Jalen Hurts, Damien Harris, Miles Sanders, Jordan Howard, and Myles Gaskin are all coming off byes, but their statuses could still be up in the air for Week 15. It's easy to forget these players are dealing with various injury and illness issues, but with the fantasy football playoffs here, owners need to have contingency plans ready. We have the latest updates below so you can adjust your waiver pickups as needed.
For more on ailing RBs Darrell Henderson, Jamaal Williams, D'Andre Swift, Elijah Mitchell, and Chase Edmonds, go here; for the latest on Darren Waller, Keenan Allen, T.J. Hockenson, Tyler Higbee, and Adam Thielen, click here; for updates on banged-up QBs Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, and Taylor Heinicke, click here; for injury info on Terry McLaurin, Kareem Hunt, Austin Ekeler, and more, go here; for the latest on Calvin Ridley and Michael Carter, go here. For all the latest fantasy news, follow us on Twitter @SN_Fantasy.
MORE WEEK 15: Top waiver pickups | FAAB budget planner
Jalen Hurts injury update
Hurts (ankle) missed Philadelphia's Week 13 games, but coach Nick Sirianni has already said Hurts will start against Washington in Week 15. There's no reason to overthink your start-or-sit decisions here -- Hurts regains his "must-start" status as long as he's on the field.
Washington has been one of the worst teams against fantasy QBs all year, so we like Hurts as our QB4 for Week 15.
WEEK 15 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide Receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Damien Harris injury update
UPDATE: Harris was a limited participant in Tuesday's practice.
Harris (hamstring) exited early in Week 13 against the Bills, and because the Pats were on bye last week, no updates were provided. We don't know much about the severity of the injury yet, but it is worth noting the Patriots face off with the Colts on Saturday, so there will be one less day to prepare.
Indianapolis is the No. 4 defense against fantasy RBs heading into Week 15, so this figures to be a tough spot for Harris. Since Rhamondre Stevenson is getting worked into the game plan more, Harris' ceiling is limited somewhat, too. That said, we rank Harris as the RB31 in standard and RB32 in PPR leagues. You're still probably starting him if he's playing, but beware of a potential letdown.
WEEK 15 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide Receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Miles Sanders injury update
Sanders (ankle) was banged up in Week 13 against the Jets, and he's in a similar situation as Harris. We don't know the severity of the injury, but the bye week surely helps. However, Jordan Howard (see below) might return from his knee injury, so it's tough to know what Sanders' workload would be.
On top of all that, Washington has quietly been a tough matchup for RBs (top 12), so we're not confident in Sanders and rank him outside an RB2 as the RB30 in standard and RB31 in PPR leagues.
Jordan Howard injury update
Howard (knee) missed both Weeks 12 and 13, but coach Nick Sirianni said last week he hopes Howard (knee) can play in Week 15. However, the same usage concerns we listed for Sanders (see above) apply to Howard, and it's tough to trust anyone in this backfield in Week 15.
We rank Howard as the RB36 in standard and RB37 in PPR leagues. He still has touchdown potential, but his floor is very low unless Sanders is out. If both backs are out, Boston Scott and Kenneth Gainwell would see more touches and have some low-end flex appeal.
Myles Gaskin COVID update
UPDATE: Phillip Lindsay was placed on the reserve/COVID list on Monday, so he's less likely to be available for Week 15. Duke Johnson is next in line for touches after Gaskin, Ahmed, and Lindsay.
Gaskin was placed on the reserve/COVID list late last week, but he's reportedly fully vaccinated, so there's a solid chance he can play against the Jets in Week 15.
The Jets are the worst team against fantasy RBs by far, so we rank Gaskin as the RB8 in standard and RB9 in PPR. In the first meeting between these teams, Gaskin totaled 96 yards on 25 touches and scored a receiving touchdown. If Gaskin were to miss time, Phillip Lindsay would likely start, as fellow backup Salvon Ahmed was also paced on the reserve/COVID list last week.