The top five NFL injuries and contingency plans for Week 13

Green Bay Packers WR Romeo Doubs (concussion) vs. Miami Dolphins
Date/Time: Thursday, 8:20 PM EST
Green Bay Packers X-wide receiver Romeo Doubs has been ruled out of the Week 13 game against the Miami Dolphins due to a concussion that occurred in Week 12. He wasn’t able to practice all week, although his schedule was shortened given Thursday night football’s turnaround. Green Bay wingers Dontayvion Wicks, Bo Melton and Malik Heath provide a correspondingly lower level of flexibility, but defensive end Tucker Kraft could also benefit from Doubs’ absence.

Miami will be without sophomore perimeter defender Kendall Fuller (concussion), guard Anthony Walker Jr. (hamstring) and reserve Tyus Bowser (knee/calf).

Miami strangely waived safety Marcus Maye this week after making him inactive in Weeks 10-12. According to ProFootballFocus, Maye was the primary and most effective tight end defender among Miami linebackers and linebackers, forcing pass incompletions at an 18.2% rate while allowing 0.16 yards per coverage snap and zero explosive passes in qualifying snaps. Walker now runs the linebacker and safety corps in short coverage moments, leaving the team undermanned, although newly signed linebacker Tyrel Dodson has plenty of potential. Kraft is TE1 with a flexible appearance.

Wicks will face Fuller’s backup, undrafted free agent rookie defenseman Storm Duck, in a few snaps. He can be started as a positive shifty WR3/4. Melton and Heath are WR6s dependent on explosive pass rushers in the re-draft who deserve WR3 consideration in single-game DFS tournaments.

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Los Angeles Chargers TE Will Dissly (groin) and RB JK Dobbins (MCL sprain) @ Atlanta Falcons
Date/Time: Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
Will Dissly appeared on Wednesday’s injury report with a groin injury. He is a mid-to-high TE1 if active against the Atlanta Falcons’ zone coverage scheme and even requires flexibility consideration. Los Angeles placed Tough backup Hayden Hurst (hip) will be on injured reserve on Monday, leaving Tucker Fisk and Stone Smartt as Dissly’s backups. If Dissly is unable to play on Sunday, rookie Kimani Vidal could be given a fantasy-friendly target to act as a short-range receiving weapon.

Atlanta’s tight end coverage unit allows the 10th-most points (EPA) in expected points added per game (0.093) and a league-high 76.8% capture rate. Smartt guarantees DFS consideration if Dissly is inactive.

Atlanta predominantly uses zone coverage rather than man coverage. Dissly’s target rate of 32.7%, 36 targets, and 2.96 yards per route run (YPRR) against zone coverage ranks at least seventh among NFL tight ends.

Los Angeles made Vidal inactive on game day since backup defenseman Gus Edwards returned from injured reserve in Week 10, but starter J.K. Dobbins Week 12 MCL sprain potentially puts Vidal in the role of transmitter. Vidal has averaged 1.63 YPRR per 33 snaps received this year, and Atlanta’s back coverage unit is allowing the ninth-highest catch rate (74.9 percent) while ranking 14th in EPA allowed per game (0.028). .

Indianapolis Colts WRs Josh Downs (shoulder) and Alec Pierce (foot), Indianapolis Colts @ New England Patriots
Date/Time: Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
Reports differ as to whether Indianapolis Colts goaltender Josh Downs (arm) and winger Alec Pierce (foot) suffered serious injuries in Week 12. None of the players practiced further Wednesday and Thursday, as did rotation winger Ashton Dulin (ankle). Downs and Pierce apparently he didn’t even dress for Thursday’s practice and instead watched from the sidelines in street clothes. These changes increase the target share potential for volatile #1 Winger Michael Pittman Jr. and rookie speedster Adonai Mitchell against the New England Patriots

Among NFL teams in Weeks 8-12, New England’s wide receiver unit ranks 19th in EPA allowed per play (.082), 18th in pass rush rate allowed (15.3 percent) and 21st in yards allowed per snap (6.81). New England achieved these mid-to-low wing coverage scores despite facing only one NFL wing corps ranking in the top half of the league in EPA per game; 16th-ranked Los Angeles Rams wingers (0.069).

Pittman is the WR3 at this point and should be aiming for double-digit targets. Mitchell is a high-flex option who should see more than six targets. His 27.5% deep target percentage ranks 16th among 114 NFL wide receivers with at least 145 receiving snaps.

New York Jets RB Breece Hall (knee) vs. Seattle Seahawks
Date/Time: Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
New York Jets No. 1 Returns to Breece Hallhe sprained his knee” in Week 11 before feeling sore following the team’s Week 12 bye, according to ESPN’s Rich Cimini. Hall did not participate in Wednesday’s practice but did participate in ‘agility exercises and positional exercises“on Thursday. Fantasy managers need to be patient as they wait to see how Hall’s sore knee responds. Interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich is reportedly “still hopeful” that Hall will face the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, though that ambiguity could disturbingly be read as obfuscation. Hall underwent anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction and meniscal trimming in 2022. Fantasy managers should add No. 2 running back Braelon Allen immediately if possible.

Since Seattle’s Week 10 bye, the Seahawks defense ranks 11th in EPA average tackle depth (-0.244) and 15th in average tackle depth (3.79), but ranks 24th in average yards before contact ( 1.5) and 26th in terms of explosives, running play allowed rate (14.7%).

Over that span, Seattle’s running back unit ranks 20th in catch rate allowed (76.0 percent), but seventh in yards allowed per snap (5.69).

Allen has proven to be a capable, if still developing, dual-threat player. Among the 51 NFL running backs with at least 60 rushing attempts, the 6-foot-1, 235-pound Allen ranks 27th in contact yards after rushing attempt (3.0), 17th in pass rush rate (16 .1%) and fifth in first down and/or touchdown conversion rate (27.4%). Among the 57 NFL running backs who have received at least 75 snaps, Allen ranks 17th in target rate (19.5%) and 31st in YPRR (1.05).

Allen is a low-end RB2 if he gets the start.

Washington Commanders RB Brian Robinson (ankle) and Austin Ekeler (concussion) vs. Tennessee Titans
Date/Time: Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
Washington’s No. 1 running backs and No. 2 running backs Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler were injured in Week 12. Robinson sprained his right ankle, while Ekeler suffered a concussion. This is Ekeler’s second concussion of 2024 and the fourth reported in his career. According to a doctor of physical therapy (DPT) Jeff MuellerThe mechanism of Robinson’s injury suggests that he suffered an inversion (low) ankle sprain. Robinson later confirmed this, eloquent reporters did not suffer a sprained ankle. Robinson is on track to play in Week 13 after Wednesday’s limited practice. Ekeler seems unlikely to play, elevating No. 3 Jeremy McNichols to a pace-changing and passing role. North-south running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. was significantly promoted from the practice squad to the active roster earlier this week.

McNichols played 2 of 7 positional snaps at third, fourth and long and 3 of 3 positional snaps in the two-minute drill, and Ekeler was sidelined with his first concussion of 2024 in Week 4. He was on the field for 26 years totaling 71 offensive snaps, passing the ball eight times (27.6% positional run share), and scoring just one goal.

McNichols has been running efficiently this season, leading Washington running backs in rushing yards per attempt (4.9). His 0.18 missed tackles forced per rushing attempt ranks second. McNichols will likely have access to a part-time passer role, particularly in fantasy-friendly two-minute drills, but he has been remarkably ineffective in receiving targets this season, ranking last in target rate (2.7 percent) among 62 NFL running backs with every at least 70 snap receptions.

The Tennessee Titans’ defense ranks fourth in EPA allowed per game (-0.174) and its defensive unit ranks 13th (0.028).

McNichols could benefit from Washington’s 5.5-point status favorite house but this is not a soft fight. Fantasy managers should consider McNichols as a touchdown-dependent flex option, likely limited to 10 touches. Robinson is an RB2 if active.