We have already seen injuries knock out some of fantasy football‘s most notable RBs this season, and those continue to mount as we head towards Week 5. Let’s take a look at the latest injury updates for three key fantasy options: Saquon Barkley, Jonathan Taylor, and Javonte Williams.
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Injury Updates for Top Fantasy Football RBs
Saquon Barkley, New York Giants
The situation with Barkley and his ankle injury is fairly murky. While he did manage to practice in a limited fashion last week, we found out Saturday that the injury is a high-ankle sprain, leaving him doubtful for Week 5. Barkley ended up not suiting up on Monday Night Football, missing his second straight game.
Barkley was seen taking part in team drills at practice Wednesday. However, he was listed as limited on the official injury report.
Saquon Barkley takes a handoff at #Giants practice today before sharing a chat with Brian Daboll. Barkley will take reps in team drills for the first time since his ankle injury in Week 2.
Barkley will still be limited today, though pic.twitter.com/GshYZ5qMLB
— Jared Schwartz (@jschwartz115) October 4, 2023
High-ankle sprains are really tricky injuries from a timeline perspective. A typical absence is around four games, but as with any injury, we have seen variations both on the shorter and longer ends. The University Foot and Ankle Institute states that an average recovery time is 6-8 weeks. However, we have seen two- or three-week absences on very rare occasions.
That means we could feasibly see Barkley back next week, but there are a number of issues at hand. The Giants are struggling at 1-3, and their season is at a precipice. We see them rush Barkley back, hoping for a spark, or we see them take their time and shut him down. The star RB is on a one-year deal and could be a trade chip for the Giants down the line.
From a fantasy perspective, this uncertainty is unnerving. Matt Breida is rostered in just 35% of Sleeper leagues and is the current starter. If you have Barkley on your roster, having Breida should be a minimum requirement right now as insurance. That said, the struggles of the Giants’ offense make it tough to know if anyone can be a consistent serviceable back in that offense.
In PFN’s free Start/Sit Lineup Optimizer, our experts currently view Barkley as unlikely to suit up in Week 5. Of course, positive news from the team during practice this week could change that, but we’ll likely not get a full idea until Thursday or Friday.
If anyone can make it back to the field quicker than the average timeline would indicate, it would be Barkley, but this is an uncomfortable spot for fantasy managers right now.
Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
The offseason drama between the Indianapolis Colts and Jonathan Taylor was gripping for fantasy managers. Taylor seemingly tried to engineer his way out of Indianapolis via a trade, but no one met the Colts’ asking price.
Underlying the whole thing was the ticking time bomb of Taylor on the Physically Unable to Perform list. If the Colts didn’t activate him before the roster cut-down deadline, Taylor would miss the first four weeks as a minimum. That’s exactly what happened, and fantasy managers have been without Taylor ever since.
Per Coach Steichen, Jonathan Taylor will return to practice Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/UDLzQX8lPS
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) October 2, 2023
Now, we are into Week 5, and Taylor is at least expected to practice with the Colts this week. However, don’t start celebrating yet; that doesn’t mean Taylor will definitively be back for Week 5. The Colts have 21 days from his first practice to activate Taylor or place him on season-ending IR. That means we may not see Taylor until Week 8.
Update: The Colts have officially opened the practice window for Taylor and he was a full participant at practice Wednesday.
When Taylor does return, the opportunity is there for significant fantasy value. Zack Moss has been running well behind this Colts offensive line and complementing rookie QB Anthony Richardson nicely.
One concern for Taylor’s fantasy value is whether Moss will stay involved and how many touches that could take from the former first-team All-Pro. Another worry is Richardson’s rushing prowess. Moss has only found the end zone once on the ground this year in his three games. Meanwhile, Richardson has done so four times in three games.
Richardson’s knack for vulturing touchdowns is going to significantly impact Taylor’s fantasy ceiling. If someone in your league is enthused by Moss’ start and is willing to give you a bundle for Taylor, it could be worth looking into trading him right now.
According to PFN’s free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer, you could currently look to flip the uncertainty of Taylor to get the third-leading rusher in the NFL in James Conner. That seems like a solid option right now if you need to compete in the next three weeks.
Javonte Williams, Denver Broncos
The situation surrounding Javonte Williams is uncertain as of Tuesday, as Sean Payton seemingly refused to discuss the injury until later in the week. Reports from outside the organization indicate that Williams isn’t expected to miss much time. His hip issue isn’t expected to be that major, but that shouldn’t mean there’s no cause for concern.
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Rookie RB Jaleel McLaughlin continues to impress and could continue to see a bigger workload. The Broncos also have Samaje Perine available, so the team could ease the workload on Williams over the next couple of weeks. Even if Williams is a full participant all week at practice, there should still be some apprehension about his fantasy value in Week 5 and beyond.