Fantasy Football Injury Updates: Joe Flacco, Mitchell Trubisky, Jimmy Graham, more impact Week 13 start-sit decisions

Jacob Camenker

Fantasy Football Injury Updates: Joe Flacco, Mitchell Trubisky, Jimmy Graham, more impact Week 13 start-sit decisions image

Joe Flacco, Mitchell Trubisky, and Sam Darnold are key QBs all trying to return from injuries soon, and there are several important banged-up TEs, including Jimmy Graham, Evan Engram, and Vance McDonald. These injuries could have a big impact key Week 13 fantasy start 'em, sit 'em decisions as owners look to secure spots in the fantasy playoffs.

We'll keep you updated on all the big injuries ahead of this week's games. For more on banged-up WRs, including A.J. Green and Stefon Diggs, go here; for more on injured RBs, including Melvin Gordon, Gus Edwards, and Kerryon Johnson, check here. Follow us on Twitter (@SN_Fantasy) for more advice and updates.

Week 13 Rankings:
Quarterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End | D/ST | Kicker

Joe Flacco injury update

Flacco (hip) returned to practice on Thursday. This is big news, and though Lamar Jackson is going to be starting in Week 13, the Ravens will have a decision to make about their starting quarterback as soon as Week 14.

If both Jackson and Flacco are healthy, it's unclear who the Ravens will start. Jackson has logged two wins against weaker teams with Flacco out, so it may be tough to bench him if he wins against the Falcons. That said, a loss could put everything on the table for Baltimore, so Flacco's status for Week 14 will have to be closely monitored.

It's also worth noting that if Flacco is in the game, the Ravens downfield receiving weapons would get a boost in fantasy formats. If he isn't, the running game will likely dominate most of the touches. Ultimately, Jackson will start in Week 13, but if you're rolling with Jackson as your top QB or backup, just be ready to replace him if Flacco is reintroduced to the starting lineup next week.

MORE WEEK 13 DFS: Values | Stacks | Lineup Builder

Is Mitchell Trubisky playing Week 13?

Trubisky missed the Bears' Thanksgiving game on a short week after suffering a shoulder injury in his previous outing. It was always expected that he would just miss the one game, but now it appears that Trubisky is going to be out for another week.

According to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, the Bears are planning on sitting Trubisky this week against the Giants. Garafolo noted that the team "wants to play it safe", This is a smart move, as the team shouldn't risk the overall health of their starting QB, and should have a chance to beat the Giants even without him.

With Trubisky out, Chase Daniel will make a second consecutive start. Daniel looked good in relief of Trubisky on Thanksgiving, and if he can keep the offense operational against the Giants, the Bears should still have a chance to win. At the very least, Daniel's inclusion in the lineup doesn't have a massive impact on the Bears' receiving weapons. From a fantasy standpoint, this is essentially a lateral move that might be a slight downgrade at the very worst.

WEEK 13 DFS CASH LINEUPS: Yahoo | FanDuel | DraftKings

Jimmy Graham injury update

According to Wes Hodkiewicz of Packers.com, Graham participated in practice on Thursday after missing Wednesday's session with knee and thumb injuries. Graham is still dealing with the effects of a broken thumb, and he has to wear a pretty hefty wrap on his thumb, as pointed out by ESPN's Rob Demovsky. So, while he's practicing, he still isn't fully healthy.

Right now, it seems like Graham will still be suiting up for the Packers this Sunday. That said, it's hard to trust him as a starting TE, as he only logged 22 snaps last week and he didn't see any targets until the very end of the game. For that reason, we have Graham listed as a TE2 in our Week 13 TE rankings, so start him at your own risk as long as his thumb remains an issue.

WEEK 13 DFS GPP LINEUPS: Yahoo | FanDuel | DraftKings

Is Sam Darnold playing Week 13?

Sam Darnold returned to practice for the first time since Week 9 on Wednesday, per Greg Joyce of the New York Post. This is a good sign for him as he looks to get back on the field. He also indicated that he was "hopeful" he could get back on the field this week, but he's likely to be questionable.

Darnold's return will mean something for teams in two-QB leagues, but aside from that, his return doesn't have a huge impact on any fantasy owners. The Jets lack offensive weaponry, so the bigger news that if Darnold returns, the defenses playing against the Jets will get a chance to play against a rookie QB. That could create some new streaming options, so that's the major development here.

WEEK 13 PPR RANKINGS: Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end

Evan Engram injury news

Engram missed practice on Thursday, per Dan Duggan of The Athletic. Engram suffered a hamstring injury in pregame warmups last week, and while he was expected to have a chance at recovering before Sunday's game, it seems more likely that he will have to miss another outing.

In Engram's stead, Rhett Ellison will take over as the top tight end for the Giants. However, in a tough matchup with the Bears, he can't be trusted as anything more than a low-level streaming option. Expect targets to be funneled to Odell Beckham Jr. and Sterling Shepard instead.

MORE WEEK 13: Waiver wire pickups | RB handcuff chart

Vance McDonald injury update

McDonald missed practice on Wednesday with a hip injury that he suffered against the Broncos last week. His status moving forward will be determined by how much, if at all, he is able to practice on Thursday and Friday.

If McDonald has to miss time, Jesse James will take over as the top TE in the Steelers offense. He would instantly be a potential streaming option, but the target share he would see might render him a TD-dependent option. Taking over James' role as the TE2 would be Xavier Grimble, but he still wouldn't be a fantasy-relevant option (although he almost caught a TD last week).

Jacob Camenker

Jacob Camenker Photo

Jacob Camenker first joined The Sporting News as a fantasy football intern in 2018 after his graduation from UMass. He became a full-time employee with TSN in 2021 and now serves as a senior content producer with a particular focus on the NFL. Jacob worked at NBC Sports Boston as a content producer from 2019 to 2021. He is an avid fan of the NFL Draft and ranked 10th in FantasyPros’ Mock Draft Accuracy metric in both 2021 and 2022.