This edition of the injury report is essentially a “who’s who” of fantasy running backs. With Saquon Barkley already missing Week 6, the other top running backs in the league are also dealing with injuries of their own. No fantasy GM is ever spared the misery and horror of top players sustaining injuries. Adding to the difficulty is the uncertainty about some players’ status because teams do not want to commit either way to whether a player will suit up or remain sidelined until the last minute possible. This is why it is so important to follow up these injury reports for additional updates. So without any further adieu, let’s take a look at some of the walking wounded in the fantasy football emergency room.
Christian McCaffrey (RB-CAR)
No need for GMs to panic by seeing Christian McCaffrey on the injury report. The Panthers were simply doing their due diligence by even listing him with a back injury because he missed practice on Wednesday. He came back and practiced in a full capacity on Thursday so he will be good to go for Week 6 when Carolina plays Tampa Bay in London. McCaffrey has been incredible through five games rushing for 587 yards and six touchdowns while also catching 31 passes for 279 yards and one touchdown. He is by far the top running back in the league and should be in for another big game against the Bucs.
Alvin Kamara (RB-NO)
While the news on McCaffrey is not alarming, the same cannot be said about Alvin Kamara who found himself on the injury report after being limited in practice on Thursday. He is dealing with an ankle injury he must have sustained late this week but we do not have any additional details about it yet. GMs should not hit the panic button just yet, but you should keep checking for updates over the next 24-48 hours to make sure he will be able to play on Sunday against Jacksonville. Kamara has been solid but not spectacular this year rushing for 342 yards and one touchdown to go along with 26 catches for 241 yards and one touchdown.
Todd Gurley (RB-LAR)
Continuing the trend of top running backs being injured, the news is even worse for Todd Gurley who has missed practice this week with a quadriceps injury. He suffered the injury last Thursday against Seattle, and has not shown much improvement since then. This is trending towards him missing this week’s game against the 49ers which means that Malcolm Brown and Darrell Henderson would split duties in the backfield. Brown is still the better option of the two but Henderson could be a sneaky Flex option if he is given enough snaps.
Davante Adams (WR-GB)
Packers wide receiver Davante Adams appears headed for another absence this week as he continues dealing with turf toe. Adams suffered the injury a couple weeks ago against the Eagles and has not progressed enough to get back on the field. This is causing major headaches for fantasy GMs who drafted him as a WR1 as well as those who have Aaron Rodgers . Green Bay’s offense has become much more conservative leaning on the running game, but Adams is still an elite receiver who will be sorely missed from lineups again. His absence certainly lowers Rodgers value again, as he has not been able to connect much with his other receivers, such as Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Geronimo Allison . Look for a large does of Aaron Jones on Monday night against the Lions.
David Johnson (RB-ARZ)
Cardinals running back David Johnson is questionable at best to play on Sunday against Atlanta as he continues dealing with a back injury. He did not practice again on Thursday but there is still an outside chance that he suits up if he can practice in a limited capacity on Friday. Johnson has had a pedestrian start to the season rushing for 264 yards and one touchdown while also catching 24 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns. However, he will have an appetizing matchup this week against a Falcons defense that allowed over 50 points to the Texans last week. GMs will want to grab Chase Edmonds off the waiver wire in case Johnson is ruled out.
DeSean Jackson (WR-PHI)
Jackson remained sidelined at practice on Thursday and will likely be out again this week against the Vikings. He is still dealing with an abdominal injury but fortunately has avoided needing to undergo surgery. The Eagles are hoping that he will be able to return for Week 7 but that is up in the air right now. He has only played in less than two full games and has eight catches for 154 yards and two touchdowns. The Eagles sorely miss his explosiveness and downfield capabilities. Continue to keep him stashed and hope that he is able to return next week.
Josh Gordon (WR-NE)
The Patriots were already thin at wide receiver with Phillip Dorsett out of Thursday night’s game against the Giants. They had to finish most of the game without Josh Gordon as well after he sustained an ugly knee injury at the end of an interception return for a touchdown by the Giants. Gordon’s leg got rolled over and the way his leg bent looked like a season-ending injury. We will know more about the extent of this injury in the coming days, but fantasy GMs should be prepared to be without him for a period of time.
Chris Carson (RB-SEA)
Seattle added Carson to the injury report on Thursday after he practiced in a limited capacity due to a shoulder injury. This does not appear to be a serious issue so his status for Week 6 is still looking good. Carson should have a favorable matchup against a Cleveland defense that just got shredded by the 49ers. He is a RB1 option this week having rushed for 380 yards and one touchdown to go along with 15 catches for 105 yards and two touchdowns on the season. Do not be overly concerned with his appearance on the injury report.
Courtland Sutton (WR-DEN)
There are few Broncos who are viable fantasy options, but one of them is receiver Courtland Sutton . He has emerged as the team’s number one receiver with 26 receptions for 401 yards and three touchdowns making him a legitimate WR3 option. He was limited in practice earlier this week due to a leg injury, but he managed to practice in a full capacity on Thursday, thus solidifying his readiness for Week 6 against Tennessee. This will be a tough matchup against the Titans defense, but Sutton is still worthy of a starting role in most fantasy leagues.
Gardner Minshew (QB-JAX)
Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew practiced in a limited capacity on Thursday due to some soreness in his groin. This does not appear to be a major injury so there is no reason to doubt his availability for this week’s game against the Saints. Minshew has been stellar since taking over for Nick Foles in Week 1 as he has thrown for 1,279 yards along with nine touchdowns and only one interception in five games. He is certainly a starting option this week in what could be a high-scoring game against the Saints, so GMs should feel confident he can build off of his impressive performance last week against Carolina.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling (WR-GB)
The Packers are growing very thin at wide receiver with Davante Adams on the shelf. His absence provided Marques Valdes-Scantling an opportunity to step up and emerge in a bigger role, but he has not been able to make that jump. Valdes-Scantling has been limited to just 17 receptions for 235 yards and one touchdown thus far. This is also partially due to the fact that Green Bay’s offense is centered more on the running game and ball control. He is a Flex option at best this week against Detroit on Monday night.
Brandin Cooks (WR-LAR)
Cooks was in the league’s concussion protocol but came back to practice on Wednesday and claims he is not suffering from any lingering effects. This is great news for the Rams as they are headed for a showdown with the undefeated 49ers this week. Cooks has not asserted himself as a dominant receiver yet this year, so his fantasy value has taken a hit. He should still be regarded as a WR2 and be in lineups across the board. GMs just need to lower expectations a little because Jared Goff clearly has developed a better rapport with Cooper Kupp
Mark Andrews (TE-BAL)
Andrews has been on the Ravens injury report every week this season but has still managed to play. He got off to a red hot start over the first two weeks but has cooled off considerably since then. He still has 28 catches for 311 yards and three touchdowns making him a bona fide TE1, but we cannot expect the same kind of production he had after the first two games.
T.J. Hockenson (TE-DET)
Hockenson is still in the league’s concussion protocol but he did practice on Thursday in a full capacity. It remains to be seen whether he will get cleared to play this Monday night against Green Bay. Fantasy GMs would be very pleased to hear he is able to return as the tight end position has been a vacuous hole for most teams. Hockenson had a huge Week 1 but has tailed off since then accumulating a total of 11 catches for 166 yards and two touchdowns in four games.
Mason Rudolph (QB-PIT)
Somehow, it is very possible, and even likely, that Mason Rudolph will play this week against the Chargers. After sustaining a violent concussion, Rudolph has been practicing in a limited capacity this week and could wind up back under center for Week 6. The Steelers have been decimated with injuries, and have little hope at making a playoff run. However, Rudolph does give them a better chance of winning than third string quarterback Devlin Hodges. Rudolph would barely be a QB2 option if he does play and you can expect Pittsburgh to rely heavily on James Conner running the ball.
Jaylen Samuels (RB-PIT)
Steelers backup running back Jaylen Samuels underwent arthroscopic surgery on his knee earlier this week and will be out for at least a month. His value was solely as James Conner ’s handcuff as Samuels has been limited to only 50 yards rushing and one touchdown along with 13 catches for 83 yards. Benny Snell now becomes Conner’s backup but he would only be a waiver wire target if you are desperate for depth and wanted to replace Samuels for the next several weeks.
Kyle Juszczyk (RB-SF)
The 49ers played almost a perfect offensive game on Monday night against the Browns. They were able to run the ball at will thanks in large part to fullback Kyle Juszczyk leading the way. San Francisco’s dominant win was tarnished when Juszczyk sustained a sprained MCL and had to be taken out of the game. He will not be placed on injured reserve, but he is still expected to miss over a month. He does not have any fantasy value, but his loss will certainly affect the fantasy value of Matt Breida , Tevin Coleman and Raheem Mostert .