Mike Evans and Frank Gore are just the latest injured players who could cause some start ’em, sit ’em headaches for fantasy owners in Week 14. Evans missed Thursday’s practice with a hamstring injury after being limited coming off the Buccaneers’ Week 13 bye, and Gore is dealing with a concussion. With the fantasy playoffs here, owners will need to monitor the statuses of these two players going forward to ensure they’re ready to play.
For updates on injured RBs Christian McCaffrey, Josh Jacobs, Antonio Gibson, Joe Mixon, and D’Andre Swift, click here. For updates on banged-up pass-catchers Kenny Golladay, Jonnu Smith, Chris Godwin, D.J. Moore, and Curtis Samuel, click here. For all the latest fantasy updates, follow us on Twitter @SN_Fantasy.
WEEK 14 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Is Mike Evans playing this week?
According to Greg Auman of The Athletic, Evans (hamstring) wasn’t at Buccaneers practice on Thursday. Auman noted that Evans’ absence “could just be precautionary”, but this is certainly concerning considering that Evans has dealt with hamstring injuries at various times over the course of the last year.
Evans’ practice status will now become extremely important for his fantasy owners to watch. If Evans doesn’t see the field on Friday, he probably won’t play for the Buccaneers in a great matchup against the Vikings. That would certainly hurt his fantasy owners, but it could open up opportunities for other players to contribute.
If Evans can’t play on Sunday, Chris Godwin would see an increased workload and would be the team’s No. 1 receiver. Antonio Brown will also see a lot of work for the Buccaneers, while Scotty Miller and Tyler Johnson will operate as fringe options in deep leagues.
WEEK 14 FANTASY: Sleepers | Busts | Start ’em, sit ’em
Is Frank Gore playing this week?
Gore was able to carry the ball just once against the Raiders last week before he was knocked out of the game with a concussion. It looks like the veteran is going to miss Week 14 because of the injury.
According to Connor Hughes of The Athletic, Gore wasn’t at Jets practice on Wednesday. He would have to clear the NFL’s concussion protocol before Sunday to play, and that doesn’t seem likely at this point. The Jets are 0-12 anyway, so they won’t rush Gore back and will be happy to test out some of the other options they have at RB.
WEEK 14 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Ty Johnson would get the start for the Jets this week if Gore can’t play. Johnson ran for over 100 yards against the Raiders in Gore’s absence, and he should handle a bulk of the carries once again. However, in a tougher matchup with a good Seahawks defense, he’s nothing more than a lower-level RB3 that can be flexed if you need a safe option who is going to get touches.