Fantasy Injury Updates: Latest news on Dalvin Cook, Christian McCaffrey, Ezekiel Elliott, more affecting Week 13 waiver wire pickups

Running backs Dalvin Cook, Christian McCaffrey, Ezekiel Elliot, and D’Andre Swift were banged up last week, so naturally, their highly available handcuffs will be top targets for Week 13 fantasy waiver wire pickups. Tony Pollard is unavailable in most leagues, but Alexander Mattison, Chuba Hubbard, and Jamaal Williams will be at the forefront of waiver decisions pending the injury status of each ball-carrier. Get the latest injury updates as you gear up for another tough week.

For updates on banged-up pass-catchers Deebo Samuel, Dan Arnold, Darren Waller, and Pat Freiermuth, go here. For all the latest fantasy news, follow us on Twitter @SN_Fantasy.

WEEK 13: Top waiver pickups

Dalvin Cook injury update

Cook suffered a dislocated shoulder against the 49ers, so we’ll have to stay tuned for further updates to see what this means for his Week 13 availability. He reportedly was already playing with a torn labrum to his other shoulder. His backup, Alexander Mattison, is always among one of the most highly owned handcuff RBs, and we hoped you grabbed him before this week. He’ll undoubtedly be the hottest commodity on waivers if he’s available in your league because we’ve seen him explode in two games this season when Cook was out or limited.

If Cook is out, Mattison is our RB8 in standard leagues and in PPR leagues heading into a matchup with Detroit. The Lions are the third-worst defense against fantasy RBs, so Mattison’s upside is realistically the overall RB1 for the week.

WEEK 13 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker

Christian McCaffrey injury update

McCaffrey injured his left ankle against the Dolphins and left the stadium in a walking boot. He handled a limited workload against the Dolphins because of his injury, but Matt Rhule said there’s a chance he doesn’t miss any game action after the Panthers’ Week 13 bye.

We still identified Chuba Hubbard as a top waiver pickup given the reoccurring injuries CMC deals with. He might not miss Week 14, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Hubbard becomes the starting running back during the fantasy playoffs because of a banged-up CMC.

WEEK 13 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker

Ezekiel Elliott injury update

Elliott (knee) is clearly banged up, and the Cowboys are reportedly considering resting him or at least altering his usage over the next few weeks. Elliott lashed out at reports he’d miss Week 13’s Thursday night against the Saints, but it still wouldn’t be a shock to see him get fewer carries. This spells bad news for those who spent a first-round draft pick on Elliott in the preseason, but it’s good news for those who have stashed Tony Pollard. Like Mattison, Pollard is a back who would probably be starting for a number of teams around the league, and his upside would be phenomenal if Zeke missed any game action.

The Cowboys head into a daunting matchup with the New Orleans front-seven, and we rank Zeke as the RB19 in standard and RB20 in PPR. The fact that he’s likely to give up even more touches to Pollard is worrisome. That said, if Zeke is ruled out altogether, Pollard would be closer to a mid-tier RB2 with RB1 upside because that would likely mean he’d handle a full workload.

D’Andre Swift injury update

Swift (shoulder) looked as if he’d suffered a serious injury against the Bears on Thanksgiving, but he’s just been ruled “day-to-day,” so Swift owners can breathe easier. There’s even a chance he plays in Week 13 against Minnesota, but we’ll see what happens later in the week.

The Vikings were the 11th-worst defense against fantasy RBs before getting shredded by Elijah Mitchell and Deebo Samuel on the ground, so if Swift plays, we’re comfortable playing him, even with limited touches. After all, Jamaal Williams has taken touches from him all year, but Swift’s efficiency and explosiveness have kept him firmly as an RB1. He ranks as our RB11 in standard and RB10 in PPR leagues. If Swift is out, Williams should be the recipient of the classic Jared Goff dump downs and will likely be ranked as a mid-tier RB2.