Fantasy football injuries, cheat sheet Week 5: Purdy, Jennings, Pearsall out for 49ers
The Athletic has live coverage of 49ers vs Rams in ‘Thursday Night Football’
Welcome to the Week 5 fantasy cheat sheet, a one-stop shop for The Athletic’s game previews, injury and weather updates, and expert analysis. Bookmark this page and check back for updates.
Player rankings referenced in the body of this article are as of the time noted below. For updated rankings, see the “Fantasy football player rankings” section at the bottom.
The latest NFL news and headlines
Last updated: 5:50 p.m. ET, Oct. 2
Injury news | Weather report
Featured games | Power Up Players
Usage Insights | Fantasy football player rankings
Injury report
These are the major, fantasy-relevant injury situations to monitor this week. For a more comprehensive list, refer to the chart below. Projected positional fantasy rankings in this piece are from The Athletic’s Jake Ciely.
Thursday night
Brock Purdy, QB, SF: Mac Jones filled in for Purdy in Weeks 2 and 3 but aggravated a PCL sprain in his left knee during the 16-15 win over Arizona. Jones and Purdy are neck and neck in many advanced metrics, including fantasy points per game (17.51 vs. 17.22, respectively), expected points added per dropback (0.1 and 0.15, respectively) and completion percentage (66.3 vs. 65.8). This week, Jones is Jake Ciely’s QB21.
Jauan Jennings, Ricky Pearsall, WR, SF: With Pearsall and Jennings ruled out, Christian McCaffrey could see additional targets, as could TE Jake Tonges. If you’re feeling frisky, Kendrick Bourne or Demarcus Robinson are upside additions for those weak at WR, with preference to Bourne, who handles intermediary targets — helpful with the Rams’ strong pass rush. But both WRs are decent dice rolls.
Tyler Higbee, TE, LAR: With Higbee out, TEs Davis Allen and Colby Parkinson will get additional targets, but neither is a fantasy starter this week.
Sunday morning
Cedric Tillman, WR; David Njoku, TE, CLE: Tillman was placed on injured reserve, making Jerry Jeudy the top WR target for rookie QB Dillon Gabriel in his debut. With Njoku possibly missing time, Harold Fannin (who has received the most targets this season with 14) could benefit greatly and is an easy dump-off for Gabriel. However, Week 5 could be when we see if Isaiah Bond (seven targets this season) or Jamari Thrash (four targets) can break out and who might have the best chemistry with Gabriel.
J.J. McCarthy, QB, MIN: Despite a lackluster real-life performance in Week 4, QB Carson Wentz still had a solid fantasy-point total (21.2). While he threw two interceptions, finishing with a 65.2 completion percentage, Wentz totaled 350 yards through the air and threw for two TDs. However, he should be on benches against Cleveland’s stout defense this week.
Sunday 1 p.m.
Lamar Jackson, QB, BAL: With Jackson unlikely to play in Week 5, Cooper Rush will be under center for the Ravens. In 2024, Rush started Weeks 10-17 for the Cowboys, accumulating only 12.3 fantasy points per game. He’s Ciely’s QB26 this week, ahead of only Gabriel and Carson Wentz.
Tyreek Hill, WR, MIA: Hill suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 4. While Jaylen Waddle is the No. 1, the Panthers have solid coverage, and he may not get the best matchups. Still, he’s a WR2, while Malik Washington is a deep-league Flex flier.
Malik Nabers, WR, NYG: With Nabers out for the season, Wan’Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton slide into the WR1-2 slots for the Giants, while Jaylin Hyatt holds down WR3. With Jaxson Dart and his legs at the helm, passing will be more limited, but Robinson and Slayton are Flex options, while TE Theo Johnson is Ciely’s TE17.
Braelon Allen, RB, NYJ: Without Allen in the mix, Breece Hall stands to have a big week as an RB1. Hall has been efficient with 4.6 yards per rush, 1.29 yards before contact per rush and 3.29 yards after contact on the season.
Dallas Goedert, TE, PHI: Goedert is battling a knee injury, and if he can’t go, Grant Calcaterra will start at TE but should be left on waivers. If Goedert plays, he’s a TE1.
Chuba Hubbard, RB; Ja’Tavion Sanders, TE, CAR: If Hubbard is unavailable this week, Dowdle and his inefficient 3.0 yards per carry will take over as lead back, though he’s a deep-league Flex at best. If Hubbard starts, he’s an RB2 against Miami.
CeeDee Lamb, WR, DAL: As expected, Lamb is out this week. In his absence in Week 5, George Pickens (Ciely’s WR5) was electric, racking up an absurd 33.4 PPR points on eight receptions for 134 yards receiving and two touchdowns. He could be a league-winner for those who believed in him.
Alec Pierce, WR, IND: Pierce is out of concussion protocol, and after Adonai Mitchell’s end-zone gaffe in Week 4, expect Pierce to return to his standard role in the Colts’ offense. Pierce has topped 10 PPR points in two of three games but is only a starter in very deep leagues.
Juwan Johnson, Foster Moreau, Taysom Hill, TE, NO: Moreau and Hill began practicing this week (in a limited fashion). Johnson is dealing with an ankle injury. Who’s available and how these TEs are used in Week 5 should be monitored, as it could impact Johnson’s fantasy value. Thus far a stud, sharing targets won’t help his situation.
Sunday 4 p.m.
Trey Benson, RB, ARI: Benson was placed on IR, so Michael Carter and Emari Demercado should take over backfield duties and likely split carries, though it’s anyone’s guess how the touch share will look. Ciely has Demercado at RB29 and Carter at RB32 this week. We should have more clarity heading into Week 6.
Bucky Irving, RB; Mike Evans, WR, TB: Evans will remain out, making Emeka Egbuka a WR1 and Chris Godwin a back-end WR2 or Flex option in Week 5. In Week 4, Egbuka had four receptions (on 10 targets), accumulating 101 receiving yards and a TD, while Godwin caught three passes (on 10 targets), amassing only 26 yards. Irving actually paced receiving yards (103). Irving will likely be held out of Week 5, making Rachaad White an RB2. White has been efficient with 4.7 yards per carry, and he had 29 yards receiving in Week 4. Let him loose.
Baker Mayfield, QB, TB: Mayfield was on the injury report ahead of Week 4 but played through his knee and biceps injuries. As he’s likely to play, he’s a QB1 this week. If he sits, Teddy Bridgewater would get the call.
Calvin Ridley, WR; Tyjae Spears, RB, TEN: Ridley missed a practice, but it’s looking like the WR1 in Tennessee is rookie Elic Ayomanor, who has secured 22.1% of team targets this season vs. Ridley’s 21.2%. He’s also outdone Ridley in expected points added per target (EPA/target), targets per route, yards per route and PPR points per game (9.78 to 6.03). Ciely has Ayomanor one slot ahead of Ridley at WR36. Spears (Ciely’s RB38) was designated to return from IR on Wednesday, and when he plays will eat into Pollard’s (Ciely’s RB26) touch share.
Deebo Samuel, Terry McLaurin, Noah Brown WRs, WAS: With McLaurin and Brown now ruled out, Samuel and Luke McCaffrey could see an uptick in targets, and Zach Ertz is a TE1 regardless, with upside, given receiver absences.
Jayden Daniels, QB, WAS: According to The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala, Daniels is on track to play against the Chargers this week. Daniels said: “I would’ve wanted to play two weeks ago, but probably this last weekend I started to feel like myself. … I plan on going out there Sunday.”
Sunday night
There are no significant injuries to report for Sunday Night Football.
Monday night
There are no significant injuries to report for Sunday Night Football.
Weather report
For more information on the impacts of weather, read Jake Ciely’s fantasy football strategy guide to weather.
Featured games
Statistics are from TruMedia unless otherwise noted.
Follow your fantasy team: Stream out-of-market games with NFL Sunday Ticket from YouTube TV
Thursday night
San Francisco 49ers (3-1) vs. Los Angeles Rams (3-1)
- Venue: SoFi Stadium — Inglewood, Calif.
- Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
- TV: Prime Video
- Streaming (local): Fubo (try for free)
Thursday night features a high-stakes game for the NFC West. After a 27.4 fantasy-point performance in Week 4, QB Matthew Stafford is a solid streaming option this week against the 49ers. He’s throwing to one of the best WR duos in the league — Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, both WR1s this week. In the backfield, running back Kyren Williams has averaged 4.5 yards per carry (4.7 and 5.9 the past two weeks) but has only two TDs and is a borderline RB1 in Week 5.
The 49ers enter the matchup banged-up, with Brock Purdy, Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall ruled out, while George Kittle remains on IR. At least RB Christian McCaffrey is a fantasy-point hoarder and fantasy’s RB1 with 24 PPR points per game. Backup TE Jake Tonges has been as good as can be expected as Kittle’s backup and remains a streaming option in deep leagues. In fantasy points per game, Mac Jones sits at 18th among QBs, while Purdy is at 19th. If you’re desperate for a deep-league WR, Kendrick Bourne could be a sneaky play this week.
Sunday night
New England Patriots (2-2) vs. Buffalo Bills (4-0)
- Venue: Highmark Stadium — Orchard Park, N.Y.
- Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
- TV: NBC
- Streaming: Fubo (try for free)
In this AFC showdown, two top-five fantasy QBs face off. Drake Maye has rewarded fantasy managers who drafted him with 20.88 fantasy points per game. He’s also top-10 in passing yards, yards per attempt, rushing yards and expected points added per dropback. Moreover, he seemed to find his connection with Stefon Diggs in Week 4. Diggs secured 41.2% of team targets and topped 100 yards receiving, elevating him in Ciely’s rankings to WR28, while Kayshon Boutte dropped to WR53. Even after RB Rhamondre Stevenson fumbled the ball twice in Week 3, he still had seven carries while rookie TreVeyon Henderson had seven and Antonio Gibson, six. The touch share makes it hard for either Henderson or Stevenson to elevate beyond a Flex.
For Buffalo, James Cook is cooking as the RB2 in fantasy with 22.75 PPR points per game. With only 60.8% of offensive snaps, compared to RB1 Christian McCaffrey’s 82.6%, Cook is efficient (1.79 yards before contact per rush; 3.56 yards after contact per rush). Josh Allen is QB1 with 24.62 fantasy points per game, and his offensive line is holding up; he’s only seeing pressure 27% of the time, which ranks fourth in the league. He spreads the ball around, and Keon Coleman paces Buffalo receivers with only 18.5% of team targets (40th among WRs with at least five receptions). Khalil Shakir is next in line with 16.8% of targets and a higher PPR FPPG total. Outside of deep leagues, Buffalo’s receivers will be on most benches.
Monday night
Kansas City Chiefs (2-2) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-1)
- Venue: EverBank Stadium — Jacksonville, Fla.
- Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
- TV: ABC, ESPN
- Streaming: Fubo (try for free)
Watching Jacksonville play, you’d never guess they’re 3-1 after four weeks. Trevor Lawrence doesn’t look the part of a franchise quarterback with a 58.3 completion percentage, a negative EPA/DB and a passer rating of 75.1. While Jags fans have been hard on Brian Thomas for his drops, defending Lawrence’s play, the QB has thrown 11.8% of his passes off target, 27th among 39 QBs with at least one start. Thomas (Ciely’s WR24) has dropped some heartbreakers, but he’s still talented and capable of a big game any week, while Travis Hunter has been nearly invisible. Thank [insert deity here] for Travis Etienne, who at least cracks the top 10 in fantasy points per game on 69.1% of the team’s RB rushes. While Bhayshul Tuten was on everyone’s lips during the preseason, he is currently a drop candidate or in deep leagues to be kept on the bench.
Kansas City doesn’t offer much fantasy gold outside of Patrick Mahomes (Ciely’s QB6) and Xavier Worthy (WR13). Mahomes ranks third among QBs with 22.14 FPPG — a big improvement on his 2024 regular season average of 17.69. In Worthy’s return from a dislocated shoulder he posted 17.1 points. Travis Kelce, on the other hand, is averaging only 9.8 PPR points per game, making him TE15, well below his preseason ADP. The backfield is not dependable in fantasy. Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco are desperation Flex plays, but better left on the bench.
Jake Ciely’s Power Up Players
Excerpt from Jake Ciely’s Week 5 waiver wire column, with advice for even the deepest of leagues.
(Scale 1-5: more Mario mushrooms = more excitement)
- Quinshon Judkins, RB, CLE: 🍄🍄🍄 — Judkins had 21 carries in a game the Browns lost 34-10. In fact, Judkins was fifth in RBTouch% at a bellcowian 89.3. This is his backfield. Now, if only the offense could do a bit more.
- Stefon Diggs, WR, NE: 🍄🍄 — It appears it’s time to stop holding onto that Boutte. Kayshon Boutte to be exact, as while he was the top Patriots receiver in routes the first three weeks, the targets weren’t coming consistently. And now? Well, Diggs ran the most routes (there were only 22 dropbacks, but Diggs ran 18). Boutte was third behind Hunter Henry (17) with 16, and is still a top-two option, but Diggs also had 41.2 TmTGT%. That won’t be the case every week, but Diggs looks up to speed — healthy and chemistry-wise — which puts him in the WR3/4 conversation and gives that Boutte the boot.
- Romeo Doubs, WR, GB: 🍄🍄🍄 — Listen to the pod for more on Matthew Golden and Dontayvion Wicks getting Matt LaFleur’d, but Doubs is the top Packers wideout, and by a decent gap — at least until Jayden Reed and/or Christian Watson return to muddy it up. No, Doubs won’t catch multiple touchdowns again… ever? However, he’s the only Packers wide receiver to see 80% or more of the routes. Packers gonna Packers, but at least Doubs is clear of that nonsense.
Usage insights
If you want to maximize your roster, you need to constantly monitor opportunities to add breakout players. Brandon Funston and I scour usage metrics to mine meaningful, actionable insights.
Woody Marks, HOU | 58.5 Offensive Snap Percentage (OffSnap%): With 119 total yards and two touchdowns, Marks was the RB6 for the week that was. Among running backs with at least as many touches as Marks (35), only De’Von Achane (1.23) has a better PPR FPTS per touch rate than Marks’ 1.11 mark. Perhaps we should have seen Marks’ Week 4 breakout coming. You can see by the chart below, Marks’ OffSnap% had risen by a margin of 16-21% in each of his previous two games, and it was up nearly another 10% from the previous week against Carolina on Sunday — it was also the first week his OffSnap% represented a majority share of the Texans’ backfield. Interestingly, after there was a lot of bemoaning the sad, sluggish state of this supposedly epic rookie RB class, first-year RBs responded in a big way in Week 4, with five of the week’s top performers (Ashton Jeanty, Marks, Omarion Hampton, Quinshon Judkins and RJ Harvey) among the top 12 scorers at the position in PPR formats. Here’s a look at Marks’ OffSnap% rise along with some other notable backups’ Snap% movement — we see you, Kendre Miller and Brashard Smith:
Mark Andrews, BAL | 26.7 Team Target Percentage (TeamTgt%) in Week 4: Over the last four weeks, Mark Andrews’ TeamTgt% has continued to rise, with its pinnacle in Week 4. This week’s increase is particularly interesting because Isaiah Likely was active. Andrews ran 23 routes to Likely’s 20, but the latter was not targeted once. The worry over Andrews should be over after back-to-back double-digit weeks (PPR scoring) and his high team target share.
Jake Ciely’s Week 5 fantasy football player rankings
Get Ciely’s full Week 5 analysis. Plus sleepers and projections.
- Sadly, there is no perfect widget out there. I know many view this on your phone, but 1) use the rankings widget on a PC/laptop/etc., if possible or 2) open in your phone’s browser, especially for Android users, to get the scrolling to work (or Android people can try a two-finger scroll).
- ECR = “Expert” Consensus Ranking (which isn’t updated consistently by everyone, so take it with a grain of salt).
- Updated regularly, so check up to lineups locking.
(Photo of Jauan Jennigns: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Source link
