Rap: Pretty good chance Dowdle is back for Week 5

Barkley departed the team’s Week 4 loss to the Rams in the second quarter and did not return, with Ian Rapoport relaying that the team views him as “week-to-week,” for the time being. Rapoport added that the team does not view the injury as a long-term issue. Regardless, Barkley appears set to miss multiple games with the soft tissue injury, leaving the team paper thin at running back after backup Tank Bigsby inured a core muscle that requires surgery. Will Shipley is the only other back currently on the active roster, while Dameon Pierce, Carson Steele, and Jaydon Blue are with the team on the practice squad. Shipley warrants a waiver addition while managers in deeper leagues can consider taking an early flier on Blue.

Rush will serve as the emergency quarterback over Jack Strand. LB Samsom Ebukam, who came into the weekend listed as questionable, will play against the Saints. The Falcons look to move into a tie atop the NFC South against their divisional opponent after beating the Packers in Week 3.

Fant was originally listed as questionable but is ultimately unable to go, shocking fantasy managers that took a gamble on him following his two-touchdown game a week ago. Rookie Oscar Delp appears most likely to serve as the next man up while starter Juwan Johnson could take on additional volume at the position. Also inactive for the Saints are QB Zach Wilson, CB Decamerion Richardson, EDGE Anfernee Jennings, DL Christen Miller, LB Kaden Elliss, and EDGE Carl Granderson.

Mixon failed to stick with an NFL franchise during the 2025 season after starting 14 games for the Texans in 2024. The 30-year-old back has over 1,800 carries at the professional level to his name and brings a veteran presence to a Seattle backfield reeling the wake of rookie Jadarian Price’s placement on injured reserve. Zach Charbonnet saw his 21-day practice window activated as he attempts to return from injured reserve, although it could take him another week or two to be activated considering the timing of his knee injury a season ago. Emanuel Wilson could see another week of lead-back usage alongside George Holani as Mixon gets up to speed with the offense.

It’s been an odd 24 hours for Love, who was quoted after Sunday’s game saying this is shaping up to be the “longest year” of his career while also adding that he’s “tired” and would be willing to pass off work to Tyler Allgeier or Bam Knight in the event that he doesn’t think he can do what is being asked of him. As for this latest injury, LaFleur said the ankle injury isn’t the same one Love injured in the preseason, meaning he now has two ankle injuries to manage for the rest of the season. The Cardinals’ backfield was already proving hard to predict, and the latest quote from Love, coupled with the injury news, doesn’t exactly instill more confidence in him going forward. He draws a plus Week 5 matchup against the Lions, but should be treated as a fringe RB2/RB3 for now.

Mayfield is expected to miss “anywhere from three to six weeks” with his thumb injury, so it’s not at all surprising to see him listed as a DNP for Monday’s practice. We wouldn’t expect Mayfield to practice at all this week in the days leading up to Thursday’s matchup against the Cowboys. We’ll see if things change next week when the Bucs begin prepping for Week 6 against the Steelers. Rookie UDFA Jalon Daniels is expected to make his second career start on Thursday.

This is the third straight season-ending injury for Johnson, who also ended the 2024 and 2025 seasons on injured reserve due to knee injuries. The Cardinals picked up Johnson’s fifth-year option earlier this offseason, so he will return for the 2026 season. That said, this recent string of injuries doesn’t bode well for him earning a long-term contract extension this offseason, despite his strong play when healthy. Johnson allowed seven pressures and one sack on 174 pass-blocking snaps, per PFF, and has allowed 10 sacks in his last 30 games played. Assuming all goes well with his rehab, Johnson should be ready in time for training camp next season.

McCarthy said he expects Dowdle and Jaylen Warren to be a “one-two punch” once Dowdle returns to the field. Warren has totaled 34 rushes over the last two weeks while rushing for 220 scoreless yards, but had a 21-89-0 line during the first two weeks of the season when Dowdle was active. Both backs will likely fall in the RB3/FLEX range if Dowdle suits up for Week 5’s game against the Colts.

Rapoport reports there are hopes that Bigsby will be back “in six weeks or shorter.” The 24-year-old back will be required to miss at least four games now that he’s headed for an IR stint. With Saquon Barkley (hamstring) also at risk of missing at least one game, third-string RB Will Shipley could be in line for a busy day in Week 5 against the Jaguars. Shipley rushed six times for 23 yards in Sunday’s loss to the Rams, but could be a sneaky option in PPR leagues given his pass-catching profile during his days at Clemson, when he caught 85 passes over three seasons. It also wouldn’t be surprising if Dameon Pierce or Jaydon Blue were promoted off the practice squad and saw early down touches while Shipley serves in more of a third-down role. There’s a lot to figure out here over the next few days.