Dontayvion

Wicks

Wicks played through the hamstring injury in Week 5 and may have made it worse. Downgrading to a DNP on Thursday is a bad sign. He is unlikely to play at this time, and if active, he would be prone to re-injury.

Wicks suffered the hamstring injury in practice last week but played through the injury in the Eagles’ Week 5 loss to the Jaguars. Also limited was Hollywood Brown (ankle). Brown has not played since suffering an ankle injury in Week 2 but has a chance to return this week. Expect Wicks to play in Week 6 while Brown is truly questionable.

DeVonta Smith was out again this week, leaving the Eagles to spread his targets around to several role players. Wicks led the team’s wideouts in targets, but it was Dallas Goedert who paced the team. On the back of one long touchdown catch, Darius Cooper led the team in receiving yards. Wicks is good for the occasional big play but isn’t a consistent enough player to be a solid fantasy option. He will be a deep FLEX option for Week 6 versus the Panthers.

He only got in a limited session today, but apparently that was all the Eagles needed to see. He’ll still be a tough start against Jacksonville in what is projected to be a low-scoring game as Philadelphia’s passing offense looks to rebound from last week’s rough showing.

Wicks was listed as a limited participant today, indicating that he strained his hamstring during Thursday’s practice. With DeVonta Smith (hamstring) still sidelined, rookie WR Makai Lemon could be the de facto top receiver, though the team has struggled to use him effectively thus far. Hollywood Brown (ankle) also remains sidelined.

Wicks was in theory the Eagles’ No. 1 receiver with DeVonta Smith (hamstring) sidelined, but in reality he does not really have a “scaleable” skill-set. It wasn’t surprising Wicks and Jalen Hurts failed to get anything going down the field with the Rams constantly in Hurts’ grill in rainy conditions. Smith seems to be looking at a multi-week absence, but Wicks will be hard-pressed to rise above WR4 status in 12-team leagues.

The Eagles limited Smith’s practice reps last week, and he successfully suited up on game day, nabbing 6-of-8 targets for 65 yards. Apparently, the performance took a toll. The Eagles will likely be without their No. 1 wide receiver this week. Dontayvion Wicks will fill in as the team’s top receiver.

For his part, Wicks was consistently breaking free of coverage with smooth route-running ability, but the offense managed just over 23 minutes time of possession on 47 offensive plays, leaving all involved stuck on a sinking ship. Better fantasy days should be ahead for Wicks in the immediate future, at least for as long as tight end Dallas Goedert remains sidelined with an MCL sprain. That said, he draws a difficult matchup against the Rams in Week 4. Treat Wicks as a viable FLEX option in a tough spot.

This is unfortunate. Smith dealt with a hamstring injury back in August, but rehabbed it successfully before the season began. The Eagles have an extra day to rest, with their Week 3 game against the Bears airing as this week’s Monday Night Football game, but he must be treated as questionable to play at this time. Eagles WR Dontayvion Wicks would handle No. 1 wide receiver duties if Smith cannot play.

It sounds like Smith may end up being listed as a limited participant. We will learn more when the injury report comes out later today. Hopefully, this is just veteran rest as the Eagles gear up for a Week 3 Monday Night Football game against the Bears. Eagles WR Dontayvion Wicks took a hard fall in Week 2 and missed a few plays. He later told reporters that he “will be good.” If Wicks is indeed good and Smith is not, Wicks would operate as the receiving corps’ top option.