Week 5 of the NFL season was by far the least catastrophic for fantasy GMs thus far.  That isn’t to say there wasn’t any impact on fantasy rosters, but nothing overly dramatic occurred compared to weeks before.  So without further ado, here is the next edition of the fantasy football walking wounded.

Eddie Lacy (RB-GB)

Lacy sustained an ankle injury during Sunday night’s game against the Giants.  He was taken out of the game and did not return.  The Packers are not sure about Lacy’s status for Week 6 against Dallas but they don’t think the injury is serious.  He has looked better thus far this year but has not found the end zone yet.  If he cannot play or has limited availability, then the uninspiring James Starks will get more playing time which will prompt a collective yawn by fantasy GMs.

Stefon Diggs (WR-MIN)

Diggs was inactive this past week against Houston but it didn’t matter much as the Vikings moved to 5-0 after a decisive win.  Minnesota is on a bye this week so Diggs will have plenty of time to recover from his groin injury and be back on the field for Week 7. 

Eric Decker (WR-NYJ)

Decker was held out for the second consecutive week with a shoulder injury during the Jets loss to Pittsburgh.  He is still considered week-to-week but will have an extra day of rest before the Jets play next Monday night against Arizona.  Hopefully we will know what Decker’s status will be well in advance so fantasy GMs can make the necessary decisions before setting lineups.  Continue monitoring Decker’s status throughout the week.

Latavius Murray (RB-OAK)

Murray missed this past week’s game against San Diego with turf toe which is normally an injury that costs players multiple weeks.  The Raiders are hoping he can play in Week 6 against Kansas City who got their doors blown off by Pittsburgh last week.  Murray would be a must-start in this matchup but you will have to follow up for more updates later in the week.

Carson Palmer (QB-ARZ)

Palmer has been in the concussion protocol since being knocked out of the Cardinals’ loss to Los Angeles in Week 4.  Arizona expects him to be cleared early this week which is good news for fantasy GMs who should be salivating over the matchup against the Jets next Monday night.  The Jets pass defense has been atrocious which could open the door for Palmer to finally connect with his wide receivers who have been mostly been dormant for most of the season thus far.

Steve Smith, Sr. (WR-BAL)

Smith had to leave this past Sunday’s game against Washington with an ankle injury.  He tried working through the injury but could not return onto the field after amassing three catches for 29 yards.  Smith is still a valuable fantasy wide receiver at this stage of his career and could be in for a big game in Week 6 against the Giants who have allowed several big plays over the past few weeks.  Check back in on his status later this week and consider him a WR3 or Flex option assuming he plays.

Trevor Siemian (QB-DEN)

There was a possibility Siemian could have played this weekend against Atlanta, but the Broncos opted to go with Paxton Lynch instead.  That did not work out so well.  Denver has confirmed that Siemian is expected to play on Thursday against the Chargers which should be a favorable matchup.  This will also provide added value for Denver’s wide receivers Demaryius Thomas and Emmanual Sanders who should be able to exploit a depleted San Diego secondary.

Charles Sims (RB-TB)

Tampa Bay unexpectedly placed Sims on injured reserve with a knee injury.  The reason this is unexpected is that the severity of his injury was not known before the weekend and all indications were that he may miss Monday night’s game against Carolina and that would be it.  Tampa Bay is already missing Doug Martin so they relied on third-string running back Jacquizz Rodgers to shoulder the load for this depleted backfield.

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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),