NFL Injuries Week 4 Report - Fantasy Football Injury Updates and Expected Return Dates for CeeDee Lamb, Terry McLaurin, Mike Evans, and Tyrone Tracy Jr.

Nicho's NFL injury status updates and expected return dates for key injured NFL players in Week 4 of 2025. Fantasy Football Injuries and Expected Return Dates for CeeDee Lamb, Terry McLaurin, Mike Evans, and Tyrone Tracy.

Welcome to Week 4, RotoBallers! With three weeks of NFL action now behind us, it's crazy to think we are close to 25% through the fantasy football season, so let's make sure to continue to enjoy the ride!

In this weekly column, I'll break down the latest injuries to key players, provide updated return timelines, and highlight the players most likely to benefit in their absence. My goal is to help you stay one step ahead of your league mates as you navigate waivers, trades, and lineup decisions throughout the season.

Keep following @RotoBallerNFL and me, @NichoRoessler, on X to stay updated with the latest NFL content. Let's dive in!

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CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (ankle) is expected to be ruled out for Sunday night's game against the Packers, as he's logged three straight DNPs this week following last Sunday's ankle injury against the Chicago Bears. Additionally, reports have indicated that he could miss three to four weeks, according to ESPN's Todd Archer.

Pro Bowl wide receiver CeeDee Lamb could miss 3-4 weeks with a high left ankle sprain suffered in Sunday’s loss to the Chicago Bears, according to a source.

— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) September 22, 2025

This is a massive blow to the Cowboys and Lamb fantasy owners, as he was a consensus first-round pick in this year's fantasy football drafts in most standard formats. What is most infuriating is that he was injured on a rushing attempt. It's also worth noting that the Cowboys have not placed him on the IR, meaning he must stay on the bench for now because you can't drop him.

CeeDee was excellent in his first two games to start the season, hauling in 16 of his 24 targets for 222 receiving yards. The biggest beneficiaries of this injury are tight end Jake Ferguson and wide receivers George Pickens, Jalen Tolbert, KaVontae Turpin, and Ryan Flournoy. That being said, quarterback Dak Prescott's stock is on the decline with Lamb out of the lineup.

Fantasy Impact:

• Short-Term: Ferguson is the biggest winner from this injury, as he saw a massive workload in Week 3 with 14 targets and hauled in 13 of them. Pickens could also get more targets, but teams will likely shadow him as the primary passing threat, presenting fewer one-on-one opportunities.

• Long-term: This ankle injury could linger, and although it's reassuring that Lamb has not been placed on the IR, the Cowboys will want to make sure he is close to 75-80%% before rolling him back out there to prevent reaggravating the ankle.

• Estimated Return Date: TBD. However, reports have suggested a range of anywhere between two and four weeks. Week 7 vs. the Washington Commanders appears to be the most realistic.

Verdict: Do not drop Lamb. Stash him on your bench. Prescott can be benched if you have other reliable options; meanwhile, Ferguson and Pickens remain viable options, and Turpin and Tolbert are to be considered long-shot options.

Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Commanders

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin (quad) has been ruled out for Washington's matchup against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. Dan Quinn is calling wide receiver McLaurin "week-to-week," according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.

Quinn calls Terry McLaurin “week-to-week.” Says they’ll see what next week brings for the #Commanders WR. https://t.co/Z3gZg7FlmS

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) September 26, 2025

The injury occurred in the third quarter of the Commanders' win against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 3, when he lunged for the end zone on a 56-yard reception and was ruled down inside the one-yard line. He did not return to the game after the play; however, speculation initially suggested that he was out for precautionary reasons, as the Commanders were comfortably ahead by a couple of scores.

Turns out that was not the case, and this injury is a tough one for McLaurin, as this was his best game of the season after a slow start to the season. Through the first two games, he only had 75 receiving yards and seven receptions. Meanwhile, he had three receptions for 74 yards in three quarters in Week 3. The bright side for McLaurin is that he will not require surgery after seeking multiple medical opinions throughout the week.

Deebo Samuel Sr. will step into the top receiver role for the Commanders. Meanwhile, Zach Ertz, Luke McCaffrey, and Jaylin Lane figure to mix in for additional work, with Noah Brown (knee, groin) also ruled out in Week 4.

Fantasy Impact:

• Short-Term: Ertz, Samuel, McCaffrey, and Lane should all see an uptick in opportunities, even with Jayden Daniels (knee) ruled out in Week 4. Marcus Mariota is a serviceable backup.

• Long-Term: This does not appear to be a long-term issue for McLaurin and should not have any restrictions upon his return.

• Estimated Return Date: Week 5 against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Verdict: Do not drop McLaurin. McLaurin's injury seems to be significant enough to hold him out of Week 4; however, being considered week-to-week means he will have a chance to suit up in Week 5. Samuel and Ertz should see an uptick in production and opportunities in Week 5 against the Falcons and are solid starts.

Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' All-Pro wide receiver, Mike Evans (hamstring), has been ruled out of Sunday's Week 4 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. The news isn't entirely surprising, as reports have suggested that Evans is expected to miss multiple weeks after an MRI on Tuesday revealed a mild to moderate strain in his left hamstring.

#Bucs WR Mike Evans will miss 3-4 weeks with a moderate hamstring strain.

— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) September 23, 2025

While this is a blow to an already depleted Buccaneers' wide receiver room, the bright side is that Chris Godwin (ankle) is currently listed as questionable as of Friday; it would be surprising to see him handle a full workload after missing the 2024 season with a gruesome ankle injury, but the timing of his return should help the Bucs offense.

Rookie Emeka Egbuka is in line to be the team's WR1 and should be a must-start in all formats. Sterling Shepard and Cade Otton should also see an uptick in targets in a game script in Week 4 that could lead the Bucs to be pass-happy, as they are currently 3.5-point underdogs at home.

Fantasy Impact:

• Short-Term: Egbuka becomes the team's clear No. 1 receiver and should be in line for additional targets. Otton, Shepard, and potentially Godwin all become long-shot plays.

• Long-Term: With Evans' age (32 years old) and history of soft tissue injuries, this could be a big blow to his 2025 season. That being said, Evans has proved time and time again that he can still get to 1,000 yards even with missing a few games.

• Estimated Return Date: Week 6 or Week 7 seems to be the most realistic timeframe for a return.

Verdict: Stash Evans and do not drop him. Egbuka becomes a low-end WR1. Shepard and Otton become a long-shot play while Evans is out, and while Godwin continues to ramp up.

Tyrone Tracy Jr., RB, New York Giants

New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. (shoulder) has officially been ruled out for his team's Week 4 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, per ESPN's Jordan Raanan.

Giants rule out:
K Graham Gano (groin)
DL Chauncey Golston (ankle)
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (shoulder)

Doubtful:
DL Rakeem Nunez-Roches Sr. (foot)

— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) September 26, 2025

Tracy left the game in the first half of the Giants' Week 3 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, and he finished that game with only 29 rushing yards on seven carries and seven receiving yards on two catches. Rookie running back Cam Skattebo figures to take over as the lead back in Tracy's absence and is a low-end RB2 in Week 4, and veteran Devin Singletary figures to work into the mix a bit as well.

Tracy has struggled somewhat in 2025, after posting impressive numbers as a rookie in 2024. In 2024, Tracy accumulated 1,123 all-purpose yards and six touchdowns; however, his Achilles heel has been the fumbles, as he had five of them in 2024. Coming into the 2025 season, not only did the Giants draft Skattebo in the fourth round, but we saw Tracy's snap percentage dip from 74% in Week 1 to 42% in Week 2.

Meanwhile, Skattebo's involvement increased from 12% in Week 1 to 52% in Week 2, indicating that the Giants are interested in getting Skattebo more involved, which hindered Tracy's production and upside during that stretch, and likely for the remainder of the season. With Tracy now slated to miss two to four weeks, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Tracy is in the danger zone of becoming the team's RB2 once he returns if Skattebo continues to play well while Tracy is out. 

Fantasy Impact:

• Short-Term: Skattebo becomes the team's lead back and has RB2 value in all fantasy formats. 

• Long-term: This injury could potentially set the stage for Skattebo to become the team's No. 1 running back, leaving Tracy to operate as the RB2 and potentially diminishing his fantasy value.

• Estimated Return Date: Week 7 seems most likely, considering that the Giants are playing on Thursday Night Football in Week 6.

Verdict: In shallow leagues, Tracy can be dropped. If you have the option to stash him, feel free to do so, but his value is set to take a big hit if Skattebo can take over and produce as the Giants' RB1. It might be worth shopping him around for a lower-end player you believe to have upside later in the year.

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