Prime-Time First TD Bets — Monday Night Football, Week 16
Alex Christenson
The injury report for Week 5 in the NFL has gotten pretty crowded. We also have teams that are on the bye week for the first time, so fantasy players could be faced with some challenges this week. Let’s talk about who could be stepping in this week to fill the injury void.
Saturday Update
Zay Jones, Jacksonville Jaguars
There seems to be some traction with Zay Jones making his way back into the lineup this week, after practicing in limited fashion. He’s listed as questionable, and the Jaguars could use all hands on deck this week in London when they take on the Buffalo Bills. If Jones has to sit again, we can feel better about the floor and ceiling for Christian Kirk, who is the target leader while Jones has been out.
Treylon Burks, Tennessee Titans
Treylon Burks is out again for the Titans, and this is a strong spot for both DeAndre Hopkins and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. Hopkins is still not really playing a full complement of snaps, having topped out at 73% in the past three games. Westbrook-Ikhine was at 83% in Week 4 and he’s running around 59% of his routes from the slot.
Derek Carr/Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints
Derek Carr is listed as questionable with his shoulder injury, but he did play last week, so the expectation is he’s playing this week. Hopefully, he can play a little better, because the downfield passing was suspect in Week 4. Juwan Johnson is out but it doesn’t appear that it’s going to benefit anyone. Jimmy Graham was the only tight end to record a snap last week but didn’t see a target. Additionally, the Saints are 31st in target rate for tight ends.
Saquon Barkley, New York Giants
It did seem at times this week that Saquon Barkley might be nearing a return, but the Friday practice was a bit of a concern. It was reported that he was ginger on the ankle and needed it re-taped, which doesn’t sound like a running back who will be ready to play Sunday. We’ll have to wait and see but in his stead, Matt Breida will likely see the bulk of the work as he did in Week 4.
Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions
The Lions threw quite the curveball on the Friday injury report. Amon-Ra St. Brown is listed as doubtful with an abdomen injury, which could lead you to believe this could be the breakout game for Jahmyr Gibbs, Jameson Williams or maybe even both. However, both of those players are listed as questionable and Gibbs popped up on the injury report Friday, never the best sign. This could lead to an offense centered around running back David Montgomery, tight end Sam LaPorta and receiver Josh Reynolds this week, but we will need more information about who’s active. One thing seems to be sure, and that is Montgomery is in line for another massive workload.
Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
This could be the first game back for Jonathan Taylor, but he is listed as questionable. He’s such a talented player that if he is active, you almost have to start him. Maybe he doesn’t play 80% of the snaps but the Colts are playing at the fastest pace in the league. If he’s out, Zack Moss will handle virtually all of the running back carries for this team.
Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals
Maybe it’s the fact that the Bengals are in must-win games, but Tee Higgins went from potentially missing multiple weeks with a rib fracture to being listed as questionable for Week 5. If he sits out, Tyler Boyd becomes a lot more interesting behind Ja’Marr Chase in the receiving corps.
Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams
Coach Sean McVay has said that Cooper Kupp has “no specific limitations” after his stint on the IR, so managers who took the risk and drafted Kupp seem to be ready for their reward.
Elijah Mitchell, San Francisco 49ers
Elijah Mitchell is out for the second consecutive game with a knee issue, which just means Christian McCaffrey is about to eat up 90% of the running back touches for the 49ers again this week. Jordan Mason only had three carries and one target in Week 4 when Mitchell was absent.
Davante Adams, Las Vegas Raiders
There might be some concern with Davante Adams for Monday. He missed some time last week with a shoulder injury before returning in the second half, so perhaps it’s not serious. However, he hasn’t practiced yet this week, so it needs to be monitored heading into Sunday.
Original Injury Breakdown (10/2)
The New York Giants still have to play the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football, but injuries have once again taken their toll on the NFL.
There will be fantasy players who will now miss time, and with bye weeks starting in Week 5, knowing who’s going to be available to play is very important.
Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals
Tee Higgins was only on the field for 51% of the snaps on Sunday before sustaining a fractured rib, which could cost him some time moving forward. Tyler Boyd is surely going to see more targets, and normally he’d be a prize on the waiver wire. However, there has to be some hesitation, as the 1-3 Bengals look terrible, and the primary reason has been the play of quarterback Joe Burrow. He only has two touchdowns on the season, and losing Higgins doesn’t help at all.
Javonte Williams, Denver Broncos
It was a short day for Javonte Williams in Week 4, as he exited with a hip flexor injury. The Broncos are listing him as “day-to-day,” but he is also still returning from a tough knee injury in 2022. The most exciting name from the backfield if Williams misses time is Jaleel McLaughlin, who had 10 touches on Sunday. He generated 72 rushing yards and added 32 receiving yards along with a touchdown in addition to playing his highest rate of snaps at 33%. Samaje Perine played more snaps, but his eight touches only amounted to a total of 35 yards.
Justin Herbert/Donald Parham, Los Angeles Chargers
These injuries may not turn out to be much since the Chargers are on a bye in Week 5. However, Justin Herbert suffered a fractured finger on his non-throwing hand along with a nail injury. He wore a splint and a glove to finish the game and isn’t expected to miss any time, but it is worth monitoring. Donald Parham could be a little trickier since his is a hamstring injury, but that leaves Gerald Everett with potentially more playing time and stable production. Everett played 69% of the snaps on Sunday, although it only amounted to two receptions for nine yards.
Kenny Pickett/Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers rank 32nd in EPA per play, 31st in success rate, 25th in points per game and 29th in yards per game. Somehow, the unit might get worse in the coming weeks because both Kenny Pickett and Pat Freiermuth could miss time. Pickett had a knee issue and was ruled out very quickly, meaning Mitch Trubisky would be under center in the Matt Canada-led offense. That might be the worst sentence I’ve typed in 2023. For Freiermuth, he’s dealing with a hamstring injury that is serious enough to need an MRI, and that typically isn’t a positive sign. Rookie Darnell Washington should see more snaps, but he has yet to record a reception.
Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The report on Monday is that the hamstring injury for Mike Evans is minor. Still, it forced him out of the game against the Saints in the second quarter and pushed him under 40% of the snaps. Chris Godwin was the lead receiver with 11 targets, but he is obviously rostered everywhere. Deven Thompkins and Trey Palmer both stepped up to play over 60% of the snaps and each scored a touchdown. Thompkins only saw one more target, but he went 4-45 compared to Palmer’s 2-6. Thompkins also tacked on a rushing attempt, but he did play fewer snaps, so the hierarchy behind Evans and Godwin is certainly a bit unclear.
