Deep breath; only one major injury happened in fantasy football this week and it likely will not be a long-lasting one.
A few names stuck out as others are nursing injuries (stock up) while some players suffered some dings (stock down) that opens the door for others (ripple effect).
Stock Up
Michael Gallup (WR, Dallas Cowboys)
Jerry Jones did not rule out Michael Gallup for the upcoming game against the Green Bay Packers. The second-year pro looked sensational in the first two weeks, making a number of difficult catches while posting 13 receptions for 226 yards. Devin Smith had one moment and nothing otherwise. Gallup coming back is good news for those that roster him in fantasy, but it will also lift Dak Prescott owners as well.
Jaylen Samuels (RB, Pittsburgh Steelers)
There is not much this week in regards to players coming back from injury. A guy like Jaylen Samuels though is benefiting from a pair of injuries that saw him take on a larger role Monday night for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Samuels received a season-high 27 snaps with four of those coming out of the Wildcat. James Conner will be limited at practice again this week, but the Steelers may have found a recipe for offensive success; feature their lead back (Conner) and do-it-all back (Samuels) while taking pressure off the shoulders of youngster Mason Rudolph. No Ben Roethlisberger and trying to keep Conner fresh all season could lead to more performances for Samuels similar to this.
Allen Robinson (WR, Chicago Bears)
The Bears offense is open for a lot of speculating with Mitch Trubisky hurt. Last season, Tarik Cohen soaked up a boatload of targets when Chase Daniel started two games and perhaps we will be in line for more of that. However, Robinson received six first-half targets from Daniel once the latter checked into the game and while he had a nice touchdown snag, Cohen finished with only one other catch on four targets following the score. Daniel seemed unafraid to push the ball to Robinson and Javon Wims which has to be encouraging for Bears fans and A-Rob shareholders.
Rashaad Penny (RB, Seattle Seahawks)
Who knows exactly what the Seahawks have planned for Penny as he comes back to action this week. They had said he was ready this past week but held him out and that may have been a precaution against a weaker team (Arizona) before playing five days later against the Los Angeles Rams. Chris Carson received the lion’s share of work this past week as he was on the field for 76 percent of the snaps. He notably has had fumbling issues so a healthy Penny could potentially be one more Carson fumble away from having a significant role.
Stock Down & The Ripple Effect
Davante Adams (WR, Green Bay Packers)
The most impactful injury from week four is hopefully not a long-term issue. Adams tallied up a career-high 180 receiving yards before missing the end of the game with what is being described as turf toe. Adam Schefter has reported that Adams likely will not play against the Cowboys on Sunday despite the extra rest coming off a Thursday game. The Pack play on Monday night against the Lions following this week, so perhaps a full two and a half weeks of rest for that division contest is what the team is aiming for.
The Ripples: The obvious downgrade is to Aaron Rodgers as he loses his best weapon. It is tough to pinpoint after because Adams is such a sensational, well-rounded receiver that one guy is not going to simply fill the role. Could this lead to more deep shots for Marquez Valdes-Scantling or does Geronimo Allison soak up more targets underneath in a conservative approach without their prized weapon? It doesn’t seem to immediately boost the stock much of either because there is no clear benefactor. If Adams misses more than this week, then at least we will have this Sunday to get a glimpse of how the offense will be altered.
John Ross (WR, Cincinnati Bengals)
Ross exploded onto the scene week one, picked up a late touchdown in week two, and did little despite six targets in each of the last two games. Now, the former ninth overall pick is expected to be out at least a month.
The Ripples: Things seem to get worse and worse every day for the Bengals. While Ross’ production dipped the last two weeks, he was still matchup dependent WR2/Flex play because the snap share and targets were still there. Andy Dalton remains at the bottom of the barrel of the quarterback market. Auden Tate will see an increased role now which we got a glimpse of this past week. The former Florida State receiver is a big body with a strong matchup (Cardinals) for the first week of Ross being sidelined.
Jamaal Williams (RB, Green Bay Packers)
Williams was coming off a week three performance in which he played 61 percent of the snaps. That was the highest share the BYU product has received in a game that him and Aaron Jones each played and did not depart due to injury. Then, the first play on Thursday night, Williams got the start and took a scary helmet-to-helmet shot. Word is the injury is not as serious as once believed, but when he returns is still in question.
The Ripples: Jones has full control of the backfield now. The Williams injury coupled with the Adams injury likely means Jones is in for a heavy workload in a more conservative attack. Dexter Williams is the only other running back currently on the Green Bay roster, so he could receive touches by default but should only be looked at in deeper leagues.
Christian Kirk (WR, Arizona Cardinals)
Kirk’s success week-to-week has varied but one thing that has not is his snap count. The young slot receiver has played the fifth-most snaps among all receivers in football before succumbing to an ankle injury on the last drive against the Seahawks.
The Ripples: Losing Kirk would leave a sizeable hole not only in terms of talent but also in snaps. One could argue this is the third-most impactful injury of the young season when speaking strictly in terms of snap share behind Saquon Barkley and Davante Adams. The result is probably a bigger volume uptick for Larry Fitzgerald and David Johnson. Any further impact is left up in the air. Damiere Byrd did not see many targets the first three weeks but played over 88 percent of the snaps every week before missing the last game due to injury. Trent Sherfield got a major boost in snaps with Byrd out last week but rookies KeeSean Johnson and Andy Isabella cannot be ignored as potential replacements.
(Photo by Larry Radloff/Icon Sportswire)