Greg Scholz of Inside Injuries runs through some of the most pressing injury concerns for Week 12 of fantasy football 2024.

Before we dive in, here’s a quick glossary of terms commonly used by Inside Injuries:

• IRC = Injury Risk Category (three designations: “Low,” “Elevated,” “High”) — the overall likelihood a player will get injured
• HPF = Health Performance Factor (Peak, Above Average, Below Average, Poor) — our metric to predict player performance
• ORT = Optimal Recovery Time — the amount of time a player needs to fully recover from an injury (not the same as how much time they will actually miss).

D’Andre Swift, CHI, RB (groin)

Swift entered this week with a groin strain. He was a non-participant in Wednesday’s practice before returning on Thursday. If the trend continues, he should be a full participant on Friday and play on Sunday. This sentiment was shared by Chicago head coach Matt Eberflus, who said he was “hopeful” that Swift would be available against Minnesota.

Given Swift’s progression from non-participant to limited, Eberflus’ optimism is valid, but the thing to note here is that groin strains can be troublesome, especially for running backs. The muscles involved in groin strains are generally the adductors. These help stabilize the lower body and assist in lateral movements.

Right now, we believe this to be a Grade 1 strain. Swift’s Optimal Recovery Time is 10 days, but we expect he will play in Week 12. His Injury Risk is Elevated and his Health Performance Factor is Above Average.

Josh Jacobs, GB, RB (quad/calf)

Remaining in the NFC North, the Packers’ bell-cow back has logged two limited practices this week with a pair of lower body injuries. Jacobs entered Week 11 with a quad injury and he appeared to have picked up the calf injury in the Packers’ dramatic Week 11 win over the Bears. Neither injury slowed him down, though, as he racked up over 130 total yards and scored a touchdown in the win.

There is no clear play on which Jacobs injured his calf, so it’s possible the injury is simply an overuse injury. In his first year with the Packers, Jacobs is averaging just under 20 touches per game. That usage has been compounded by his efficiency — in 10 games this season, he’s already eclipsed his 2023 rushing yards total (805) on 57 fewer carries.

While things are looking tentatively positive for Jacobs, we’re keeping a close eye on him. Lower body injuries can linger if not adequately rested. His quad injury has already lasted a few weeks and the last thing Green Bay needs is for this new calf injury to do the same.

His Injury Risk is High, but that could drop into Elevated range depending on his Friday status. His Health Performance Factor is Above Average.

Sam Darnold, MIN, QB (foot)

Minnesota Vikings fans can breathe a sigh of relief. Darnold returned to practice on Thursday in a full capacity and is expected to play in Week 12 against the Chicago Bears.

Darnold opened this week on the injury report with a foot injury and was limited in Wednesday’s session. The report did not specify any structures within the foot, which can sometimes be a good sign — like in this case — that the injury is a lower grade. In situations like this, it typically means soreness or mild pain in the area.

We are currently categorizing this as a Grade 1 foot injury, meaning he’s likely dealing with some plantar fasciitis or metatarsalgia. Both of these injuries are common even for non-athletes. Plantar fasciitis involves inflammation of the plantar fascia, which is the thick band of tissue at the bottom of the foot. Metatarsalgia involves inflammation of the area of the foot where the toes and the arch meet.

Darnold’s Injury Risk will be Elevated and his Health Performance Factor will be Peak, though he may be slightly less mobile.

CeeDee Lamb, DAL, WR (back/foot)

It’s been a season to forget for the Dallas Cowboys. They have a 3-7 record, they’ve yet to win a game at home, their starting quarterback is out for the season, and their star wide receiver is injured again.

Lamb suffered a Grade 1 AC joint (shoulder) sprain in Week 9, but played through the injury in Week 10. Then, heading into Week 11, he was added to the injury report with a back injury. Lamb played through the injury, tallying 12 catches for 93 yards in the loss.

Now, with a Week 12 matchup against the Commanders on the horizon, Lamb’s back injury remains and he’s picked up a foot injury. He was a limited participant on Wednesday, but was a non-participant on Thursday. There are no specifics on the injury right now, but the regression from limited to DNP is concerning.

Similar to what I mentioned with Darnold, two potential culprits for Lamb are plantar fasciitis and metatarsalgia. Neither injury is a major concern, but Lamb’s status on Thursday bumps his Injury Risk up to the lower end of High. We expect he will play, but his Health Performance Factor will be Below Average. That could improve up to Above Average depending on his Friday availability.

DeVonta Smith, PHI, WR (hamstring)

Smith has been a reliable receiver since entering the league in 2021. This goes outside of production — he’s missed only two games in his career, with one being earlier this season due to a concussion. Now, Smith is at risk of missing the third game of his career this week.

Smith has been dealing with a hamstring strain since Week 9, but managed to play in Weeks 10-11. Across both contests, he was limited to six receptions for 43 yards and no touchdowns. Entering Week 12, he hasn’t participated in either of Philadelphia’s practices and we don’t expect he will play.

It was surprising that he played in either of the two previous games, let alone both, after being diagnosed with the strain. These sorts of injuries go from bad to worse if not given adequate time to heal. The timeline for these strains vary, but, generally, even a Grade 1 hamstring strain requires at least two weeks off.

Smith’s Injury Risk is High and his Health Performance Factor is Below Average. His Optimal Recovery Time is 21 days.

Mike Evans, TB, WR (hamstring)

While on the topic of hamstrings, Evans is expected to return after missing the past three games due to a hamstring strain. It should be noted that the Buccaneers were on bye in Week 11, so he received another week of rest.

We still have Evans being one week from Optimal Recovery, however, his availability at practice thus far is a good sign. He was a full participant on Thursday and didn’t suffer any reported setbacks during his rehab.

If Evans is good to go, his Injury Risk will remain High but his Health Performance Factor will be Peak. Hamstrings will always carry a fairly high Injury Risk compared to things like an ankle sprain because of how easily they can be aggravated. We’ll be keeping a close eye on him, but expect normal production from the consistently consistent receiver.

(Top photo of Josh Jacobs: Mark Hoffman/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images)