One player comes back, another goes down. Such is life in fantasy football.
Week 4 brings some familiar faces back into our lineups, but naturally, the injury gods demanded a few sacrifices in return. Let's sort through who's in, who's out, and who has fantasy managers sweating heading into Sunday.
Understanding the NFL's Injury Report
(per Dr. Bramel - Footballguys OG)
"The injury report released by the NFL is [made up of] two reports. The first is the Practice Participation report, which lists which injured players practiced and their participation level. It also includes players who rested or missed practice for non-injury-related reasons. The second is the Game Status Report, which gives the probability that a player will play, i.e., Questionable, Doubtful, Out. The Practice Participation Report is released every day of the week (Monday through Saturday). The Game Status Report is released with the Friday participation report (Wednesday for Thursday games, Saturday for Monday games). In this feature, I'll include the Game Status Listing and my expectations of their likelihood of playing."
- Gameday Decision = this is going to come down to how the player feels in pre-game warmups
- Trending Doubtful = Likely Inactive
- Trending Probable = Likely Active
- Ruled Out = This player has already been ruled out; get him out of lineups!
If you are reading this article on Saturday, come back Sunday morning as more updates trickle in over the next 24 hours.
Current Status on High-Impact Injured Players
Gameday Decision
- WR Mike Evans
- WR Jalen Coker
Trending Doubtful
- WR Terry McLaurin
- WR Ladd McConkey
Trending Probable
- WR Zay Flowers
- WR Nico Collins
- WR Puka Nacua
- RB Jaylen Wright
- TE Chig Okonkwo
Ruled Out
- WR Justin Jefferson (ankle)
- WR Devonta Smith (hamstring)
- RB Breece Hall (quadriceps)
- RB Jadarian Price (chest)
- RB Rachaad White (shoulder)
- WR Adonai Mitchell (finger)
- WR Keenan Allen (groin)
- QB Caleb Williams (hamstring)
- QB Jayden Daniels (elbow)
- QB Baker Mayfield (thumb)
- WR Caleb Douglas (ankle)
* Key: Player, Team | Injury | Game Status Listing | Playing Projection
Sunday Morning 9:30 PM EST Game - London
WR Terry McLaurin, Washington | Hamstring | Doubtful | Projecting Inactive
Terry McLaurin is officially listed as doubtful for Sunday's game with a hamstring injury. This all but guarantees McLaurin will not play in London, as more than 90% of players listed as doubtful on the final injury report in my database ultimately sit.
The concern also extends beyond Week 4. Hamstring strains can become multi-week injuries, so McLaurin's practice participation next week will be key to determining whether he has a realistic chance to return in Week 5.
Sunday 1:00 PM EST Games
WR Puka Nacua, LA Rams | Groin | Off Injury Report | Will Play
And just like that... he's back!
Fantasy managers who have rostered Puka Nacua have certainly felt his absence over the past two weeks. According to Yahoo Fantasy, Nacua is the most commonly rostered player on teams that have started the season 0-3.
There's been plenty of speculation surrounding the specifics of Nacua's injury. After dealing with a hip flexor issue this offseason, the Rams have used multiple designations during his two-week absence: hip and groin. The combination of those labels, along with the general vagueness surrounding the injury, has led some to speculate about a possible sports hernia.
While there's some evidence that could support that theory, I don't think there's much value in trying to diagnose Nacua from afar. Instead, let's work with what we know and use the historical data on NFL wide receivers returning from groin injuries to set expectations for Nacua in Week 4.
Historically, wide receivers have struggled a bit in their first game back from a groin strain. The data shows a moderate decline in fantasy production, with roughly 25% of players performing outside the normal range of variance for their position. For Nacua, that would put a reasonable Week 4 expectation around 12-14 fantasy points, rather than the 20-point-per-game ceiling we've grown accustomed to. This data also aligns with the recent reporting from NFL insider Tom Pelissero, who said Nacua may be on a "stricter snap count than usual."
While that may be frustrating for fantasy managers who have patiently waited for his return, the good news is that the decline tends to be short-lived. Beyond the first game back, the data does not suggest a significant long-term impact on fantasy production. After writing all of that, I'll come clean: Regardless, I'm starting Nacua in every format. You don't bench your first-round pick, especially if you're 0-3, because he's unavailable.
WR Devonta Smith, Philadelphia | Hamstring | Ruled Out | Inactive
After playing 100% of the snaps Monday night in Chicago, DeVonta Smith was added to the Week 4 injury report with a hamstring injury, something he also dealt with during the preseason. If this sounds familiar, it's a similar pattern to what we saw with Zay Flowers a few weeks ago.
The Eagles have already ruled Smith out for Week 4, but the fact that he played every snap in Week 3 makes me wonder if this is more tightness or soreness that surfaced afterward rather than a significant aggravation. This may simply be a cautious approach. Assuming there are no setbacks, I would not rule out Smith returning in Week 5.
WR Zay Flowers, Baltimore | Hamstring | Questionable | Projecting Active
After being limited Wednesday and practicing in full Thursday, Zay Flowers returned to limited participation Friday. Obviously, that practice progression can make fantasy managers nervous, especially with Flowers officially listed as questionable for Sunday.
However, Friday appears to have been more of a planned rest day, and I feel confident Flowers will be active, especially after his surprise return in Week 3. In that game, Flowers played just 33% of Baltimore's offensive snaps but still commanded a 30% target share.
I expect his snap count to increase this week, which should mean more opportunities to deliver for fantasy managers. And as Michael Jordan once wisely said, "The ceiling is the roof."
WR Nico Collins, Houston | Hamstring | Off Injury Report | Will Play
After a two-week hiatus, Nico Collins is officially off the Texans' injury report and will return in Week 4. The last time Collins returned from a hamstring injury, back in 2024, his fantasy production initially struggled, as he scored roughly 50% below his in-season average in his first game back.
For the most part, however, hamstring strains have not been a "fantasy-limiting injury" for NFL wide receivers. The biggest concerns are typically the time missed and a moderate risk of re-injury. Once a receiver is healthy enough to return, the data does not suggest a significant or consistent decline in fantasy production.
TE Chig Okonkwo, Washington | Hamstring | Off Injury Report | Will Play
Similar to Nico Collins, Chig Okonkwo has not played since Week 1 due to a hamstring injury. He is expected to return in Week 4, and given the current tight end landscape, Okonkwo is a viable option for fantasy managers looking for help at the position.