Quarterbacks:
NFL and Roger Goodell are smiling today. No QBs were injured in Week 4. Keep those protect the QB rules coming…
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Running Back
Leonard Fournette, Jacksonville Jaguars (Hamstring)
Fournette was active for the first time since Week 1 but only played in the 1st Half of the Jags win over the Jets in Week 4. Fournette reportedly felt “tightness” in his hamstring in the 2nd Quarter, came back in the game, but then was ruled out at Halftime.
Fantasy Analysis: With Jacksonville’s rusher out for the 3rd and 4th Quarter, TJ Yeldon took over and took off!!! Yeldon finished with 18 carries for 52 yards and a rushing score plus he caught three passes for 48 yards and another TD. Certainly frustrating for fantasy owners who were chomping at the bit to get Fournette back in their lineups as he finished with just 30 yards on 11 carries. The silver lining could be the fact the team decided to rest their workhorse since they had such a big lead…could be wishful thinking.
Mark Walton, Cincinnati Bengals, (Concussion)
The Bengals rookie running back had seven total touches for 37 yards before leaving in the 3rd Quarter with a concussion. Consider him week-to-week.
Fantasy Analysis: Reading the tea leaves, it looks like Joe Mixon will be back next week, which pushes Walton back to 3rd string. His fantasy relevance is severely capped with Gio Bernard and Joe Mixon healthy.
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Wide Receivers
TY Hilton, Indianpolis Colts (Chest, Hamstring)
The Colts speedster left the game on the first drive after taking a huge hit on a 40 yard catch. It was reported he had a chest injury but may have had the wind knocked out, as he quickly returned to action. But that was just the beginning of Hilton’s injury woes in Week 4. He later pulled his hamstring in the 4th Quarter and was unable to finish the game (went into Overtime).
Fantasy Analysis: Head Coach Frank Reich told reporters Hilton will unlikely play in Week 5 (play on Thursday night vs. the Patriots). It’s a quick turnaround week for the Colts who have a tasty match-up against a porous Patriots defense, but it looks like Andrew Luck will be without his top playmaker.
Will Fuller, Houston Texans (Hamstring)
Fuller missed Week 1 with a hamstring but caught fire in Weeks 2, 3, and part of Week 4 (catching one TD passes in all three games) . Unfortunately he reinjured his hamstring and didn’t return to action in the 2nd Half.
Fantasy Analysis: Coach Bill O’Brien says Fuller was unable to run all the required routes to re-enter the game but could have played if the team really needed him. Suppose that’s a good sign of his availability for Week 5 but expect him to miss or be limited in practice all week and listed as Questionable.
Geronimo Allison, Green Bay Packers (Concussion)
The Packers receiver got the starting nod in Week 4 with Randall Cobb on the sidelines with a hamstring injury and was able to grab six passes for 80 yards. But Allison left in the 3rd Quarter with a concussion and has been ruled Week-to-Week.
Fantasy Analysis: The Packers are short on healthy receivers. Cobb is nursing a hamstring injury and now Allison is in danger of missing Week 5. Look for Aaron Rodgers to rely on Davante Adams, Jimmy Graham and Marquez Valdes-Scantling if Allison and Cobb can’t play against the Lions.
John Ross, Cincinatti Bengals (Groin/Hamstring)
The Bengals 2nd year receiver pulled up lame on a 39 yard touchdown catch and it’s unclear if he injured his groin or hamstring. Ross did play in the 2nd Half but ultimately left the game for good midway through the 3rd Quarter.
Fantasy Analysis: Always troublesome when a player whose game is built on speed pops up with a groin/hammy injury, so we’ll be hesitant to use Ross in our lineups, despite the Bengals catching fire the last few weeks.
Tight End
Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots (Ankle)
The consensus Number 1 tight end in fantasy might not be Number 1 anymore. Gronk admitted his ankle injury is causing him to lose a step. He’s been relatively quiet since Week 1 and didn’t finish the game in Week 4. Granted the Patriots were blowing out the Dolphins and Gronk may have just rested for the 4th Quarter, but it is concerning whenever a player admits he’s lost his speed.
Fantasy Analysis: The Pats play on Thursday Night in Week 5, a short week for a player to recover that is already dealing with an injury. Consider Gronk Questionable for the match-up vs. the Colts.
Tyler Eifert, Cincinnati Bengals (Broken Ankle)
The talented but often injured tight end will miss the rest of the 2018 season due to a broken ankle. Eifert’s injury history is quite lengthy. He only played two games in 2017, eight in 2016 and one in 2014. It’s honestly a shame because when he’s on the field, the talent is obvious, but the inability to stay healthy says us away from ever drafting him.
Fantasy Analysis: Expect Eifert to land on IR sometime this week. Tyler Kroft and C.J. Uzomah will take over in the starting lineup.
OJ Howard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Knee)
The Bucs second year tight end injured his knee int he 2nd Quarter of Week 4 and was unable to return to action.MRI results show he has a sprained MCL (same injury Evan Engram suffered last week). Howard will miss the next 2-4 weeks. He will undergo an MRI on his knee and if there’s no significant damage, he could be ready to play in Week 6.
Fantasy Analysis: The Bucs have a bye in Week 5, so it’s more like a 1-3 week recovery when factoring in the bye. Look for Cameron Brate to jump into the Top 12 for weekly rankings starting in Week 6 with Howard likely out of action.
Will Dissly, Seattle Seahawks (Torn Patella Tendon)
A fantasy darling thanks to two touchdowns in the first two weeks, Dissly was a hot commodity for tight end-needy fantasy teams. But his stats fell off a cliff in Week 3 and in Week 4, as he goes down with a season-ending injury.
Fantasy Analysis: Dissly was never going to be a “thing” in fantasy much to the chagrin of managers that rushed out to the Waiver Wire. He was known more as a blocking tight end coming out of college, got a lucky garbage time TD in Week 2 with 14 seconds left on the clock and scampered to the end zone on a long run thanks to a missed tackle and poor coverage. Dissly can now be dropped in all formats.
