Navigating the Week 4 Injury Hayes

Another week of NFL football is in the books, and with it came more injuries.  Condolences to those of you who rostered De’Von Achane, as he is now out for the season with a torn ACL.  Hopefully you were able to pick up Jaylen Wright or Ollie Gordon off waivers; while they won’t produce like Achane, they will at least get enough touches to be viable.  

Before we get into this week’s injuries, let’s do a quick recap on last week's injury calls.  If you decided to fade me and play Brock Bowers or Zay Flowers: your boldness was rewarded!  Brock looked like his old self, providing 10 catches for 116 yards, and topping off his day with a touchdown.  This statline was good enough to be TE1 on the week; what a debut!  I have no concerns with Brock going forward, and he’ll be a lineup lock every week.  Zay gave owners 5 catches for 84 yards on only a 33% snap share.  It was clear he was on a pitch count as I had feared, but they utilized him while he was on the field. We’ll discuss Zay a little later in the article, as he still did show up on the injury report.  Devonta Smith and Saquon both played as expected, though neither produced game-breaking numbers.

This week’s format will be a little different.  More injury info has been made available, so this will be more of a “quick hits” styled article with less speculation and more hard facts.  Similar to last week, I’ll still try to provide some backup options for guys who are already out, or for guys who are trending toward not playing.  As always, I’d like to note that I am by no means a medical expert, and the opinions expressed are just my best guess and not based on any medical background.  Let’s get into it!

Guys who are OUT: Find Other Options

Caleb Williams - Chicago Bears

Caleb missed Week 3 with a hamstring injury, and remains week-to-week.  He hasn’t been placed on IR, which keeps the outlook optimistic that he’ll return within the next few weeks.  He’ll be a mainstay in this article until he’s healthy.  The big updates regarding this injury situation have less to do with Caleb and more to do with who is playing in his place.  Last week, Case Keenum got the start and played a pretty clean football game, dotting the Eagles for 247 yards and 2 TDs.  However, his stint as the Bears starter was short lived, as it’s already been announced that Tyson Bagent will be running the offense in Week 4 against the Jets.  

Tyson becomes a viable option in Superflex formats, but can remain unrostered in single-QB formats.  For those in a pinch, look to Sam Darnold, Kyler Murray, Daniel Jones, or Bryce Young as possible replacements.

Jayden Daniels - Washington Commanders

Jayden remains out due to a dislocated elbow, but reports from Tom Pelissero suggest he could return in Week 5.  Considering how the injury looked, this is excellent news!  I expected this to be a much longer recovery process, but again, I’m no medical expert.  It’s also been reported he may wear a brace on that elbow to help stabilize it.  In the meantime, Marcus Mariota maintains his starting role for the Commanders.  Even when Daniels returns, I’d recommend rostering Mariota in superflex formats as a precautionary measure in case of another injury.  

Baker Mayfield - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Baker injured his right thumb in Week 3, and MRIs revealed it was only a dislocation and not a fracture, per Jeremy Fowler.  He’s set to miss a few weeks but has avoided being placed on IR.  I would estimate he’ll be back in the lineup within the next 2-3 weeks, but this is dependent on how quickly he can regain strength in his thumb to grip the football. I’ll continue to monitor his status and provide updates as they become available.

Jalon Daniels, an undrafted rookie out of Kansas, will start in Baker’s place.  Like Bagent, he becomes a viable option in Superflex formats, but can likely remain on waivers in single QB formats.   Again, I’d be looking to replace Baker with someone like Sam Darnold or Bryce Young before turning to Jalon.  

Travis Etienne - New Orleans Saints

Travis Etienne was placed on IR this week with a hamstring injury. He's set to miss at least the next four weeks and can return as early as Week 9. As we get closer to Etienne returning, I'll provide more updates as to his expected return.

In the meantime, the backfield will be some split of Alvin Kamara, Kendre Miller, and possibly CJ Donaldson. I'd lean toward Kamara getting the bulk of the work, but I'm starting him with caution. He comes with a lot of risk until we get a better idea of how Kellen Moore plans to rotate his backs. Week 4 should provide us some more clarity on this murky backfield situation.

Jadarian Price - Seattle Seahawks

Jadarian Price was placed on IR Saturday after aggravating a chest injury this week in practice. He is set to miss at least 4 weeks.   Emmanuel Wilson and George Holani will get the backfield work this week, with Wilson serving as the short-yardage and goal line back, and Holani slotting into more of a pass-catching role. Keep an eye out for Zach Charbonnet in the coming weeks; he was cleared to return to practice, but remains out as he recovers from an ACL tear. Once Zach returns, he projects to take over the short-yardage and goal line role from Wilson.

Breece Hall - New York Jets

Breece injured his quad in week 3 and is set to miss this week’s game against the Bears.  Breece is week-to-week, and should be monitored going forward.  In his place will be Braelon Allen with a little Isaiah Davis mixed in on the side.  Braelon projects as the lead back, and he was likely already scooped up during this week’s waiver cycle.  Isaiah Davis should be rostered in deeper leagues.  

Rachaad White - Washington Commanders 

Rachaad has been ruled out due to a shoulder injury and will be week-to-week.  This opens up more opportunities for Jacory Croskey-Merritt in the passing game.  We could also see some Austin Ekeler mixed in with a limited role, as he just re-signed this week with the Commanders.  Bill becomes a solid RB2 option in White’s absence.  

Justin Jefferson - Minnesota Vikings

Justin Jefferson left his Week 3 game very early on with an ankle injury and never returned.  Reports said he was close to returning a few times, but just couldn’t quite get right.  I was expecting him to return in Week 4 based on those reports, but he has since been ruled out, and is reportedly optimistic for a Week 5 return, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.  

Jordan Addison should see a big uptick in usage as long as Jefferson is sidelined.  Juwan Jennings also becomes a flex play in deeper leagues or for those who are desperate for pass-catchers.  T.J. Hockenson could also see some more work, and could be a solid play for those needing a tight end for the week.

Devonta Smith - Philadelphia Eagles

Smith popped up on the injury report heading into Week 3 due to a hamstring injury, but was able to play 100% of the snaps.  However, he missed both of the Eagles’ practice sessions this week, and has been ruled out for Week 4.  This was a surprise to me, but playing in Week 3 must have tweaked the injury even further.  In his absence, expect to see more targets for Dontayvion Wicks, Makai Lemon, and possibly Darius Cooper, though Cooper can remain on your league’s waiver wire.  Tight end Zach Ertz could also see some more work, as he had another week to get acclimated with the Philly offense.

Keenan Allen - Indianapolis Colts

After a Top-20 performance in Week 3, Keenan is set to miss Week 4 with a groin issue.  This’ll be a situation to monitor.  I doubt this will keep him sidelined long-term, but could become a nagging injury that limits Keenan going forward.  Josh Downs and Tyler Warren should see an increased workload without Allen in the lineup, with Laquon Treadwell or newly acquired WR Darius Slayton fighting for the scraps.  Both Treadwell and Slayton can stay out of lineups for the time being.  

Guys Who Are QUESTIONABLE/DOUBTFUL: Keep An Eye Out For Updates

Zay Flowers - Baltimore Ravens

Zay returned last week, but still remains questionable heading into this week’s game.  I’m not sure what kind of pitch count he’ll be this week, but as we saw in Week 3, it doesn’t matter.  When Zay’s out there, he’s going to be targeted. I would imagine he'll see some more snaps than he did in Week 3, but that hasn't been confirmed. Start Zay with confidence heading into Week 4 barring any last minute surprises.  

Mike Evans - San Francisco 49ers

Mike Evans missed part of Week 3 due to a rib injury, and currently sits as a game-time decision heading into Week 4.  If he plays, he should maintain a decent role in the offense as the teams WR1 target, but could be limited in his production.  Should he miss, look for Deebo Samuel and George Kittle to carry the load in the passing game.  Owners need to monitor this situation leading into gameday and have a backup plan in place should Evans be ruled out.  

Ladd McConkey - Los Angeles Chargers

Ladd is questionable heading into Week 4, and practiced Wednesday and Friday in a limited capacity.  He missed Thursday’s practice, so I’m not quite sure how to read this situation.  Injury aside, the Chargers offense has been awful, so I’m not optimistic about how he’ll perform.  He’s likely someone who will need to be in lineups, though managers should temper expectations.  This’ll be one to monitor going into Sunday.

Jalen Coker - Carolina Panthers

Coker is questionable going into Week 4 with a quad injury, but was able to practice in limited fashion both Thursday and Friday.  Coker has had an excellent start to the season, and sits as the overall WR10, despite missing most of Week 3.  This’ll be a tricky situation to navigate because Coker plays Sunday night.  Brycen Tremayne had a solid outing in Week 3, and could be a fine option to roster as a “break glass in case of emergency” option should Coker be ruled out.  However, if Coker plays, he’s a must-start against the Detroit Lions in what projects to be a high-scoring affair.  

Terry McLaurin - Washington Commanders

Scary Terry is dealing with a hamstring injury and is doubtful heading into Week 4.  Very rarely do doubtful players end up playing, so it’s time to prepare to be without Terry this week.  Stefon Diggs and Antonio Williams should see the lion’s share of the targets, though TE Chig Okonkwo figures to play a role too.

Kenyon Sadiq - New York Jets

Sadiq is coming off his best game as a pro, scorching a porous Lions defense to the tune of 7 receptions, 105 yards, and a touchdown.  Kenyon has been limited this week with a back injury, but the fact he’s been able to practice in some fashion has me optimistic he’ll suit up Sunday against the Bears.  With fellow tight end Mason Taylor and WR Adonai Mitchell already ruled out, Sadiq once again projects to be a big part of the passing attack in Week 4.  

If he’s ruled out and you’re in desperate need of a TE, I like Darren Waller as a possible replacement.  He gets the Lions this week, and they have shown no ability to slow tight ends down this season. 

Guys with No Tag: Safe to Throw in Lineups 

Nico Collins - Houston Texans

Nico appears to have finally healed from his hamstring injury that has sidelined him since Week 2, and is a full-go for Week 4.  Though the Texans haven’t looked great on offense, he is still a must-start in all lineups.  He’ll immediately return as the top target in the passing game, and will find himself in a situation where the offense will likely need to put up some points against Dallas.  Start him with 100% confidence.

Saquon Barkley - Philadelphia Eagles

Saquon played in Week 3 and has had no injury designation heading into Sunday after dealing with a stinger.  The Eagles’ offensive line has been pretty bad this season, which has made it impossible for Saquon to get anything going.  Aaron Donald is out for the Rams, so it may be a little easier for Saquon to find some holes this week.  Saquon’s production is dependent upon long touchdowns, and he has no receiving floor to fall back on.  Start Saquon, but limit expectations.

Puka Nacua - Los Angeles Rams

Puka has no injury designation after missing the last two weeks with a wide assortment of injuries. While he could be on a snap count, he’s a lineup lock this week against an Eagles’ secondary that just got lit up by 38-year-old Case Keenum on Monday night.

Chig Okonkwo - Washington Commanders

Chig is set to see his first game action since Week 1, though I’m not optimistic about his playability with Marcus Mariota at the helm.  Admittedly, I was very high on Chig coming into the season, but that was based on the prospect of him catching passes from Jayden Daniels, not Marcus Mariota.  He does provide some big-play ability at the tight end position with his athleticism and should see some extra targets with Terry McLaurin set to miss Week 4, but I need to see how he slots into the offense before I trust him in my lineups. Chig is safe to play from an injury standpoint, but I don’t trust his production yet.  I’m looking elsewhere for a weekly streaming option at tight end until I see how he’s used with Mariota in the lineup.

Final Thoughts

Injuries to our star players can derail even the strongest of fantasy teams.  While we can’t prevent them, we can do our best to give ourselves multiple options to prepare for the worst case scenario.  In fantasy, it is best to be proactive and not reactive.  If you’re reacting after players are marked OUT, you’re likely going to be too late in acquiring the best possible replacements for your lineup.  Be diligent: roster your handcuffs so you’re prepared for any situation, collect depth pieces throughout the year, and stay in-the-know by taking in all the amazing content found on angleranks.com.

May your players stay healthy and be showered with touchdowns!  If you enjoyed this, be sure to follow @TheDynastyCafe on X for more fantasy-related content.  Also, feel free to reach out for any roster related questions as the season goes on!