Fantasy Football: Week 5 Injury Recap
Odell Beckham Jr., WR, NYG
Fractured Fibula and High Ankle Sprain: out for season
Another week, another NFL superstar lost for the year due to injury. This week’s casualty is Odell Beckham. OBJ entered the week banged up with a sore finger and ankle, but his injuries went from bad to worse very quickly. Beckham landed on his left ankle and got rolled on by the defender as he was being tackled, causing his ankle to bend awkwardly. This is the same injury sustained by Derek Carr and Marcus Mariota in 2016 and Chris Carson just one week ago.
Other players impacted: Sterling Shepard, Brandon Marshall, Evan Engram, Eli Manning, Roger Lewis, Dwayne Harris
Sterling Shepard, WR, NYG
Sprained Ankle: day to day
Shepard was the first of the Giants’ wide receivers to go down on Sunday with a left ankle injury, which is the same ankle he sprained during training camp. Shepard had an MRI on his ankle done Monday, which must have showed no ligament damage given that he was given a day to day prognosis. Practice reports this week will point to whether or not Shepard is able to suit up in Week 6.
Other players impacted: Brandon Marshall, Evan Engram, Eli Manning, Roger Lewis, Dwayne Harris
Brandon Marshall, WR, NYG
Fractured Ankle: out for season
Just a few plays after Shepard went down with his ankle injury, Marshall picked up an injury of his own. He made a great catch on the sideline, but as his left ankle landed on the ground, it buckled and Marshall went to the ground, immediately grabbing his ankle. Marshall’s injury looked different than Shepard’s on video as his ankle appeared to twist in the opposite direction. His injury is also more severe as he was carted off after going down. He revealed on his Instagram that he will have season-ending surgery.
Other players impacted: Sterling Shepard, Evan Engram, Eli Manning, Roger Lewis, Dwayne Harris
Dwayne Harris, WR, NYG
Fractured Foot: out for season
Harris is certainly not fantasy relevant, but his injury is worth noting given the injuries to the other pass catchers in New York. Harris would have been in for a bigger role after the Giants lost OBJ for the year and Marshall for multiple weeks, but he will miss the remainder of the year with a broken bone in his foot.
Other players impacted: Roger Lewis, Tavarres King, Evan Engram
DeVante Parker, WR, MIA
Sprained Ankle: day to day
Parker exited the Dolphins’ Week 5 match up early with a sprained ankle and was seen leaving the facility on crutches. Presumably, x-rays were likely taken shortly after the injury, which must have been negative given the timetable for his return. He could play as early as next week if he is able to get his swelling down and range of motion back. Expect Parker to be limited all week, with his Friday practice report being a good indicator of whether or not he will play on Sunday.
Other players impacted: Jarvis Landry, Kenny Stills, Jay Cutler, Julius Thomas, Leonte Carroo
Charles Clay, TE, BUF
MCL Sprain and Torn Meniscus: 2-6 weeks
Clay was carted off with a knee injury early on in Week 5. Initially, the severity of the injury was unknown, but reports surfaced Monday that Clay had an arthroscopic procedure done on the knee in order to trim the piece of the meniscus that was torn. His MCL will be treated non-operatively, which is fairly common as it has great blood supply and heals well on its own. The recovery after a scope to the knee is fairly quick, in the range of about 2-4 weeks. However, recovery after an MCL sprain is variable depending on severity of the sprain, with ranges from 1 to 6 weeks. Given that we don’t know the specifics of the injury severity, I’m giving a pretty wide range for his recovery. We should have a better idea of when to expect Clay back on the field after the team’s Week 6 bye.
Other players impacted: Nick O’Leary, Logan Thomas, Tyrod Taylor
John Grieshop/Getty Images
Bilal Powell, RB, NYJ
Calf Strain: week to week
Powell injured his calf in the first half of the team’s Week 5 win over the Browns and didn’t play in the second half. Calf strains can be difficult to play through, given that these can linger for multiple weeks if not treated appropriately the first time around. Expect him to be limited in practice much of the week and to draw the questionable tag come Friday afternoon. If he sits, the Jets could give rookie, Elijah McGuire a heavy workload in a friendly match up versus the Patriots.
Other players impacted: Matt Forte, Elijah McGuire
Travis Kelce, TE, KC
Concussion: week to week
Kelce was absolutely feasting on the Texans defense on Sunday night prior to leaving the game with a concussion. His injury came on a deep reception over the middle of the field where he took a blow to the helmet. After being examined on the sideline, Kelce returned for the next few plays but was not seen on the field again. As with all concussions, the recovery is criterion based, so as soon as Kelce checks all the boxes, he will return. KC’s practice reports this week will indicate whether or not Kelce will be available in Week 6.
Other players impacted: Demetrius Harris, Ross Travis, Tyreek Hill, Alex Smith
Jordy Nelson, WR, GB
Hamstring injury: day to day
It’s unclear when the injury occurred, but Nelson sat out the final drive of the game, which never would have happened had he been fully healthy. Monday, reports indicated that Jordy had been dealing with a hamstring injury, but the severity is unknown. I have yet to see a report that Nelson had any imaging done on the leg, which shows that the injury is likely minor. Watch the practice reports this week to get a better idea of Nelson’s availability in Week 6.
Other players impacted: Davante Adams, Randall Cobb, Geronimo Allison, Martellus Bennett
Terrance West, RB, BAL
Strained Calf: week to week
West left Week 5 early with a calf injury and did not return. Details regarding West’s calf injury are unknown at this time, but according to Ian Rappaport, West will miss “some time.” Expect more details to surface this week regarding West’s timetable for return. He continues to lose fantasy relevance as each week passes, but his injury will mean even more work for Buck Allen and Alex Collins moving forward.
Other players impacted: Javorius Allen, Alex Collins
Matthew Stafford, QB, DET
Sprained Ankle: day to day
Stafford got banged up on Sunday with a right ankle injury, but he didn’t miss any time due to the injury. Given that he was able to play through it, he should be good to go in Week 6 barring a setback this week in practice. Stafford will need to be able to push off his right foot when he drops back to pass in order to be cleared for the Lions’ Week 6 match up with the Saints.
Other players impacted: Jake Rudock, Marvin Jones, Golden Tate, Eric Ebron
Chris Conley, WR, KC
Torn Achilles: out for the season
Conley suffered a ruptured Achilles while fielding an onside kick late in the 4th quarter on Sunday night. You were likely only starting Conley in deep leagues, but if you were, he’s done for the season. He’ll have surgery to repair the tendon and faces a lengthy recovery this off-season.
Other players impacted: Demarcus Robinson, Albert Wilson, Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce