniel Carlson (illness)
• LB Nick Bolton (IR - wrist)

Ruled Out/Doubtful 🚑 

• RB Isiah Pacheco (shoulder)
• RB Jonathan Taylor (thumb)
• RB Elijah Mitchell (D - knee)
• RB Kendre Miller (ankle)
• WR Joshua Palmer (IR-R - knee)
• WR/RS Ray-Ray McCloud (ribs)
• WR Equanimeous St. Brown (pec)
• WR Jason Brownlee (ankle)
• TE Dalton Schultz (hamstring)
• TE Tyler Higbee (D - neck)
• TE Hayden Hurst (concussion)
• TE Josh Whyle (knee)

Looking at this list, Colts RB Zack Moss, Chiefs RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Texans TE Brevin Jordan are the most interesting injury replacements for fantasy, with Rams TE Hunter Long a potential sleeper for anyone like me who is strange enough to play in a two-TE league. And for all you nerds in return-yardage leagues, note that Deebo Samuel replaced McCloud on kickoffs last week (with Ronnie Bell taking over punts).

Key Defensive Players + Offensive Linemen

• RG Wes Schweitzer (calf)
• OT Kaleb McGary (knee) / LB Nate Landman (knee) / DT David Onyemata (ankle)
• RT Braden Smith (knee)
• CB Jamel Dean (ankle) / LB Devin White (foot)
• CB Tre Herndon (concussion) / LT Walker Little (hamstring)
• C Frank Ragnow (knee)
• G Spencer Burford (D - knee) / DT Arik Armstead (foot) / TE Ross Dwelley (ankle)
• LT Kolton Miller (shoulder)
• S Bryan Cook (ankle) / LT Donovan Smith (neck) / LB Drue Tranquill (concussion)
• DT Jeffery Simmons (knee)

Listed as Questionable - Should Play 👍

• QB Derek Carr (concussion/shoulder/ribs)
• RBs Travis Etienne (ribs) & D'Ernest Johnson (knee)
• RBs Kenneth Walker (oblique) & Zach Charbonnet (knee)
• WR Jayden Reed (chest) / RB AJ Dillon (groin)
• WR Mack Hollins (ankle)
• TE Dawson Knox (wrist)
• TEs Tommy Tremble (hip) & Stephen Sullivan (shoulder)
• K Blake Grupe (groin)
• DE Maxx Crosby (knee)

Etienne played through the same rib injury in Monday's loss to the Bengals, though Johnson did get a few more snaps than usual (and came out of the game with a seemingly minor injury of his own). Both should play, and Etienne in particular seems highly unlikely to sit out.

The Seattle RBs looked less certain earlier this week, but then both upgraded to full practice participation Friday. Given that they'll likely share snaps on the road against a top defense, I wouldn't really want either in a fantasy lineup. That assumes they both play; if only one suits up then the other becomes a much more attractive fantasy option, seemingly locked in for 15-plus touches.

Truly Questionable / Game-Time Decisions 🤔

Early Games

• QB Trevor Lawrence (high ankle)
• RB Breece Hall (ankle)
• WRs Chris Olave (illness) & Rashid Shaheed (thigh)
• TEs Taysom Hill (foot) & Juwan Johnson (quad)
• WR Amari Cooper (concussion)
• WR Noah Brown (knee)
• WR Tyler Boyd (ankle)

Lawrence is on a short week after MNF and hoping to play just six days after he suffered a not-so-great-looking high-ankle sprain. He might play, but there's no chance he's his best self, and he'll be facing a good defense without the help of Christian Kirk (who was placed on IR on Friday and probably won't be seen again until next season unless the Jags make a very deep playoff run).

Jets coach Robert Saleh expects Hall to play, but I'm listing him here anyway after he managed just one practice (limited Friday) this week. Hall played through a questionable tag last week, but that was a different injury and after a full practice Friday. In the event of an absence, Dalvin Cook presumably would take on a rather large workload behind one of the worst offensive lines in the league. Hall has managed RB2 value amidst the brutal team context, and Cook likely would land in that same range given the possibility of him playing even more snaps than Hall typically does.

Next we have the Saints, an absolute mess of a team with terrible coaching and a three-game losing streak, in addition to the slew of injuries. Olave and Johnson, at least, seem likely to play, while Shaheed and Hill didn't practice all week. There are a lot of potential workload beneficiaries at play here from the New Orleans injuries, ranging from Alvin Kamara to Jamaal Williams to Foster Moreau to Lynn Bowden to A.T. Perry. Of course, Kamara is the only one you'd want in a fantasy lineup.

Last but not least we have three wide receivers, with Cooper seemingly less likely to play and both Brown and Boyd on track to suit up. It does seem more and more guys are playing the week after suffering concussions, whereas earlier in the year a vast majority missed a game. Anyway, the combination of Cooper sitting out and Joe Flacco starting would be great news for Elijah Moore stans. Of course, Cooper might still play, and Browns coach Kevin O'Connell still hasn't named Flacco the starter over Dorian Thompson-Robinson (who cleared concussion protocol earlier this week after missing last week's loss to the Rams).

Late-Afternoon Games

• QB Geno Smith (groin)

Opinions seemed to differ a bit between the Seattle beat writers Friday, with some considering Smith truly questionable while at least one expects the QB to play (see below). Smith hurt his groin during Thursday's practice and was held out Friday, with coach Pete Carroll saying he expects a game-time decision. Granted, Carroll said the same of about half a dozen other players, including the two RBs that logged full practices Friday.

Primetime Games

• RB Aaron Jones (knee) - MNF
• WR Christian Watson (hamstring) - MNF

Watson ain't playing, but I feel like I should list him here since I'm writing this Friday and the Packers haven't ruled him out and won't release their final injury report until Saturday. Jones, on the other hand, appears on track to return from a two-game absence, though you might remember his workload was limited for a couple weeks earlier this year when he first returned from a hamstring issue. This isn't necessarily the same, especially with Green Bay right in the thick of the wild-card hunt, but it is possible we see something like a 50/50 split between Jones and Dillon.

Key Defensive Players + O-Linemen

• DE Michael Hoecht (knee) / S Quentin Lake (hammy) / OLB Byron Young (knee)
• LB Pete Werner (oblique) / DE Cameron Jordan (ankle)
• CBs Jeff Okudah (ankle) & A.J. Terrell (concussion) / C Drew Dalman (ankle)
• DT DJ Reader (back)
• LB E.J. Speed (knee) / CB JuJu Brents (quad)
• Vita Vea (toe)
• RT Dawand Jones (knee) / CB Denzel Ward (shoulder)
• CB Tyson Campbell (quad) / DT Folorunso Fatukasi (heel) / S Andre Cisco (shoulder)
• LB Jordyn Brooks (ankle) / CB Tre Brown (heel)
• OT Evan Neal (ankle) / DT Dexter Lawrence (hamstring)
• LBs Quay Walker (shoulder), Rashan Gary (shoulder) & De'Vondre Campbell (neck)
• CB Jaire Alexander (shoulder) / S Darnell Savage (chest) / G Elgton Jenkins (shoulder)
• CB Kristian Fulton (hamstring) / G Daniel Brunskill (ankle)
• LT Terron Armstead (ankle) / G Robert Hunt (hamstring) 
• S Jevon Holland (knee) / LB Jerome Baker (MCL) / DT Christian Wilkins (groin)