Things never get any easier, do they? Another week, more craziness, struggles and injuries. We know that no one is immune, so the hope is that you can simply manage them as best you can. Our NFL injury update for Week 5 features Tee Higgins, Mike Evans, Kenny Pickett, and DeShaun Watson. As news breaks, be sure to update your Week 5 fantasy football rankings and NFL projections either way. This information can also help to focus on important Week 5 start/sit lineup decisions and fantasy football advice surrounding some injured players. The first step though is the NFL injury report as you set Week 5 fantasy football lineups.
Fantasy Football Injury Report
Week 5 NFL Injury Report for Quarterbacks
Cleveland ultimately ruled DeShaun Watson and his shoulder out of Sunday’s game. That meant the Browns were left with Dorian Thompson-Robinson under center in a less than ideal performance. The good news is that the Browns are on a Week 5 bye, so we have another week to sort this out.
If you saw Justin Herbert unleash a long completion to Joshua Palmer at the end of the game you wouldn’t think there was an issue. However, Herbert did injure his finger in the third quarter of what was an unremarkable game for him. Since he returned without an issue, albeit wearing a glove, it doesn’t appear that this will linger. And that is a good thing.
Matthew Stafford and the Rams got off to a great star before the veteran had to lead Los Angeles back to an overtime victory. In between, Stafford injured his hip while throwing for 319 yards. The good news is that it doesn’t appear to be an issue that will impact his status for next week.
After Kenny Pickett left Sunday’s game with a knee injury, an MRI is upcoming, and things don’t look promising. While Pickett is sidelined, Mitch Trubisky will take over under center, but I’m not sure how much of a downgrade it would be at this point for the Steelers’ skill position players.
Week 5 NFL Injury Report for Running Backs
Seeing Javonte Williams exit the game on Sunday certainly was concerning, but it appears that we have dodged a major injury. While it is too early to determine Williams’ status for Sunday, it doesn’t look like a significant absence will be in store. After Jaleel McLaughlin gained 104 yards along with scoring a touchdown last week, it is clear who to target in a handcuff situation.
While Rico Dowdle really just serves in a supplemental role to Tony Pollard, it is still worth noting that he left Sunday’s game early. Should Dowdle be forced to miss anytime then we will get an extended look at rookie Deuce Vaughn, but this is still very much Pollard’s backfield.
Week 5 NFL Injury Report for Wide Receivers
With Aidan O’Connell under center in place of Jimmy Garrapolo, things were less than ideal for the Raiders’ offense. After we saw Davante Adams briefly exit with a shoulder injury, things could have gotten that much worse. Adams ultimately returned and caught eight passes for 75 yards, and until told otherwise, there is nothing to see here.
Unfortunately for Tee Higgins, things don’t appear to have as positive an outlook as the Bengals receiver appears to have suffered a rib fracture. Initially, this appears to be something that will keep Higgins sidelined for more than just one week. That means an increase in target share for Tyler Boyd and perhaps we will see Ja’Marr Chase truly get on track.
Talk about a fake and a decoy. While Deebo Samuel was active in Week 4, and on the field for the majority of the snaps, he didn’t have any targets and carried the ball just three times for six yards. However, the fact that he was on the field is a good thing for his status and outlook next week.
A hamstring injury forced Mike Evans out of Sunday’s game and despite his best attempts, the Tampa Bay receiver was unable to return. With three catches for 40 yards, he was having a solid game, but the injury was ultimately too much for him to handle. With a bye coming up in Week 5, Evans gets an extra week to heal.
Ultimately, it was just a temporary exit for the game for Jahan Dotson as he did return to action after injuring his ankle. Dotson only caught two passes for 12 yards, but the good news is that he is seemingly healthy.
The rookie was unable to clear the concussion protocol for Week 4, so we will, once again, keep an eye on Jonathan Mingo’s status heading into next week.
Week 5 NFL Injury Report for Tight Ends
It was a rough afternoon for Pittsburgh as they also lost Pat Freiermuth to a hamstring injury. In the coming days, this will be something to monitor.
A calf injury kept Juwan Johnson out of action, and it is very possible that it pushes Jimmy Graham back into having borderline fantasy relevance. This is more for deep leagues though, and likely nothing to go crazy about.
Donald Parham failed to come up with his only target on the day while also being forced out of action with a wrist injury. With Mike Williams out, there is a possibility for a few extra targets, should Parham be able to take the field in Week 5.
2023-10-02 14:00:44
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