Before we get to the key situations you need to keep track of for your Fantasy rosters, here's a quick reminder of some other headlines around the NFL.
- Melvin Gordon is back! And because teammate Justin Jackson (calf) won't play in Sunday's game at Miami, there's a chance he plays. More on that below.
- Mark Andrews (foot) is questionable again after practicing only on Friday, but that was the case last week and he played his usual allotment of snaps. Expect the same this week.
- The Patriots were stunningly not forthcoming with injuries to Julian Edelman (chest) and Rex Burkhead (foot). Both practiced all week on a limited basis and are questionable. Have replacements for both on hand in case New England rules them out for their showdown against 3-0 Buffalo.
- Matthew Stafford showed up on the Lions injury report with a hip injury and is questionable, but MLive.com's Kyle Meinke has sources telling him that the injury isn't expected to impact his status. If you're planning on starting him, have a backup plan on your bench (or note a couple of quarterbacks on waivers).
- Amari Cooper is expected to play on Sunday against the Saints. He was limited in practice all week.
- Damien Williams (knee) and Tyreek Hill (shoulder) are both out for the Chiefs again.
- Ito Smith (concussion) will play after leaving early in Week 3. His return means Devonta Freeman won't dominate touches against the Titans unless he gets a really hot hand.
- Emmanuel Sanders (quad), Delanie Walker (knee), LeSean McCoy (ankle), Greg Olsen (back) and Calvin Ridley (hip) were on early-week practice reports but are not on their teams' Friday injury reports and are expected to play.
- Offensive line woes: Redskins center Chase Roullier is out and guard Brandon Scherff is a game-time decision. Bears guard Kyle Long missed the past two days of practice and is questionable to play. Buccaneers tackle Demar Dotson and center Ryan Jensen are both questionable. The Panthers will be without guard Trai Turner, which is significant. Left tackle Eric Fisher won't play for the Chiefs.
- Significant defensive injuries: An already favorable matchup gets even better for the Chiefs with Lions defensive tackle Mike Daniels out and stud cornerback Darius Slay questionable. ... Top run-stoppers Darius Leonard (concussion) and Jabaal Sheard (knee) are out for the Colts. Indianapolis gave up 88 rush yards to previously-ineffective running back Devonta Freeman last week and faces Josh Jacobs this week.
- More defensive injuries: Browns cornerbacks Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams, both with hamstring problems, and safety Morgan Burnett (quad) didn't practice all week but are listed as questionable. There's a wide-open path to greatness for Marquise Brown if the cornerbacks miss the game. ... The Panthers could be without run stuffer Kawann Short and outside corner Donte Jackson, both of whom are questionable but did not practice on Thursday or Friday. It improves the outlook for Carlos Hyde and the Texans' pass-catchers. ... A tough matchup for Dalvin Cook might be a little better if Bears defensive tackle Akiem Hicks sits out. He's questionable after missing practice all week.
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Jackson apparently strained his calf so badly in practice on Thursday that he was ruled out on Friday. It stinks for him since the matchup at Miami would have been a good one.
Austin Ekeler is poised to be the Chargers' top back in Week 4, but coach Anthony Lynn admitted that Jackson's injury potentially changed the plans for Melvin Gordon's return "a little bit."
"We understand that Melvin, he's been back for a day and a half, so we have to be careful with, if he plays, how much he plays, and if he even plays at all," Lynn said. "I've said all along that there's a chance."
Lynn said Gordon was in good shape but wasn't practicing to play football and isn't ready to "carry the load, but you never know, he may have to." Gordon will travel to Miami, as will practice squad back Detrez Newsome, but Lynn closed his Friday press conference with this ominous message: "Ideally, you don't want to play the guy this week."
Unless we hear differently on Sunday morning, expect Gordon to either not play or barely play. Troymaine Pope and Newsome figure to back up Ekeler, though neither are expected to help in your Fantasy exploits.
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The Chargers will also be without Williams, who is suffering from lower back spasms, per Lynn. Teammate Travis Benjamin is doubtful, meaning the Chargers receiving corps beyond Keenan Allen will be gutted for their showdown with lowly Miami. Dontrelle Inman (100% available) figures to be the second receiver and is a desperation Fantasy option, though you'll read about some better choices when McLaurin is discussed below. In DFS, Inman's price is at the lowest possible value on DraftKings ($3000) and nearly the lowest price possible on FanDuel ($4500). Tight end Sean Culkin is also a cheap DFS play for the depleted Chargers.
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After missing practice all week, the Colts basically aren't expecting their star receiver to play. Expect the Colts' top four receivers to be Deon Cain, Zach Pascal, Chester Rogers and rookie Parris Campbell. Campbell saw a season-high in snaps last week, as did Cain. Also expect to see plenty of Eric Ebron, Jack Doyle and even some Mo Alie-Cox at tight end.
So who benefits? It's an absolute conundrum -- the Colts will use three tight ends on one play, then four receivers on the next. What we do know is that Doyle has consistenly played about 70% of the snaps while Ebron's lived around 50% so far. Cain (55%) and Campbell (45%) saw season-highs in snaps last week thanks to Hilton leaving at halftime. Rogers has played exactly 40% of the snaps weekly and Pascal has been below 50% each of the last two weeks.
If we're thinking like coaches, Oakland's biggest defensive liabilities this season have been all over the secondary but especially slot corner Lamarcus Joyner (93.3% catch rate allowed). But the Colts' coaches have rotated Pascal, Rogers and Campbell in and out of the slot. There's just no reliable recommendation to take advantage of this specific matchup.
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McLaurin had "a little hamstring issue" in practice on Thursday, according to coach Jay Gruden. It obviously wasn't little enough to put him on the practice field on Friday -- he didn't work. Gruden claimed McLaurin's status "would come down to an hour before the game." A report from NBC Sports Washington suggests sitting out on Friday was precautionary.
If McLaurin somehow misses the game, look for Paul Richardson (24% owned) to pick up the slack in the passing game with one of Kelvin Harmon or Robert Davis working on the opposite side (Trey Quinn should stick to his slot role). McLaurin has averaged 8.0 targets per game through three weeks.
Hopefully McLaurin will be just fine. Hamstring injuries not only can rob a receiver of his natural speed, but they can be aggravated easily. Richardson would be a quick-fix waiver-wire replacement for McLaurin if he's ruled out, but better choices would be Phillip Dorsett (still 35% available), Diontae Johnson (87% available), Cole Beasley (84% available) and Adam Humphries (94% available), the last two best for PPR.
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Godwin got some limited practice reps in on Friday, giving him a shot to play late Sunday afternoon at the Rams. On the field he'd see a lot of Rams slot corner Nickell Robey-Coleman, who has allowed a slim 50% catch rate and just 56 total yards over 12 targets this season. It's not a great matchup for Godwin, whose Bucs offense could struggle mightily.
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Penny is considered a game-time decision despite practicing on Thursday and Friday. Coach Pete Carroll said the running back had a "particularly good practice" on Friday, per the News Tribune. It sounds like he has a decent chance to play, which would hamper the outlook of Chris Carson. It's best to consider Carson no better than a No. 2 running back while keeping Penny on the bench for their game at Arizona.
