Are Mike Williams, Jared Cook playing Monday night? Fantasy injury update for Chargers-Saints

Jacob Camenker

Are Mike Williams, Jared Cook playing Monday night? Fantasy injury update for Chargers-Saints image

Heading into Monday Night Football, there are a couple of key fantasy football contributors that have been dealt the dreaded "questionable" tag. Mike Williams (Chargers) and Jared Cook (Saints) both are uncertain for the game after both logged limited practices this week, and it seems that one -- if not, both -- will be a true game-time decision. Fantasy football owners will want to have the latest updates on them as they make one of their final Week 5 start 'em, sit 'em decisions.

We'll be here providing the latest news about both Williams and Cook right up until the active/inactive report is released around 6:45 p.m. ET on Monday, so check back for updates. For more fantasy news, follow us on Twitter @SN_Fantasy.

MONDAY/TUESDAY INJURY UPDATES: A.J. Brown | Michael Thomas | Moss/Brown

Is Mike Williams playing Monday night?

UPDATE 2: Williams is officially ACTIVE.

UPDATE: NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports Williams is "trending upward" for Monday night's game.

Williams (hamstring) is officially listed as questionable for the Chargers-Saints game on Monday night. The good news is that he did get in two limited practice sessions on Friday and Saturday, so he should hypothetically be on track to play if his hamstring responds well to his workouts. That said, soft-tissue injuries tend to linger, so the Chargers could be extra cautious with Williams to make sure that he is fully healthy before letting him return to the field.

MORE MNF: DraftKings Showdown lineup

Further compounding this matter is the fact that the Chargers now have a Week 6 bye thanks to some schedule reshuffling. As a result, they could opt to let Williams sit this week and give him a couple of weeks to get his hamstring back to full strength.

If Williams can't go, Jalen Guyton and Tyron Johnson would continue to platoon as the No. 2 receiver across from Keenan Allen, and Hunter Henry would receive some extra targets at tight end. If Williams plays, he can be trusted as a flex given his contested catch ability along with his size (6-4) and red-zone presence. If not, fantasy owners who have him in their lineups will have to think about adding Guyton to replace him. They could also target Tre'Quan Smith from this game. Other options from Tuesday's Titans-Bills game include Cole Beasley and Kalif Raymond, two smaller receivers who have the ability to rack up yards.

WEEK 6 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker

Is Jared Cook playing Monday?

UPDATE: Cook is officially ACTIVE.

Cook (groin) is officially listed as questionable for the Saints on Monday Night Football, but it looks like he will be active. According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, Cook is expected to play for the Saints in their final game ahead of the bye week. That should provide a boost to a Saints passing attack that will be without Michael Thomas, who was suspended by the Saints for a getting into a fight during practice.

WEEK 6 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker

Cook should have a chance to rack up targets with Thomas out, so he could work his way into the TE1 conversation as a result. Feel free to fire him up as a starter, but check back before game time to make sure he is officially playing. If he is a surprise inactive, Dawson Knox (Bills) and Taysom Hill (Saints) would probably be the top waiver-wire streamers to replace Cook.

Jacob Camenker

Jacob Camenker Photo

Jacob Camenker first joined The Sporting News as a fantasy football intern in 2018 after his graduation from UMass. He became a full-time employee with TSN in 2021 and now serves as a senior content producer with a particular focus on the NFL. Jacob worked at NBC Sports Boston as a content producer from 2019 to 2021. He is an avid fan of the NFL Draft and ranked 10th in FantasyPros’ Mock Draft Accuracy metric in both 2021 and 2022.