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For more in-depth analysis and discussion of these injury scenarios, tune in to the Fantasy Finish Line Podcast, Week 4 Preview: Say-Say, What?

QUARTERBACKS

Case Keenum (foot) – Keenum did not practice today, and according to ESPN beat reporter John Keim, he is in a walking boot for precautionary measures. The expectation ‘as of now’ is that he will play but that is clearly questionable. Whether or not Dwayne Haskins (2% owned) ends up making his first NFL start this week, Keenum is banged up and coming off of his worst game of the season against the Bears, who managed 5 forced turnovers including 2 fumbles from Keenum. It’s looking rough in Washington.

RUNNING BACKS

LeSean McCoy (ankle) & Damien Williams (knee) – Darrel Williams (109-total-yards) led the Chiefs’ backfield in touches Week 3 against the Ravens, but McCoy was still out there and productive (80-total-yards, 38% of the snaps, 2 TDs). The info to know for now is that Darrel Williams (40% owned) is definitely in front of Darwin Thompson (19% owned) on the depth chart, which is why he was a big waiver pickup this week with all of the prolonged injury concerns with Damien Williams (who is still not practicing and doesn’t figure to suit up in Week 4), and that LeSean McCoy tweaked his injured ankle in that game, and didn’t touch the ball in the 4^th quarter – he is currently limited in practice. Williams will continue to have an impact.

Devin Singletary (hamstring) – According to the humorously named website ‘Buffalo Rumblings’, Singletary (78% owned) is still not practicing after suffering a hamstring injury in Week 2. There is not much indicating that things will change for the Bills’ backfield – leaving Frank Gore (57% owned) to continue as the unchallenged starter. In Week 3, Gore put up 76 yards on 14 rushes and 1 TD.

Ito Smith (concussion) – Smith’s (15% owned) absence after leaving in Week 3 because of a concussion only helps the underperforming Devonta Freeman. We’re finally able to look at trends, and here we see Freeman’s carries going up from 8 to 11 to 16 from Weeks 1 to 3 and putting up 88-yards on 16 rushes and 7 yards on 3 receptions in the game last week was a good sign. Not explosive, but enough work to be an every-week starter if this pattern continues. This guy needs a TD!

Rashaad Penny (hamstring) – Penny (60% owned) injured his hamstring during the walkthrough before the game last week, but the word from Pete Carroll is that he should be ok to practice on Thursday. With Chris Carson having already lost 3 fumbles this year, it’s possible that Seattle could start to give Penny the majority of the carries but all of the talk from Carroll has continued to back up Carson as the starter so I wouldn’t count on anything changing just yet in that backfield. C. J. Prosise (1% owned) is also a RB on the Seattle Seahawks.

Saquon Barkley (high-ankle sprain) – Oh gosh. Big news for fantasy football team managers, and every year you have one of the top guys go down – this year it’s Saquon. Although he’s getting a second opinion on the ankle, these kinds of sprains don’t fully heal for months. It’s my opinion that we don’t get Barkley back as himself for the remainder of the fantasy season. The interesting thing here is that some other opportunities may arise for fantasy points in New York, either from backup Wayne Gallman (71% owned), or from elsewhere (Kenyan Drake (58% owned), or free agents like Jay Ajayi (2% owned), CJ Anderson (5% owned), and Spencer Ware (0% owned)). Although Gallman was arguably at the top of waiver wire adds this week, I just don’t see the upside. He’s never averaged more than 4.3-yards per rush, and never scored more than 1 TD in a season. I think the Giants must obtain someone else, at least for short yardage.

WIDE RECEIVERS

T.Y Hilton (quad) – Hilton was already nursing a quad injury when he suited up and played in Week 3 (8 receptions for 65 yards and 1 TD), and he had to leave the game after aggravating the same injury before halftime. He’s not practicing this week and looks to be a game-time decision against the Raiders in Week 4. Not good for the Colts but look at Deon Cain (0% owned) and Parris Campbell (4% owned) to start getting a little more spotlight if Hilton has an extended absence.

Desean Jackson (abdomen) – Already ruled out as of today, Jackson is not ready to get back into the game just yet on this short week (Thursday night game against the Packers). Although most of the experts thought that J.J. Arcega Whiteside (4% owned, 1 catch for 10 yards) would benefit from Jackson being off the field, it turns out that Mack Hollins (1% owned, 3^rd year receiver, 4 catches for 62-yards) ended up being the guy in the stat book last weekend.

Julian Edelman (ribs) – After coming off the field in week 3, Edelman was taken for chest X-rays in the locker room, but everything came back negative. Both Edelman and Josh Gordon (hip/finger) should be good to go in a match-up against the Bills this week, but it’s a situation to monitor. In the meantime, Phillip Dorsett (50% owned) is again on the radar with Antonio Brown outta town, and he made the most of his playing time last week with 6 catches for 53 yards and 1 TD. He also rushed twice for 12 yards.

TIGHT ENDS

Vance McDonald (shoulder) – Earlier in the week it looked like McDonald (84% owned) may have suffered a major injury and some were reporting that Nick Vannett was traded to the Steelers from the Seahawks because of those injury concerns. Turns out, though, that it’s Xavier Grimble (calf) that has been put on injured reserve – the Steelers were just looking for another big-bodied blocking tight end to replace Grimble’s production. It’s not 100%, but there’s a good chance that McDonald ends up playing against the Bengals for Monday Night Football.

For more in-depth analysis and discussion of these injury scenarios, tune in to the Fantasy Finish Line Podcast, Week 10 Preview: ADP vs. Reality

QUARTERBACK

Jacoby Brissett (MCL Sprain) – Brissett has still not been ruled out for Week 10’s game against the Dolphins after going down early in the Steelers game last week. Brian Hoyer filled in for him and went 17/26 for 168 yards and 3 TDs with 1 INT. Brissett put in a limited practice today and he is still expected to try and play, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Colts held him out one more week since their matchup against the Dolphins is still winnable with a backup QB and without T.Y. Hilton (calf).

Cam Newton (Lisfranc) – Newton was put on the IR yesterday, ending his season. Kyle Allen will fill in for the rest of the year at QB and although he’s not playing at a high level he has been managing the team to wins since Newton’s departure – something Cam was not excelling at. It’s likely at this point that Newton will be under center for some other team next season.

Patrick Mahomes (knee) – Andy Reid said that the Chiefs were increasing Mahomes’ workload in practice this week before starting him against the Titans on Sunday. He participated fully today and should be expected to start this week barring any setbacks, putting Matt Moore back behind the clipboard.

RUNNING BACK

Le’Veon Bell (knee) – Bell had an MRI on his knee Monday, and the Jets signed Josh Adams – causing fantasy team owners around the world to hold their breath – but the Adams signing was apparently a defensive move in order to block the Dolphins from acquiring him in the wake of Mark Walton’s suspension. The latest news on Bell is that he has no structural damage to his knee and wanted to practice today, but the team forced him to rest instead. It’s still possible that Bell is held out, so watch the news this week to see if he suits up. Ty Montgomery would fill in if he did miss time but he would not be a big fantasy asset by any means.

David Johnson (ankle) – The Cardinals’ best receiver so far this year, Johnson says that he’s “definitely playing” this week against the Buccaneers. Expect a tandem of Johnson and the newly acquired Kenyan Drake, which may impress more than people think. The Cardinals are getting healthy again with Kirk back, and Week 10’s matchup against TB (allowing a league-leading 37.91 points against WRs this year) may be a lucrative one for Cardinals’ pass catchers.

James Conner (shoulder) – Tomlin is optimistic that Conner will play in Week 10 but Samuels will be the guy if Conner is unable to. Conner’s backup Edmunds didn’t practice today which was a surprise – but Conner did put in a limited session. Sounds like he’ll go. Editor's Note (11/7): Sounds like he won't go now, and depth behind Samuels is a bit of a mystery.

WIDE RECEIVER

DeSean Jackson (abdomen) – Surgery later this week, off fantasy radar for the rest of the season. We’ll see him again next year, but it’s always sad from an explosive player like Jackson who put up 8 receptions for 154 yards and 2 TDs in Week 1. Mack Hollins will continue to act as the WR3 on the Eagles, but Miles Sanders gets a lot of benefit out of the extra targets on this offense as well.

Preston Williams (knee) – This injury ends Williams’ season, but he was very solid as a receiver and we’ll see him again next year!

Adam Thielen (hamstring) – Thielen tried to rejoin the offense last week but limped off early in the contest and is now expected to miss several weeks in order to get fully healthy. Week 13 looks like the target for him to get back on the field, with the Vikings on bye in Week 12. He has been disappointing this season from a fantasy perspective and is only on pace for 48 catches and 695 yards.

T.Y. Hilton (calf) – Head coach Frank Reich now expects Hilton to be out for 3-4 weeks, and Zach Pascal is filling in while Hilton is out. Pascal was a hot waiver wire pickup over the last 2 weeks, and he did have nice games in Weeks 7 and 9, but he is still very much boom or bust and capable of performances like his 6-yard game against the Broncos in Week 8. Buyer beware!

Sterling Shepard & Brandin Cooks (concussion) – Shepard and Cooks are probably at the same specialist in Pittsburgh consulting about concussions.. it looks like both of them may end up on IR, which would be a big blow to those offenses.

TIGHT END

Chris Herndon (hamstring) – Looks like Herndon will suit up (for real this time) and play his first snaps this week. He was a beast last year and should be owned in every league, regardless of format, with the TE landscape being as barren as it is this year.

O.J. Howard (hamstring) – Howard will be out there against the Cardinals in Week 10 and we all know what the Cardinals weakness is.. tight ends. Do we think that Howard will actually put up fantasy start worthy stats? Coin toss.

Evan Engram (foot) – He’s hanging out in a walking boot. Mid-foot sprain will have his status squarely at week-to-week. As Rotoworld smartly states, “mid-foot” can refer to a Lisfranc injury.. which tends to put people on the bench for multiple weeks or even send them home for the season. Monitor carefully, as he was performing at a high level before being injured.

It's championship week, and we've got rankings for you to mull over while deciding on your final lineups.. this week is an interesting one, as players like James Conner, and Austin Hooper find themselves firmly back within starting territory on fantasy squads while we also say goodbye to some of those studs at their positions that got you there in the first place - namely Chris Godwin and Dalvin Cook (watch the news closely, he may be on the sidelines for Weeks 16 &17). There are also some huge questions marks on players like T.Y. Hilton and Adam Thielen. Check out this week's Fantasy Finish Line podcast for the lowdown on the story so far this week and how it may develop leading into the final weekend of most fantasy leagues. Best of luck in the big game!

Pay attention to these rankings throughout the week, as they will continue to evolve based on the latest injury updates, news, and player/matchup analysis. Good luck this season and remember, you can tweet us @drinkfive with any of your lineup questions!