Week 16 is here, and with it comes a lot more banged-up players. Aaron Jones, Frank Gore, and Tyler Boyd all suffered injuries that may sideline them for the final two weeks of the year; Matt Breida continues to aggravate an ankle injury that has plagued him since the first month of the season; and Todd Gurley left Sunday night's game for a brief period to ice his knee. Fantasy football owners need updates on the statuses of their top stars and their handcuffs), as there will be some tough waiver wire decisions and start 'em, sit 'em calls to make in fantasy football championships if any of these options miss time.
We'll have more updates on injuries as the week goes along, so keep checking back for the latest news. And for more fantasy analysis, follow us on Twitter (@SN_Fantasy).
Week 16 Rankings:
Quarterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End | D/ST | Kicker
Is Aaron Jones playing in Week 16?
Jones suffered a knee injury early in Week 15 against the Bears and was ruled out for the remainder of the game. According to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Jones believes that he suffered a sprained MCL in the game, the same injury that he suffered against the Bears last year. For the moment, this is just what Jones thinks, and it's unclear if that is the actual injury is.
Regardless of that fact, the Packers are out of playoff contention and MCL sprains typically take about two weeks to heal (depending on the severity of the injury). With that said, it seems possible that Jones could be held out for the rest of the season as a precaution. If that happens, Jamaal Williams will take over as the lead back. Williams fared well against the Bears, and if he keeps getting a high volume of carries against the Jets, he should have a great game. Williams is a top waiver wire pickup as a result, so make sure to grab him if you need RB depth.
WEEK 16 PPR RANKINGS: Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end
Is Frank Gore playing Week 16?
UPDATE: According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Gore is "not expected to play again this season." Ballage and Drake will control the backfield with Gore out.
Gore suffered a foot sprain against the Vikings and ended up getting carted to the locker room. According to ProFootballTalk, X-rays on Gore's foot came up negative, but he will be having an MRI to determine the extent of the damage. Either way, things aren't looking great for the venerable veteran, and his status for the final two games is questionable.
With Gore potentially out for Week 16, it seems that Kalen Ballage will get a chance to function as the lead back. He out-touched Kenyan Drake by a wide margin after Gore's injury last week and had a nice 75-yard TD run against a tough Vikings defense. His matchup against the Jaguars won't be easy, but the Arizona State product should have a chance for another TD, at the very least. He's worth adding and using as a FLEX depending on the news surrounding Gore's balky foot.
MORE WEEK 16: Waiver wire pickups | RB handcuff chart
Todd Gurley injury update
UPDATE: Gurley is getting his knee checked out this week. It seems that he is still likely to suit up.
Gurley gave fantasy owners a scare on Sunday night against the Eagles, as he missed some action in the second half with a knee injury. He was seen with a wrap on the sideline, and there were some concerns about his overall health as a result.
However, Gurley did return to the game for the stretch run for the Rams. He looked a step slower than normal, but the fact that he was able to return is a good sign. Gurley's status will be monitored throughout the week, but for the moment, it doesn't seem like he's in any danger of missing his Week 16 matchup with the Cardinals.
WEEK 16 DFS CASH LINEUPS: Yahoo | FanDuel | DraftKings
Matt Breida injury update
Once again, Breida suffered an aggravation of an ankle injury in Week 15 against the Seahawks. Breida seemingly suffers an aggravation of the ankle injury, which he has been dealing with since early in the season, every week.
With the 49ers out of playoff contention, Breida may not play in the final two weeks. He certainly will try to play -- after all, he has only missed one full game this year -- but in a matchup with the Bears, he's not a recommended fantasy start even if he's active. We'll keep an eye on Breida moving forward, but start thinking about other options at the position, including Breida's handcuff Jeff Wilson Jr. Here's a look at our Week 16 RB rankings to help you out with that.
Tyler Boyd injury news
Boyd was ruled out for the second half against the Raiders after suffering a knee injury. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Boyd suffered a low-grade MCL sprain and may miss some time. Rapoport went as far as saying that could be it for Boyd's 2018 season.
With the Bengals having little to play for but pride, putting Boyd on the shelf makes sense. They won't try to rush him back for a meaningless Week 16 matchup with the Browns if he isn't 100 percent. For now, we still have Boyd included in our Week 16 WR rankings, but we'll be keeping an eye on him and will be ready to bump John Ross up in the rankings if he ends up being the Bengals' new No. 1 receiver.
