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Death, taxes, and 0.01 percentile athletes who train their whole lives in a sport that involves crashing into each other at high speeds and getting hurt. That's just how it works. Isaac Newton famously said "Each football tackle has an equal and opposite hit in the other direction" or something like that. Maybe.
The strategy to avoid injuries on your fantasy team is to pray to whatever god you believe in, though that might not make a difference. Injuries can sink seasons, especially if you start a player who doesn't end up playing because you didn't know they would be out and they played an early game in Europe (definitely not speaking from personal experience).
So make sure you stay updated with our fantasy football news page or download our mobile app and turn on notifications. We get the news out quickly. Let's dive into the most important injury updates for fantasy football in Week 5. Key banged up players include Malik Nabers, Jonathan Taylor, Joe Mixon, Rashee Rice, Evan Engram, Travis Etienne, and more.
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Malik Nabers Injury Update
This one's not great, Bob. Malik Nabers (concussion) is trending toward not playing on Sunday when his New York Giants face the Seattle Seahawks. He probably hasn't progressed far enough through the concussion protocol.
I think where people get tripped up with returning from concussions is there is a time element, in that it takes multiple days to pass through the five stages of the protocol. But that process can't start until symptoms subside. And there's no timeline for how long that will take… https://t.co/e9YZtdQbPX
— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) October 3, 2024
As this Giants reporter states, there are five stages that Nabers would need to pass, and he doesn't believe he's far enough along.
Daboll said WR Malik Nabers is making progress in the concussion protocol but he won’t be out on the field during practice. Daboll said they’ll wait as long as possible before making a determination for Sunday, but time is obviously running low to clear the remaining steps. I…
— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) October 3, 2024
Fantasy managers should expect Nabers to not play in Week 5. There's a very good chance he'll be back in Week 6, though. He's a must-start if he plays, but if he doesn't, the entire Giants offense has a good chance of collapsing. Defenses will focus their attention on WR2 Wan'Dale Robinson and RB Devin Singletary. Look elsewhere for substitutes for your lineup.
Jonathan Taylor Injury Update
Jonathan Taylor sprained his ankle in his Indianapolis Colts' win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 4. Taylor hasn't practiced since the injury, and the consensus is that he's not expected to play in Week 5.
Full #Jaguars & #Colts Thursday Injury Report
Anthony Richardson (hip) was Limited for a second straight day.
Jonathan Taylor (ankle) DNP again. pic.twitter.com/JWpNVUsRp7
— Mia O'Brien (@MiaOBrienTV) October 3, 2024
He's stated that he's taking it "day-by-day," but that doesn't mean much. If anything, that's negative news. Many players tend to be overly optimistic about their returns (Christian McCaffrey, this is directed at you) and JT28 hasn't shown much optimism that he will play.
Many fantasy sites have updated his projections to 0.0 points, expecting him to be out. Fellow RB Trey Sermon, Taylor's backup, should step into the starting role in his place.
If he plays, he's a must-start, but he's trending toward not playing, so fantasy managers need to sub in another player. Sermon is a fine start against the Jags.
Joe Mixon Injury Update
Joe Mixon (ankle), the Houston Texans starting running back, again missed two practices in a row to start the week and is trending toward not playing again. The injury is likely worse than it was made out to be, as many fantasy managers expected him to miss just one game, if any.
#Texans Joe Mixon (ankle) not practicing today which isn't unusual for a player coming off injury. Last week he did Friday practice then was inactive as a gametime decision. @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/3hRUrsJ9YF
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) October 2, 2024
Either he had a setback that hasn't been disclosed, or he'll be a game-time decision yet again. He could log a limited practice Friday, but even then, there's no guarantee he'll play. If he's not able to practice at all on Wednesday and Thursday, that's not a good sign. Mixon managers should prepare for another week without him.
If Mixon plays, he's a great start, but it's looking like he may not. Fantasy managers will need to pivot from him once again. Waivers are usually barren RB-wise and third-stringer Cam Akers may be getting the start and hasn't impressed this season. It's tough to find a replacement for Mixon.
Kenneth Walker III Injury Update
Seattle Seahawks star running back Kenneth Walker III (oblique) logged a full practice on Wednesday before being downgraded to limited on Thursday. This may not mean much. The 'Hawks like to load-manage their running backs in practices throughout the week, and Kenny is coming off a huge game. He deserves plenty of rest.
Seahawks' Kenneth Walker, DK Metcalf downgraded to limited participants https://t.co/aANoOpATeD pic.twitter.com/SmQ6jleRrT
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) October 3, 2024
There's nothing to worry about yet. There hasn't been any word that he's expected to miss Week 5. It would probably require a setback with his condition or a new injury to cause another game absence.
Walker is a must-start. He's a top-5 running back for fantasy football this week. There should be no consideration of benching him.
Diontae Johnson Injury Update
Carolina Panthers star wide receiver Diontae Johnson (ankle) didn't practice Wednesday and logged a capped session on Thursday. Johnson has spent most of his career being load-managed at practice, though, and the team does not expect him to miss the Week 5 game.
I wouldn’t be concerned about Diontae Johnson’s ankle injury. Canales has stated that it’s more sore than ligament stuff. Should be good to go vs. Chicago.
— Jared Feinberg (@JRodNFLDraft) October 2, 2024
It's the nature of any position in football for the players to deal with a lot of soreness. This isn't a surprise. Diontae should play in Week 5 and fantasy managers shouldn't worry about this injury designation.
Diontae is a set-and-forget player. He's the top target on a good offense with a good quarterback who wants to get him the ball often. He's a clear top-10 option with an upside for more.
Rashee Rice Injury Update
Kansas City Chiefs lead WR Rashee Rice (knee) was placed on injured reserve on Thursday. He will now be required to miss at least the next four games. Rice got taken out by his quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, on a tackle attempt after Pat threw a pick.
Chiefs place WR Rashee Rice on injured reserve. pic.twitter.com/TuZ9sSaklw
— NFL (@NFL) October 3, 2024
It's important to note that this does not mean he will return after four weeks. Rice's knee is still swollen, and once it subsides, medical staff will be able to perform more tests to determine the extent of his injury. Fantasy managers will need to check back periodically to catch updates on this.
Evan Engram Injury Update
Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram (hamstring) is making good progress in his recovery, but his game status is still up in the air. Engram injured his hamstring during pregame warmups in Week 2 and hasn't played since. He logged two limited practices this week and upgraded from last week's DNPs.
#Jaguars' Wednesday Injury Report
No JHA (concussion protocol) as expected; no Devin Lloyd either.
Great to see both Darnell Savage and Evan Engram back at practice. Anthony Richardson officially listed as "Limited" (can't say the same for the rest of the #Colts) pic.twitter.com/meBzlYUFUC
— Mia O'Brien (@MiaOBrienTV) October 2, 2024
His timetable hasn't been divulged by the Jags coaching staff. There's a better chance he plays this week than last week, but he'll likely be a game-time decision or log a full practice Friday and be taken off the injury report. This one will require more monitoring.
He's a must-start at tight end. There's no depth at the position.
Travis Etienne Jr. Injury Update
Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (shoulder) suffered an injury in Week 4, and has logged back-to-back limited practices on Wednesday and Thursday this week. ETN's final status for the game isn't known yet, and he will need to log a full practice Friday to have the best chance of playing.
#Jaguars-Colts Week 5 Wednesday injury report:
DE Josh Hines-Allen (concussion) and LB Devin Lloyd (knee) did not participate.
Limited:
LB Yasir Abdullah (neck), RB Tank Bigsby (shoulder), WR Gabe Davis (shoulder), TE Evan Engram (hamstring), RB Travis Etienne (shoulder) pic.twitter.com/IgiQh0CfYh
— Demetrius Harvey (@Demetrius82) October 2, 2024
Fantasy managers will have to play the waiting game with this one, too. There hasn't been much word on whether he's expected to miss Week 5. Be sure to stay updated if you manage ETN in any of your fantasy leagues.
He's going against a bad Indianapolis Colts run defense, so he's a solid start, but he's been rough so far this season, as has the Jags' entire offense.
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