2026 Week 4 Fantasy Football Injury Recap

Week 4 left fantasy managers with some uncomfortable decisions: How worried should you be about Saquon Barkley’s hamstring? Can you trust Lamar Jackson if he plays? And is Ladd McConkey too risky to start even if he’s active? This week’s injury recap combines the latest reporting, physical therapy analysis, and our injury-performance data to break down expected time missed, re-injury concerns, and what these injuries mean for your lineup—both in Week 5 and for the rest of the season.

Quarterbacks

Lamar Jackson — Baltimore Ravens

Injury: Left ankle injury.

Expected time missed: Week-to-week.

Re-injury risk: Low-Moderate

Primary Beneficiary If Time Missed: Tyler Huntley.

Analysis: 

Jackson appeared to injure his ankle through an eversion mechanism, raising concern for a deltoid ligament sprain, although that diagnosis remains unconfirmed. He left the stadium in a protective boot, and his Week 5 availability is legitimately in jeopardy.

If this is a deltoid sprain, it could affect ankle stability and potentially limit his agility more than his passing. Lamar has developed into an incredible thrower, but his legs continue to separate him from the rest of the field. If this diagnosis is confirmed, I would anticipate his rushing upside being reduced for the first few weeks after returning, depending on severity. More details should emerge this week. 

Marcus Mariota — Washington Commanders

Injury: Right MCL sprain.

Expected time missed: TBD.

Re-injury risk: Low

Primary Beneficiary If Time Missed: Athan Kaliakmanis if Jayden Daniels remains out.

Analysis: 

Mariota is dealing with a right MCL sprain. The severity and expected length of absence remain undetermined, though NFL players historically miss around three weeks with this injury. With Jayden Daniels targeting a Week 5 return, there is a strong chance he returns before Mariota, potentially sending Mariota back to the bench once cleared.

Running Backs

Saquon Barkley — Philadelphia Eagles

Injury: Right hamstring injury.

Expected time missed: Week-to-week.

Re-injury risk: High.

Primary Beneficiary If Time Missed: Will Shipley.

Analysis: 

This season is off to a rough start for Saquon. After missing most of Week 2 with a stinger, he injured his right hamstring early in Week 4 and is considered week-to-week, putting Week 5 in doubt.

A running back with breakaway speed like Saquon relies heavily on his hamstrings for sprinting, acceleration, and power. With Saquon approaching 30, recovery may not come as quickly as it once did, though the severity of the strain matters more than age alone, and this one is not believed to be major.

Our sample of 98 running backs shows an average absence of 1.8 games, which seems consistent with the early reports on Saquon. The good news is that our sample shows no average decline in fantasy points after returning, keeping his season-long outlook encouraging. Re-injury remains a concern, but it’s been a slow start, not a reason to panic yet.

Jeremiyah Love — Arizona Cardinals

Injury: Ankle injury

Expected time missed: Undetermined.

Re-injury risk: Moderate.

Analysis: 

Love injured his right ankle Sunday, with Tyler Allgeier taking over late in the game. Practice reports this week should provide more clarity on the severity, but early reporting does not suggest a major injury.

For both high ankle sprains and low ankle sprains, our data set shows minimal average decline in running back fantasy production in the first game back. While Love’s specific diagnosis remains unconfirmed, his season-long outlook should remain strong.

Kyle Monangai — Chicago Bears

Injury: Thumb injury.

Expected time missed: Day-to-day.

Re-injury risk: Low.

Primary Beneficiary If Time Missed: D’Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson.

Analysis: 

Monangai is dealing with a thumb injury and is considered day-to-day. This is uncomfortable, for sure, and may make catching difficult in the interim, but I would not expect a major impact on his rushing production as long as he can grip and secure the football. His receiving work could take a hit, but D’Andre Swift is historically the pass-catching back anyway. I would not be too concerned if I rostered Monangai.

Wide Receivers

Ja’Marr Chase — Cincinnati Bengals

Injury: Concussion.

Expected time missed: Until cleared from concussion protocol.

Re-injury risk: Low.

Primary Beneficiary If Time Missed: Dohnte Meyers, Tee Higgins if healthy.

Analysis: 

Chase suffered a concussion early on Sunday and will have to pass through the NFL's concussion protocol before playing again. 

Malik Nabers — New York Giants

Injury: Right shoulder injury scare; returned to the game.

Expected time missed: None announced.

Re-injury risk: High.

Primary Beneficiary If Time Missed: No immediate change.

Analysis: 

Nabers landed directly on his right shoulder and briefly exited before returning, involving the same shoulder he has previously dislocated. No new dislocation was reported, but this is going to be a concern all season long. A shoulder with a history of dislocations is more vulnerable to dislocating again. He can definitely play well, but fantasy managers will hold their breath every time he takes a hit or lands hard on the ground.

Rashee Rice — Kansas City Chiefs

Injury: Right hamstring injury.

Expected time missed: Potential Week 6 return after the bye.

Re-injury risk: High.

Primary Beneficiary If Time Missed: Xavier Worthy, Travis Kelce.

Analysis: 

Rice injured his hamstring but has the luxury of a Week 5 bye to rest and rehab. The injury is believed to be minor, though even mild hamstring strains deserve attention because of the risk of aggravation.

Our dataset of over 200 wide receivers shows an average absence of 1.8 games and less than a 10% decline in fantasy production after returning.

Rice’s playing style could help him remain productive. He isn't a burner like some other receivers, and he works more often at short and intermediate depths. That may reduce his exposure to the repeated top-speed sprinting required of deep threats, although accelerating, cutting and running after the catch will still challenge the hamstring. If he avoids a setback, there is reason to remain optimistic about his production.

Tee Higgins — Cincinnati Bengals

Injury: Adductor injury.

Expected time missed: Day-to-day.

Re-injury risk: Moderate.

Primary Beneficiary If Time Missed: Dohnte Meyers.

Analysis: 

Higgins is considered day-to-day with an adductor, or groin, injury. The adductors help with sprinting, cutting, and single-leg stability. While they contribute to power, an injury does not necessarily prevent a receiver from playing well.

Our dataset of 80 receivers with groin injuries shows no average change in fantasy production after returning. If Higgins plays next week, there is reason to expect him to remain productive, though his practice participation will help gauge how confident we should be.

Ladd McConkey — Los Angeles Chargers

Injury: Foot injury aggravation.

Expected time missed: Day-to-day reports.

Re-injury risk: High.

Primary Beneficiary If Time Missed: Quentin Johnston, Tre Harris.

Analysis: 

Initially listed as week-to-week, McConkey is now reportedly day-to-day after aggravating his foot injury. For fantasy purposes, this is still concerning. Receivers rely on a stable, relatively pain-free foot to cut and change direction quickly. Pain or instability can significantly affect how fluidly they run routes and their ability to create separation.

Our dataset shows receivers average a 46% decline in fantasy production after a foot injury. McConkey himself just put up ZERO POINTS while dealing with this injury, then aggravated it further. That does not mean every upcoming game will look the same, but it gives me little confidence in his immediate outlook.

I would keep him on the fantasy bench for now, potentially for several weeks, until his practice participation and on-field movement show that the foot is no longer limiting him.

DJ Moore — Buffalo Bills

Injury: Left shoulder injury aggravation.

Expected time missed: TBD; not expected to be long-term.

Re-injury risk: Moderate-High

Primary Beneficiary If Time Missed: Keon Coleman.

Analysis: 

The bigger challenge with AC joint sprains is re-injury. Moore aggravated his prior shoulder injury Sunday, but it is not expected to be a long-term issue. We saw repeated aggravations with CeeDee Lamb in 2024; hopefully Moore does not follow the same path.

Our sample of 23 receiver AC joint injury episodes shows an average 22.4% decline in fantasy production in the first game back, with production returning to baseline by Game 2. An initial dip is possible, but the bigger concern is another hit or hard landing aggravating the shoulder again.

Tyquan Thornton — Kansas City Chiefs

Injury: Left ankle dislocation with ligament damage; surgery required.

Expected time missed: 12–16 weeks.

Re-injury risk: NA

Primary Beneficiary If Time Missed: Xavier Worthy.

Analysis: 

Thornton dislocated his left ankle Sunday and is expected to miss 3–4 months. That timeline is encouraging given how the injury looked, but it does not tell us whether he avoided an associated fracture. Ligament damage requiring surgery has been reported.

Still, coming back from an ankle dislocation is not easy, especially for a speed receiver. Regaining ankle mobility, strength and stability is critical to restoring the acceleration and burst Thornton relies on. Returning to the field does not necessarily mean those attributes will immediately be back to normal.

Avoiding a fracture would be encouraging, but he still has a long recovery ahead. With the reported timeline potentially keeping him out until the NFL playoffs, he can be dropped in most redraft leagues.

Pat Bryant — Denver Broncos

Injury: Ankle sprain.

Expected time missed: A few weeks.

Re-injury risk: Moderate

Primary Beneficiary If Time Missed: Troy Franklin.

Analysis: 

Bryant sprained his right ankle and is expected to miss a few weeks. A high ankle sprain has not been confirmed, but if that is the diagnosis, it involves the ligaments connecting the tibia and fibula above the ankle. This can make planting, cutting and pushing off painful.

Our sample of 51 wide receiver high ankle sprain episodes shows an average absence of 2.4 games, consistent with Bryant’s reported timeline. The encouraging part is that fantasy production declines by only 1.6% in the first game back, despite a 12.8% average reduction in snap share. That suggests an immediate production drop is not inevitable, even with a reduced workload.

Bryant’s movement and practice participation will still matter when he returns, but the early production data is reassuring if this is a high ankle sprain. Troy Franklin could see additional opportunities in his absence.

Jalen Nailor — Las Vegas Raiders

Injury: Concussion.

Expected time missed: Until cleared from concussion protocol.

Re-injury risk: Low.

Primary Beneficiary If Time Missed: Tre Tucker.

Analysis: 

Nailor suffered a concussion against Kansas City and entered the concussion protocol. There is no fixed recovery timeline, so his Week 5 availability will depend on how he progresses through the protocol. Fantasy managers should have a backup ready rather than assume he will play. Once cleared, I would not automatically downgrade his season-long outlook, but Tre Tucker could see additional opportunities if Nailor misses time.

Mack Hollins — New England Patriots

Injury: Calf injury.

Expected time missed: TBD.

Re-injury risk: High.

Primary Beneficiary If Time Missed: Efton Chism, Romeo Doubs.

Analysis: 

Hollins left Sunday’s game with a noncontact calf injury, and the severity remains unclear. The calf helps generate the push-off needed for sprinting, accelerating and jumping, so lingering symptoms could limit his effectiveness even if he can play. His return timeline is still undetermined, making practice participation important this week. I would have another option ready, with Efton Chism potentially gaining opportunities if Hollins sits.

Tight Ends

Eli Raridon — New England Patriots

Injury: Ankle injury.

Expected time missed: TBD.

Re-injury risk: Moderate

Primary Beneficiary If Time Missed: Hunter Henry.

Analysis: 

Raridon injured his ankle Sunday but was able to return to the game. Returning is encouraging, though the specific diagnosis and expected time missed remain unclear.

Without knowing whether this is a high or low ankle sprain, applying our injury-specific data would be premature. For now, I would keep Raridon on the fantasy bench until we have more clarity on his health and role.

Conclusion

Monitor updates throughout the week as diagnoses and return timelines become clearer. Check Fantasy Injury Team for updated fantasy implications before setting your lineup.