“Can’t stop, won’t stop” is apparently the theme for injuries this season. After a quiet first few weeks of fantasy football where major landmines were avoided, the last two have been utterly brutal. And it isn’t just the number of injuries occurring — it is their severity.
Not only are players dropping like flies (just in time for the beginning of the dreaded bye weeks, of course), but they are expected to miss significant time. Although this is not entirely unexpected, since severe injuries occur every season, it also presents opportunities for lower-rostered options to thrive, leading to major bids from the fantasy football waiver wire.
In addition to the injury updates provided below (with information available as of Tuesday morning), please take a look at the fantasy impact of each situation. Regardless of format size, there is a chance that talent is available for you to stash away.
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Fantasy Football Injuries to Know
Quarterback
Lamar Jackson (QB – BAL)
Week 4’s contest between Baltimore and Kansas City was promoted as one of the best games of the week — two successful franchises with Super Bowl aspirations pinned against each other. The final was 37-20 in favor of the Chiefs, and it wasn’t even that close. Amidst the blowout, Lamar Jackson was under constant duress and scrambling for his life, which eventually led to him pulling a hamstring.
Discretion was the better part of valor in this instance, and head coach John Harbaugh pulled Jackson in the third quarter. In Monday’s press conference, Harbaugh stated that, “There was no way he could have gone back into the game,” per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley, which is a rather eyebrow-raising statement. Lower body muscle injuries are notorious for being fickle, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Jackson sit out Week 5, rather than risking further damage.
Fantasy Impact: Should Lamar Jackson miss any time, Cooper Rush would take over under center for Baltimore. Rush doesn’t have nearly the same scrambling ability as Jackson and is more of a pocket-passer who will spread the ball around to Ravens receivers. Without Jackson’s scrambling threat, a spy linebacker won’t be necessary. Rush is a streaming option, at best, despite a layup game against Houston at home.
Jayden Daniels (QB – WSH)
Jayden Daniels was able to log multiple “limited” practices last week, but couldn’t gain clearance from the Washington medical staff to participate in Week 4’s contest against Atlanta. All expectations are that, after he responded well to workouts throughout last week, he should return for Week 5.
Fantasy Impact: Should Jayden Daniels experience a setback or issue, Marcus Mariota would continue serving under center for the Commanders. He has been a quality streaming option thus far, capable of keeping Deebo Samuel relevant.
J.J. McCarthy (QB – MIN)
J.J. McCarthy continues to sit out while rehabbing from an ankle injury. The hope is that he can return to practice at some point this week, with an outside chance of starting on the road against Cleveland. That said, head coach Kevin O’Connell has already stated he wants McCarthy fully healthy before taking the field, implying that “full” practices would be necessary before a return. With Minnesota on bye in Week 6, it is likely the team will continue to rely upon veteran backup Carson Wentz in the short term, with McCarthy returning in Week 7 at home against Philadelphia.
Fantasy Impact: Carson Wentz has thrown multiple touchdowns in both of his starts, though he has been reliant upon volume to trickle the ball up and down the field. Cleveland’s ferocious defense shouldn’t be taken lightly, and there are other options I’d prefer to use in Week 5 if I’m in a pinch.
Running Back
Luckily, no starting running backs came away dinged up in Week 4. All news below pertains to updates on existing injuries.
Joe Mixon (RB – HOU)
Joe Mixon was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list (NFI) in the offseason and was eligible to return to practice this week. Houston’s head coach, DeMeco Ryans, stated that not only is Mixon not close to returning, but the Texans also don’t currently have a timetable in place for him. With rookie Woody Marks breaking out and veteran Nick Chubb playing admirably enough, expect the team to take it slow with Mixon’s return.
Fantasy Impact: Expect Woody Marks to continue his ascension as the starting running back for Houston, with Nick Chubb mainly coming in to spell him when necessary. Marks’ snap count and usage have been on a sharp uptick, and Joe Mixon has a chance to sit out the remainder of 2025.
Tyrone Tracy Jr. (RB – NYG)
Initially expected to miss multiple games with a shoulder injury, Tyrone Tracy Jr. was ruled out for Week 4 against the Los Angeles Chargers, and his status for Week 5 on the road against New Orleans is murky, at best. Rookie Cam Skattebo has been exceptional in Tracy’s absence, especially in pass protection and short-yardage situations. The Giants pulled off a major upset in Week 4, and I can’t envision that they want to rush Tracy back from an injury that is prone to setbacks with contact.
Fantasy Impact: Expect Cam Skattebo to remain the bell-cow back for Big Blue in the short term. He handled the vast majority of the backfield touches in Week 4, and we don’t anticipate a change in that regard.
Tyjae Spears (RB – TEN)
Tyjae Spears is expected to make his season debut in Week 5, after he was placed on injured reserve (IR) after suffering a high-ankle sprain during the preseason. His return will cut into Tony Pollard‘s workload. Pollard has handled an overwhelming amount of snaps for the team thus far. To spark a victory, I’d expect the team to utilize Spears’ playmaking ability.
Fantasy Impact: Tyjae Spears is immediately a PPR Flex option in deeper formats, with the opportunity to serve as an RB3 if he is given enough opportunities. Even if Tony Pollard continues to be the “lead back” for Tennessee, Spears is the more explosive option.
Wide Receiver
Malik Nabers (WR – NYG)
While attempting to make a contested catch during Sunday’s victory over Los Angeles, Malik Nabers landed awkwardly on the MetLife Stadium turf and immediately grabbed his knee. Taken off on a cart, it was feared early on that he had sustained ligament damage. Nabers later underwent further testing. An ACL tear was confirmed, which immediately ended his season (and hurts the outlook of rookie Jaxson Dart).
Fantasy Impact: We aren’t going to lie — this one hurts. Malik Nabers was universally drafted as a top-five option at the receiver position, and his production will be harrowing (if not impossible) to replicate. Darius Slayton and Wan’Dale Robinson will see an increase in targets, with Jalin Hyatt and Beaux Collins expected to mix in. There is no immediate add in this situation, but Hyatt can be considered in deeper formats as a downfield threat who could fill in during bye weeks.
Tyreek Hill (WR – MIA)
For those who haven’t seen the Tyreek Hill injury — please don’t. It is one of the more gruesome images I can recall in recent memory. Hill’s leg was completely sideways on the sidelines after he attempted to make a catch during the third quarter. Rushed off the field on a cart and immediately taken to the local hospital, Hill was diagnosed with multiple ligament tears and a dislocated left knee. His 2025 season is indeed over, and this has the chance to (unfortunately) be a career-threatening injury.
Fantasy Impact: Jaylen Waddle will be the new “alpha” option in Miami, with Malik Washington and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine seeing a slight boost in value. Tight end Darren Waller caught my attention in Week 4, looking as spry as ever and catching two touchdowns on short passes in the red zone. If Miami finally found its rhythm on offense, it remains to be seen, but I’m hopeful that head coach Mike McDaniel can right the ship shortly.
Ricky Pearsall (WR – SF) & Jauan Jennings (WR – SF)
Ricky Pearsall entered Week 4 with a knee issue, but was able to take the field against Jacksonville and posted a 4/46 line on five targets before leaving in the third quarter on a reception attempt. Pearsall stated his knee felt unstable and had some discomfort — symptoms that were later confirmed as a PCL sprain by head coach Kyle Shanahan. Pearsall was listed as a non-participant in Monday’s estimated practice report. A quick turnaround with a Thursday Night Football game against the Los Angeles Rams on the road makes his status iffy.
Teammate Jauan Jennings also played through Week 4 with an existing injury that forced him out the week before, and he is now fighting through rib discomfort after being sandwiched by multiple defenders on a touchdown reception this past Sunday. Similar to running mate Pearsall, Jennings was a non-participant in Monday’s estimated practice report, and is a longshot to play on a quick turnaround this upcoming Thursday.
Fantasy Impact: If both Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings are unable to play in Week 5, San Francisco will turn to Kendrick Bourne and Demarcus Robinson on the outside. Los Angeles’ explosive offense will force the 49ers to pass in this contest, so Bourne could be a sneaky one-week play in deeper leagues.
Terry McLaurin (WR – WSH)
Terry McLaurin missed Week 4 with a quadriceps injury, but it seems Washington is hopeful he can return on Sunday, after head coach Dan Quinn stated that he was, “trending in the right direction,” per JP Finlay of NBC Sports. His return, coupled with that of quarterback Jaylen Daniels, would be a significant boost to the Commanders’ offense. Washington is on the road in Week 5 against the Los Angeles Chargers — a defense that just struggled to contain the New York Giants without Malik Nabers.
Fantasy Impact: Terry McLaurin’s return will cut into the target share for Deebo Samuel and the amount of rush/pass attempts for Washington’s committee backfield. He should be considered a WR2 with a wide variance of outcomes, especially if Daniels’ knee is healthy enough that he can run again. If McLaurin misses any additional time, Luke McCaffrey would be a viable streamer in 12+ team leagues.
Tight End
Mercifully, there were no major injuries or updates to the tight end position this week.
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