Are you looking to shore up your roster as you head into Week 5 with some astute waiver wire claims? Fear not; I’ve got you covered! Last week around the league, a myriad of injuries occurred that opened up playing time for backup options worth grabbing, especially at the wide receiver position. Several low-rostered players are worth adding before they have big breakout games.
Which scenarios are worth considering before you spend some FAAB or submit a claim? Let’s find out.
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Fantasy Football Injuries to Know: Week 5
Quarterbacks
The most significant injury at the position came early on Sunday when Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson injured his hip after a 14-yard scamper. Rather than sliding after the run, Richarson took an awkward hit and remained down for several moments before eventually walking gingerly over to the sidelines. After spending several moments with trainers, Richardson went back into the game and attempted to scramble before grimacing in pain and limping off to the locker room.
Early reports from the Colts state that Richardson is “day to day” with the injury, meaning he has a chance to play in Week 5. Monitor practice reports to see how he progresses. Should Richardson take a week to recover, backup option Joe Flacco would be in line for a juicy spot-start against the woeful Jacksonville Jaguars.
And the beat goes on. Russell Wilson is somehow still nursing a calf injury, while Justin Fields is in the midst of a renaissance as the starter in Pittsburgh, leading the Steelers to a 3-1 record early on. Head coach Mike Tomlin said that he hasn’t formally declared which player will remain the starter for the rest of 2024, but anyone with a pulse should understand that this is now Fields’ job to lose.
Running Backs
Currently the RB6 in fantasy, Jonathan Taylor is an unquestioned cornerstone piece for many teams. Taylor had another fantastic game on Sunday before being forced out of action with what has been called a “mild high-ankle sprain.” Before the injury, he had 21 carries for 88 yards and a score, chipping in another three receptions for 20 yards as a receiver.
Overall, his managers should treat this as a positive diagnosis since a mid-grade high-ankle sprain routinely takes four-six weeks to recover from. The team said they are not currently expecting Taylor to be placed on Injured Reserve (IR), and they are hopeful that he can return in short order. Trey Sermon will see most touches in his absence, with Tyler Goodson stepping into the backup role. Sermon is an excellent short-term streaming option against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5 and is worth a moderate investment for teams looking to shore up the position.
Joe Mixon has been rehabbing an ankle sprain for the last few weeks, and initially, there was optimism that he could play on Sunday after he practiced for the first time on Friday. Houston’s coaching staff is still referring to Mixon as “day-to-day,” but he is trending in the right direction. Barring any unexpected setbacks, I’d anticipate Mixon returning in Week 5 as the bellow option for the Texans. Cam Akers and Dameon Pierce will once again be relegated to backup roles.
How about some positive news for a change? Cleveland announced on Monday that they would open the practice window for Nick Chubb, who will return to practice on Wednesday. The Browns will have 21 days to activate him formally, or he will be shut down for the remainder of 2024. Given Cleveland’s offensive woes, the sooner he can take the field, the better. That said, the team would be wise to allow Chubb to knock all the rust off and should give him as much time as needed to feel fully confident in his knee.
Chubb might not be on the field for Week 5, but a Week 6 return is likely. Fantasy managers should expect Cleveland to ease him into action once he returns with an initial timeshare with Jerome Ford.
Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales said that the team wouldn’t open the practice window for Jonathon Brooks this week, but he remains in the “final stages” of recovery from offseason surgery to repair a torn ACL. In shallower leagues where Brooks wasn’t drafted, he should be added immediately as a game-changing option in the second half of the season.
Wide Receivers
Puka Nacua (WR – LAR), Cooper Kupp (WR – LAR)
NFL Insider Jay Glazer shared updates on both Rams wideouts on Sunday, stating that Puka Nacua would remain out for around another month as he recovers from his knee injury, while Cooper Kupp is hoping to return in Week 7. Their return would eliminate any value that Tutu Atwell, Tyler Johnson and Jordan Whittington had in deeper formats while also eating into Colby Parkinson‘s target share.
In the middle of Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Patrick Mahomes overthrew Travis Kelce on a deep pass down the sidelines, leading to an interception. During the return, Rashee Rice attempted to make a tackle, but he collided with Mahomes right at his knees. Buckling immediately and screaming in pain, Rice was later carted off the field and declared out. Initial reports feared that Rice had torn his ACL and would miss the remainder of the season before insider Adam Schefter said:
“After further testing on Rice’s knee today, there remains uncertainty over the extent of his injury. After consulting with team doctors and receiving second opinions, more tests are required to determine the full extent of Rice’s injury and his recovery timeline. No answers are expected until next week.”
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid confirmed that information and said that Rice was already ruled out for next week. In the best-case scenario, I’d expect this to be a multi-week absence for Rice (with the worst-case scenario being he misses the remainder of the year). Rice’s absence will increase reliance on Kelce to keep the offense moving. I’ve already received plenty of Twitter questions regarding picking up Justin Watson, JuJu Smith-Schuster or Mecole Hardman. I’d honestly attempt to avoid this situation if possible. Xavier Worthy is the primary beneficiary at wide receiver, but Kansas City will likely spread the ball so much that any significant FAAB investment would be folly.
On the bright side, at least it isn’t his hamstring this time? Christian Watson was involved in a nasty play on Sunday where he collided with a member of the Minnesota Vikings secondary on a contested catch before being bent backward with his leg trapped underneath him.
At first glance, it appeared to be an ACL injury or broken leg, but tests later determined that this was an ankle sprain, and the severity would be determined after further information was gathered. During a press conference, Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur said that he hoped Watson would only be out a week, but they would continue to evaluate him. Watson’s previous injuries have taken him a fair amount of time to recover.
Given the plethora of alternatives that the Packers have at receiver, it is unlikely that the team will push him to come back faster than necessary. Dontayvion Wicks would be the player to target here as a replacement, and he is widely considered the top overall waiver wire pickup of Week 5.
During a blowout loss against Baltimore on Sunday night, Khalil Shakir suffered an ankle injury midway through the game, but he was later able to return after being retaped on the sidelines and played through it. On Monday, head coach Sean McDermott told reporters that Shakir was still extremely sore, and the team will continue to monitor his availability throughout the week. I’d expect Buffalo to sit him out of practice and give him time to recover on Wednesday and Thursday before seeing how he is on Friday.
Fantasy managers should watch updates from Bills beat reporters, who are very plugged in. Rookie Keon Coleman would stand to benefit the most if Shakir misses any time.
Tight Ends
Taysom Hill initially didn’t return at halftime with the rest of New Orleans and was spotted on the bench clutching his chest and ribs on the sidelines. It was later revealed that he suffered a new chest injury and was not an aggravation of a previous rib issue that he had dealt with earlier this season. As of Tuesday morning, no information was available to see if the team had X-rays or an MRI done to determine the extent of the damage.
A jack-of-all-trades player for the Saints, his absence would slightly benefit most of the existing starters rather than one player directly.
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