Week 4 Fantasy Football Injuries, Coachspeak and News to Help You Win: Replacing Justin Jefferson & More

Breece Hall, Garrett Wilson and Kenyon Sadiq

Hall has been ruled out for Sunday with the quad injury and is still considered week-to-week.

Aaron Glenn said Isaiah Davis "is going to get his shot," which definitely gets my attention considering Davis hasn't had a touch yet this season. 

Braelon Allen is the clear lead back regardless of what Glenn says. We can safely project him for 65% or more of the RB opportunity share against this Bears run defense that grades out as the worst unit in the NFL. Allen is my RB18.

Adonai Mitchell is out again Sunday with the finger injury. Without Mitchell last week, Garrett Wilson drew 13 targets for a 36% share. He’s a borderline WR1.

Mason Taylor is also out this week, which means we should see a lot more Kenyon Sadiq (he’s questionable, but I think he’ll likely play). The question is how much more after a 57% route share last week with an absurd 38% TPRR. Receiver Score did not like his route tree, but it may not matter without any other credible threat in the offense this week. He’s a streaming option.

Tyson Bagent and the Bears Offense

Caleb Williams is officially out Sunday with the hamstring injury. Tyson Bagent is expected to start after taking the first-team reps this week, but Ben Johnson still hasn't confirmed it. It’s a bad matchup for Rome Odunze, but Bagent is more capable of unlocking the deep pass game. Bagent is an option for sicko superflex people like me (I have to start him in one spot).

Given that Odunze is functioning as the deep threat, Luther Burden is the Bears receiver I'd prefer to use after earning 11 targets and a 32% share against Minnesota.

Colston Loveland is an upper-tier TE2 for now - as sad as that statement is, I still believe it all gets a lot better when Caleb Williams is back. Probably not a TE1 overall ceiling, but still a top-5 ceiling when this offense gets a normal game, which we’ve only had in Week 1 (Week 2 = monsoon, Week 3 = Keenum).

Braxton Jones is out at tackle after missing all three practices, but this was a position battle in the offseason, so Theo Benedet may not be too much of a downgrade.

D'Andre Swift was a full participant Friday and doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday. I have him as an RB2. A backup QB and a missing tackle should keep Chicago interested in running the football, assuming the game stays close.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati's Slot Corner and Parker Washington

Cincinnati placed starting slot corner Jaylen Davis on injured reserve, and Liam Coen actually brought up the Bengals' nickel situation himself when discussing what Jacksonville is looking at this week.

That's obviously interesting for Parker Washington, who does most of his damage from the slot.

Washington ran a route on 94% of the dropbacks two weeks ago and has drawn target shares of 43% and 19% over the last two games. In a matchup with a 51.5-point total, he's a top-5 WR for me.

Bhayshul Tuten carried 15 times for 73 yards last week and remains my preferred Jacksonville RB. Grant Udinski expects more involvement in the passing game. Those of us on Tuten Tower will take any extra work for him - he’s playing at a very high level right now and the breakout is coming soon.

Dallas Cowboys at Houston Texans

Joey Porter Jr. and Nico Collins

Joey Porter Jr. doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday, but we don’t know how much he will end up playing after joining the team mid-week. He could be the primary defender on Collins, but there’s no guarantee on that. I think he will play a decent amount - this is a big game (for both teams) to get their seasons on track.

Nico Collins was a full participant Friday and doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday.

I'm still starting Collins. When he's healthy, this is essentially a 90%-route role, and Nick Caley said the offense has its joy and energy back when Collins is on the field.

I would temper the ceiling a little in the first game back, but I'm not sitting him because Porter might be across from him on some of his outside routes.

Cobie Durant and DeMarvion Overshown are both out for Dallas, which just makes their defense even more vulnerable.

CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens

Klayton Adams said Lamb lines up everywhere and he wants to do a better job tracking where Lamb is aligned while he's calling plays. If he can avoid Stingley in this matchup, who I think will align on Pickens, Lamb should have a nice day as a WR1.

Arizona Cardinals at New York Giants

Jameis Winston, J.J. McCarthy and the Giants

New York traded for McCarthy after Jaxson Dart's season-ending surgery, but Jameis Winston remains QB1 for this week; Ian Rapoport mentioned that McCarthy could take over soon.

Andrew Thomas will play Sunday and doesn't have an injury designation after returning to a limited practice Friday. That's a big boost to the pass protection for Winston after Thomas missed Wednesday and Thursday with the groin strain.

Los Angeles Rams at Philadelphia Eagles

Puka Nacua and Davante Adams

Nacua will play Sunday without an injury designation after practicing all three days. Sean McVay said he looked sharp Thursday, but the Rams are still figuring out exactly what kind of workload he can handle. Nacua has played only 43 snaps all season, so I'm still expecting some snap-count risk in his first game back. Last season when he came off an injury, he was still a WR1, but not at Puka Nacua levels because of a 60-70% route participation (Preservation of Puka is what I call it). We may see that for a few weeks this season.

DeVonta Smith and the Eagles

Smith and Hollywood Brown are both out Sunday, and Dallas Goedert is also out with the MCL sprain.

This receiving group is thin.

With Smith and Brown out, Dontayvion Wicks and Makai Lemon will operate as Philadelphia's primary receivers.

I'm not automatically forcing one of the remaining Eagles WRs into my lineup just because somebody has to be out there. Wicks likely draws a ton of Trent McDuffie, while Lemon gets a more favorable matchup in the slot. Neither are players I want to start this week. I’d also sit Jalen Hurts if you can.

If this injury lingers, I would grab Makai Lemon as the higher upside option. If Wicks is the only one available, I’d be happy to grab him in deeper formats.

Green Bay Packers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Packers Offensive Line

The offensive line is where I have most of my concern for the Packers. Green Bay already lost right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele for the season, and Aaron Banks and Jacob Monk are both out after the Packers spent the week adding veteran linemen. This is the worst run-blocking and pass-protecting unit in the NFL, which has made the RBs unplayable.

Jalon Daniels and Bucky Irving

Baker Mayfield dislocated his throwing thumb and will miss at least three weeks, so undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels gets the start for Tampa Bay.

That changes the entire offense for me - I would not want to start anyone other than Bucky.

Bucky Irving was a full participant Friday and doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday. He's an RB2 for me, who could get high volume given the QB situation.

Miami Dolphins at Minnesota Vikings

Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison

Jefferson is officially out Sunday with the ankle sprain after missing all three practices this week. It sounds like he could be back next week, so that’s a one-week boost for Jordan Addison.

Addison ran a route on every dropback and earned 9 targets for a 36% share without Jefferson last week.

Addison is a WR2 for me with Jefferson out.

T.J. Hockenson is a high-end TE2 without Jefferson against a defense that struggles to defend in-line TEs.

Ollie Gordon II

De'Von Achane tore his ACL and is done for the season, leaving Gordon as the primary back Miami may lean on.

He handled 17 carries on an 84% snap share against Kansas City after Achane went down, but Jaylen Wright and others were inactive.

It’s a tough matchup, so I’d hope to sit Ollie Gordon if I can and gather information on what the backfield split is.

Caleb Douglas is out with an ankle injury, leaving Malik Washington with another path to volume after running a route on 85% of the dropbacks and drawing 10 targets last week. Washington is a flex in PPR if you're looking for volume.

I am still keeping an eye on Chris Bell, who looked impressive in the first half against the Chiefs and tailed off in the second. I think he’ll have value later this season.

Kansas City Chiefs at Las Vegas Raiders

No major injuries or news. Watch Kenneth Walker and Brock Bowers have big games!

Los Angeles Chargers at Seattle Seahawks

Ladd McConkey

McConkey was limited Wednesday, missed Thursday with a new foot injury on top of the cracked rib he's been playing through since Week 1, and then returned to practice Friday. That's a good sign after he left Thursday with a limp, but he's still questionable for Sunday.

The frustrating part is he finally looked like a full-time receiver again right before this. He ran a route on 86% of the dropbacks on an 88% snap share last week.

I'd have a replacement ready, but I think he will play. He hasn’t looked the same since the rib injury, so I’ve downgraded him (especially in this matchup) to WR3 status.

Tre Harris is the Charger I'd prefer if McConkey sits after drawing 7 targets for 76 yards last week. He seems to be a better fit for Mike McDaniel’s offense.

Zach Charbonnet and Jadarian Price

Zach Charbonnet was limited Thursday and Friday after his 21-day window off PUP opened, but he's still ineligible for Week 4. He will probably ramp, but he should step into his typical role and could gain even more responsibilities given how the RB room has played out.

Since Jadarian Price is out, Emanuel Wilson becomes a nice streamer for this week as a back-end RB2.

Denver Broncos at San Francisco 49ers

Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel

San Francisco's injury list keeps piling up.

Nick Bosa is out with a calf injury. Trent Williams was upgraded to a full practice Friday and doesn't have an injury designation, so he will play. Mike Evans is questionable with the rib injury and will be a game-time decision after missing Wednesday and Thursday before getting in a limited practice Friday.

Klay Kubiak also said Deebo Samuel's touches are going up because of the injuries around him. Deebo is a borderline WR2/3 for me this week - anyone playing as much as he is for the 49ers is a solid play in fantasy football.

Detroit Lions at Carolina Panthers

Jameson Williams and the Carolina Secondary

Carolina has both starting corners, Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson, on injured reserve, and the coaching staff has talked about needing the defensive line to create more pressure because of what they're missing behind it.

The main beneficiary is boom-bust Jameson Williams, who is due for a blow-up game. He’s a WR3 for me, but with a high implied total it feels like a good environment to lean into.

Chuba Hubbard and the Panthers Receivers

Jalen Coker is officially questionable after practicing again Friday with the quad injury. Dave Canales said he'll go through a Saturday workout before they make a decision, which is annoying with the Sunday-night kickoff. If you have Jameson Williams or Devaughn Vele, you can swap to (or others), then you can wait, but outside of that, you should consider other options.

Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints

Alvin Kamara and the Saints Backfield

Travis Etienne is on injured reserve with a hamstring injury and will miss at least four games. The expectation is that Alvin Kamara leads the Saints backfield, with Kendre Miller also getting more snaps.

I think we should use this week as a data point in a bad matchup.