NFL Injury Report for DFS

What this NFL injury report ranks

Most injury reports list every name with a tag and leave the math to you. This one keeps only the quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers and tight ends whose status changes a DFS decision, then ranks them from 10 down to 4 by how much of their offense's work is in question. Next to each player are the teammates who stand to gain, with the number before and after: projected target share for a receiver or tight end, projected carries for a back, and projected pass attempts for a backup quarterback.

Statuses come straight from the weekly injury report and the DraftKings player status, and the board refreshes every 30 minutes through the week. A Wednesday designation is a snapshot. Questionable tags usually resolve Friday, and inactives post roughly 90 minutes before kickoff, so check the board again before lock.

How the 1 to 10 impact score works

The score measures the size of the role that is in doubt, not how bad the injury sounds. A starting quarterback listed Out or Doubtful is a 10 because the whole passing game changes hands, including every receiver's target quality. That holds even when the backup already started the previous week, because the quarterback switch is the news the rest of the slate is priced around.

For everyone else the score follows usage. A receiver drawing a quarter of his team's targets or a back handling 15 or more carries is an 8. A 20 percent share or 12 carries is a 7, and it steps down from there. Out and Doubtful rank one point above Questionable at the same role, because a Questionable player often plays.

Usage comes from the games already played this season, and from the current week's projection when a player has not played yet. A player with no role to lose, a deep backup or an injured reserve listing that was already priced in weeks ago, is left off the board on purpose.

Using injuries in DFS lineups

The best injury plays are the cheap teammates who inherit a role before their salary moves. DraftKings sets prices early in the week, so a receiver who becomes his team's top target on Friday is still priced like a secondary option on Sunday. That is where cash game value comes from.

Targets do not always move to the obvious name. When a slot receiver sits, the next slot receiver usually eats, not the outside receivers. When a pass catching back sits, the checkdowns often go to the tight end. Read the projected share next to each beneficiary instead of assuming the next man up gets everything.

Questionable players are coin flips that the field tends to treat as sure things in one direction or the other. The teammate behind a Questionable starter is often the smarter way to hold the same view, since he gains if the starter sits and loses little if the starter plays on a limited snap count.

Frequently asked questions