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Below you will find our fantasy football injuries roundup for running backs as of October 12th, coming out of the fifth week of NFL action. There have been new developments surrounding the injury statuses of various NFL running backs, including Damien Harris, Rashaad Penny, and James Conner.
The fantasy football season may be young, but every decision, transaction, and lineup change matters. These are some key running back injuries that managers will want to check on throughout the days leading up to Week 6.
Let's look at the updates for some running backs and see whether they may play in Week 6.
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Damien Harris Injury Update
Harris (hamstring) missed most of Sunday's win over the Lions, opening the door for Rhamondre Stevenson to have a huge performance. As Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports, Harris is expected to miss multiple games due to his injury. While additional testing needs to be done, it looks like Stevenson is in line to start at least a few contests for New England. Going forward, he ranks as a mid-range RB2 with significant RB1 upside.
Rashaad Penny Injury Update
Penny suffered a fractured tibia against the Saints in Week 5. As a result, he's expected to require surgery, ending his season. It's a devastating blow for the 26-year-old who overcame numerous injuries and earned the starting running back job, just to land back on the injury report. As Penny grows older and continues to rack up a lengthy medical history, his odds of coming back as a productive starter decline. Going forward, rookie Kenneth Walker will handle lead-back duties for Seattle.
James Conner Injury Update
Conner (rib) exited Sunday's game and was quickly listed as questionable. After the contest, head coach Kliff Kingsbury explained that the veteran back seems to have avoided a serious injury, but the team will continue to be cautious with him. Suddenly, Arizona finds its backfield very banged up heading into an extremely favorable matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. Fantasy managers should play the Cardinals' starting running back in Week 6, whether it be Conner or someone else.
Jonathan Taylor Injury Update
Taylor (ankle) was a non-participant during practice on Wednesday. While absences like these aren't always indicative of a player's availability for the upcoming game, it's certainly not an ideal start to the week. Taylor will likely need to practice in some capacity if he has any chance of playing this coming Sunday. His next chance to do so comes on Thursday.
Darrel Williams Injury Update
Williams (knee) also injured himself in Week 5 and did not return to the contest. With both Conner and Williams sidelined, the Cardinals turned to Eno Benjamin. To his credit, Benjamin looked solid during this short-term appearance as Arizona's lead back. The Cardinals hope to have either Williams or Conner (or both) back in Week 6, but if not, they worked out a plethora of free agents just in case.
Damien Williams Injury Update
The second of three Williamses on this list, Damien is working his way back from a rib injury. The veteran "said mentally he's ready to go but he needs to be smart with his rib physically." Atlanta could certainly use him right now. With Cordarrelle Patterson (knee) on injured reserve, the Falcons are relying on a combination of Caleb Huntley, Tyler Allgeier, and Avery Williams. While Damien Williams wouldn't be the lead back upon his return, he would certainly garner plenty of touches. It seems like the 30-year-old should return in the coming weeks.
Jonathan Williams Injury Update
Williams (knee) injured himself on Sunday after rushing five times for 48 yards. It was a solid outing for the 28-year-old who had just six scrimmage yards through the first week of the season. However, when the Commanders kicked off their preparations for Week 6 against the Bears, Williams was listed as a non-participant during Tuesday's walkthrough and subsequent practice estimation. Even if active on Thursday night, he's the fourth-string back in Washington and lacks fantasy appeal.
Jonathan Ward Injury Update
Ward (hamstring) was the third Cardinals back to injure himself on Sunday. The 25-year-old has not logged an offensive snap this season, playing solely on special teams. As a result, he should be left on waivers in all fantasy leagues, even if both Conner and Williams sit out Sunday's contest against the Seahawks. Of course, there's also the possibility that Ward lands on Injured Reserve, which looks increasingly more likely.
Ty Chandler Injury Update
Chandler (thumb) injured himself on Sunday and has been placed on Injured Reserve. The 24-year-old hadn't logged an offensive snap yet, but his speed on special teams was incredibly valuable.
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