Injuries can change the trajectory of your fantasy football team. Unfortunately, several injuries in Week 3 can have a seismic effect on fantasy rosters everywhere, including an injury to a no-doubt top-5 pick in fantasy entering the 2025 season.
Below are the injuries that could impact fantasy football in Week 4.
Jayden Daniels, QB, Washington Commanders
Jayden Daniels missed Week 3’s game against the Raiders due to a knee sprain. He is still considered day-to-day with the injury, but was able to log a limited practice on Wednesday.
Dan Quinn time. Injury updates:
* Jayden Daniels will be a “limited” participant in practice today.
* That’s it, actually. More on Friday.— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) September 24, 2025
Head coach Dan Quinn said on Sept. 23 that Marcus Mariota’s performance against the Raiders (15 of 21 passing for 207, one touchdown, and zero interceptions plus six carries for 40 yards and a touchdown) showed enough to allow the team to be patient with Daniels’ recovery time.
Brock Purdy, QB, San Francisco 49ers
Brock Purdy has missed the last two weeks with shoulder and toe injuries, but is set to return in Week 4. Purdy is a significant upgrade over Mac Jones (who played admirably in those two starts) and should immediately be considered a QB1 if he is healthy and on the field.
J.J. McCarthy, QB, Minnesota Vikings
J.J. McCarthy has already been ruled out for Week 4’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Ireland due to his high-ankle sprain.
Carson Wentz will be under center again after completing 70% of his passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns against the Bengals in Week 3.
Justin Fields, QB, New York Jets
Justin Fields missed Week 3 due to a concussion, paving the way for Tyrod Taylor to start. Fields is still in concussion protocol and has not yet been cleared to participate in practice.
The Jets don’t play until Monday, so Fields has extra time to recover from a concussion. If he can’t, Taylor will make his second start of the season, this time against the Miami Dolphins.
Baker Mayfield, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Baker Mayfield popped up on the injury report on Wednesday as a limited participant due to a right biceps injury. Mayfield was seen throwing at practice in an arm sleeve.
Baker Mayfield did have a sleeve on his right arm today as he was throwing #Bucs pic.twitter.com/uveOnn5a9z
— Matt Matera (@matty4_matera) September 24, 2025
Mayfield did get hit on the arm while throwing against the Jets in Week 3 and was seen flexing his hand, but he finished the game without missing any plays. There is no reason to believe the injury will keep him off the field in Week 4.
James Conner, RB, Arizona Cardinals
James Conner was officially placed on season-ending injured reserve after suffering a foot injury during Week 3’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Conner’s injury opens an opportunity for second-year running back Trey Benson to take over the backfield. This season, Benson has been effective in his limited role (21 carries for 125 yards and eight receptions for 45 yards). He will most likely split time with veteran Emari Demercado, but the nature of that split is uncertain.
Najee Harris, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
Najee Harris was working his way into a bigger role in Week 3, but suffered a season-ending Achilles injury. He will miss the remainder of the season.
Rookie first-round pick Omarion Hampton is set to take on an even greater role in the backfield after having success without Harris against the Broncos (19 carries for 70 yards and a touchdown with six receptions for 59 yards). He had his first double-digit fantasy performance (24.9 PPR points) in the game.
Head coach Jim Harbaugh has already mentioned that Kimani Vidal is the “next man up” to replace Harris’s role, but it is hard to see him taking on a large workload with Hampton seemingly playing well.
Tyrone Tracy Jr., RB, New York Giants
Tyrone Tracy Jr. suffered a dislocated shoulder in Week 3 that will keep him off the field for two to four weeks. The injury allows rookie Cam Skattebo to take over the backfield.
Skattebo was excellent in Week 3 with an expanded role, handling 10 carries for 60 yards and a touchdown while adding six receptions (on eight targets) for 61 yards. Skattebo will likely function as the lead back, but veteran Devin Singletary could also have some fantasy value in the future.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt, RB, Washington Commanders
Jacory Croskey-Merritt did not practice on Wednesday (9/24) due to a knee injury. Croskey-Merritt was not clearly injured in Week 3, so there is little reason to be concerned about the injury now.
If the injury is significant enough to keep him out in Week 4, then Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Jeremy McNichols would be the biggest beneficiaries in fantasy.
CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys
CeeDee Lamb suffered a high-ankle sprain on a carry, his lone touch of the game, against the Chicago Bears. The expectation is that Lamb will miss multiple weeks recovering from the injury.
George Pickens and Jake Ferguson are set to see their target share rise with Lamb on the mend. The Cowboys will also hope that players like KaVontae Turpin, Jalen Tolbert, and Ryan Flournoy can provide some help at receiver. However, none of those options is trustworthy in fantasy.
Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mike Evans suffered a hamstring injury in Week 3’s game against the New York Jets, which is expected to take multiple weeks to heal.
The injury creates an even bigger opportunity for rookie sensation Emeka Egbuka. Sterling Shepard is also an intriguing piece for fantasy, but the potential return of Chris Godwin in Week 4 could make him a risky player to trust in fantasy.
Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Chris Godwin missed the first three weeks of the season due to a brutal ankle injury he suffered in 2024. He has been practicing with the team and could make his 2025 debut in Week 4 against the Eagles.
Godwin will likely need time to work into full strength, so it is too early to trust him in fantasy. But he could see a healthy target share in his first game back (regardless of his workload) with Mike Evans set to miss time with a hamstring injury.
Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Commanders
Terry McLaurin suffered a quadriceps injury in Week 3 that took him out of the game in the third quarter. Since then, McLaurin has gotten a second opinion on the injury, which is rarely good news in the short term.
The veteran receiver did not practice on Wednesday (9/24), but no declaration has been made regarding his status in Week 4.
If McLaurin is out, then Deebo Samuel and Zach Ertz will steadily increase their usage. Young, unproven players like Luke McCaffrey and rookie Jaylin Lane could also see offensive roles.
Xavier Worthy, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
Xavier Worthy has practiced in the last two weeks but has not seen the field since dislocating his shoulder in Week 1. Worthy will likely be limited again ahead of Week 4’s matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, and there is hope that he will be ready to get back onto the field for this game.
Worthy’s return would reduce the passing volume, hurting Hollywood Brown and Tyquan Thornton’s ceilings.
Jauan Jennings, WR, San Francisco 49ers
Jauan Jennings missed Week 3’s game against the Arizona Cardinals due to shoulder and ankle injuries. The injury gave increased opportunities to Ricky Pearsall (eight receptions for 117 yards), Christian McCaffrey (10 receptions for 88 yards), and Kendrick Bourne (four receptions for 38 yards).
The 49ers need Jennings on the field, but are missing George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk. Hopefully, the week of rest will allow him to get back onto the field and into fantasy lineups.
Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Carolina Panthers
Tetairoa McMillan did not practice on Wednesday (9/24) due to a calf injury. Head coach Dave Canales stated that the injury was minor and that he could return on Thursday. McMillan also stated that he believed he would be fine to play in Week 4.
Panthers WRs Tetairoa McMillan, Xavier Legette sit out practice with injurieshttps://t.co/0eazGimBns pic.twitter.com/r1UjEtIVXu
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) September 24, 2025
McMillan has operated as Carolina’s WR1 through three weeks, catching 14 27 passes for 216 yards. The Panthers ‘ pass-catching group is already navigating several injuries to Xavier Legette (hamstring), Jalen Coker (quad), and Ja’Tavion Sanders (ankle).
If McMillan also can’t go, then Hunter Renfrow and David Moore would be Carolina’s receivers on the field in Week 4.
Ricky Pearsall, WR, San Francisco 49ers
Ricky Pearsall did not practice on Wednesday due to knee soreness. According to Pearsall, the injury is not major and he expects to both practice and participate in Week 4.
#49ers WR Ricky Pearsall tells me he just has some knee soreness. His expectation is that he will practice this week and be OK for Sunday.
— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) September 24, 2025
The 49ers cannot afford to lose another pass catcher in this offense. If Pearsall does miss Week 4, then Jauan Jennings (if healthy), Kendrick Bourne, Demarcus Robinson, and Skyy Moore will be the next men up.
Malik Nabers, WR, New York Giants
Malik Nabers did not participate in practice on Wednesday (9/24) due to a back injury. Nabers has already had to navigate minor injuries to his back, shoulder, and toe this season, but has yet to miss a game.
There is no reason to believe he will miss rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart’s first start in Week 4, but if he is ruled out, then Wan’Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton would see a significant increase in their target share.
Davante Adams, WR, Los Angeles Rams
Davante Adams did not participate in practice on Wednesday due to a hamstring injury. Head coach Sean McVay stated that Adams had soreness coming into the day, but he didn’t anticipate the injury impacting his availability in Week 4.
Adams should be on the field in Week 4, but his practice status will need to be watched heading into Week 4.
Nico Collins, WR, Houston Texans
Nico Collins logged a limited practice on Wednesday due to a knee injury. There is no indication that it is a major injury that will keep him off the field in Week 4.
Evan Engram, TE, Denver Broncos
A back injury kept Evan Engram from playing in Week 3’s divisional game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Engram has struggled to make an impact with Denver this season, catching four of six targets for 33 yards in the Broncos’ first two games. If he is unable to play again in Week 4, Troy Franklin and Marvin Mims will be the biggest beneficiaries of his targets.
Isaiah Likely, TE, Baltimore Ravens
Isaiah Likely has missed the season’s first three games, working his way back from a broken foot he suffered during training camp. The veteran tight end has been practicing and is nearing a return.
Likely is worth stashing in fantasy, but may need time to emerge as a viable receiving option in a passing attack that has looked good with Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, DeAndre Hopkins, and Mark Andrews to start the season.
