Skip to main content

Fantasy Football Injury Report: Week 4

Fantasy Football Injury Report: Week 4

Welcome to the dreaded injury report. Professional football is a violent game, and your fantasy players are going to miss time because of it. Week 4 was another brutal week. A lot of big names here. As always, hopefully, you don’t have many names on this list.

Import your team to My Playbook for instant Lineup & Trade advice partner-arrow

Ty Montgomery and Jamaal Williams (RBs – GB)
The Packers’ starting RB took a shot to the ribs on Thursday night, resulting in a fracture of unknown severity. It was initially thought to be pretty bad, but then reports surfaced that Montgomery may have escaped with a lesser injury. He looks unlikely to suit up in Week 5, but he could be ready as early as Week 6 with the assistance of some extra padding. Adding injury to injury, Jamaal Williams also exited Thursday night’s game early. Aaron Jones’ tenure as the starter may only be for a week so his value to your team hinges on how much you need a one-week fix at RB. Also, look for Randall Cobb to see more time at RB.

Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu (WRs – ATL)
Julio Jones was already dealing with a back injury and added a hip flexor strain to his list of ailments on Sunday. He left the game in the first half and never returned. Mohamed Sanu would’ve stood to benefit the most, but he pulled a hamstring leaving Justin Hardy and Taylor Gabriel as Matt Ryan’s top two targets. Hardy and Gabriel will be must adds this week if both Jones and Sanu look likely to miss.

Jordan Matthews (WR – BUF)
Shortly after catching a touchdown, Jordan Matthews sprained his thumb, which will require surgery. This is expected to keep Matthews out at least a month. It’s a huge blow to the surprisingly upstart Bills as it leaves Tyrod Taylor with Andre Holmes and Zay Jones as his top two targets. Neither is a particularly appealing option to replace Matthews.

Ameer Abdullah (RB – DET)
Ameer Abdullah rolled his ankle late in Detroit’s win over Minnesota. Theo Riddick closed out the game, but this was still Abdullah’s best performance of his career. He salvaged his fantasy value and is trending upward going forward. From the looks of it, he should be okay by next week. If he were to be forced out of action, Zach Zenner and Theo Riddick would both be viable options.

Dalvin Cook (RB – MIN)
This one is a heartbreaker. Dalvin Cook tore his ACL, which you never like to see, especially for a young back defying the workout metrics and performing so well. Latavius Murray becomes a must-own and is worth whatever it takes to get him. He did not play well in relief of Cook, but with a full week of practice with the first team, he should at least be a worthy flex play. Jerick McKinnon also reenters our lives as the passing down back, but he was severely out-snapped by Murray following Cook’s departure. Both are worth a pickup, but Murray far more.

Marcus Mariota (QB – TEN)
Marcus Mariota was on his way to a big fantasy day when he suffered a hamstring injury of currently unknown severity. It is too early to tell if Mariota will be able to suit up Sunday, but if he can’t, Matt Cassel was an unmitigated disaster filling in for Mariota. It is a huge blow to Rishard Matthews, Delanie Walker, and DeMarco Murray. If you need to replace Mariota, the answer is not Cassel.

Derek Carr (QB – OAK)
Just like last year, Mariota and Derek Carr went down on the same day. Carr suffered a back injury in a game being commentated by Tony Romo that looked awfully similar to the hit that effectively ended Romo’s career. Carr was reported as having back spasms, but further examination could potentially reveal a fracture or herniation of some sort. Hopefully, Carr is fine. He should be considered 50-50 to play next week. EJ Manuel is the backup and while he held his own against Denver, it won’t be pretty for an already struggling Amari Cooper if Manuel is under center against Baltimore.

Paul Perkins (RB – NYG)
Paul Perkins only appears here because of the symbolic nature of his injury. He hurt his ribs in the Giants’ fourth consecutive loss to open the season, left the game, and did not return. The importance of this injury is it forced Ben McAdoo to do something he should have done voluntarily the entire season – take Paul Perkins off the field. Fourth-round rookie Wayne Gallman, who appeared on my Sunday Stash list, assumed the early-down role and looked infinitely better than Perkins ever has. McAdoo has not really shown any ability to successfully gauge the talent on his team, but fantasy owners can hold out hope that this, along with the 0-4 start, is the wakeup call he needs to never put Perkins on the field again. Gallman deserves at least a shot at being the guy. That’s worth taking a shot on as well if you’re in need of a running back, especially if Perkins is going to miss time.

Chris Carson (RB – SEA)
Already without CJ Prosise and Thomas Rawls, the Seahawks lost seventh-round rookie sensation Chris Carson for the season. Since Eddie Lacy is still awful, this could mean the rise of J.D. McKissic, who took his first professional carry 30 yards to the house on Sunday night. He also appeared on my Sunday Stash list and may be worth a few FAAB dollars as he likely earned a shot at an increased role with his performance.


Subscribe: iTunes | Stitcher | SoundCloud | Google Play | TuneIn | RSS

Jason Katz is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Jason, check out his archive or follow him @jasonkatz13.

More Articles

RB3s with RB1 Potential (2024 Fantasy Football)

RB3s with RB1 Potential (2024 Fantasy Football)

fp-headshot by TJ Horgan | 3 min read
Best Ball Strategy & Advice: Draft Targets by Round (2024 Fantasy Football)

Best Ball Strategy & Advice: Draft Targets by Round (2024 Fantasy Football)

fp-headshot by Tera Roberts | 3 min read
NFL Draft Burning Questions: J.J. McCarthy, Drake Maye, Caleb Williams (2024 Fantasy Football)

NFL Draft Burning Questions: J.J. McCarthy, Drake Maye, Caleb Williams (2024 Fantasy Football)

fp-headshot by Joe Pepe | 3 min read
Thor Nystrom’s 2024 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings: Running Backs

Thor Nystrom’s 2024 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings: Running Backs

fp-headshot by Thor Nystrom | 1 min read

About Author

Hide

Current Article

3 min read

RB3s with RB1 Potential (2024 Fantasy Football)

Next Up - RB3s with RB1 Potential (2024 Fantasy Football)

Next Article