The injury report is partially clearing up on Friday, but not entirely. Expect a number of truly questionable players heading into Sunday and we will hope for a Sunday morning update before the Philadelphia Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars kick off at 9:30 AM ET. This piece will be updated throughout the day as the Friday injury reports continue to stream in.
Update: McLaurin will be active
Terry McLaurin will be active for Week 5 against the Giants but he will be limited and "not a full go" according to ESPN. In what should be a rain-soaked early-slate game, McLaurin is best left on your benches.
Update: Jefferson is a go
Justin Jefferson will make his return to the Vikings lineup in Week 5. He hasn't had much work with Kyler Murray this season but the two got off to a hot start on the first drive of the game Jefferson left with an injury. He is a must-start in all leagues this week given his upside plus the lack of depth at wide receiver/Flex in Week 5.
Kyle Monangai ruled out for Week 5
We began the week worried about Monangai's thumb and Swift being benched for fumbling. On Friday, we found out Monangai's toe is actually the bigger issue, and he won't play this week. Swift becomes a must-start RB1, projected for near 20 touches. He still carries a little bit of fumble risk, but not nearly as much with Monangai sidelined. If you are desperate for a flex or low-end RB2, we're projecting Johnson for double-digit touches as well; he'll be ranked as a top 30 option.
Stefon Diggs out, Jayden Daniels and Rachaad White in, Terry McLaurin a game-time decision
What a whirlwind week for the Commanders. They're getting Daniels and White back, missing Diggs, and no one knows for sure about McLaurin. It's a pretty bad week at quarterback, so we're starting Daniels, though he'll be downgraded to a low-end starter if McLaurin is out as well. The running back situation is a complete mess, and we don't want to start any of them but Croskey-Merrit is our favorite if you have to. McLaurin will be a borderline WR2 if he is active. The big wildcard here is Antonio Williams. If McLaurin is active, we'll view the rookie as a high upside flex. If McLaurin is out, Williams gets elevated into WR3 consideration. Stay tuned.
Dallas Goedert is back
This is a pleasant surprise. Goedert will play against Jacksonville in Week 5. This is a bad matchup and the Eagles offense isn't exactly functional right now but Goedert should be the clear top target for Hurts as one of the few healthy offensive players for them. View Goedert as a low-end TE1 with upside that is even better than that but some reinjury risk. He's not quite must-start, but he's a good start if you had been streaming to replace him. Goedert's availability lowers the floor and upside for Dontayvion Wicks, Makai Lemon, and Darius Cooper.
Malik Nabers is good to go
Coach Harbaugh said Nabers will play after a missed practice on Wednesday and a partial practice on Thursday. Nabers has been dealing with knee soreness and has a shoulder issue as well. Our staff is divided on whether he's a high-end WR2 or a borderline WR2, but you should probably be starting him regardless. He does carry some reinjury risk, and Jameis Winston has been mostly abysmal this year.
Lamar Jackson ruled out
Jackson suffered an ankle injury in Week 4 and Tyler Huntley will start in Week 5. He really limits the upside of Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews. Huntley has averaged fewer than 160 passing yards per game in his 16 career starts. We're still starting Flowers as a WR2 if Huntley is under center but we would like to get away from Andrews. The Falcons defense has been surprisingly good this season and they are a good streaming option in Week 5.
Ja'Marr Chase working his way through concussion protocol, Tee Higgins returns on Friday
We may have this one backward. Because the Bengals said Higgins was day-to-day, we have him in our rankings and we have Chase out because we don't rank players in the concussion protocol. Chase's participation on Thursday and Friday is a positive sign, but no guarantee he'll complete all the steps needed to play by Saturday. As for Higgins, he got in some work on Friday and will be questionable. Joe Burrow is a low-end starter as long as one of these guys start with a great matchup against the Dolphins. If both of the Bengals' starting wide receivers miss, then Dohnte Meyers and Mike Gesicki might both be must-start options at their respective positions.
Ashton Jeanty not seen at Friday practice
The most important thing right now is to see if Mike Washington is on your waiver wire. He wouldn't take 100% of the work if Jeanty is out, but he would take enough that we would rank him as a top-24 running back, probably even higher. Jeanty has a questionable tag, which generally gives him a better chance of playing than not. Start Jeanty if he's active but be prepared to replace him.
Keenan Allen questionable, but logs a full practice on Friday
We are getting more optimistic about Allen with his full practice on Friday. He would be ranked as a WR3 if he's active on Sunday and could help your Fantasy team, but he hurts the value of Josh Downs and Tyler Warren if he's back. Warren is a guy we are starting either way, but Downs would fall from the top 20 to the high-end WR3 range if Allen is back.
Rico Dowdle questionable
We don't want to play Dowdle, even if he's active this week, but he would lower Jaylen Warren from a must-start RB1 to a mid-range RB2 if he can play. Warren was the better back early in the season and has been spectacular without Dowdle. We would expect Warren to maintain a larger share of the workload than he had in the first two weeks.
DJ Moore not practicing again on Friday
We aren't expecting Moore to play, which is why Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir were so popular on the waiver wire. I agree with adding them, but I am a little worried about starting them against a Rams defense that hasn't given up more than 50 yards to a receiver all season. I prefer Coleman to Shakir but both are in the flex area of the rankings. If Moore plays through his injury again, he will be ranked as an upside WR3.
Michael Pittman out for multiple weeks
Here's something we can feel more confident in. With Pittman out, we like DK Metcalf as a WR2, Roman Wilson as a high-end WR3, and Germie Bernard as a boom/bust flex. Pittman's absence doesn't impact Rodgers' ranking because Pittman's presence hasn't really impacted their offense.
Quentin Johnston out, Ladd McConkey questionable
The Chargers' no-good, very bad season continues. We don't expect McConkey to play, which leaves Tre Harris as the Chargers' top receiver against a banged-up Broncos secondary. Don't start Justin Herbert, that's the one thing we are sure about. Harris is a boom/bust WR3, while Oronde Gadsden is a good streaming option. Keaton Mitchell may pick up an extra target or two as well; he's a fine flex.
