Key Week 5 NFL Injuries Bettors Need to Know
- Saquon Barkley, RB, Eagles
- Tank Bigsby, RB, Eagles
- D.J. Moore, WR, Bills
- Stefon Diggs, WR, Commanders
- Terry McLaurin, WR, Commanders
Sharp Betting Tools:
- NFL Injury Report
- NFL Props: Lines & Odds
- NFL Spreads, Totals, & Moneylines
- NFL Weather Forecast & Potential Impact
- NFL Implied Team Totals
Saquon Barkley Injury: Will Shipley Betting Recommendation
Not much has gone right for the Philadelphia Eagles this year.
The offense has struggled, the defense has been inconsistent, and the injuries are now starting to pile up.
Saquon Barkley will miss London this week as he nurses a hamstring injury, and backup running back Tank Bigsby landed on the IR after core muscle surgery.
With both of those guys out, most of the backfield touches in theory should go to third-stringer Will Shipley, but it isn't exactly a favorable matchup for the former Clemson Tiger.
Not only is the Eagles offensive line dealing with the loss of Lane Johnson to retirement and Cam Jurgens to Baltimore, but this week is an incredibly tough matchup against a Jaguars defense that has allowed just 3.3 yards per carry this season, second-best in the NFL.
Shipley has struggled as a runner in the NFL, averaging just 3.1 yards per carry in his career, although he's up to a career-high 12.8 yards per game this season.
So it's not a good matchup for the Eagles on the ground, and given their issues staying on the field, they might not have many opportunities to run the ball anyway.
The Jaguars have the fifth-best third-down defense in the NFL, and the Eagles are currently 0-18 on third downs dating back to the second half of Week 3.
It could be trouble for Jalen Hurts and the offense to even stay on the field.
Another thing to keep in mind is who else is in the backfield with Shipley.
The Eagles added Dameon Pierce and Carson Steele to their roster this week to fill the vacancies left by Barkley and Bigsby.
Pierce was called a “starting-caliber” running back by Nick Sirianni this week and fits the role of being an early-down back more than Shipley, who has mostly been a receiver in his short career.
There's a world where the Eagles use Pierce on early downs to grind out yardage before turning it over to Shipley on third downs and in passing situations.
At +7.5, the Eagles are the biggest underdogs of the weekend, and there isn't much to get excited about with Philadelphia.
With no reinforcements coming this weekend, the already-depleted offense could have another rough week, especially on the ground.
D.J. Moore Injury: Keon Coleman Betting Recommendation
D.J. Moore hasn't missed a game since Week 14 of 2020 when he sat out a Panthers loss due to COVID-19.
However, that streak might end this weekend, as he missed another practice on Friday due to his shoulder injury.
Moore is officially questionable for Monday’s game, but at this point it would be more surprising to see him suit up than to see him on the sidelines in street clothes.
When Moore left last week against the Patriots, Keon Coleman stepped up, catching 6 passes for 116 yards and scoring his first touchdown of the season.
It's been an up-and-down season for Coleman, who also had 6 catches in Week 2, but managed just 3 targets and 2 receptions in the Bills' other two games this year.
Perhaps most impressively, Coleman has caught 14 of his 16 targets from Josh Allen and is currently 15th among NFL wide receivers in yards per route run.
The Los Angeles Rams have done a good job stopping opposing wide receivers this season, but they've also had the benefit of playing the Jameis–Winston-led Giants and an Eagles team decimated by injuries.
They're not exactly stopping the Greatest Show on Turf every week.
Khalil Shakir will remain the Bills' top receiving target, but with Coleman's efficiency through four games, it would be interesting to see how he handles a bigger role for a full game.
Coleman's receiving totals are hovering around 37.5 yards for Monday night, despite being second on the team in total receiving yards behind tight end Dalton Kincaid.
It is worth noting that Moore's injury is something he has been dealing with since Week 2, and he just aggravated it in Week 4, but he was still able to practice in a limited capacity leading up to the Patriots game.
If Moore is out, expect the Bills to ride Coleman's hot hand.
Stefon Diggs Injury: Antonio Williams Betting Recommendation
Jayden Daniels will make his triumphant return to the Commanders on Sunday after missing the last couple of weeks with an elbow injury to his non-throwing arm.
Unfortunately for Daniels, his return coincides with the Commanders losing Stefon Diggs to a hamstring injury, and Terry McLaurin is dealing with one as well, although he's considered a game-time decision.
With question marks at receiver, we turn back to Antonio Williams and hope he and Daniels can rekindle some of that Week 1 magic they cooked up against the Eagles.
Williams caught 4 passes for 64 yards in Daniels' only full game this season and looks set for a lot of playing time, with both receivers ahead of him on the depth chart potentially out against the Giants.
Williams was also the team's second-most targeted receiver last week behind Diggs, getting 8 targets but catching only 3 for 21 yards.
The Giants have been pretty tough defending the pass this season, although they did allow Davante Adams to burn them for 195 yards in Week 2.
Williams certainly won't put up those numbers, but he could be a high-volume target on Sunday, and his receiving yard totals are hovering around 33.5.
With Daniels back in the fold, expect Washington to lean a bit more into the passing game than they have with the backups the last couple of weeks.
