Rashee Rice Feared to Have Torn ACL 😔

This week’s top fantasy performers heading into tonight’s MNF doubleheader 🏆

Make sure to stay tuned early this afternoon for our full takeaways post, plus the full takeaways episode of the Upper Hand Fantasy Podcast later today!

• Chiefs WR Rashee Rice feared to have torn ACL on circus play in Week 4 vs Chargers, could potentially miss rest of 2024 season

  • While it’s not official until an MRI confirms it, the look on field was not a good one as Rashee needed to be carted off and didn’t return. The play on which he was injured was an absolute mess, and it looks like Rice is set to be the latest casualty in a fantasy football season that’s just been absolutely frontloaded with injuries. In his absence, TE Travis Kelce stepped up for the first time in 2024 to lead the Chiefs in targets, receptions, and receiving yards against the Chargers. It’s a huge blow both to Rice’s fantasy managers and Patrick Mahomes’ managers, as well – Mahomes hasn’t finished as a top-10 weekly fantasy QB since Week 12 of last year, which also happens to be the first game where Rashee Rice earned a full route participation and the lion’s share of the targets from Mahomes. With Rice likely out for the rest of the season, Travis Kelce is in line to see a more consistent target share moving forward, while WR Xavier Worthy and co. will be tasked with keeping things afloat in the passing game the rest of the way. Prayers up for Rashee, and let’s hope it’s something minor in the meantime while we stay tuned for updates.

• Colts QB Anthony Richardson dealing with hip pointer issue, shouldn’t miss too much (if any) time despite ceding QB1 role to Flacco for Week 4

  • Richardson took the initial hit on a scramble where he landed awkwardly on his hip. He exited briefly after that, but was able to return before getting popped on another late slide that ultimately sent him to the locker room. He was ruled out with the hip injury after that, but early reports after the game indicate that the injury is minor and that he could be back on the field as early as next week. QB Joe Flacco did his usual job of filling in admirably, tossing a pair of touchdowns while elevating WRs Josh Downs and Michael Pittman to their best fantasy finishes of the season through four weeks. The recommendation all week for Richardson in fantasy land was to bench him after two finishes outside the top-20 at the position in Weeks 2 and 3, and fantasy managers who followed suit were spared the injury-induced dud against the Steelers. The matchup for Richardson is much better next week with a date against the Jaguars in Week 5, where he can likely be safely returned to lineups (assuming he’s good to go). If he doesn’t go, Downs and Pittman likely receive a significant bump to their floor should Flacco end up taking snaps in Jacksonville. Fantasy managers should pay attention to injury reports during the week, but the expectation should be that Richardson will be ready to go come next Sunday.

• Packers WR Christian Watson exits Sunday’s loss to Vikings with ankle injury, doesn’t return

  • After spending the entire offseason getting to know his own hamstring and seeing specialists to prevent it from taking him off the field in 2024, Watson’s ankle decided that he was just playing too much football. While it didn’t look like an injury that’s likely to sideline him for the rest of the season, it also didn’t look like one that he’ll be able to shake off by next week. That led to Watson logging just nine snaps in the game, while WR Dontayvion Wicks stepped in to replace him. Wicks looked every bit like the fantasy football sleeper he was tagged to be coming into the season, earning 13 targets but reeling in just five of them for 78 yards and two scores. Wicks was the 1:1 replacement for Watson, and should Watson miss any amount of time, Wicks will have a serious opportunity to be a very productive fantasy wide receiver. Fantasy managers likely weren’t starting Watson in many formats already, but he’ll most likely be a cut candidate if we find out that he’ll be missing any significant amount of time. Wicks will be a priority waiver wire addition wherever he’s available.