It’s tough to field a strong fantasy football lineup in Week 12 of the season when so many players have gone in and out with injuries. That’s the case in this 2024 Fantasy Football Week 12 injury report. We’re deep into the season, the weather is starting to turn cold in many places across the country, and injuries are a real concern.
Here’s the thing, though, we’re in the home stretch in the 2024 NFL Playoffs chase and that doubles as the home stretch for fantasy football owners as they look to solidify their rosters for a championship push. Which fantasy football favorites are on the injury lists ahead of Week 12 of the 2024 NFL season? Let’s take a look.
Josh Oliver, TE, MIN – Out (Ankle)
Josh Oliver is not a superstar name-recognition tight end, but he has caught 19 passes for 216 yards and three touchdowns this season, averaging 11.4 yards per catch. He’s an intriguing stash on your fantasy football bench who could come into play during the bye week for your main tight end, but Oliver is expected to be out in the Minnesota Vikings’ Week 12 matchup with the Chicago Bears due to an ankle injury.
Keenan Allen, WR, CHI – Questionable (Ankle)
Keenan Allen has 30 catches for 282 yards and two touchdowns this season. He’s third amongst rookie quarterback Caleb Williams’ favorite targets behind Rome Odunze, D.J. Moore and tight end Cole Kmet. The veteran wideout is a nice depth option, but he should be considered unplayable for fantasy football owners this week because he is questionable with an ankle injury.
D’Andre Swift, RB, CHI – Questionable (Groin)
D’Andre Swift is coming off a really nice game that saw him rush 14 times for 71 yards and a beautiful touchdown run against the Green Bay Packers. The Bears would have won that game had it not been for a blocked field goal at the end of the game, and Swift would have been a big reason for the victory. Swift didn’t practice on Wednesday but he was a limited participant on Thursday for the Bears. Swift says he’s expecting to play on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings, so we’ll have to wait and see.
Mike Evans, WR, TB – Questionable (Hamstring)
Mike Evans is officially listed as “questionable” on the injury report, but head coach Todd Bowles is expecting him to play as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers take on the New York Giants. They’ll be smart with him, but Evans will play.
“We’ll play him as long as he’s healthy and fresh. If he needs to be in there, he’ll be in there, but we’ll get him out when we have to,” Bowles said via ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Evans hasn’t played since he reaggravated his hamstring in Week 7 against the Baltimore Ravens, but the time off has been good to him. He practiced earlier this week, first as a limited participant but eventually as a full-go.
“This week definitely built my confidence, and last week going through all the conditioning,” said Evans, per the team website. “I feel really good. Like I said, I feel better than I did going into the Ravens game. I was a little hobbled going into that game. I probably should have sat that one out, but I always try to tough it through. This time off definitely helped me, so I’m confident going in.”
Malik Nabers, WR, NYG – Questionable (Groin)
Star wideout Malik Nabers missed Friday’s practice with a groin injury. The Giants are going head-on into the Tommy DeVito era after releasing Daniel Jones, but it’s going to be tough for the third-stringer-turned-starter if he doesn’t have the star rookie to throw to downfield. Nabers was the Giants’ sixth overall pick out of LSU. So far as a rookie, he’s caught 61 passes for 607 yards and three touchdowns.
JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, KC – Full Participant (Hamstring)
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JuJu Smith-Schuster is far from Patrick Mahomes’ favorite target, but part of that has been because the veteran wideout has been sidelined with a hamstring injury for much of this season. Smith-Schuster caught just one pass for eight yards in Kansas City’s tough loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 11. He was listed on the injury report earlier in the week with a hamstring but has since been deemed a full participant.
Alexander Mattison, Zamir White, RBs, LV – Doubtful (Ankle, Quadricep)
The Las Vegas Raiders are in a tough spot at running back heading into Week 12 with both Alexander Mattison and Zamir White listed as doubtful for their game against the Denver Broncos. Mattison leads the team in rushing with 320 yards and three touchdowns. He likely won’t play in this game due to an ankle injury, while his backup, Zamir White, will likely be out with a quadriceps injury. Ameer Abdullah, a 10-year pro out of Nebraska, could be an interesting fantasy football wavier wire pickup this weekend as he’ll get snaps for the Raiders.
DeVonta Smith, WR, PHI – Out (Hamstring)
DeVonta Smith has been ruled out of the Philadelphia Eagles’ Week 12 matchup with the Los Angeles Rams due to a hamstring injury. This will be just the third game of his four-year NFL career that he’s missed due to injury. Smith is Jalen Hurt’s favorite receiver this season. He’s caught 41-of-56 targets for 516 yards and four touchdowns.