The WR injury report for Week 4 is a busy one after a tough opening three weeks around the NFL. Let’s examine the latest injury updates and the fantasy football implications from the Wednesday NFL injury reports.
Practice status listings are as follows: DNP – did not participate, LP – limited participant, FP – full participant.
WR injury report heading into Week 4
Jaylen Waddle, MIA | Groin (Questionable)
The Miami Dolphins injury report for Week 4 is a strange one because the team did not have a live practice on a short week. Therefore, all of the statuses are estimations and hard to trust. While Waddle enters game day listed as questionable, he is expected to play in Week 4.
Playing with a groin injury is tough for a player that relies on his speed, especially after an energy-sapping game last week. After what we have seen from Waddle this season, it is hard to sit him. He should still see enough targets to make him a worthwhile fantasy play.
Amon-Ra St. Brown, DET | Ankle (DNP)
Josh Reynolds, DET | Ankle (DNP)
DJ Chark, DET | Ankle (LP)
The news coming out of Detroit about Amon-Ra St. Brown is not very promising. While he was described as day-to-day by head coach Dan Campbell, Campbell went on to say that St. Brown is further away than Josh Reynolds and “in the same boat” as D’Andre Swift. Given the reports earlier in the week that Swift is expected to miss some time, that is not an ideal comparison.
Reports earlier in the week had indicated that St. Brown could miss time but that the injury was not a long-term concern. That tracks with what Campbell said on Wednesday. If St. Brown were to miss time, DJ Chark and Josh Reynolds would be expected to see a target bump. We could also see more playing time for Kalif Raymond. Additionally, T.J. Hockenson could be the big fantasy winner if Jared Goff relies on him more with St. Brown inactive.
If St. Brown plays, starting him would be a risky move. Ankle injuries do not have a huge impact on a per-play basis, but the re-injury risk is high. Fantasy managers would have an increased risk of losing St. Brown mid-game.
There appeared to be less concern about Reynolds from Campbell during his Wednesday availability. Campbell said that he thinks Reynolds will be okay and that they will take it day-to-day to see where the veteran wideout is at as Week 4 draws closer. It would seem likely that missing practice Wednesday is about rest for Reynolds, and he should be good to go on Sunday. The injury update on Thursday will be crucial to ensure he is trending up.
Reynolds should see a boost in opportunities with St. Brown a potential inactive, as he’d be a starter in two-WR sets alongside Chark. There also seemed to be little concern from Campbell over Chark’s availability. He should be expected to suit up and could be in line for a big day if St. Brown is inactive.
Michael Thomas, NO | Toe (DNP)
Jarvis Landry, NO | Ankle (DNP)
Tre’Quan Smith, NO | Concussion (LP)
After Michael Thomas left last’s weeks game with a toe injury, the decision to keep him out was largely described as a precautionary measure by head coach Dennis Allen following the game. However, Thomas was not on the practice field Wednesday as the Saints opened the week of practice in London. We will need to see how Thomas’ participation progresses to determine whether he can play this week.
If Thomas misses time, Marquez Callaway could be the beneficiary in terms of snaps. He took over for Thomas on the outside last week, with Tre’Quan Smith seeing snaps in the slot in place of Jarvis Landry. The biggest winner may very well be rookie WR Chris Olave, who has 26 targets through the past two weeks.
Unlike Thomas, Landry was at least spotted at practice on Wednesday but was working off to the side. If Landry misses time, Smith should be the next man up in the slot — assuming he fully clears the concussion protocol — and could be a sneaky deep league play.
Smith being listed as limited on Wednesday is a good sign. It means he has at least progressed far enough through the protocol to get onto the field. His game status will likely be determined following Friday’s practice.
Keenan Allen, LAC | Hamstring (LP)
After being held out of the Los Angeles Chargers’ Week 3 game, Keenan Allen was back at practice on Wednesday. The WR worked in individual drills, so now we wait to see how he progresses. After what appeared to be a setback late last week, Allen’s status for Sunday remains uncertain. In his absence, Mike Williams is a must-start, with Joshua Palmer a Flex option in 12-team leagues and DeAndre Carter the big-play threat in deeper leagues.
A.J. Brown, PHI | Personal (DNP)
DeVonta Smith, PHI | Back (LP)
Initially, this looked quite scary with both of the Eagles’ top two receivers listed on the Week 4 injury report. However, A.J. Brown’s absence being a personal issue shouldn’t have an effect on Sunday. There were some reports floating around that his wife went into labor, which would explain the absence.
DeVonta Smith managing to get on the field should be viewed as an overall positive sign. He is a player to monitor this week, but the expectation is that he should be fine. If he misses time, then Zach Pascal would likely be the main beneficiary and a fantasy option in deep leagues.
Russell Gage, TB | Hamstring (LP)
Chris Godwin, DET | Hamstring (LP)
Julio Jones, TB | Knee (LP)
Breshad Perriman, TB | Knee/Hamstring (DNP)
Russell Gage should be good to go again this week after recording a 12-reception day in Week 3.
The intriguing pair is Chris Godwin and Julio Jones, who both managed to be limited and put themselves on the road to returning. Godwin is someone the Buccaneers will likely be careful with after he injured his hamstring immediately following a return from major knee surgery. He is a player to monitor carefully this week, but it would not surprise me to see him inactive on game day.
Jones is a player I feel more optimistic about playing if he is limited all week. He has been inactive as a game-time decision the last two weeks, suggesting he has been at least close to playing. Breshad Perriman’s outlook is less optimistic as he deals with two injuries to his leg.
Depending on how this plays out, Jaelon Darden, Scotty Miller, and Cole Beasley could all have value. However, the main two fantasy-relevant pass catchers should be Mike Evans and Gage. Starting either Jones or Godwin, if they are active this week, would be incredibly risky.
Gabriel Davis, BUF | Ankle (LP)
Jake Kumerow, BUF | Ankle (DNP)
The Buffalo Bills practice for Week 4 opens with conflicting reports on Gabe Davis and Jake Kumerow. While Davis remains limited, he looked fine running routes in practice and should be good to suit up on Sunday.
The situation with Kumerow is a little more concerning. If he plays, his fantasy impact would be minimal if both Davis and Stefon Diggs are healthy.
Allen Lazard, GB | Ankle (LP)
Christian Watson, GB | Hamstring (LP)
There does not appear to be a substantial amount of panic with Allen Lazrd listed as limited on the injury report. This is likely just a case of managing his workload as he returns from injury. If this lingers into Thursday and Friday, then we can revisit.
Christian Watson getting another limited tag is a positive step towards him returning in Week 4. However, it is worth remembering he practiced on Wednesday last week before being downgraded. If Watson misses the game, then fellow rookie Romeo Doubs would figure to be the biggest winner after his breakout game last week.
Michael Gallup, DAL | Knee (FP)
Michael Gallup remained listed as a full participant in practice to start Week 4. He sat out last week’s game against the New York Giants despite practicing fully all week. The Cowboys only held a walkthrough, so take this with a grain of salt. He has a chance to suit up this week, but even if he does, he will likely be limited on game day. Fantasy managers should look elsewhere until we see what kind of workload Gallup gets once he returns.
Hunter Renfrow, LV | Concussion (DNP)
The fact that Hunter Renfrow has still not progressed far enough through the concussion protocol to practice is a worrying sign. It has now been 10 days since Renfrow took the hit that placed him in the protocol. At this point, the expectation should be that odds are against him suiting up. If he misses the game, Mack Hollins once again becomes an intriguing starter, especially after his breakout game in Week 3.
Jakobi Meyers, NE | Knee (LP)
The good news is that Jakobi Meyers was limited in practice Wednesday. The bad news is that Mac Jones has a “pretty severe high ankle sprain” and looks set to miss time. With Brian Hoyer set to start, it is risky to start Meyers. In 16-team leagues and deeper he has some value for PPR formats.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling, KC | Abdomen (LP)
Mecole Hardman, KC | Heel (DNP)
The abdomen injury is a new one for Marquez Valdes-Scantling after he dealt with a hip injury last week. We will need to monitor his progress. If he returns to a full participant over the next two days, he should be fine. However, if he remains limited, then he becomes a tough fantasy asset to trust.
Mecole Hardman has been downgraded to a non-participant with his heel injury after being limited at worst last week. This is a bad sign for the speedy receiver. We saw last week that he is an inconsistent producer for fantasy, and this injury just emphasizes that managers cannot trust him in their lineups.
If one of these misses time, Justin Watson is the big beneficiary. If both miss time, then Skyy Moore could see more snaps as well. However, both Watson and Moore have limited value outside of very deep leagues.
Treylon Burks, TEN | Illness (DNP)
Kyle Phillips, TEN | Shoulder (LP)
There should not be too much concern at this point about Treylon Burks, with just an illness keeping him out. If it drags into Thursday or Friday, that concern will grow. Burks’ fantasy value has been limited so far, so this likely has minimal impact on managers.
Phillips being limited in practice is a positive sign for Sunday. We will need to see how he progresses during the week, but the early indications are good. His value is very much limited to deep leagues, but his status could have an impact on the fantasy value of Robert Woods if Phillips is taking targets away from Tennessee’s top wideout.
Rondale Moore, ARI | Hamstring (LP)
Greg Dortch, ARI | Back (LP)
A.J. Green, ARI | Knee (DNP)
There was some expectation that Rondale Moore might be another week away after not practicing all of last week. His return to the practice field Wednesday is a sign that he has a chance to play this week. If he suits up, it would be risky to start him fresh off an injury that will likely continue to impact his top speed for another couple of weeks.
Dortch’s presence here is a concern for managers who just picked him up off the waiver wire. There appeared to be little major concern over him coming out of Week 3. Dortch should still be on track to play, but his utility and fantasy value as a potential starter could hinge on whether Moore is active and able to play a significant part in the offense.
Cardinals’ head coach Kliff Kingsbury did not sound optimistic about the availability of A.J. Green. He was described as looking doubtful, and Kingsbury stated, “unless he really, really comes around, [he’s] probably not going to be available.” The absence of Green could open space for both Moore and Dortch to play reasonably significant roles.
If two of Green, Dortch, and Moore miss the game, Andy Isabella would figure to see an increase in snaps. Isabella would likely remain a deep-league-only play unless all three of them are ruled out.
Sterling Shepard, NYG | Knee (DNP)
Wan’Dale Robinson, NYG | Knee (DNP)
Kadarius Toney, NYG | Hamstring (DNP)
Sterling Shepard will miss the rest of the season after being placed on IR. Wan’Dale Robinson has not been making much progress recently, so it is tough to count on him this week. If he’s active, Robinson would be a contender to step into Shepard’s role in the offense.
Kadarius Toney also has that potential if he can get back on the field. We will need to see how the week develops as to whether either Robinson or Toney will be available. In their absence, Kenny Golladay, Richie James, David Sills, and Darius Slayton are the other four WRs on the New York Giants depth chart. The team could also activate Marcus Johnson, Kalil Pimpleton, or Makai Polk.
