The question of is JuJu Smith-Schuster playing on Monday was thrust into fantasy football managers’ minds on Saturday when his status took a significant change. With Smith-Schuster now listed as questionable for Week 5, should fantasy managers risk starting him when the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Las Vegas Raiders this week?
Update: JuJu Smith-Schuster is officially active in tonight’s game against the Raiders.
Is JuJu Smith-Schuster Playing Monday?
We have somewhat of a nightmare scenario for Smith-Schuster’s fantasy managers after the WR suffered a hamstring injury in practice on Saturday.
While Smith-Schuster was already on the Chiefs’ injury report, he was being listed as a full participant with a quad injury. However, his hamstring tightened up during practice Saturday, limiting his time on the field.
After practice, head coach Andy Reid addressed the situation and stated he thinks Smith-Schuster will “be fine.” The problem is that we have no follow-up now before fantasy managers have to make major lineup decisions.
With the Chiefs not playing until Monday night, we will be left guessing as to the status of Smith-Schuster this week.
What Should Fantasy Managers Do With Smith-Schuster in Week 5?
These injuries on the final day of practice are brutal for fantasy managers because of the lack of clarity. When we have an injury on a Wednesday or Thursday, we have another day of practice with which to judge availability. That is not the case here with Smith-Schuster’s hamstring, so tough decisions will need to be made.
When you look at Smith-Schuster’s performances this season, the decision seems somewhat easy. He ranks 55th at the position in terms of points per game in half-PPR among players to have played more than one game this.
If he was a top 15 fantasy asset at the position, this would be tougher because you would want him in your lineup if active. The fact he is questionable, and there is uncertainty while being far less than a slam-dunk starter, should make for an easier call, at least in 12 or 14-team leagues.
MORE: Week 5 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet
For managers in deeper leagues, this is really frustrating timing. The matchup with the Raiders appears to be a reasonably good one. They rank as the 11th-easiest matchup for opposing receivers, allowing an average of 28.73 fantasy points per game to the position.
Therefore, the hope would have been that this was going to be the game that got Smith-Schuster going for fantasy managers. It might yet be, but unless you have another option on Monday Night Football in case he is inactive, it might not be one fantasy managers can take advantage of.
If Smith-Schuster is inactive, we would see a boost for Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Mecole Hardman, and Justin Watson. However, Patrick Mahomes — and the offense in general — spread the ball around, so projecting who will be the fantasy asset to start is extremely tough.
Valdes-Scantling is averaging just under six targets per game but has caught just 13 of the 23 balls thrown his way. Therefore, even if he sees a boost of two to three targets in Smith-Schuster’s absence, it is tough to view him as much more than a 16-team flex option this week.
If you are looking to gamble on playing Smith-Schuster this week, slide him into your flex spot. Ideally, you would have a player like Mack Hollins, Hardman, Isiah Pacheco, or even Justin Watson on your bench.
If Smith-Schuster is then a late inactive, you can simply pivot to one of them and hopefully salvage some Monday Night Football fantasy magic.