NFL Injury Report Friday Updates: Flacco Trending Up, Kyler a Mystery

This article is part of our Injury Analysis series.

Injury hotspots for Week 9 include Carolina's offensive line, the Giants' secondary and Tennessee's defense.

Below you'll find four different categories, with our lists including key offensive linemen and defensive players whose absences might impact fantasy decisions. The bottom section, for potential game-day decisions, is sorted by kickoff times. It can be used as a checklist/cheatsheet for Sunday morning and afternoon when inactives come out and we need to adjust lineups. Before we get to the 'questionable' players, let's see who's definitely in and who's definitely out...

Good to Go 💯

• QB Jayden Daniels (hamstring)
• QB Bryce Young (ankle)
• QB Michael Penix (knee)
• RB Woody Marks (calf)
• RB Josh Jacobs (calf)
• RB Tony Pollard (neck)
• RB Tyler Allgeier (knee)
• RB Devin Neal (ankle)
• WRs Nico Collins (head) & Christian Kirk (hamstring)
• WRs Drake London (hip) & Darnell Mooney (hamstring)
• WRs Rome Odunze (heel), DJ Moore (hip) & Olamide Zaccheaus (knee)
• WR Puka Nacua (ankle)
• WR Stefon Diggs (ankle)
• WR Josh Downs (hip)
• WRs Brian Thomas (shoulder) & Dyami Brown (shoulder)
• WR Ladd McConkey (calf)
• WR Christian Watson (knee)
• WR Xavier Legette (illness)
• TE Cole Kmet (back)
• TE Kyle Pitts (ankle)
• TE Pat Freiermuth (quad) 
• K Matt Gay (back) 

Ruled Out/Doubtful 🚑 

Out/Doubtful/IR

• QB Brock Purdy (Q - toe / may serve as backup, but won't start)
• RB Rhamondre Stevenson (toe)
• RBs D'Andre Swift (groin) & Roschon Johnson (back)
• RB Isiah Pacheco (knee)
• RB Hassan Haskins (hamstring)
• WR Ricky Pearsall (knee)
• WR Calvin Ridley (hamstring)
• WRs Travis Hunter (IR - knee) & Tim Patrick (groin)
• WR Marvin Mims (concussion)
• WR Luther Burden (concussion)
• WR Scotty Miller (finger)
• WR Joshua Palmer (knee/ankle)
• WR Dontayvion Wicks (calf)
• WR Casey Washington (back)
•   WRs Jake Bobo (Achilles) & Dareke Young (hip)
• TE Nate Adkins (knee)
• TE Josh Oliver (foot) + FB C.J. Ham (hand)
• TE Daniel Bellinger (D - neck)

Potential Workload Beneficiaries (From Injuries Above)

• QB Mac Jones
• RBs TreVeyon Henderson & Terrell Jennings
• RBs Kyle Monangai & Travis Homer
• RBs Kareem Hunt & Brashard Smith
• RB Jaret Patterson
• WRs Jauan Jennings & Kendrick Bourne
• WRs Chimere Dike, Elic Ayomanor & Van Jefferson
• WRs Parker Washington & Dyami Brown
• WRs Troy Franklin & Pat Bryant
• WR Tory Horton
• WR Jalen Nailor & TE T.J. Hockenson

Key Defensive Players + Offensive Linemen

• CBs Paulson Adebo (knee), CB Cor'Dale Flott (head) & Art Green (hamstring)
• CB Tarheeb Still (knee) + S Tony Jefferson (hamstring)
• S Kerby Joseph (knee)
• CB Patrick Surtain (pec) 
• DE Trey Hendrickson (D - hip)
• CB Darious Williams (shoulder)
• DT Jeffery Simmons (hamstring) + S Xavier Woods (hamstring) + OLB Arden Key (quad)
• DT DaQuan Jones (calf) + S Taylor Rapp (IR - knee) + DT Ed Oliver (biceps)
• S Julian Love (hamstring)
• C Jake Brendel (hamstring) + DE Bryce Huff (hamstring)
• LT Josh Simmons (personal)
• RT Jermaine Eluemunor (D - pectoral)

Listed as Questionable - Should Play 👍

• K Brandon McManus (quadriceps)

Truly Questionable / Game-Time Decisions 🤔

Early Games

• QB Joe Flacco (right shoulder)
• TE Dalton Schultz (knee)

It sounds like Flacco will play, but any doubt at all has huge fantasy implications, given the lack of production from Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Chase Brown when they last had to play with Jake Browning.

Late-Afternoon Games

• RB Alvin Kamara (ankle)
• WR Rashid Shaheed (hip)

Saints coach Kellen Moore suggested that Kamara and Shaheed are trending in the right direction, but both remained limited at Friday's practice and listed as questionable on the final injury report. There's also some chance trade rumors could impact availability or usage here.

Primetime Games

• WR Cooper Kupp (hamstring) - SNF
• QB Kyler Murray (toe) - MNF

Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon said Thursday that Murray would be prepared to start, but reporters saw Jacoby Brissett taking the first-team reps both Thursday and Friday. Whatever the plan, Murray likely will be listed as questionable when the final injury report comes out Saturday afternoon.

Key Defensive Players + O-Linemen

• RT Taylor Moton (knee) + LB Trevin Wallace (shoulder)
• S Jevon Holland (knee)
• LB Dee Winters (knee) + DT Jordan Elliott (ankle)
• G Mekhi Becton (knee) + TE Will Dissly (illness)
• LT Christian Darrisaw (knee) + RT Brian O'Neill (knee) + S Josh Metellus (foot)
• LB Cole Holcomb (illness) + S Chuck Clark (illness)
• LB Quay Walker (calf)
• LT Taylor Decker (shoulder)
• CB Alontae Taylor (shoulder)
• LB Devin Lloyd (calf)
• CB Taron Johnson (groin)
• G Trey Smith (back)
• LT Laremy Tunsil (hamstring) + TE John Bates (ankle)
• S Juanyeh Thomas (migraine) + S Donovan Wilson (elbow)