Week 4 of the fantasy football season has begun after the Giants’ thrashing of the Redskins on Thursday night.  While there were no significant injuries that came out of that game, it did bring Eli Manning back into fantasy relevance and it showcased Larry Donnell as a viable fantasy option at tight end.  As you prepare to set the rest of your lineups for Sunday, remember that some teams are on a bye and that there are still key players nursing injuries which could effect their status for Sunday’s games.

Calvin Johnson (WR-DET)

While I was optimistic about Calvin Johnson’s status for Week 4 in my last injury report, I will admit that I am slightly more concerned now.  Johnson did not practice again on Thursday which is not a death knell for fantasy GM’s.  In fact, even if he doesn’t practice on Friday that doesn’t necessarily mean he won’t play on Sunday.  But it appears the Lions are more concerned about his ankle injury than I had suspected after he was covertly taken out of last Sunday’s win against Green Bay.  Fantasy GM’s need Johnson to play this week for obvious reasons, but he has a fantastic matchup against a Jets’ secondary that couldn’t cover up a zit.

Brandon Marshall (WR-CHI)

Brandon Marshall did not practice on Thursday as he is still dealing with an ankle injury that has been lingering for weeks now.  However, he has played the past couple games despite there being serious concern.  That should be the case again this Sunday as Marshall will more than likely be active in a big divisional game against Green Bay.  The ankle injury is a concern and will continue to be going forward.  But you can confidently put him in your lineup unless something drastically changes between now and kickoff.

Arian Foster (RB-HOU)

We now have confirmation of what we suspected all along – Arian Foster will be a game-time decision on Sunday.  This is obviously frustrating for fantasy GM’s who are relying on Foster as a RB1 but knew the risks associated with drafting him.  Now we are stuck in limbo until Sunday as to his status.  Even if he does play, I would suspect he will be somewhat limited in his workload so Alfred Blue should still see a fair amount of carries.  Do your best to be patient and wait until the last possible minute before committing him to your lineup.

Vernon Davis (TE-SF)

Vernon Davis avoided a serious injury a couple weeks ago with a lower leg injury and has returned to practice in a limited capacity.  All signs point to him playing this Sunday against the Eagles.  He is a vital part of the 49ers’ offense so he will be on the field if humanly possible.  However it will be interesting to see if he is able to run at full strength given the nature of his injury.  That will be a key factor in fantasy since Davis is typically able to get mismatches against opposing linebackers.

Maurice Jones-Drew (RB-OAK)

The often-injured Maurice Jones-Drew has been dealing with a hand injury since Week 1 but he will play this Sunday against Miami in London.  MJD will split his carries with Darren McFadden, so he is not a great fantasy option given the limited workload.  But with several teams on a bye, you can at least plug MJD in your lineup as a replacement and be confident that he will actually play (at least until he gets hurt again).

Mike Wallace (WR-MIA)

Mike Wallace has been limited in practice this week with a hamstring injury, but he is expected to play this Sunday against the Raiders in London.  The biggest question surrounding Wallace is who will be the Dolphins’ quarterback throwing him the ball.  There have been rumors about Ryan Tannehill getting benched in favor of Matt Moore.  Granted, Wallace has not developed a rapport with Tannehill since joining the team before the 2013 season.  But Moore has never been known as a prolific passer.  This situation could greatly affect Wallace’s fantasy value, so start looking into trying to trade him or build additional depth on the waiver wire.

Kyle Rudolph (TE-MIN)

The Vikings are already without Adrian Peterson, and now they will be without their star tight end Kyle Rudolph for at least six weeks.  Rudolph is undergoing surgery for a hernia so his timetable to return is not exact.  This is a big loss for rookie Teddy Bridgewater who will have to rely heavily on receivers Greg Jennings and Cordarelle Patterson.  However, even when Rudolph has played this year he has not looked like himself with several dropped passes and appearing to be a step or two slower.  You can drop him because there should be plenty of options at tight end to roll with going forward.

Odell Beckham, Jr. (WR-NYG)

It has been difficult to remember that the Giants did have a pick in the 1st round of the NFL Draft this year.  Odell Beckham, Jr. has essentially missed training camp, every preseason game, and now the first four games of the regular season.  However, it is expected that Beckham will return to practice during the Giants long week and could suit up in Week 5 against Atlanta.  He is probably still available on your league’s waiver wire, and with the way Eli Manning has been playing he might be worth taking a flyer on.

Michael A. Stein, Esq. is the Chief Justice of Fantasy Judgment, the industry's premier dispute resolution service, and is also the co-host of the Fantasy Alarm podcast. You can contact him at michael.stein@fantasyjudgment.com or on Facebook and Twitter (@FantasyJudgment),