Entering Week 13, several fantasy-relevant RBs, including Travis Etienne, Michael Carter, AJ Dillon, Elijah Mitchell, and Damien Harris are coming off games where they exited early. These RBs will likely pop up on their respective team's injury reports this week, muddying up their statuses. Their availability will undoubtedly affect Week 13 fantasy waiver pickups and RB rankings, so staying up to date on the most recent news is pivotal.
Below, we'll give you the latest news on these running backs and break down how their injuries could potentially affect the Week 13 fantasy landscape. For updates on ailing QBs Matthew Stafford and Justin Fields, click here; for news on banged-up WRs Jameson Williams, Mike Williams, Ja'Marr Chase, Romeo Doubs, Kadarius Toney, and Jerry Jeudy, go here; for news on injured RBs Joe Mixon, Leonard Fournette, JK Dobbins, and Raheem Mostert, click here; for more on the statuses of Aaron Rodgers, Darnell Mooney, and Jakobi Meyers, go here.
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WEEK 13 FANTASY: Top waiver pickups | FAAB planner
Travis Etienne injury update, Week 13 fantasy outlook
Etienne (foot) exited Jacksonville's 28-27 come-from-behind win over Baltimore in the second quarter and failed to return. Etienne was able to walk to the locker room under his own power and was later seen on the sidelines in pads. According to John Oehser of jaguars.com, head coach Doug Pederson later said, “We didn't rule him out. We thought he could go. It was my decision to keep him out, but we'll check him out tonight and have probably a better update tomorrow.”
Jacksonville took a cautious approach with Etienne, as there's a good chance he's back on the field this Sunday in Detroit. In Etienne's absence, backup JaMycal Hasty played on the majority of the snaps but was much more effective in the receiving game (five receptions, 67 yards, one TD), than in the running game (12 carries, 28 yards). With Etienne likely to return in Week 13, Hasty could be worth a speculative waiver wire add and bench stash for the coming weeks. Whichever RB gets the start is a sure-fire play against the Lions' porous run defense.
WEEK 13 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Michael Carter injury update, Week 13 fantasy outlook
UPDATE: Jets coach Robert Salah said Monday afternoon that Carter has a low-ankle sprain and is questionable for Week 13.
Carter exited the Jets' 31-10 win over the Bears early in the second half after suffering an ankle injury. According to Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic, head coach Robert Saleh said Carter has an ankle sprain.
Carter's Week 13 availability is already in doubt, and if he's unable to go against the Vikings, fellow RBs Zonovan Knight and Ty Johnson will assume a larger workload in the offense. Additionally, we'll see if James Robinson, who was a healthy scratch in Week 12, is activated. If he is, there's a decent chance he splits carries with Knight, but obviously, this situation is tough to predict. Knight is worthy of a waiver claim given he played on 48 percent of the Jets' offensive snaps and was effective in both the running (14 carries, 69 yards) and receiving game (three receptions, 34 yards). Minnesota ranks in the top half of the league in most FPPG allowed to RBs (21.2), so Knight has a chance to put up flex-worthy numbers.
WEEK 13 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
AJ Dillon injury update, Week 13 fantasy outlook
Dillon (foot/ankle) hopped to the sidelines during the fourth quarter of Green Bay's 40-33 loss to Philadelphia on Sunday night. Prior to the injury, Dillon was having his most effective fantasy performance since Week 1, rushing for 64 yards and a touchdown on eight carries while also hauling in three passes for 24 yards.
We'll see if Dillion is added to Green Bay's injury report come Wednesday, but with Aaron Rodgers (oblique) potentially out of the Packers' Week 13 bout with the Bears, Dillion could be in for a fairly large workload. Jordan Love was effective in Rodgers' absence but was forced into a more pass-heavy approach trailing by multiple scores in the fourth quarter. If Dillion can avoid the injury list, he could be a deeper league flex play.
Elijah Mitchell injury update, Week 13 fantasy outlook
Mitchell suffered a knee injury in the 49ers' 13-0 win over the Saints and was later ruled out of the game. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Mitchell potentially suffered another MCL sprain but will undergo more tests.
Mitchell's fantasy value was already plummeting after the addition of Christian McCaffery, but another MCL sprain likely takes away any value he had left. McCaffery played on 68 percent of the 49ers' offensive snaps on Sunday, with third-string RB Jordan Mason also playing on 13 percent of snaps. Should Mitchell miss Week 13, McCaffery's fantasy ceiling increases even more in a decent matchup against the Dolphins.
Damien Harris injury update, Week 13 fantasy outlook
UPDATE: Harris missed practiced on Monday.
Harris (thigh) exited New England's Week 12 loss to Minnesota in the third quarter and failed to return. According to Patriots' beat writer Chris Mason, Harris was on crutches in the locker room after the game.
With Harris likely to be hit with a "questionable" or even "doubtful" tag to open the week, he's trending in the wrong direction ahead of Week 13. Should Harris miss this Thursday's matchup against the Bills, Rhamondre Stevenson profiles as a must-start RB1.
