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Our fantasy football IR report and tracker for injured NFL players on injured reserve in Week 5 of 2025. Fantasy football injury updates reports for Malik Nabers, Tyreek Hill, Trey Benson, Cedric Tillman, and Braelon Allen
Week 4 of the NFL season was a rough one on the injury front. Two wide receivers who were consensus early-round fantasy selections suffered season-ending knee injuries, and several intriguing youngsters went down with long-term ailments as well.
Fantasy managers may have to make some difficult decisions heading into Week 5. Injuries will only continue to pile up as the season goes on, so clogging up roster spots with injured players may not be a tenable strategy.
Below is analysis and advice for five players who are currently on either the injured reserve (IR), Physically Unable to Perform (PUP), or Non-Football Injury (NFI) lists but are still likely to impact fantasy decisions in one way or another. Let's dive in.
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Malik Nabers Injury Update
New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (knee) suffered a torn ACL during his team's Week 4 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. He's been placed on Injured Reserve and will miss the remainder of the 2025 season.
Losing Nabers is devastating to both the Giants and fantasy managers alike. Before getting injured, the 22-year-old had recorded 18 catches for 271 yards and two touchdowns on 35 targets. He was viewed as a consensus fantasy WR1 heading into the season.
Nabers recorded a whopping 170 targets in 15 games as a rookie in 2024. His target-per-game rate was not quite as high early in 2025, but his absence still creates a massive void in the passing game that New York now has to fill.
In the two games that Nabers missed in 2024, Giants wide receivers Darius Slayton and Wan'Dale Robinson immediately saw an uptick in target share. Slayton recorded 14 catches for 179 yards and a touchdown on 22 targets, while Robinson recorded 11 catches for 86 yards and a touchdown on 20 targets.
Robinson's role as a high-ceiling, low-floor possession receiver is unlikely to drastically change. He should be rostered across all PPR-scoring formats.
For redraft managers who have been left with no choice but to drop Nabers, Slayton could be the player to prioritize. The 28-year-old is the only reliable downfield threat left in the passing game for Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart.
Tyrod Taylor 80-YARD TD TO DARIUS SLAYTON
📺: #LARvsNYG on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/sFjqko01pD pic.twitter.com/uoroL3OR0b— NFL (@NFL) December 31, 2023
Slayton only has nine catches for 135 yards on 12 targets so far in 2025. That's an underwhelming target rate, but his average of 15 yards per reception is solid and right in line with career norms.
With his target rate now almost guaranteed to increase, Slayton could provide fantasy WR3/flex production the rest of the way in 2025.
Tyreek Hill Injury Update
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (knee) suffered a catastrophic injury in Week 4, dislocating his knee and tearing multiple ligaments. He's been placed on Injured Reserve, and his 2025 season is over.
Hill recorded 21 catches for 265 yards and a touchdown on 29 targets before getting hurt. His absence leaves a sizable void in Miami's passing game that must be filled.
The obvious candidates to soak up more targets from Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa are wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and running back De'Von Achane.
Achane has 19 catches for 143 yards and two touchdowns on 25 targets so far in 2025, while Waddle has recorded 17 catches for 185 yards and two scores on 23 targets.
Buying high on Waddle could be an option for managers who lost Hill. However, it may be difficult to negotiate fair value for Waddle in a trade at the current moment, given the obvious opportunity he has to step into the Dolphins' WR1 role.
Second-year Dolphins' wideout Malik Washington is another player who could see his role increase. Miami head coach Mike McDaniel has already made it a priority to manufacture touches for Washington through the first four games of the season.
🗣️ MALIK WASHINGTON 74-YARDS TO THE HOUSE! pic.twitter.com/oQpz1wlcYO
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) September 14, 2025
The 24-year-old has recorded 107 yards from scrimmage on eight catches and eight rush attempts so far in 2025.
In deep leagues, fantasy managers who lost Hill will be left with few options to replace him. The Dolphins clearly value getting Washington the ball, so he could be who Miami calls upon to replace some of the playmaking they will lose in Hill's absence.
Trey Benson Injury Update
In Week 3, the Arizona Cardinals lost running back James Conner (ankle) for the season due to an ankle injury. That set up second-year back Trey Benson (knee) with an opportunity to assume the workhorse role in Arizona.
Unfortunately, Benson suffered a meniscus injury in Week 4 that will necessitate a stint on Injured Reserve. Benson is expected to return this season after a four-to-six week absence. Still, he will not be eligible to do so until Week 10 at the earliest.
Fantasy managers who were counting on Benson for RB2-level production following Conner's injury are now forced to scramble. Benson should be stashed in an IR spot in leagues that offer one, but he's droppable in shallow leagues with limited bench spots.
Losing both Conner and Benson leaves the Cardinals' backfield picture muddled. Third-year back Emari Demercado has been on the team's active roster all season and is likely the favorite to earn the majority of passing-down snaps.
Michael Carter and Bam Knight could be the running backs who are battling for the early-down role in Arizona. It appears as though Carter will get the first chance as the starter in Week 5 against the Tennessee Titans.
“It’s been a lot. … You go from Pat Tillman (Scout Player of the Week) one week to starting the next.”
Cardinals RB Michael Carter on the roller coaster this year has been and what this week’s opportunity means to him ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/EvQx0K8Snu
— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) October 1, 2025
Carter appeared in three games for the Cardinals in 2024, recording 131 rushing yards and a touchdown on 35 carries. There's no guarantee he will be able to provide the production that fantasy managers were counting on from Conner and Benson.
Still, Carter should be rostered across all league formats. If he can seize the lead role in the Arizona backfield, he may be a starting-level fantasy running back for as long as Benson is sidelined.
Cedric Tillman Injury Update
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Cedric Tillman (hamstring) suffered a hamstring injury during his team's Week 4 loss to the Detroit Lions. Cleveland announced that Tillman will be placed on Injured Reserve, meaning that he will not be eligible to return until Week 10 at the earliest.
Before getting injured, Tillman recorded 11 catches for 106 yards and two touchdowns on 20 targets across four games. The 25-year-old had established himself as the Browns' WR2 alongside Jerry Jeudy. Still, Cleveland's anemic passing game was not leading to much production for any of its pass-catchers.
Following Week 4, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski announced that rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel will be replacing veteran Joe Flacco as the team's starter under center.
While that may lead to Tillman being in an improved offensive environment upon his return, it will still be difficult for fantasy managers to hold him through his IR stint.
In deep leagues that offer an IR slot, Tillman is a decent stash candidate. However, he's not worth rostering in shallow leagues or leagues with smaller benches.
One name to keep an eye on as a potential Tillman replacement is Browns rookie wideout Isaiah Bond.
Cedric Tillman’s injury sucks, but more opportunities for Isaiah Bond is great for the #Browns offense
Per Next Gen Stats Bond currently leads the team in average separation yards (3)
He also has the longest reception all season (35) its time to up his targets #Dawgpound pic.twitter.com/57TehjEhs5
— Mac🦬 (@tha_buffalo) September 30, 2025
Bond's targets have increased each week so far this season, and there should be an opportunity for him to see regular playing time for as long as Tillman is sidelined.
Braelon Allen Injury Update
New York Jets running back Braelon Allen (knee) suffered a sprained MCL during his team's Week 4 loss to the Miami Dolphins. The exact timeline for Allen's return is not yet clear, but he will be placed on Injured Reserve and is expected to miss significantly longer than the four-week minimum.
Allen recorded 18 carries for 76 yards and a touchdown across four games before getting injured. While the second-year back has shown flashes of workhorse ability to this point in his career, his main fantasy utility at this point in his career was as a handcuff to Jets RB1 Breece Hall.
Given that Hall is currently healthy while Allen is not, Allen should be dropped in all redraft formats. However, he still holds significant dynasty appeal with Hall currently in his final season under contract with the Jets.
Second-year running back Isaiah Davis should step in for Allen as the Jets' RB2. Davis has just eight touches so far this season, but he was effective when given the chance in 2024. Across 17 games as a rookie, Davis logged 249 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns on just 39 total touches.
Jets score their 1st TD in Miami since 2021
📺: #NYJvsMIA on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/y6ZRjLhkZ0— NFL (@NFL) December 8, 2024
The Jets also signed veteran running back Khalil Herbert on Thursday, but he will likely be limited to a depth role.
In deep leagues, Davis is a name to monitor and could be worth stashing in a bench spot. If Hall gets injured or finds himself on the trade block as the 0-4 Jets fall out of the race, Davis would be in line to see the majority of backfield snaps in New York.
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