Panthers WR Diontae Johnson (ankle) returned to a limited practice on Thursday. HC Dave Canales said he fully expects Johnson to play vs. the Bears this weekend. We'll see what he does in Friday's practice and then how he's listed on the final injury report. Johnson can stay penciled into fantasy lineups for now.
The Chiefs placed WR Rashee Rice (knee) on IR on Thursday. That means he'll miss at least the next four games. Kansas City has a Week 6 bye, so Week 10 would be Rice's earliest return date. He's still likely to miss more time than that. We're expected to get a timeline for his return next week.
Packers WR Romeo Doubs did not practice on Thursday due to a personal matter, HC Matt LaFleur said. LaFleur added that they're "taking it day by day" as to whether Doubs will play vs. the Rams this weekend. Green Bay, of course, is already likely to be without WR Christian Watson for that one. Doubs' absence would leave some combination of Bo Melton and Malik Heath as the No. 3 WR behind Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks.
Saints HC Dennis Allen said Thursday that TE Taysom Hill has been diagnosed with "rib fractures." Allen didn't give a timeline for Hill's return, but we imagine he'll miss multiple games.
Titans QB Will Levis has been diagnosed with an AC joint sprain in his right (throwing) shoulder but "should be ok" for Week 6's game vs. the Colts, according to insider Paul Kuharsky. Levis gets a well-timed Week 5 bye, and HC Brian Callahan said earlier this week that a healthy Levis remains the starter. That doesn't mean Levis won't be on a short leash if he continues turning the ball over like he has so far this season. He won't be a recommended Week 6 starter in any format. The Colts DST will be a streaming option.
Chiefs HC Andy Reid said Thursday that WR Rashee Rice is scheduled for additional testing on his knee next week after the swelling subsides. He added that there's "no greater sense of optimism" on Rice's injury. It seems like there's still a strong chance that Rice misses the rest of the season, and he's at least looking at an extended absence. Rice owners should keep him stashed until we learn more next week -- while also bracing for bad news.
Giants WR Malik Nabers (concussion) will not practice on Thursday, HC Brian Daboll said. The rookie is now a long shot to be cleared in time for Sunday's game vs. the Seahawks, a sentiment echoed by ESPN's Jordan Raanan.
Chiefs RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire has been designated to return from the non-football illness list. He missed the first four games of the season dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder related to gun violence in his youth. Fully healthy from a physical standpoint, he's capable of making an immediate contribution to this undermanned Chiefs backfield. We'll see if Edwards-Helaire ends up active for Monday night's game vs. the Saints. He's not a Week 5 fantasy option but is worth a wait-and-see stash in deeper leagues.
Steelers RBs Jaylen Warren (knee) and Cordarrelle Patterson (ankle) were held out of Wednesday's practice. They're both iffy for Sunday night's game vs. the Cowboys. If they miss, Pittsburgh would be down to Aaron Shampklin as the No. 2 RB behind Najee Harris. Expect Harris to be very busy in that case.
Giants WR Malik Nabers (concussion) did not practice on Wednesday. It's a bit of a surprise considering he's six days removed from his concussion. The rookie has a lot of work to do to clear protocol in time for Sunday's game vs. the Seahawks. Consider Nabers no better than 50/50 for that one.
49ers TE George Kittle (ribs) did not practice on Wednesday. He played through this issue in the second half of last week's win over the Patriots, so we're expecting him to be available for Sunday's game vs. the Cardinals. But his status bears monitoring over the next few days.
Cardinals K Matt Prater (left knee) did not practice on Wednesday. We'll see if he's able to play vs. the 49ers this weekend, but fantasy gamers would be wise to look elsewhere for a Week 5 kicker.
Cardinals TE Trey McBride (concussion) got in a limited practice on Wednesday. That means he's made some progress through the protocol but still has multiple stages to pass. We're tentatively expecting McBride to make it back for Sunday's game vs. the 49ers, but we'll update his status again tomorrow.
Raiders WR Davante Adams (hamstring) remained sidelined on Wednesday. With trade talks for the veteran seemingly underway, don't expect him or the team to push him to play through this hamstring injury. Fantasy owners should not be counting on Adams in Week 5 lineups as of now. TE Michael Mayer (personal) also did not practice on Wednesday.
Commanders RB Brian Robinson (knee) did not practice on Wednesday. He seemed to come out of the Week 4 win over the Cardinals ok, so this could just be some early-week rest after handling 24 touches in that one. RB Austin Ekeler (concussion) was limited on Wednesday. He still has work to do to clear protocol but is likely to make it back for Sunday's game vs. the Browns. We'll keep you updated on Washington's backfield over the next few days. Deep-leaguers could stash RB Jeremy McNichols in case Robinson or Ekeler miss this weekend's game.
Browns TE David Njoku (ankle) was limited in Wednesday's practice. He put in two limited practices last week before missing the Raiders game. Now nearly four weeks removed from his high-ankle sprain, he should have a good chance to return for Sunday's game vs. the Commanders. We'll keep you updated on his progress.
Dolphins WR Odell Beckham (knee) was activated from the PUP list and put in a full practice on Wednesday. It looks like he has a good chance to make his 2024 and Miami debut vs. the Patriots this weekend. Beckham missed the majority of the offseason after knee surgery. And, with QB Tyler Huntley at the helm, he's nowhere near a fantasy option this week. We'll see if Beckham can carve out a big enough role to be relevant when QB Tua Tagovailoa returns.
Colts RB Jonathan Taylor (ankle) did not practice on Wednesday. Although his high-ankle sprain is reportedly "mild," he's still unlikely to play vs. the Jaguars this weekend. Taylor's absence would leave Trey Sermon as the Colts' lead back, with Tyler Goodson the No. 2. Sermon sits in RB3 territory in the Week 4 Rankings.
Colts QB Anthony Richardson (oblique) got in a limited practice on Wednesday. That's a good start for his chances of playing vs. the Jaguars this weekend. We'll keep you posted on his progress over the next few days. Richardson will need to be close to 100% to be a viable Week 5 fantasy play, though, considering so much of his value comes from his rushing ability.
Jaguars TE Evan Engram (hamstring) got in a limited practice on Wednesday. It's his first practice since hurting his hamstring in pregame warmups ahead of Week 2. Engram seemingly has a good chance to return for Sunday's game vs. the Colts, but we'll keep you updated on his status over the next few days. An active Engram will be a top-8 TE play.
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