With another action-packed NFL Sunday on tap, fantasy football owners are beginning to make their final start 'em, sit 'em decisions based on injury reports heading into game day. D'Andre Swift has already been ruled out, and several more key RBs (Alvin Kamara, David Montgomery, Tony Pollard, Kenneth Walker III) are "questionable," which will force fantasy owners to check for updates right up until locking in their lineups.
Below, we'll give you the latest news on these RBs and break down how their injuries could potentially affect the Week 5 fantasy landscape.
WEEK 5 INJURY UPDATES: Pass-catchers | Hurst | Higgins
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WEEK 5 FANTASY PICKS: Sleepers | Busts | Start 'em, sit 'em
Is David Montgomery playing Week 5?
UPDATE: ESPN's Dan Graziano reported late Saturday night that the Bears are "optimistic" Montgomery will play Sunday against Minnesota.
UPDATE 2: Montgomery is officially ACTIVE.
Montgomery (ankle) was listed as "questionable" on Friday ahead of Chicago's Week 5 matchup against the Vikings. The veteran running back was limited in practice on Thursday and Friday after being a DNP to start the week.
The Bears have survived without Montgomery over the past couple of weeks thanks to the play of second-year running back Khalil Herbert. Herbert. Herbert has played himself into an RB2 heading into a favorable matchup against the Vikings, who have allowed seven rushing touchdowns this season. However, if Montgomery plays on Sunday, it remains to be seen how effective he'll be, especially with the way Herbert has run the ball. Consider both flexes if Montgomery is active. Herbert will be a "must-start" if Montgomery is out.
WEEK 5 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Is Alvin Kamara playing Week 5?
UPDATE: Kamara is expected to play, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
UPDATE 2: Kamara is officially ACTIVE.
Kamara (rib) was officially listed as "questionable" on Friday, but all signs point to him playing on Sunday against the Seahawks. Of course, we thought that last week, too, and Kamara was a surprise scratch, so this situation will bear watching right until the end.
The veteran running back was limited participant in practice this week, but he told reporters he's feeling great and "ready to roll." We should expect to see Kamara being involved in both the running and passing games, as the Saints will be without standout wide receiver Michael Thomas (toe). Kamara has yet to score a touchdown but should be viewed as an RB1 against a Seahawks defense allowing 25.98 fantasy points per game to RBs this season (fourth most in the NFL). If he is a surprise scratch again, Mark Ingram II will start and be a low-end RB2/high-end flex.
WEEK 5 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Is Tony Pollard playing Week 5?
UPDATE: Pollard is traveling with the team to Los Angeles for tomorrow's game, according to beat writer Michael Gehlken.
UPDATE 2: Pollard is expected to play, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
UPDATE 3: Pollard is officially ACTIVE.
Pollard (illness) is officially "questionable" for Sunday's late-afternoon contest against the Rams. The 25-year-old running back did not practice on Friday.
As of right now, we do not know what type of illness Pollard is dealing with, so it's tough to speculate on his possible availability. However, we should get some more details closer to kickoff since the game isn't until 4:25 p.m. ET. The Rams' defense is not a great matchup for Pollard or Ezekiel Elliott, as it's giving up a league-low 12 FPPG to running backs. At this point, it doesn't look like Pollard is worth waiting around for, as there are limited options from the other late-afternoon/prime-time games.
WEEK 5 DFS LINEUPS: FanDuel | DraftKings
Is Kenneth Walker III playing Week 5?
UPDATE: Walker is officially ACTIVE.
Walker was listed as "questionable" on Friday ahead of the Seahawks' Week 5 matchup against the Saints on the road.
The rookie running back was a full participant in practice on Wednesday but was a limited participant on Thursday and Friday. With Rashaad Penny not even on the final injury reports, Walker probably won't see a ton of snaps anyway. Walker had a season-high eight carries for 29 yards in last week's road win over the Lions, but he's just a low-tier flex option in deeper leagues right now.
