Week 5 Sunday Night Football Injury Updates: Marlon Mack, T.Y. Hilton, Damien Williams, Sammy Watkins fantasy start-or-sit worries

Matt Lutovsky

Week 5 Sunday Night Football Injury Updates: Marlon Mack, T.Y. Hilton, Damien Williams, Sammy Watkins fantasy start-or-sit worries image

Fantasy football owners hate game-time decisions in prime-time games, and in Week 5, there are four key "questionable" players ahead of the Colts-Chiefs Sunday Night Football matchup. Marlon Mack, T.Y. Hilton, Damien Williams, and Sammy Watkins are all causing start 'em, sit 'em headaches as fantasy owners wait for injury updates and the official active/inactive reports. We have the latest below and will be updating this post throughout the day.

For the latest on injured WRs Tyrell Williams, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Julian Edelman, Terry McLaurin, and more, click here. For updates on injured RBs Devin Singletary and Tevin Coleman, go here. For the Week 5 weather report, click here, and for all the latest news and fantasy updates, follow us on Twitter (@SN_Fantasy). 

WEEK 5 NON-PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker

Is Marlon Mack playing Sunday night?

UPDATE 2: Mack is officially ACTIVE.

UPDATE: NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Sunday morning that Mack will be a "game-time decision". 

Mack (ankle) returned to practice on Friday after missing the first two sessions of the week, and despite his "questionable" status, he seems likely to play against the Chiefs on Sunday night.

It's tough to assess Mack's fantasy value this week. He's facing a defense ranked last in yards per carry (5.9), but at less than 100 percent and in a game that figures to see a lot of passing, he might wind up on the sidelines for much of the second half like last week. It doesn't help that fantasy owners will likely have to make decisions on him before official active/inactive statuses for SNF are released. Ultimately, Mack looks like a solid FLEX option, but you'd be wise to have Jordan Wilkins (Mack's primary backup), Nyheim Hines, or one of the Colts secondary WRs on your roster just in case Mack is scratched.

WEEK 5 DFS LINEUPS
Y! cash | Y! GPP | FD cash | FD GPP | DK cash | DK GPP

Is T.Y. Hilton playing Week 5

UPDATE: Hilton is officially ACTIVE.

After missing last week's game, Hilton (quad) managed limited practices on Thursday and Friday and is listed as "questionable" for Sunday night's game against Kansas City. 

Beat writer Zak Keefer says he expects Hilton to suit up, and this point, it certainly looks like he's trending that way. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported as much early Sunday morning. If Hilton plays, he'll be a must-start against Kansas City's shaky pass defense. If he's out, Zach Pascal, Chester Rogers, and Deon Cain would all have upside as boom-or-bust WR3s, but it's unclear who would see the majority of targets. 

MORE WEEK 5 DFS: Stacks | Values | Lineup builder

Is Damien Williams playing Sunday night?

UPDATE: Williams is officially ACTIVE.

Williams (knee) returned to full practices this week, and Chiefs coach Andy Reid said the plan was for Williams to play on Sunday night against the Colts.

In the two games in which Williams was active this year, he led the Chiefs in carries (22) by one over LeSean McCoy and RB targets 11 to four over McCoy. At this point, it seems likely McCoy will handle more running duties, but Williams will likely get around eight-to-10 carries and get a good amount of targets. Against the Colts, who have struggled all year against RBs, he's a solid RB2 in PPR leagues and a worthwhile FLEX in standard leagues.

WEEK 5 PPR RANKINGS: Running back Wide receiver | Tight end

Is Sammy Watkins playing Week 5?

UPDATE: Watkins is officially ACTIVE.

Watkins (hamstring, shoulder) wasn't a Week 5 worry until he was downgraded to a limited participant in Friday's practice. It would be a surprise if he's ruled out, but late-week downgrades are always a cause for concern. For what it's worth, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported early Sunday morning that Watkins is expected to play.

If Watkins is scratched, Demarcus Robinson and Mecole Hardman would be must-starts as opposed to be boom-or-bust WR3/FlEX options. If Watkins is active, have him in your lineups.

Matt Lutovsky

Matt Lutovsky Photo

Matt Lutovsky has been a writer and editor for The Sporting News since 2007, primarily writing about fantasy sports, betting, and gaming.