NFL Injury Updates & Fantasy Football Impact (Week 5)

Officially more than one-fourth of the way through the NFL regular season, divisions are starting to take shape, spear-headed by expected leaders (MIA, KC, PHI, SF) and highlighted by some pretty big surprises (PIT, DET, TB). At the same time, bye weeks are officially underway and will be for the next nine or so weeks. Injuries are going to continue to pile up as the season progresses, and Week 5 has once again been no different. There are a number of different ailments to big-time players again to be touched on.

NFL Injury Updates & Fantasy Football Impact

Justin Jefferson (WR – MIN)

In the wise words of one Michael Scott, the only realistic thing to be said here is: “No, God, please, no!.” A Justin Jefferson injury is unequivocally the worst thing to happen for fantasy football and real-life football alike, and that is what fans and fantasy owners had to endure against Kansas City on Sunday afternoon.

After slipping on the grass field at U.S. Bank Stadium, Jefferson went down early with a hamstring injury that reportedly could force him to miss extended time. As of Monday afternoon, there has been no official update on the severity of the injury, and it seems as though fantasy managers need to continue holding their breath.

Fantasy Impact: There is no way around noting that if the best receiver in the NFL is going to miss time, the entire Vikings’ offense is set to downgrade significantly. Jefferson’s presence is so valuable to Minnesota, that QB Kirk Cousins quite possibly becomes non-startable in fantasy, despite his hot start to the season. Rookie WR Jordan Addison would be set to receive the biggest bump in value, though it could be debated how much he will improve given the added defenders he’ll see his way sans Jefferson. Things are a mess for the Vikings right now, and it doesn’t seem like it will be getting much better any time soon.

Anthony Richardson (QB – IND)

This injury is another big “uh oh,” as Anthony Richardson is finding himself back on this list for the third time across the first five games of his professional career. Each injury he has suffered so far has been debilitating, and completely different from the one before. This is specifically concerning given his stature as a dual-threat guy under center. Reports are that the most recent injury the 21-year-old suffered is a Grade 3 sprain of his AC joint, which could require a month or longer recovery period.

Fantasy Impact: Richardson owners are surely down bad after Sunday’s affair, as they will need to look for alternative options under center while their rookie quarterback remains out. Luckily for Indy, they have a more than capable backup in Gardner Minshew, who came in on Sunday and led the Colts to a victory over Tennessee. Minshew has legitimate fantasy value as one of the better (if not the best) backups in the league that can keep some skill-corps players afloat as well. He 100% needs to be picked up in SuperFlex and QB-Premium formats, and could even serve as a solid redraft streamer for teams struggling at the position.

James Conner (RB – ARI)

James Conner suffered a knee injury after taking a big hit against Cincinnati on Sunday afternoon and did not return. Conner has a history of knee concerns across his career, and the immediate rule-out does not bode well for his prospects going forward. It is a quite disheartening development, as the veteran back had been playing extremely well through the first five weeks of 2023.

Fantasy Impact: With backup RB Keaontay Ingram inactive on Sunday, it was UDFA Emari Demercado who came in and flashed with 45 rushing yards and a score on 10 attempts. Demercado is a priority add in deeper leagues, though Ingram should find himself active in Week 6 if healthy enough to play. Conner’s status will need to be monitored, as a recovery timeline has not yet been made official, but reading the tea leaves would point to him more likely than not missing some action in the coming week.

Additional Notes:

TE Travis Kelce left against the Vikings after suffering what looked like a serious injury but was later confirmed to be a moderate ankle sprain. He returned later in the game no worse for the wear and hauled in a second-half touchdown. His status is worth monitoring in the lead-up to Week 6, especially on a short week for the Chiefs, but my bet would be that he’s good enough to go on TNF.
QB Daniel Jones suffered a neck injury against the Dolphins but reportedly avoided the worst. It sounds like he should be okay for SNF against Buffalo, saving us (actually, still probably not) from unwatchable television in northern New York.
Texans’ rookie WR Tank Dell suffered a concussion against Atlanta on Sunday. He will now have just under a week to clear the protocols if he hopes to return against the Saints in Week 6. His practice status throughout the week needs to be closely watched.