Fantasy Injury Updates: Latest news on Chris Godwin, Julio Jones, Mike Evans, more affecting Week 16 waiver pickups

Chris Godwin, Julio Jones, Mike Evans, and Pat Freiermuth all exited Sunday’s games early. They present varying degrees of importance in the fantasy football world, but with the playoffs turning to the semifinal round, all of their statuses will affect waiver wire pickups and start ’em, sit ’em decisions. We have the latest injury updates on each player below.

For injury news on banged-up RBs Joe Mixon and Leonard Fournette, click here; for updates on A.J. Brown, Antonio Brown, and Calvin Ridley, click here. For all the latest fantasy news, follow us on Twitter @SN_Fantasy.

WEEK 16: Top waiver pickups

Chris Godwin injury update

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Godwin (knee) suffered a sprained MCL against the Saints on Sunday night and will miss the rest of the regular season. 

With Godwin out and Mike Evans (see below) possibly missing time, it’s tough to know exactly who the best waiver pickup would be, but Tyler Johnson or Breshad Perriman (reserve/COVID) are probably the best options. With Antonio Brown (suspension) set to come back in Week 16, Johnson and Perriman won’t have a ton of value unless both Bucs’ WRs are out. You could take a TD-or-bust flier on one even in a tough matchup with Carolina in Week 16, though, if that is the case.

WEEK 16 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker

Julio Jones injury update

Jones finally looked healthy heading into Week 15, but he ultimately aggravated his hamstring injury and could realistically be headed back to injured reserve. Nothing is official here, either, but when a player has a history of these types of injuries, generally they don’t heel quickly.

Either way, it’s tough to trust him again based on his track record this season. If you’re in a deep league, you may opt to roll the dice in a matchup with the 49ers, but since that game is on Thursday, we don’t see him suiting up. Even if he does, we can’t expect him to be healthy or productive, especially if A.J. Brown (chest) returns from IR. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine is the next WR on the Titans’ depth chart, but his upside is fairly limited and there are probably better options out there.

WEEK 16 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker

Mike Evans injury update

UPDATE: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Monday morning that Evans’ hamstring injury is “nothing major.” It remains to be seen if that means he’ll miss a game or two or be in uniform in Week 16.

Evans (hamstring) was quickly ruled out after going to the sidelines against the Saints, and we’ve seen several cases of hamstring issues lingering for receivers this season. That said, we’ll remain optimistic but prepare for the worst. He could play right away against the Panthers or be headed to IR. Just keep up with the latest updates.

If he plays, we know he’s always a must-start, especially with Chris Godwin (see above) out. Again, Tyler Johnson is probably the best WR to pick up, but Scotty Miller, Jaelon Darden, and Breshad Perriman could be more involved than we think. Perhaps they’d be decent DFS dart throws in the event Evans and Godwin are out.

Pat Freiermuth injury update

Freiermuth (concussion) will obviously enter the league’s concussion protocols, and considering this is his second concussion in the past month, the Steelers should be cautious with the rookie tight end. As always with concussions, we won’t speculate, so again, keep an eye out later in the week.

If he can’t play, Zach Gentry will get the starting nod for the Steelers. Ultimately, we have no clue what his fantasy outlook could be against the Chiefs. He could draw just as many targets as Freiermuth or do next to nothing. The Chiefs present a favorable matchup for tight ends, so if you’re someone who loves to roll the dice, he certainly has some appeal. We’d advise against it, though. Roll that dice in DFS instead of the semifinals of the fantasy playoffs.