Greg Scholz of Inside Injuries runs through some of the most pressing injury concerns for Week 10 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).

Tyreek Hill, WR, MIA

Last season, Hill had 1,076 receiving yards through nine games. This season, he has 462. That drop-off in production comes largely from inconsistent quarterback play, but Hill recently revealed he’s been dealing with a wrist injury since August. 

He missed practice last week due to the injury — which he clarified is a torn ligament — mentioning that the injury has worsened over the season. Hill added that he declined surgery and will continue to play through the discomfort. As the season continues, this could mean more missed practices and steroid injections to treat the pain.

Since surgery is not immediately necessary, Hill could be dealing with a few different types of tears. Two potential culprits could be a torn triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) ligament or a torn scapholunate ligament (SL).

Neither injury would be particularly limiting, but regardless, his Injury Risk will be High. His Health Performance Factor will be Above Average. The bigger factor in his success will be the offense around him.

Tony Pollard, RB, TEN

After being a non-participant in practice on Wednesday, Pollard was limited in practice on Thursday. Pollard’s absence on Wednesday was attributed to rest, and his limited availability on Thursday was due to a foot injury.

It’s unclear if the injury popped up on Wednesday or Thursday, but his participation indicates it may not be serious. As a result, we are tentatively categorizing this as a Grade 1 injury and expect he will play against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 11.

Two of the most common Grade 1 foot injuries are plantar fasciitis and metatarsalgia. Plantar fasciitis involves inflammation of the plantar fascia, which runs along the bottom of the foot. Metatarsalgia, on the other hand, is marked by inflammation in the ball of the foot.

Right now, we have Pollard’s Injury Risk as Elevated. His Health Performance Factor is Above Average but could be Peak depending on his Friday availability.

Josh Jacobs, RB, GB

Jacobs appeared to pick up a quadriceps injury during the Packers’ Week 10 bye. Either that, or he suffered the injury in Week 9 against the Detroit Lions. The latter is certainly possible, given that he saw just a handful of opportunities in the second half of that game.

Quad injuries can be highly limiting for running backs, especially physical backs like Jacobs. Their primary function is to help straighten and extend the knee, actions that are essential for running and building power. Additionally, the quads help stabilize the knee joint, which plays a role in overall leg stability.

Given that he was limited at practice, his status for Week 11 is a little up in the air. We’re leaning towards him playing and categorizing this as a Grade 1 injury. His Injury Risk is Elevated, and his Health Performance Factor is Above Average.

Aaron Jones, RB, MIN

Jones was carted off the field early in the fourth quarter of last Sunday’s win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. He didn’t look in bad spirits while on the cart but did when he suffered a rib injury a few plays earlier.

With just under five minutes remaining in the third quarter, Jones took a handoff up the middle for seven yards. Once he got to the second level, Jaguars linebacker Foye Oluokun hit Jones’ right side while another Jaguars defender hit him on his left side.

Jones underwent X-rays immediately after being carted off, which likely came back negative for fractures, given that he returned later in the fourth quarter. If no fractures are present, it’s likely that Jones is dealing with a contusion. Despite not practicing yet this week, there is a chance he will play in Week 11 against the Titans.

If Jones does play, his Injury Risk will be High, and his Health Performance Factor will be Above Average.  

Sam LaPorta, TE, DET

LaPorta hasn’t had the sophomore season that many hoped for him. While he benefits the offense in more ways than just catching passes, all his receiving stats are down this year.

His production will likely take another hit this week because we don’t expect him to play in Week 11. LaPorta suffered a Grade 1 acromioclavicular (AC) joint sprain in Detroit’s Monday night win over the Houston Texans.

AC joint sprains can be incredibly painful, even if they are only Grade 1. The AC joint is where the collarbone and the shoulder blade meet — an area that absorbs a lot of impact during a professional football game, especially when the player is essential in the blocking game like LaPorta is.

Head coach Dan Campbell is optimistic that LaPorta plays this week. If he does, he will likely require an injection to numb the pain. We have his Optimal Recovery Time at 10 days. His Injury Risk is High, and his Health Performance Factor is Above Average.

Dalton Kincaid, TE, BUF

When Kincaid exited last Sunday’s game in the first quarter, it raised some alarm bells. He took a hard fall, landing directly on his knee, and would go on to miss the remainder of the first half. Kincaid attempted to return briefly in the third quarter but exited the game and did not return.

Based on the video of his injury and the perceived point of impact, our concern is that Kincaid is dealing with a posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury. When the knee is hit head-on, the tibia moves backward relative to the femur. This combination of motion and force puts a lot of stress on the PCL, commonly resulting in sprains.

There is a very small chance that Kincaid will play this week. While it is a big game and PCL sprains can be played through, they usually require at least some time off. Additionally, he has not practiced yet this week. His Injury Risk is High, and his Health Performance Factor is below average. With that, his Optimal Recovery Time is 21 days.

(Top photo of Sam LaPorta: Patrick McDermott / Getty Images)