Sit Start Injury Report Sunday Morning Week 18 2021

Every fantasy manager knows that injuries can have a huge impact on a fantasy team's performance.

That makes properly navigating each week's injury report a must. To assist in this effort, this weekly article series will analyze the fantasy football impact of the Friday and Saturday injury reports.

The injured players are noted by player position and then their injury status. Out means the player has been ruled out of this week's contest. Doubtful means the player is very unlikely to start. Questionable indicates the player might start. Start likelihood is increased if a player has participated in practices that week, so practice participation levels are frequently noted in these posts.

Let's look at the Week 18 injury report. The initial edition of this article is generated following the league's Friday injury report. It is then updated on Saturday night with any injury changes that have been posted since the Friday update.
 

Carolina at Tampa Bay

Carolina injuries

Questionable
WR Robby Anderson

COVID
CB Stephon Gilmore

If fantasy managers needed another reason to bench Robby Anderson, this questionable gives them one.

Tampa Bay injuries

Out
LB Shaquil Barrett
RB Ronald Jones
LB Jason Pierre-Paul

Doubtful
CB Richard Sherman

Questionable
C Ryan Jensen

The Panthers offense is abysmal right now that the Buccaneers D/ST is still a strong start candidate even with these injuries. Ke'Shawn Vaughn and Le'Veon Bell are likely to be a platoon this week in the absence of Ronald Jones, so consider each of them flex candidates.

Chicago at Minnesota

Chicago injuries

Out
DT Akiem Hicks

Questionable
DT Eddie Goldman
LB Robert Quinn
CB Duke Shelley

COVID
QB Justin Fields
Andy Dalton will get the start in place of Fields this week, but only has potential start value in deeper 2QB leagues. The defensive line injuries add even more upside to Dalvin Cook's RB1 profile.

Minnesota injuries

Doubtful
DT Michael Pierce

Questionable
CB Mackensie Alexander
CB Kris Boyd

COVID
LB Eric Kendricks

The potential for missing offensive linemen is a negative, but the Bears are missing some defensive linemen and therefore Cook is at his usual impact start status.

Saturday night update: Christian Darrisaw and Ezra Cleveland were both activated off the COVID list.

Cincinnati at Cleveland

Cincinnati injuries

Out
QB Joe Burrow

Questionable
DE Sam Hubbard
K Evan McPherson
TE C.J. Uzomah

COVID
DT Larry Ogunjobi
RB Joe Mixon
S Vonn Bell
DE Trey Hendrickson
C Trey Hopkins
G Quinton Spain

The Bengals have already indicated that Burrow is not likely to play this week and the only reason Cincinnati may consider putting Ja'Marr Chase out there is to get the 12 yards he needs to set a new Bengals single season record for receiving yards. This is a week no fantasy manager should want a Cincinnati player anywhere near their starting lineup.

Cleveland injuries

Questionable
S Ronnie Harrison
CB Troy Hill
RB Kareem Hunt
S John Johnson
TE David Njoku
CB Denzel Ward
CB Greedy Williams

COVID
DT Malik Jackson
CB Denzel Ward

With Baker Mayfield being placed on injured reserve, the slew of injuries, and the Browns obviously wanting to just get this season over with, fantasy managers should not want any Cleveland players in their starting lineups this week.

Saturday night update: D'Ernest Johnson was activated off the COVID list, but he's not a fantasy factor. Denzel Ward was added to the COVID list and will miss this game.

Green Bay at Detroit

Green Bay injuries

Out
CB Jaire Alexander
DE Kingsley Keke

Questionable
T David Bakhtiari
LB De'Vondre Campbell
RB Aaron Jones

COVID
T Billy Turner

The Packers may send Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the starting offense out there for a drive or two just to try to keep the momentum going before headed into a bye week, but that minimal amount of playing time simply isn't enough to justify putting Packers players into lineups in most leagues.

Detroit injuries

Questionable
DE Michael Brockers
QB Jared Goff
G Jonah Jackson
LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin
WR Josh Reynolds
TE Brock Wright

COVID
LB Austin Bryant

The offensive line issues and D'Andre Swift's subpar numbers last week probably make him best suited for flex duty this week.

Saturday night update: Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell were both activated off the COVID list, so Swift can be considered a RB2.

Indianapolis at Jacksonville

Indianapolis injuries

Out
CB Xavier Rhodes

Questionable
DT DeForest Buckner

COVID
S Andrew Sendejo

It really doesn't matter if the Colts end up missing all the defensive players listed above, as there isn't a Jacksonville fantasy prospect worth putting into starting lineups this week.

Jacksonville injuries

Out
TE James O'Shaughnessy

COVID
S Andrew Wingard
T Cam Robinson
S Rudy Ford
C Brandon Linder

The potential for missing two starting offensive linemen adds even more justification for fantasy managers to avoid all Jaguars players.

Los Angeles Chargers at Las Vegas

Los Angeles injuries

Questionable
LB Drue Tranquill

The Chargers have no notable injuries.
Las Vegas injuries
Questionable

DT Johnathan Hankins
CB Casey Hayward
RB Josh Jacobs
TE Darren Waller

Jacobs did have limited practices all week, so he does look on track to play. Waller is much more of a question mark due to having dealt with injury and COVID issues of late, so fantasy managers would do well to strongly consider other prospects before committing Waller to a lineup in a Sunday night matchup.

New England at Miami

New England injuries

Out
S Kyle Duggar
LB Dont'a Hightower

Questionable
C David Andrews
K Nick Folk
RB Damien Harris
WR Jakobi Meyers
S Adrian Phillips
T Isaiah Wynn

COVID
CB Myles Bryant
T Yodny Cajuste

Harris and Meyers both had limited practices all week and therefore look to be primed to play in a game that the Patriots will go all out to win.

Miami injuries

COVID
CB Noah Igbinoghene

The Dolphins have no notable injuries.

New Orleans at Atlanta

New Orleans injuries

Out
T Terron Armstead
CB Bradley Roby
CB P.J. Williams

Questionable
DE Marcus Davenport
RB Mark Ingram
T Ryan Ramczyk

It won't help Alvin Kamara's prospects to not have Armstead in the lineup (Ramczyk is likely to play), but the Falcons rush defense has been so bad of late that Kamara rates as a strong RB1 regardless.

Atlanta injuries

Questionable
TE Kyle Pitts

Pitts will likely play, as he is not that far from setting the record for receiving yards for a tight end. If that happens, Pitts will rate as a solid TE1.

New York Jets at Buffalo

New York injuries

Doubtful
WR Braxton Berrios

It's a shame that fantasy managers won't be able to put Berrios into lineups in Week 18, as he posted 40.7 points over the past two weeks, but the doubtful status pretty much confirms Berrios won't be playing this week.

Buffalo injuries

Doubtful
WR Emmanuel Sanders

Gabriel Davis will take Sanders' place in the Bills starting lineup and is a risky WR3 with a solid ceiling versus a bad Jets secondary.

Pittsburgh at Baltimore

Pittsburgh injuries

Out
DE Isaiah Buggs

COVID
WR James Washington

The Steelers D/ST has posted 15+ points in two of the past four weeks, but also tallied negative points in the other two weeks. Losing Haden, who will be out for this game, won't help matters, so rate that platoon as a risky start prospect at best.

Saturday night update: Joe Haden and Kendrick Green were activated off the COVID list, so the Steelers D/ST has less risk than it did with Haden out. James Washington was added to the COVID list and he will miss this game.

Baltimore injuries

Out
CB Anthony Averett
QB Lamar Jackson

Doubtful
LB Odafe Oweh

Questionable
G Ben Cleveland
WR Devin Duvernay
G Ben Powers

Tyler Huntley will start for Jackson. Huntley has posted one strong game, one solid game, and one weak game while filling in for Jackson, so rate him as a solid prospect with a high ceiling if all goes well against an inconsistent Steelers defense. The absence of Averett does improve Chase Claypool's chances of posting a good fantasy point total.

San Francisco at Los Angeles Rams

San Francisco injuries

Questionable
LB Azeez Al-Shaair
QB Jimmy Garoppolo
LB Dre Greenlaw
DT Maurice Hurst
S Jaquiski Tartt
T Trent Williams

COVID
CB Deommodore Lenoir

Garoppolo is going to get the start this week. The slew of defensive injuries, especially in the secondary, gives the Rams passing game a very high percentage chance of reaching a vaulted production ceiling in this one.

Saturday night update: Dontae Johnson, Jimmie Ward, and K'Waun Williams were all activated off the COVID list, so the Rams passing game may not have quite as high of a ceiling as it did when those players were out.

Los Angeles injuries

The Rams have no notable injuries.
Seattle at Arizona
Seattle injuries
Out
T Brandon Shell
LB Bobby Wagner

Questionable
TE Will Dissly
LB Carlos Dunlap
G Gabe Jackson

COVID
S Ryan Neal

The offensive line injuries are a bit of a concern for fantasy managers wishing to start Seahawks players, but it isn't enough on its own to move those players out of starting lineups.

Arizona injuries

Out
RB Chase Edmonds
WR Rondale Moore
DE Jordan Phillips
CB Marco Wilson

Questionable
DE Zach Allen
RB James Conner

COVID
DT Zach Kerr
LB Tanner Vallejo

Edmonds' absence makes Conner a solid RB1 candidate as long as the questionable status doesn't make Conner inactive. If Conner is out, Eno Benjamin is the next man up but would be considered a viable RB2 at best. Wilson's absence improves the odds for DK Metcalf to post another strong point total.

Tennessee at Houston

Tennessee injuries

Out
DT Teair Tart

The Titans have no notable injuries.

Saturday night update: Derrick Henry was not activated on Saturday so he will not be available for this contest. Tennessee also waived Jeremy McNichols, which could send a bit more workload to D'Onta Foreman and Dontrell Hilliard.

Houston injuries
Questionable
TE Jordan Akins
WR Chris Conley

COVID
S Justin Reid

The Texans have no notable injuries.

Washington at New York Giants

Washington injuries

Out
WR Curtis Samuel
TE Ricky Seals-Jones
DE Montez Sweat

COVID
CB William Jackson III

The most important part of Washington's injury report is that Antonio Gibson did not show up on it.

New York injuries

Out
QB Mike Glennon
WR John Ross
WR Kadarius Toney

Questionable
FB Cullen Gillaspia
G Will Hernandez

The Giants offense has been so abysmal that none of their players should be afforded any start consideration outside of Saquon Barkley, who is best viewed as a RB2/flex. The state of this platoon does make the Washington D/ST a viable start candidate.