NFL Injury Report Friday Updates: Higgins Out, Jacobs Questionable

This article is part of our Injury Analysis series.

Hotspots on this week's NFL injury report include Kansas City's offensive line, Detroit's safeties, Cleveland's offensive line and Arizona's... everything (again).

Make sure to keep up with NFL breaking news throughout the weekend, especially Sunday morning when inactive lists are released at 11:30 a.m. ET for the early games.

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 when inactives come out and we need to adjust lineups.

Good to Go 💯

Players that missed their team's previous game are listed in bold.

Cleared to Play this Week

• QB Riley Leonard (knee)
• QB Trevor Lawrence (ankle)
• RB Christian McCaffrey (illness)
• RB Breece Hall (knee)
• RB Woody Marks (ankle)
• RB Aaron Jones (shoulder)
• RB Keaton Mitchell (knee)
• WR CeeDee Lamb (concussion)
• WR DK Metcalf (abdomen)
• WR Ladd McConkey (foot)
• WR Jordan Addison (Achilles)
• WRs Jayden Reed (shoulder), Dontayvion Wicks (akle) & Matthew Golden (wrist)
• WR Olamide Zaccheaus (hamstring)
• TE T.J. Hockenson (shin)
• TE Mark Andrews (glute)
• TE Michael Mayer (ankle)

Ruled Out/Doubtful 🚑 

New absences listed in bold (guys that played in the previous game).

Out/Doubtful/IR

• QBs Tyrod Taylor (groin) & Justin Fields (knee)
• QB Jayden Daniels (elbow)
• QB Daniel Jones (Achilles)
• QB Geno Smith (shoulder)
• RB Alvin Kamara (knee)
• RB Dylan Sampson (calf/hand)
• RB Terrell Jennings (head)
• WR Tee Higgins (concussion)
• WRs Marvin Harrison (heel) & Xavier Weaver (hamstring)
• WR Hollywood Brown (personal)
• WR Pat Bryant (hamstring)
• TE Mason Taylor (neck)
• TE David Njoku (knee)
• TE Zach Ertz (IR - knee)

Potential Workload Beneficiaries (From Injuries Above)

• QB Brady Cook
• QB Marcus Mariota
• QB Philip Rivers / Riley Leonard
• QB Kenny Pickett
• RB Devin Neal
• RBs Quinshon Judkins, Raheim Sanders & Trayveon Williams
• WRs Andrei Iosivas & Mitchell Tinsley + TE Mike Gesicki
• WRs Michael Wilson, Andre Baccellia & Jalen Brooks
• WRs JuJu Smith-Schuster & Tyquan Thornton
• WRs Troy Franklin, Marvin Mims & Lil'Jordan Humphrey
• TE Jeremy Ruckert
• TEs Harold Fannin & Blake Whiteheart
• TEs Ben Sinnott, John Bates & Colson Yankoff

Key Defensive Players + Offensive Linemen

• DE Trey Hendrickson (IR - hip)
• OT Trey Pipkins (D - ankle), S Elijah Moden (D - hamstring)
• G Evan Brown (personal), T Paris Johnson (knee), CB Max Melton (heel), S Jalen Thompson (hamstring), S Dadrion Taylor-Demerson (ankle), DT Bilal Nichols (knee)
• CB Kyler Gordon (groin)
• RT Jack Conklin (head), RG Wyatt Teller (calf), CB Denzel Ward (calf)
• LT Tyler Guyton (ankle)
• S Kerby Joseph (knee), S Brian Branch (Achilles')
• CB Sauce Gardner (calf), RT Braden Smith (head)
• G Trey Smith (ankle), RT Jawaan Taylor (triceps), T Wanya Morris (knee)
• OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (shoulder), DL Rakeem Nunez-Roches (ankle)
• RT Lane Johnson (foot), DT Jalen Carter (shoulder)
• OLB T.J. Watt (chest)
• LB Tatum Bethune (ankle), DE Sam Okuayinonu (ankle)

Listed as Questionable - Should Play 👍

• WR Davante Adams (hamstring)

Truly Questionable / Game-Time Decisions 🤔

Players with key fantasy repercussions listed in bold.

Early Games

• RB Nick Chubb (ribs)
• RB Emari Demercado (hamstring)
• RB Chris Rodriguez (groin)
• WR Deebo Samuel (illness)
• WR Quentin Johnston (groin)
• WR Rome Odunze (foot)
• WR Parker Washington (hip)
• WR Rashod Bateman (foot)
• WR Cedric Tillman (concussion/ribs)
• WR Joshua Palmer (ankle)
• TE Elijah Higgins (illness) 

Chubb's availability impacts the workload projection for Woody Marks, who I highlighted Thursday in my Start/Sit article. Rodriguez's injury could open up another chance for Jacory Croskey-Merritt to handle the lead role, against a Giants defense that's been terrible at defending the run.

Samuel is merely dealing with an illness, and thus likely to play, but his snap/route shares have already been suboptimal in recent weeks and could take a small hit if he doesn't quite feel 100 percent.

Late-Afternoon Games

• RB Josh Jacobs (hamstring)
• WR Kalif Raymond (ankle)
• TE Shane Zylstra (IR - knee)

Jacobs played through the same injury the past two weeks but then dealt with increased swelling after the most recent game. He'll probably play, but I'm not sure about it, which means Emanuel Wilson needs to be rostered everywhere as a potential RB2 for Week 15.

Primetime Games

• TE Jake Ferguson (calf) - SNF
• WR Calvin Austin (calf) & TE Darnell Washington (head)
• RB De'Von Achane (ribs) - MNF

Ferguson and Achane both are more likely than not to play.

Key Defensive Players + O-Linemen

• DT Walter Nolen (knee)
• CB Christian Benford (toe), LB Terrel Bernard (elbow)
• G Joel Bitonio (knee), DT Mason Graham (ribs), G Zak Zinter (back)
• RT Mike McGlinchey (shoulder)
• LT Taylor Decker (shoulder), G Kayode Awosika (foot), S Thomas Harper (head)
• LT Walker Little (head)
• CB Trent McDuffie (knee)
• C Aaron Brewer (ankle), CB Rasul Douglas (foot), CB Jack Jones (knee), DE Chop Robinson (leg)
• LT Christian Darrisaw (knee)
• DT Dexter Lawrence (hamstring)
• DL Derrick Harmon (knee), DL Cameron Heyward (knee), T Andrus Peat (head)
• C Lloyd Cushenberry (foot), T Dan Moore (neck), G Kevin Zeitler (groin)