DFS: NFL Week 5 Injury Report

Here's a look at the injury situation around the NFL heading into Week 5, with the Thursday night participants and the four teams on byes not included:

Quarterbacks

Aside from long-term injuries to Tony Romo and Ben Roethlisberger, there are no significant QB injury concerns for the week.

Running Backs

Tevin Coleman, Falcons (vs. Redskins) - Probable

The Devonta Freeman Show continued in Coleman's absence, with the second-year man rushing for 68 yards and 3 TDs while adding five receptions for 81 yards as the Falcons demolished the Texans. Undrafted rookie Terron Ward actually outcarried Freeman 19-14, but that's because Freeman wasn't needed once Atlanta took a 42-0 (!) third-quarter lead.

Freeman has shown that he can deliver the goods when he has the backfield to himself, but a potential Coleman return would obviously cloud things.

Karlos Williams, Bills (at Titans) - Out

Despite an uneven game overall, Williams provided a decent fantasy return against the Giants while filling in for LeSean McCoy. He was also diagnosed with a concussion, which puts into question his status for this week against Tennessee.

With McCoy out for the next few games, the trio of Anthony "Boobie" Dixon, Cierre Wood and newly-signed Dan Herron will carry the load since Williams can't play, with Dixon expected to be the starter.

Joique Bell, Lions (vs. Cardinals) - Out

Despite a gameflow in favour of running the ball, neither Theo Riddick or Ameer Abdullah could really take advantage of Bell's absence against Seattle. Undrafted rookie Zach Zenner was also in the mix, just to muddle things further. As it stands, no member of the Lions backfield sees enough of the ball to be a viable DFS selection.

Lance Dunbar, Cowboys (vs. Patriots) - Out

Dunbar tore his ACL during Dallas' loss to the Saints, so the designated passing-down back and value-priced PPR contributor has been declared out for the rest of the season. Without Dunbar, Dallas backs caught only one pass against the Saints, while slot receiver Cole Beasley saw more work, with six catches for 62 yards.

Christine Michael should move up into the rotation alongside Joseph Randle and Darren McFadden, though he doesn't have any immediate fantasy value.

Marshawn Lynch, Seahawks (at Bengals) - Out

Seattle's running game didn't accomplish all that much without Lynch on Monday night, so there's no real risk of him losing carries to Thomas Rawls or Fred Jackson. Even when healthy, Lynch (and Seattle's offense in general) has been underwhelming, with no TDs and a YPC of 3.4, so he hasn't been doing enough to justify his high salary in most DFS games.

Andre Ellington, Cardinals (at Lions) - Probable

Ellington was held out of Arizona's loss to St. Louis, his third straight missed game. Chris Johnson and David Johnson continued to perform well, so Ellington will be hard-pressed to regain the majority of the touches when he ultimately returns.

Wide Receivers

Steve Smith Sr., Ravens (vs. Browns) - Out

Smith suffered four broken bones during Baltimore's win over the Steelers last Thursday, and is now considered week-to-week. Coach John Harbaugh has said that Smith will miss this Sunday's game with the Browns.

In his final season before retirement, Smith has been the Ravens' lone trustworthy DFS receiver, with a line of 29-373-2 through four games, so any extended absence would hurt, though Kamar Aiken had a strong performance against Pittsburgh with five catches for 77 yards and a TD. The team also traded for Chris Givens, who had been buried on the Rams' depth chart.

Givens has averaged over 16 yards per reception in his four year career, and should provide the Ravens with a deep threat that's been missing with rookie Breshad Perriman unable to play due to injury.

Sammy Watkins, Bills (at Titans) - Out

Watkins sat out against the Giants, and will miss his second consecutive game this week. Last week, Tight end Charles Clay was the focal point of the passing game with nine receptions for 111 yards on 13 targets.

Alshon Jeffery, Bears (at Chiefs) - Out

Jeffery will miss his fourth consecutive game this week against Kansas City. Jeffery has been hampered by a lingering hamstring injury in the past few weeks after being held out by a calf issue earlier in the season. He was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday but missed the Bears Friday session.

Davante Adams, Packers (vs. Rams) - Doubtful

Green Bay wasn't as prolific against San Francisco as it was versus Kansas City the week before, and Randall Cobb and James Jones have established themselves as the top two options in the passing game, with rookie Ty Montgomery and tight end Richard Rodgers also in the mix. Even if Adams can return this week, he's no better than a third receiver.

Stevie Johnson, Chargers (vs. Steelers) - Out

Johnson suffered a hamstring injury against Cleveland, and with Malcom Floyd already out, second-year receiver Dontrelle Inman stepped up with three receptions for 88 yards. San Diego has a very nice matchup against a suspect Pittsburgh defense on Monday night, but Johnson was ruled out on Saturday, which is a missed opportunity in DFS.

Antonio Gates is returning from suspension, though, giving Philip Rivers another target to spread the ball around to aside from Johnson, Keenan Allen and passing down back Danny Woodhead.

As Johnson was downgraded, the aforementioned Floyd was upgraded. Floyd is listed as probable for Monday's game.

Tight Ends

Jordan Reed, Redskins (at Falcons) - Out

Reed left Sunday's win over the Eagles with a concussion. He's been a consistent performer this season, with at least five receptions each week, and his price has been steadily rising in most DFS games. No stranger to injury issues in the past, he has been ruled out of this week's matchup against Atlanta. Derek Carrier will start in his place.

Crockett Gillmore, Ravens (vs. Browns) - Out

Gillmore missed out on Baltimore's win over the Steelers with a calf injury, but replacement Maxx Williams could only manage two catches for 17 yards. Gillmore had 10 receptions in his first three games, including a breakout 5-88-2 line against Oakland. On Friday, Gillmore was ruled out for this weekend's game.

Vernon Davis, 49ers (at Giants) - Out

Davis was inactive with a knee injury against Green Bay, and though the Giants have allowed a minimum of four catches and 70 yards to opposing tight ends each week, San Francisco's offense has only managed 10 points in its last two games, with its tight ends combining for eight catches and 62 yards. If you're going to take a flier on a low-priced tight end, don't be fooled by Davis' big name - better options are out there.

Eric Ebron, Lions (vs. Cardinals) - Out

Ebron left Detroit's loss to Seattle with a knee injury and didn't return. He's been a solid, low-priced DFS choice, but more explosive options exist elsewhere. Tim Wright replaced Ebron and caught a key pass late. Wright had 11 total TDs in his last two seasons with Tampa Bay and New England, so he becomes a potential sleeper should Ebron miss significant time, though Brandon Pettigrew looks set to return from an injury absence of his own this week.

Jacob Tamme, Falcons (vs. Redskins) - Probable

After not playing in Atlanta's win over Houston, Tamme returned to practice this week. If he's active against Washington, he's nothing more than a bargain-priced gamble in a strong passing attack in tournament play formats.