Week 10 sees a surprisingly quiet RB injury report for fantasy football managers, with just two players listed as questionable at the position. Let’s take a look at the latest injury updates from around the NFL and the fantasy implications of the news.
What are the latest updates for Ezekiel Elliott, Jerick McKinnon, and J.D. McKissic, and what do the absences of Deon Jackson, Malcolm Brown, and Mark Ingram mean for the other fantasy options in their respective backfields?
RB Injury Report Heading into Week 10
Ezekiel Elliott, RB | Knee (Questionable)
After being limited at practice all week, Ezekiel Elliott was listed as questionable on the Dallas Cowboys’ final injury report with a knee injury. According to a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Cowboys’ final team practice on Saturday will be “key” in terms of Zeke’s availability on Sunday.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones suggested that had there not been a bye in Week 9, Elliott might have played in Week 8. However, with the Cowboys having a bigger picture to consider than this game in Week 10, it might make sense to let Elliott sit through another week before having him return when he is closer to being fully healthy.
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With Elliott out in Week 8, Tony Pollard was the biggest beneficiary. He took his 14 rushing attempts for 131 yards and three touchdowns. He also added 16 receiving yards on a single reception. That meant he finished with 33.2 fantasy points in half-PPR scoring. In that one game, Pollard scored more than a third of his total fantasy points so far this season.
If Elliott were to miss the game, Pollard would be a starting option in all leagues. He currently ranks as the RB19 in half-PPR and the RB18 in PPR in Tommy Garrett’s RB Fantasy Football Rankings. Even if Elliott were to be active, he would likely be limited.
Therefore, even if Zeke returns, Pollard will still retain borderline starting value in most league sizes. Pollard’s big play ability would make him an intriguing Best Ball target on Underdog Fantasy, regardless of Zeke’s status.
There is enough upside in the matchup for both Pollard and Elliott to have value. However, it would be tough to trust Zeke without any knowledge of the role he might play. In 12-team leagues, it might be best to look elsewhere, but in 14-team leagues and deeper, it will be hard to find enough viable options to justify sitting Elliott.
Jerick McKinnon, RB | Shoulder/Knee/Hamstring (Questionable)
While Jerick McKinnon has been on the Kansas City Chiefs injury report all week, he had been a full participant in the first two days. However, he was downgraded to a limited participant on Friday, as he was listed with a trio of shoulder, knee, and hamstring injuries.
Injury downgrades can be very hard to judge, especially when we don’t get another report before game time. We have no real insight into the true severity of the injury, making it tough to know McKinnon’s status right now.
The significance of this is also hard to decipher. While McKinnon played 62% of the Chiefs’ offensive snaps in Week 9, he only had three rushing attempts for four yards. The majority of his fantasy value came thanks to 40 receiving yards on six receptions from eight targets. Even then, outside of PPR formats, he did not provide significant starting value.
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The bigger potential impact could be on the value of Clyde Edwards-Hilaire and Isiah Pacheco. Edwards-Helaire played 17% of the offensive snaps, with Pacheco at 22%. All three of the backs saw work in the rushing and receiving game. While McKinnon dominated the targets, CEH and Pacheco both had at least one target, as they split three between them. CEH and Pacheco also had nine rushing attempts between them.
We could easily see any work McKinnon vacates if he is ruled out split between the two others, making it tough to trust either in fantasy lineups. That is reflected by the trio ranking back-to-back-to-back at RB38, 39, and 40 in Garrett’s RB Fantasy Football Rankings.
J.D. McKissic, WAS | Neck (Non-Participant)
Having been a non-participant through the first two days of practice for the Washington Commanders, it seems as though McKissic will be inactive again this week. His role has been marginalized in the Commanders’ offense in recent weeks, so the fantasy impact of his injury is relatively limited.
Deon Jackson, IND | Knee (Out)
We saw Deon Jackson leave the Indianapolis Colts Week 10 game with a knee injury. While he managed to return to the game, he was absent for almost the entirety of the fourth quarter. Jackson was then held out of practice throughout Week 10 before being listed as out for this week.
From a fantasy value standpoint, there’s little impact. The return of Jonathan Taylor this week would’ve left Jackson in a very limited role. Jackson remains the handcuff for Taylor, assuming he can get healthy, but he has little to no value when Taylor is healthy.
Malcolm Brown, LAR | Hamstring (Out)
The situation for the Los Angeles Rams is almost as confusing as the one in Kansas City. Brown being out will likely not provide much clarity, as rookie Kyren Williams is expected to be activated from IR. Brown’s absence does not shift things significantly, as the veteran had such limited fantasy value anyway.
Mark Ingram, NO | Knee (Out)
The situation with Mark Ingram is very similar to Jackson’s. For as long as Alvin Kamara is active, Ingram has very limited fantasy value, so his absence has little significance for fantasy managers. Dwayne Washington sees a slight increase in value, but not a significant one.
MORE: Fantasy WR Start ’em Sit ’em Week 10
Which RBs Were Cleared From the Injury Report This Week?
- Aaron Jones, GB | Ankle
- D’Andre Swift, DET | Ankle/Shoulder
- Dameon Pierce, HOU | Chest/Shoulder
- Jonathan Taylor, IND | Ankle
