Bengals WR Tee Higgins doesn't expect his rib fracture to cost him much time. "I plan to be back maybe this week, maybe next week," he told the media on Monday. “It’s painful, but we’ll be alright.” It's good news, but Higgins owners should at least plan on being without him for Week 5. It's worth noting that Cincinnati has a Week 7 bye, which might factor into Higgins' return timeline.
Bears HC Matt Eberflus said Monday that WR Chase Claypool won't be with the team this week. He was a healthy scratch for the Week 4 loss to Denver. Claypool and the Bears seem headed for a split. We'll see if it's via release or trade, but he's not worth hanging on to in redraft fantasy leagues.
Chargers QB Justin Herbert suffered a fractured finger and a "gruesome nail injury" on his left hand in Sunday's win over the Raiders, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. That's Herbert's non-throwing hand. He now gets a Week 5 bye and "should not miss time," per Rapoport.
Cowboys RB Rico Dowdle was knocked out of Sunday's win over the Patriots with a hip injury. X-rays came back clean, but Dowdle will undergo an MRI on Monday, according to Patrick Walker of the team's official site. We'll update Dowdle's status when we know more. His absence would leave rookie Deuce Vaughn as Dallas' No. 2 RB.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport doesn't expect Chargers QB Justin Herbert's left hand injury to be a "major issue going forward." Herbert was able to return to the Week 4 game vs. the Raiders with his hand taped and his middle finger in a splint. He now gets a well-timed Week 5 bye to heal up. We'll look for further updates on his status, but don't expect Herbert to miss time with this injury.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport confirms that Giants RB Saquon Barkley (ankle) is not expected to play vs. the Seahawks tonight. But Barkley is "steadily getting better" and has a "realistic chance" to return for Week 5, Rapoport adds. We'll keep tabs on Barkley's progress throughout this week, leading up to Sunday's game vs. the Dolphins.
Steelers QB Kenny Pickett "will miss some time" with his knee injury, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. How much time will depend on the results of Monday's MRI. The Steelers don't believe Pickett's ACL is damaged, but there's concern about the MCL and meniscus, Rapoport says. "The belief is that this is not a season-ending situation." We should have a more concrete timeline for Pickett's return by the end of Monday. QB Mitchell Trubisky will step in as Pittsburgh's starter for however long Pickett is out. Trubisky completed 65.0% of his passes at 7.0 yards per attempt across four starts and seven total appearances for the Steelers last year.
Bucs WR Chris Godwin posted his best game to date in Week 4. Seeing 11 targets, the 27-year-old tallied 8 grabs for 114 yards. Mike Evans (hamstring) left in the second quarter, which helped Godwin garner a whopping 34.3% target share – well ahead of the next closest Buc (Deven Thompkins, 12.5%). If Evans misses Week 5, Godwin will become a strong WR2 with upside.
Saints WR Chris Olave mustered only 1 catch for 4 yards in Sunday's loss to Tampa Bay. Derek Carr’s right shoulder injury didn’t help, although he nearly connected with Olave on a deep ball TD that arrived a bit underthrown. His 6 targets ranked third on the team behind Alvin Kamara (14) and Michael Thomas (7). Through one month, Olave’s tallied 23-306-0 on a team-high 38 targets. He’ll remain a lineup lock for Sunday’s matchup at New England.
Chiefs TE Travis Kelce posted 6 catches on 9 targets with a team-leading 60 receiving yards in Week 4's win vs. the Jets. Unfortunately, the other Chiefs' TE Noah Gray was the one found the end zone on a 34-yard dart in the contest. Rookie Rashee Rice didn't have the biggest day on the field (3 catches, 32 yards). Still, his 5 targets were considerably more than his teammates Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, each of whom received 2 targets apiece. It'll be worth stashing Rice on benches if he's still available in your leagues. Next week, the Chiefs will take on the Vikings.
Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco pounded the rock effectively in primetime, racking up 115 yards on 20 carries to go along with a TD vs. the Jets. He also snagged all 3 targets for 43 receiving yards as a pass-catcher in Week 4. Teammates Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Jerick McKinnon combined for 6 carries and 2 targets in the contest. Pacheco’s 24.5 PPR points land as the highest fantasy total in his career to date. Managers will hope for a continued streak of dominance in Week 5 vs. the Vikings.
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes completed 18 of 30 attempts for 272 yards with 1 TD and 2 INTs in Week 4’s narrow victory over the Jets. He also added 51 rushing yards on 7 carries in the contest. This rare, error-laden effort from the reigning MVP puts him outside of QB1 territory on the week. Fantasy managers should expect a bounce-back effort in Week 5 vs. the Vikings.
Jets WR Garrett Wilson hauled 9 of 14 targets for 60 receiving yards in Week 4 vs. the Chiefs. Teammate Allen Lazard led the team in receiving with 61 receiving yards and a TD on 3 catches in the contest. It’s rare that multiple pass-catchers in the Jets offense pay off for fantasy purposes, but credit to QB Zach Wilson and company for putting forth a competitive effort in primetime. Next week’s game vs. the Broncos will be a good opportunity to build upon their successes.
Jets RB Breece Hall recorded 6 carries for 56 yards with 3 catches on 4 targets for 13 yards in Sunday’s loss vs. the Chiefs. Teammate Dalvin Cook was ineffective in Week 4 with just 16 yards on 5 carries. This backfield has not been particularly strong so far this season, but a Week 5 matchup vs. a Broncos defense that allows 176.0 rushing yards per game to opponents so far this season should be appealing.
Jets QB Zach Wilson completed 28 of 39 passes for 245 yards with 2 TDs and 0 INTs in Week 4’s loss vs. the Chiefs. He also added 14 rushing yards in the contest. Wilson looked surprisingly good in this primetime game and nearly posted QB1-type fantasy numbers. It’s difficult to expect he’ll be quite this good for the remainder of the season, but a Week 5 matchup vs. the Broncos might be appealing. So far in 2023, Denver has allowed the highest points per game (37.5) and total yards per game (461.5).
Patriots rookie CB Christian Gonzalez suffered a shoulder injury in the first quarter of Sunday's loss to the Cowboys. New England originally deemed him questionable to return but ruled Gonzalez out for the game in the third quarter. We'll see about his outlook for Week 5 against the Saints, and perhaps beyond.
Update: He dislocated his right shoulder. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Gonzalez is out indefinitely while seeking a second opinion.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Patriots Edge Matthew Judon tore his right lower biceps tendon and will be out "indefinitely." We'll see about a more specific return timeline, but you'll probably need to find a replacement option in your IDP league this week.
Browns Edge Myles Garrett had a walking boot on his left foot after hurting it in Sunday's loss to the Ravens. He told reporters afterward that he'll be ready for the next game after the Week 5 bye. We'll certainly be watching to confirm that's true.
The Bills believe CB Tre'Davious White tore his right Achilles' tendon in Sunday's win over the Dolphins. That would obviously end White's season. It could also challenge his longer-term future. White tore his left ACL in November 2021, missing the rest of that season and the first 10 of the following year. He'll turn 29 in January, with two years left on his contract. But the final two seasons hold shrinking dead-money numbers if the Bills release him. White entered Sunday as Buffalo's highest-graded CB in coverage, according to Pro Football Focus. He ranked 22nd in that category among all 160 corners so far this season. He'll obviously be a big loss for Buffalo's defense, though we wouldn't go targeting the matchup just yet. The Bills ranked second in pass-defense DVOA last year despite playing most of the year without White and losing both starting safeties for multiple games.
Making his 2023 debut, Saints RB Alvin Kamara racked up 13 catches on 14 targets (30 routes run). Wow. Kamara gained only 33 yards, but he was clearly needed with Derek Carr battling a shoulder injury. He led the way on the ground, too, gaining 51 yards on 11 attempts. We’ll check on Carr’s practice participation, but Kamara’s volume should remain favorable next Sunday at New England.
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