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| Sunday, November 5, 2023 |
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| The other good news is, though we're sending this out a few hours earlier than usual, there aren't a ton of uncertain injury situations to monitor this week. That doesn't mean there aren't injuries this week -- there are plenty, especially at quarterback -- but it just means that the key decisions have mostly been made already. |
In today's newsletter, I've got updates on all of the injuries you need to know about for every position, plus my latest rankings as of 8:30 a.m. ET. There are still a few places where there might be some mild movement, but for the most part, these are locked in -- the only thing that could really change them is if Matthew Stafford was surprisingly active, which would bump Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua up a few spots. |
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| Now, here's everything you need to set your Week 9 lineup, plus the latest on injuries and more: |
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QB rankings and injury updates |
The biggest injury question mark we're keeping an eye on today is Matthew Stafford (thumb), who hasn't been ruled out but also seems unlikely to play against the Packers, per Sunday morning reports. He's still a game-time decision, but you should have been making alternate plans all week, and I think I'd rather avoid Stafford even if he is able to play. |
Otherwise, Kyler Murray (knee) was not activated from the PUP list this week, so rookie Clayton Tune will make his first career start against the Browns Sunday -- a rough landing spot, and a downgrade for the Cardinals offense from where they've been with Joshua Dobbs. On the plus side, both Deshaun Watson (shoulder) and Daniel Jones (neck) will make their returns from injury this weekend, and honestly, if I had to start one, it would be Jones; Watson tried to play through this injury a few weeks ago and looked really bad. He has to earn our trust back at this point. |
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RB rankings and injury updates |
The big news here is that both Dameon Pierce (ankle) and Emari Demercado (toe) won't play Sunday. That should force Devin Singletary into a starting role for the Texans and Keaontay Ingram for the Cardinals, and both are in the RB2/3 range. If I have to start one, I would prefer Singletary, who is probably the better player and certainly has a better situation even in a tough matchup against the Buccaneers. Ingram is playing with a third-string rookie QB against a very tough Browns defense, so I'd rather start Singletary if I have to. |
Otherwise, there aren't really any injuries we're watching at RB this week, with Gus Edwards (toe), Raheem Mostert (ankle), Joe Mixon (chest), Saquon Barkley (ankle) and Aaron Jones (hamstring) all cleared to play. One interesting note is that Packers head coach Matt LaFleur told reporters he's " ready to cut [Jones] loose," which hopefully means he'll see a bigger role after being held to fewer than 10 carries in every game so far this season. Jones is in the RB2/3 range, with significant upside if they're really going to lean on him heavily. |
One other note: Chuba Hubbard was confirmed as the Panthers starter for Week 9, which isn't necessarily a huge surprise after he had 15 of 20 RB carries in Week 8 ahead of Miles Sanders . Still, it's confirmation if there is any lingering uncertainty that Hubbard is a viable RB2 against the Colts. |
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WR rankings and injury updates |
The biggest news here is that Drake London (groin) and Josh Palmer (knee) have been ruled out for their games this week and are out of the WR3 discussion. It makes Quentin Johnston a little more likely to build off his best game last week, but he still really hasn't shown much as a downfield receiver, which left him very dependent on schemed-up, short-area targets last week. He's an upside play, but one I prefer to take a chance on in a Monday night DFS slate than in my season-long lineups if I have other options. For the Falcons, there just isn't enough pass-catching talent to know who will benefit, but hopefully it means a few more opportunities for Kyle Pitts, not KhaDarel Hodge. |
Thankfully, there really aren't any other injuries we're too concerned about. DJ Chark (elbow) is questionable, and if he's out that could make Jonathan Mingo a more interesting roll of the dice, but he's still a long shot as anything more than a WR4. DeVante Parker (concussion) has been ruled out, as expected, which should make it easier for Demario Douglas to emerge as a useful sleeper, but he hasn't proven enough to be viewed as much more than that. And rookie Michael Wilson is expected to be out for the Cardinals, taking him out of the WR4 range. |
One of the tougher calls here is Colts rookie Josh Downs (knee), who is officially questionable and is viewed as a game-time decision, per Sunday reports. He suffered a knee injury during practice this week and was limited to close out the week, but he'll warm up prior to the game before a decision is made on his chances. Downs is a solid WR3, but with the Colts playing at 4:05 p.m. ET today, you might have to steer clear unless you have alternatives in the later games. |
I'll also add here that Wan'Dale Robinson could end up being a solid sleeper for the Giants with Darren Waller on IR. Daniel Jones is back, and he's going to be looking for more underneath targets than Tyrod Taylor was, and that should mean more targets for Robinson; with Waller, the team's No. 1 receiver, out of the picture, Robinson very well may be the Giants' best bet as a high-volume, short-area option. |
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TE rankings and injury updates |
| The big news at the tight end position is that Darren Waller (hamstring) was placed on IR Saturday, which is pretty much a worst-case scenario after we learned he was likely to miss "weeks" as a result of the injury. This means it'll be at least four games, and with the bye coming up in Week 13, that means Waller won't play until Week 14 at the earliest. He could still be a very dangerous weapon come time for the Fantasy playoffs, but if you don't have a spare IR spot, you very well may need to consider dropping Waller. |
If you need to replace Waller, the first thing you should do it look to see if Trey McBride (79%) is available. I have some questions about how he'll fair with the rookie making his first start for the Cardinals this week, but his long-term upside still looks strong, especially with Murray coming back next week. And I'm still ranking McBride in the top 12 this week, because ... well, who else are you going to start? |
If McBride isn't available, look for Hunter Henry (53%), Jonnu Smith (32%), or Michael Mayer (25%) and hope one of them lands in the end zone this week. You can't really hope for much more from any of them. Daniel Bellinger is a much lower-end option, but with Waller out, maybe he can have a role in this Giants offense. He'd be below all of the other guys mentioned here for me. |
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| Flex top 125 rankings |
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