Fantasy Injury Updates: Latest news on Julio Jones, Tyreek Hill, Allen Robinson, more WRs impacting Week 7 start-sit calls

Several key WRs have already been ruled out for Week 7 (Antonio Brown, T.Y. Hilton, Kadarius Toney, Kenny Golladay, Curtis Samuel, Sammy Watkins), and several more (Julio Jones, Tyreek Hill, Sterling Shepard, Allen Robinson, DeVante Parker) are “questionable.” Waiting for the latest injury updates inevitably causes start ’em, sit ’em headaches, especially in a heavy bye week, but it looks like fantasy football owners will have to sweat out at least a few of these wide receivers until the official active/inactive reports are released. 

We’ll be updating this article with the latest injury news throughout the day on Sunday. For the latest on ailing RBs Damien Williams, Antonio Gibson, D’Andre Swift, and Sony Michel, go here; for more on banged-up TEs Darren Waller, T.J. Hockenson, and Evan Engram, click here; for news on Alex Collins, go here; for the Week 7 weather forecast, click here. For all the latest fantasy news, follow us on Twitter @SN_Fantasy.

WEEK 7 FANTASY: Sleepers | Busts | Start ’em, sit ’em

Is Julio Jones playing in Week 7?

Jones (hamstring) didn’t practice Wednesday but was a limited participant on Thursday and Friday. He’s “questionable” for Sunday’s game against the Chiefs.

If Jones plays, the decision to start or sit him depends on if you like to take risks. The matchup almost couldn’t be better, and this game has shootout potential. However, we’ve seen him leave two games early and miss two games this season. He’s not 100 percent, and Tennessee is being extremely cautious with the seasoned vet. They aren’t against yanking him out of the game after the first drive if they feel like they need to. It’s a coin flip here, but the upside is undeniable.

If he’s out, A.J. Brown should be in line for a monster game. He flashed in the second half against the Bills, catching seven passes for 91 yards, so maybe it’s time for him to get back to elite status. You can’t really count on any other Titans’ pass-catchers, but Nick Westbrook-Ikhine would make some sense as a flex if Jones is out.

WEEK 7 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker

Is Tyreek Hill playing in Week 7?

UPDATE: ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported late Saturday night that Hill is expected to play against Tennessee.

Hill (quad) did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday, but he got in a limited practice on Friday. He didn’t practice at all last week and was productive (9-76-1). The Chiefs are set to face the worst defense against fantasy WRs, so Hill easily has No. 1 overall WR upside this week in Tennessee.

If he can’t go, the case to start Mecole Hardman has never been stronger. Hardman has drawn 17 targets over the last two weeks, so his usage could be the best we’ve ever seen in Hill’s absence. Even if Hill can go, Hardman has flex appeal. Josh Gordon, Byron Pringle, and Demarcus Robinson would also be in play as flexes, but it’s tough to know how the Chiefs will distribute the ball beyond significant targets to TE Travis Kelce.

WEEK 7 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker

Is Sterling Shepard playing in Week 7?

UPDATE: ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported late Saturday night that Shepard will be a game-time decision after testing his hamstring in pre-game warm-ups. Darius Slayton is expected to play, thouogh. 

Shepard (hamstring) was limited Thursday but reportedly suffered a setback during practice. Still, he took the practice field Friday in a limited capacity. He’s officially “questionable” heading into the matchup with Carolina and could be a legit game-time decision.

Darius Slayton (hamstring) had the same practice schedule as Shepard this week and is also “questionable.” Evan Engram (calf) was also limited this week. Kenny Golladay (knee) and Kadarius Toney (ankle) have already been ruled out.

The reality is this is a passing game to avoid with the exception of Shepard. He should dominate targets if he’s active, though Slayton would see a decent number, too, if he plays. If one or both are out, Dante Pettis and Collin Johnson would get looks, but it’s tough to trust either against a decent Panthers’ defense.

WEEK 7 DFS LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel | Yahoo

Is Allen Robinson playing in Week 7?

UPDATE: ESPN Adam Schefter reported late Saturday night that Robinson is expected to play against Tampa.

Robinson (ankle) was out of practice on Wednesday before getting in limited sessions on Thursday and Friday. He’s “questionable” for the game against Tampa Bay, who boasts one of the worst pass defenses in football.

Robinson was on a similar practice schedule last week when he suited up, so we expect him to play again. If he’s active, he’s a solid starter given all the byes and injuries this week. If he’s out, Darnell Mooney would be a great WR3 option. Tampa Bay allows the seventh-most fantasy points per game WRs, and Richard Sherman (hamstring) has been ruled out. Their secondary was already thin before the Sherman news. Bears coach Matt Nagy has been conservative with Justin Fields, but against Tampa Bay, you have no choice but to pass early and often with how stout their run defense is. 

MORE WEEK 7 DFS: Best stacks | Best values | Lineup Builder

Is DeVante Parker playing in Week 7?

Parker (hamstring) was limited in practice all week and is officially “questionable” for Week 7 against Atlanta. This is a favorable matchup, but even if Parker is healthy, these hamstring issues can mightily affect a WR as we’ve seen numerous times this season.

That said, start Jaylen Waddle no matter what in your flex spot, as he hit the ground running in Tua Tagovailoa’s first game back from injury. If Parker plays, he’s a WR3/flex. If he’s out and Preston Williams (groin) plays, he’s also a flex.