Fantasy Football Injury Updates: Alex Collins, Aaron Jones, Doug Martin, more affecting Week 13 RB rankings

Tony Fortier-Bensen

Fantasy Football Injury Updates: Alex Collins, Aaron Jones, Doug Martin, more affecting Week 13 RB rankings image

Running backs whose name starts with "A" did not fare well on injury reports on Wednesday, as Alex Collins, Adrian Peterson, and Ameer Abdullah made surprise appearances on Week 13 injury reports. The recent news (good or bad, depending on who you own) on Ty Montgomery and Aaron Jones has turned a clear Jamaal Williams-led Packers backfield into a possible three-headed monster. And as one NFC South running back (Devonta Freeman) comes back from a concussion, another one leaves (Doug Martin). Fantasy football start-or-sit chats are going to be full of RB-driven drama this week.

For updates on wide receivers and tight ends, like Robert Woods, Amari Cooper, Greg Olsen and more, go here.

Check back for updates throughout the week or follow us on Twitter @SN_Fantasy.

WEEK 13 RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker

Is Alex Collins playing in Week 13?

UPDATE: Collins returned to practice on Thursday.

Collins looked perfectly fine on Monday night, rushing for a team-high 60 yards and a touchdown. On Wednesday, it was a different story, as he missed practice due to a calf injury.

It's not clear if the injury is serious or if it's just a rest day, but it's worth keeping an eye on. Buck Allen and Danny Woodhead would benefit the most from Collins being out, and Allen even got a rushing touchdown last week. For now, fantasy owners can expect him to play against the Lions, but they should have a backup plan ready to go just in case.

Aaron Jones, Ty Montgomery injury updates

Jones made his first appearance on the practice field this week after suffering an MCL sprain in Week 10, which was expected to knock him out three-to-six weeks. On Wednesday, he was a limited participant in practice, and if he does well on Thursday, he could possibly play on Sunday against the Bucs.

As for Montgomery (ribs), he joined Jones in a "rehab group," where head coach Mike McCarthy will evaluate how they look and go from there. Montgomery hasn't practiced this week and has missed three straight games since he aggravated his rib injury. For now, his status for Week 13 is still unclear.

If one or the other comes back, it wouldn't be surprising if they take back their starting job over Williams, despite Williams doing extremely well in their absence. If both return, Williams could be the odd man out. For now, Williams is a solid RB2, but could fall into a flex play option if Montgomery or Jones come back this week. This is definitely a situation fantasy owners of all three will want to monitor all the way up until kickoff on Sunday.

WEEK 13 DFS:
Yahoo GPP lineup | Y! cash | DK cash DK GPP |
FD GPP | Values | Stacks | DFS  lineup builder

Doug Martin concussion update

Still in concussion protocol, Martin missed practice on Thursday.  

Not much news has come out regarding his status, but it doesn't appear that he'll be ready for this Sunday. Peyton Barber got the goal-line carries, scoring twice last week, but Jacquizz Rodgers handled most of the rushing duties. Rodgers is the safer bet this week, but Barber could break out as well.  Right now, we have Rodgers as our No. 24 RB and Barber as a outside flex play at No. 41 in our RB rankings.

Adrian Peterson injury update

UPDATE: Peterson practiced on Thursday.

Peterson (neck) hasn't practiced this week and is up in the air for Sunday's game against the Rams.

Since he became a Cardinal in Week 6, Peterson has had a mini-revival in the desert. He's coming off a 99-yard performance against Jacksonville last week, and he runs into a favorable matchup against the Rams, who his former teammate Alvin Kamara broke a 74-yard TD run last week. If Peterson is out Sunday, D.J. Foster would likely handle the majority of the rushing duties.

Ameer Abdullah injury news

Like Peterson, Abdullah was a surprise name on the Wednesday injury report, also citing a neck issue. He missed practice on both Wednesday and Thursday.

The Lions had an extended rest period after playing on Thanksgiving, so it's worrisome that this injury is still affecting him. It wasn't clear when it happened during the game, and fantasy owners should continue monitoring this situation. Theo Riddick would likely benefit the most, but Dwayne Washington, returning from a hip injury this week, would also receive a boost in value against the Ravens.

Matt Forte injury update

Ultimately, Forte (knee) played through the swelling last week, but he didn't look strong, posting 26 yards on 10 carries. On Wednesday, Forte sat out of practice., but he returned for a limited session on Thursday.

Since the Jets don't let Bilal Powell handle a majority role in the backfield, Elijah McGuire becomes a possible flex play if Forte doesn't play on Sunday. McGuire would take over Forte's role in splitting carries with Powell. Both would fall in the flex play role in our Week 13 RB rankings.

Tony Fortier-Bensen