Christian Watson injury update: Latest on Packers WR for Week 16 Fantasy Football

Christian Watson has proven to be one of the most promising young wide receivers in the NFL. After missing the first three games for the Green Bay Packers this season, he flashed his fantasy football upside and was trending in the right direction. In his past two games, he finished as the WR13 and WR8 in PPR leagues.

The issue for Watson has always been injuries, and in particular, his hamstring. The ongoing problem popped up again in Week 13, and he has been unable to play in the Packers' past two games since then. While he has a chance to return in Week 16, he still hasn't practiced since suffering his latest injury.

Christian Watson injury update

Christian Watson

The Green Bay Packers held their first practice session on Wednesday ahead of the their Week 16 matchup against the Carolina Panthers. Christian Watson was again listed as a non-participant with a hamstring injury. This has unfortunately been the case for each of the Packers' practice sessions for the past two weeks since he was injured in their Week 13 game.

Watson will have two more opportunities this week to potentially increase his practice activity before their game gainst the Panthers. Failure to do so could result in a third missed game. Fantasy football managers will want to check his official status on the final injury report on Friday to get a better idea about his potential availability for Week 16.

What happened to Christian Watson?

Hamstring injuries have been an unfortunate ongoing issue during Watson's young career so far with the Packers. He missed games during his rookie season last year, as well as the first three weeks of the 2023 NFL season. It flared up again in Week 13 in the fourth quarter of a game against the Kansas City Chiefs when he went down on a non-contact play while running with the football.

Since suffering his most recent hamstring injury, Watson has been unable to practice at all for the Packers in each of the past two weeks. His third week is off to a similar start with another DNP designation on Wednesday. While the team has refused to place him on the injured reserve list to this point, his absences are concerning for his availability during the 2023 fantasy football playoffs.

When will Christian Watson return?

When a player is placed on the injured reserve list, it requires them to miss a minimum of four games. The fact that the Packers chose not to place Watson on the IR suggests that they believe he will be able to return in less than four games. He has already missed two weeks, so they are likely hoping that he will be able to get back in the lineup in either Week 16 or their following game.

The timing of Watson's injury is extremely unfortunate for his fantasy football managers, with the 2023 playoffs already underway. He was also on a hot streak prior to the injury, recording his best two weekly finishes in his past two games played. He should be considered questioanble at best for now, but unless he increases his practice activity, he is in serious danger of missing a third consecutive game.