A month of NFL football is over, meaning there are already plenty of key fantasy football injuries. The tight end position sees several streaming options in the injury headlines this week. Our fantasy football injury reports for tight ends as of Thursday, October 4 will give you the latest news on the statuses of Pat Freiermuth, Luke Musgrave, Juwan Johnson, Dawson Knox, and Irv Smith Jr.
Being up-to-date on NFL injury news can give you an edge over your league mates in fantasy football. Now that the regular season has begun, fantasy managers should stay locked into the latest injury headlines.
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Pat Freiermuth Injury Update
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said that tight end Pat Freiermuth (hamstring) is "very doubtful" to play in Week 5 against the division-rival Baltimore Ravens this Sunday after he hurt his hamstring in the Week 4 loss to the Houston Texans.
He did not practice on Wednesday, and fantasy managers that have been starting him through the first four weeks of the season should already be looking for a backup plan if they don't have one already. Rookie Darnell Washington could serve as Pittsburgh's top pass-catching tight end if Freiermuth is inactive, while Connor Heyward could also be in the mix for a larger role in Week 5.
Luke Musgrave Injury Update
Green Bay Packers rookie tight end Luke Musgrave (concussion) was back on the practice field on Tuesday. It's good news for Musgrave as he and the team prepare for their Monday night contest against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 5, but the rookie tight end will still need to clear the NFL's concussion protocol to get the green light to play after suffering a concussion in last Thursday's loss to the Detroit Lions.
The Packers won't release their first official injury report of the week until Thursday, so we won't know more on Musgrave until then. The 23-year-old second-rounder has been involved in the offense through his first four games with 12 catches for 125 yards on 16 targets, but he has yet to score his first NFL touchdown.
Juwan Johnson Injury Update
New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson (calf) did not practice on Wednesday. The fourth-year tight end injured his calf early in Week 4 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and didn't see a single target before exiting.
He'll need to at least log a limited session this week if he has any shot of suiting up for Week 5 against the New England Patriots. Johnson, who was a bit of a preseason fantasy darling, has just 61 scoreless yards on seven catches to begin the season. Jimmy Graham and Foster Moreau would soak up the tight end snaps if Johnson doesn't end up playing on Sunday.
Dawson Knox Injury Update
Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox (quad) was a limited participant in the team's Wednesday practice. Knox has been on the injury report quite a bit over the past couple of weeks. But the 26-year-old tight end continues to suit up for the Bills.
The limited practice rep for Knox on Wednesday is a positive sign for his availability in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5. However, he isn't the best tight end fantasy option this week. The veteran has seen his playing time drop in three straight contests, and he's coming off a season-low 29 snaps in Week 4.
Irv Smith Jr. Injury Update
Cincinnati Bengals tight end Irv Smith Jr. (hamstring) returned to practice on Wednesday. It's worth noting that he practiced in a limited capacity after not practicing at all last week. The fourth-year tight end missed the Bengals' previous two games with a hamstring issue but he's trending in the right direction to suit up in Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals.
Smith has just five catches for 27 scoreless yards across two games this year but the Bengals are more than likely going to be missing wide receiver Tee Higgins (ribs), which could open up more targets. Still, given how poor the Cincinnati offense has looked so far coupled with Smith's limited practice time, he's more of a dart throw--if he ends up playing-- for fantasy purposes.
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