Greg Scholz of Inside Injuries runs through some of the most pressing injury concerns for Week 15 of fantasy football 2024.
Before we dive in, here’s a quick glossary of terms commonly used by Inside Injuries:
- IRC = Injury Risk Category (three designations: Low, Elevated, High) — the overall likelihood a player will get injured
- HPF = Health Performance Factor (Peak, Above Average, Below Average, Poor) — our metric to predict player performance
- ORT = Optimal Recovery Time — the amount of time a player needs to fully recover from an injury (not the same as how much time they will actually miss).
GO DEEPER
NFL Week 15 fantasy football, betting cheat sheet: Derek Carr, Saints banged up
Kenneth Walker III, RB, SEA (calf)
Walker, currently considered day-to-day, won’t need to practice to play in Week 15, according to head coach Mike Macdonald.
Walker missed the Seattle Seahawks’ Week 14 win over the Arizona Cardinals due to a combination of ankle and calf issues. The latter appears to be Seattle’s primary concern. Walker underwent additional testing earlier this week on the calf. The specific results of the tests aren’t known, but they appear to be positive, given Walker’s status.
Calf injuries tend to linger, especially when the player is rushed back into the lineup, and they can be more troublesome than they look on paper. Walker was absent from Wednesday and Thursday practice sessions, indicating that the team is trying to give him many opportunities to rest before making him available.
Given the nature of calf injuries — his Injury Risk is High. His Health Performance is Above Average, and his Optimal Recovery Time is 14 days.
Tony Pollard, RB, TEN (ankle)
This year has been an injury-riddled one for the Tennessee Titans, and that didn’t change in Week 15. After putting up 124 yards from scrimmage against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 14, Pollard was a non-participant in Wednesday’s practice due to an ankle injury. He was then absent again on Thursday.
Pollard has been a reliable option in the Titans’ offense for much of the year. Despite a few down games the past few weeks, he’s on the verge of eclipsing 1,000 rushing yards (937) for the third consecutive season.
Without specifics on his injury, the assumption is he’s dealing with a low-grade sprain. But Pollard played in a game earlier this year after missing all of that week’s practice sessions, so his practice availability this week may not tell the whole story.
We are categorizing this as a Grade 1 injury, and we expect he will play in Week 15. His Injury Risk is High, and his Health Performance Factor is Above Average.
Trey McBride, TE, ARZ (knee)
Despite leading his team in receiving yards (by nearly 200), McBride has not caught a touchdown pass this season, a trend that is sure to change at some point. But it remains to be seen if he’ll have the opportunity this week.
McBride did not participate in Wednesday’s practice. He was, however, bumped up to limited on Thursday. Should that trend continue, he’ll log a full session on Friday. Should that trend not continue, he’ll likely be limited on Friday and carry a questionable tag heading into Sunday.
McBride is reportedly dealing with a knee injury, which likely means a minor ligament sprain or a bursa issue. In either case, there is still a strong possibility he plays this weekend, especially since Arizona is fighting to stay alive in the playoff race.
His Injury Risk is High, but his Health Performance Factor is Peak.
Malik Nabers, WR, NYG (hip)
Even though his two limited practice sessions this week don’t inspire much hope on paper, we expect Nabers to play in Week 15.
Returning to Week 14, he was limited in Thursday’s practice and sat out that Friday. However, he ultimately played in that week’s game against the New Orleans Saints, catching five passes for 79 yards.
Back to Week 15, he is still dealing with the same hip flexor issue, but it doesn’t appear his Week 14 availability slowed him down at all. Hip flexor strains are common injuries that hang around if not adequately rested. We frequently see players power through these, even if they aren’t 100 percent healthy.
While a full practice on Friday would help determine the state of his hip flexor and Week 15 status, Nabers being limited is a good enough sign things aren’t going in the wrong direction. His Injury Risk is Elevated, and his Health Performance Factor is Above Average.
Breece Hall, RB, NYJ (knee)
I applaud New York Jets fans for their resilience (or, according to some fans, it’s more of a numbness).
In a season littered with disappointment, the most recent blow came in the form of Hall suffering a knee injury in late November. Initially, there was optimism when he suited up for Week 13 against the Seahawks, but he missed Week 14 due to the injury and will likely miss Week 15 as well.
At this rate, shutting down Hall is likely the best course of action. Interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich said Hall was “struggling a little bit” in his recovery, which is obviously a bad sign. Beyond that, the Jets have already been eliminated from playoff contention, so there isn’t much benefit to risking Hall’s health.
Who is most “hamstrung”: George Pickens (WR, PIT), Mike Evans (WR, TB), Jaylen Waddle (WR, MIA) or David Njoku (TE, CLE)?
A few notable players popped up on the injury report this week with hamstring strains, so let’s look at their health and run down the list from best to worst.
Waddle is the only player on this list who participated in either Wednesday’s or Thursday’s practice. He was available for both, which is a great sign that the strain is minor, potentially even a Grade 0.5. In his case, the team is likely limiting reps to ensure the injury doesn’t worsen. There is a good chance he plays this week, but his Injury Risk will be High (this could drop to Elevated with a full practice on Friday).
David Njoku is ranked third on this list for several reasons. First, he does not have a history of hamstring strains. Second, the Cleveland Browns are reportedly considering him day-to-day, likely meaning enough positive indicators suggest he could be good to go. His Injury Risk is High, but his Health Performance Factor is Above Average.
George Pickens lands at No. 2 because he is the only player dealing with the injury prior to this week (he did not play in Week 14). What’s working in his favor is he, like Njoku, doesn’t have a history of hamstring issues. Pickens has not practiced yet this week, but Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said there is an “outside chance” he will play. We don’t expect he will. His Injury Risk is High, and his Health Performance Factor is Below Average. His Optimal Recovery Time is 14 days.
Mike Evans comes in at No. 1 (most “hamstrung”) on this list because of his lengthy history with injuries of this nature. He missed three games earlier this season with a hamstring strain and will likely miss a fourth this week. It’s no secret that hamstring strains can be highly recurring, and Evans is a perfect example. With each strain, more and more scar tissue builds up, increasing the chances of another one in the future. His Injury Risk is High, and his Health Performance Factor is Below Average. His Optimal Recovery Time is 21 days.
(Top photo of Kenneth Walker: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images)
