Player News

Denver Broncos running back Tyler Badie (back) has been placed on the injured reserve prior to the Week 5 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. Badie went down with a back injury during last week's game. It appears the injury is somewhat significant considering the team has placed him on the IR, so Badie will miss at least the next four games. The young back hasn't done a ton this season outside of his 70-yard performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin figure to split up the workload in the backfield going forward.

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. (knee) will suit up for Sunday's game versus the Browns. He was officially labeled as questionable heading into this contest. However, with Austin Ekeler (concussion) also cleared to play, the Commanders will have their top options out of the backfield. While Robinson's presence should mean fewer touches for Ekeler, the knee injury could still jeopardize the former's volume in Week 5. As a result, both should be considered flex options against Cleveland, although Robinson's ceiling is still considerably higher.

Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota (chest) was removed from the injured reserve list on Saturday. The veteran signed a one-year deal with Washington during the offseason. However, he hasn't stepped on the field for the Commanders. For now, Mariota is questionable for the Week 5 meeting with the Browns. Still, Jayden Daniels is the team's starting signal-caller, so anyone behind him will only have fantasy value for insurance purposes.

The Arizona Cardinals elevated kicker Chad Ryland to the active roster for Sunday's game against the 49ers. The 24-year-old had a rough season in 2023, making only 64% of his field goal attempts. While that type of production won't land him on most fantasy rosters, Saturday's move could mean Matt Prater, who is questionable, (knee) won't be healthy enough to get on the field versus the Niners.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman (knee) is questionable for Monday's matchup with the Saints. The veteran didn't practice on Friday. However, he was a full participant on Saturday, so there's a good chance he'll suit up. With that said, despite the absences of Rashee Rice (knee) and Marquise Brown (shoulder), Hardman likely won't get more involved, considering he's primarily used on special teams. As a result, it will likely be business as usual versus New Orleans, with tight end Travis Kelce and rookie receiver Xavier Worthy expected to see the most attention from quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Joe Flacco came off the bench to help the Colts in Week 4, completing 16 of his 26 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns in the team's win. Now, reports suggest that Flacco will get the start again in Week 5, with Anthony Richardson (hip) marked as doubtful. Flacco gets a favorable matchup against Jacksonville, a team that has allowed the most fantasy points to opposing QBs this season and the second most passing yards. Although Flacco doesn't provide the same ceiling as some other potential streaming options, he provides a very safe floor going up against Jacksonville's defense. He is the QB23 in our staff rankings this week.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt (shoulder) doesn't carry an injury designation heading into Monday's matchup with the Saints. He was limited at practice on Thursday and Friday. However, he logged a full session on Saturday. The veteran looked good in his first game back with the Chiefs, amassing 69 yards off 14 carries, adding two catches for 16 yards in the Week 4 win over the Chargers. With Clyde Edwards-Helaire (illness) doubtful, Hunt should get most of the work out of the backfield in Week 5, so he's worth a start in any fantasy format. The same can't be said for Samaje Perine, who had a touchdown versus Los Angeles, and Carson Steele.

Indianapolis Colts running back Trey Sermon hasn't seen much action this season, but that is set to change in Week 5. With starting running back Jonathan Taylor (ankle) confirmed out, Sermon is set to be the starter for Indianapolis in Sunday's matchup against the Jaguars. He also draws a favorable matchup, with the Jaguars allowing the seventh most fantasy points to the position. It's unclear how much of a split there will be between Sermon and RBs Tyler Goodson and Evan Hull, which might hinder Sermon's production in the matchup. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues needing a replacement for Taylor can look to Sermon, but managers with more depth might want to wait to see how the backfield plays out this week. He is the RB20 in our half-PPR rankings.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (illness) is doubtful for Monday's matchup with the Saints. The 25-year-old has practiced somewhat throughout the week, so he's moving in the right direction. However, fantasy managers must wait a little longer to see him back on the field. With Kareem Hunt (shoulder) off the injury report, he'll absorb most of the carries out of the backfield in Week 5, so he should be considered a starting fantasy option. While Samaje Perine found the end zone in the Week 4 win over the Chargers, he's hard to trust despite the potential for more work.

New Orleans Saints tight end Taysom Hill (ribs) won't play on Monday night. He hasn't practiced all week due to fractured ribs and was listed as doubtful, so fantasy managers had a feeling things were heading in this direction. The 34-year-old has only two catches this season. However, he has two rushing touchdowns, meaning fantasy managers in multi-tight end setups may need to find a replacement. While Juwan Johnson could see more snaps, he's hard to trust from a fantasy standpoint.