Welcome to Next Man Up! Staff writer Johnny Goode (@JohnnyBGoodeDFF) provides an injury update on how these players have progressed throughout the week with up-to-date information to help you make the best choices for your fantasy team in Week 5 of the NFL season.
AFC East Injury Update
Khalil Shakir | WR | Buffalo Bills | Ankle
Khalil Shakir is officially ruled Out for Week 5 after not practicing Wednesday and Thursday. Little is known about the nature of Shakir’s injury, so a long term outlook would be pure speculation. For now, Keon Coleman, Curtis Samuel, and Dalton Kincaid stand to benefit the most from Shakir taking a seat this week.
AFC South Injury Update
Anthony Richardson | QB | Indianapolis Colts | Hip Pointer/Oblique
Anthony Richardson left the game briefly in Week 4 with a hip injury, only for the Colts to run a designed quarterback rushing play as soon as he came back in. This resulted in another injury which sidelined Richardson for the game. His Week 5 status is officially Questionable. If he can’t go, Joe Flacco will get the start. With bye weeks, it may be difficult to find a replacement in a pinch.
Check out “Doc” Matthew Mitchell’s quarterback start/sit Advice for Week 5: The Backup Makes the Call for a handful of options:
Jonathan Taylor | RB | Indianapolis Colts | High Ankle Sprain
Jonathan Taylor is expectedly ruled out after not praciticng all week following a high ankle sprain. This was described as “the lowest of high ankle sprains,” which hopefully means a quick turn around for Taylor. Trey Sermon will get the start, and while it’s tempting to play him in replacement of Taylor, I like other options more this week. Look for Braelon Allen to get more goal line work this week after Breece Hall was ineffective in Week 4.
Mychal Warno’s running back start/sit advice for Week 5: The Cutback may provide you with other options:
AFC North Injury Update
Diontae Johnson | WR | Pittsburgh Steelers | Ankle
The ankle injury must be fairly mild, as Diontae Johnson never logged a full practice on Thursday or Friday, yet he has no injury designation for Week 5. While I am not a big fan of the matchup, I think you have to play Johnson given the volume he has been getting with Andy Dalton in command under center.
AFC West Injury Update
Rashee Rice | WR | Kansas City Chiefs | Right Knee
Officially on IR, and officially no specific timetable or diagnosis, Rashee Rice is out for the next 4 weeks. What happens beyond that depends on testing following decreased swelling in the knee. Given the mechanism of injury, chances are high that this is a season-ending situation.
My suspicion is that his knee is too swollen to get accurate imaging on an MRI. They are waiting for this to subside, so they can repeat testing for confirmation of what happens next for Rice. Immediate beneficiaries in the Kansas City offense are Travis Kelce and Kareem Hunt. This Kansas City team may actually look more like the 2017-2018 team over the next several weeks.
NFC East Injury Update
Malik Nabers | WR | New York Giants | Concussion
Nabers is officially out Week 5 with a concussion. Wan’Dale Robinson cleared injury status this week, so he may see more looks. I’d avoid most Giants this week as it’s likely to be a dumpster fire of an offense. There’s one more player who could stand to benefit this week.
Read Senior Nerd Tristan Cook‘s The Slant Pattern for his wide receiver start/sit advice:
Devin Singletary | RB | New York Giants | Groin Strain
Officially Doubtful for Week 5, Devin Singletary took part in drills on Friday. I would still expect Singletary to sit, giving way to Tyrone Tracy to get more work. This may also mean Daniel Jones has more opportunities to rush this week, though I wouldn’t rely on that.
NFC South Injury Update
Brandin Cooks | WR | Dallas Cowboys | Knee Infection
Brandin Cooks had a procedure on his knee last week, which has developed an infection. He underwent surgery early this week, leaving him out for an unknown amount of time. Ceedee Lamb and Jake Ferguson stand to be the only fantasy-relevant players while Cooks recovers.
NFC North Injury Update
Christian Watson | WR | Green Bay Packers | High Ankle Sprain
Christian Watson was able to avoid IR following a high ankle sprain in Week 4. This is great news for fantasy managers as it likely means a 2 to 3 week absence. Dontavion Wicks has been getting some love from Matt Lafleur this week. I think he’s the one that steps up in a big way over the next during Watson’s absence.
Luke Musgrave | WR | Green Bay Packers | Ankle
Luke Musgrave wasn’t able to practice all week due to an ankle injury. Officially Questionable for Week 5, Tucker Kraft is likely the main beneficiary of Musgrave being limited. Kraft is a good play at tight end this week given byes and injuries. If he’s not available, there are several other options on waivers for this week.
Read the weekly tight end start/sit advice from fellow Nerd Steven Pintado‘s The 12 Formation:
NFC West Injury Update
Demarcus Robinson | WR | Los Angeles Rams | Hip
After a full practice this week, officially off the injury report, Demarcus Robinson is ready to go for Week 5. I still like Jordan Whittington as a sneaky flex play this week if you are struggling with byes and/or injuries. Whittington led the Rams last week in targets and receptions, and will have a plus matchup in this week’s contest.
Thank you for reading this week’s injury update! If you needed full game previews, check out The Fantasy Preview for every Week 5 matchup:
