Fantasy Football Week 5: Rob Gronkowski expected to play, plus the latest news

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Rob Gronkowski (ankle) is expected to play

Obviously, you must start Gronkowski. Of course.

But I feel a bit antsy about this one. I feel like I've seen this one before and been burned by it. Gronkowski is coming off a short week, but all indications are he will play, as Adam Schefter reported Thursday morning.

In fact, nearly a year ago, this exact situation unfolded, with early reports indicating Gronk would play in Week 5 on Thursday night against the Buccaneers, before being ruled inactive shortly before the game. Again, all indications are that Gronkowski will play tonight. You should approach this as if he is – he's too good to consider sitting if he's active. But it makes me uneasy. I worry Gronkowski could be used as more of a decoy this week, especially with Julian Edelman finally back.

Which probably means Gronk will go for two touchdowns. Of course.

Andrew Luck will have even less help than normal

This one is truly troubling. The Colts will be without T.Y. Hilton (hamstring), Jack Doyle (hip), and Marlon Mack (hamstring), and could be without both starting tackles on offense. Luck is coming off a career day – one that put many of the concerns about his shoulder to rest – but with such a limited supporting cast around him on a short week, it's hard to believe Luck will do much in his encore. Luck may be fine for the rest of the season – though I still have my doubts – but it's tough to trust him in this spot.

Joe Mixon is practicing – and Giovani Bernard isn't

Well, this is certainly a change. After two weeks of missing practice following knee surgery, Mixon was back in pads and practicing, albeit on a limited basis Wednesday. Bernard, dealing with a knee issue of his own, was sidelined. It's not clear what the nature of Bernard's injury is, but it appears he suffered it late in Sunday's game against the Falcons. We'll see how both progress moving forward, but at this point, it certainly looks like Mixon's return to the starting role is the more likely outcome.

Leonard Fournette (hamstring) has been ruled out

Even with several days of practice left before they needed to make the call, the Jaguars announced Wednesday Fournette will not play in Week 5 against the Chiefs. That's a great matchup, and one we think T.J. Yeldon will take advantage of, but it's also noteworthy that Fournette was ruled out so early. Reports indicated this is likely to be a multi-week issue for Fournette, who has been troubled by hamstring injuries all season, and that seems likely at this point. Hope you grabbed Yeldon.

Dalvin Cook (hamstring) did not practice

It seems like this could be just a precaution for Cook, who made his return to action last Thursday and will have 10 days off before his next action, but it's worth keeping an eye on. He was limited in his return in Week 4 and admitted a few days ago he's not 100 percent healthy. Over at SportsLine, Dr. Brandon Bowers notes that until Cook is fully over the injury, there is "moderate concern for re-aggravation of the injury going forward."

Other news from around the NFL:

Devonta Freeman (knee) continues to make progress … Coach Dan Quinn has said he expects Freeman to return from his bone bruise in Week 5, and we'll monitor his status throughout the week with that in mind. Tevin Coleman struggled in Freeman's absence, and the Steelers present a solid matchup, but Freeman could be limited in his first game back.
Chris Carson (hip) did not practice … Carson's Week 4 absence came as something of a surprise, but we won't be caught napping again. Mike Davis needs to be owned in all formats after he dominated work in Carson's absence – Pete Carroll said he should remain in the RB rotation even when Carson returns.
Matt Breida (shoulder) was limited … The good news is, Breida's knee isn't an issue anymore. The bad news is, the shoulder injury he suffered Sunday could be. Probably not enough to keep him sidelined, but enough that we'll have to monitor this one moving forward. Breida has been a revelation in an increased role and should be started if healthy.
Alshon Jeffery (chest) did not practice … More good news/bad news here. Jeffery's shoulder isn't an issue, but he apparently suffered a chest injury sometime during his Week 4 return. We hope he'll be back on the field, because he was dominant in his first game back, hauling in eight catches for 105 yards and a touchdown.
Will Fuller (hamstring) was limited … This has been an ongoing issue for Fuller, who left Week 4 because of the injury. We'll monitor him throughout the week, but this is a good start, even if I would have trouble trusting a player who already left the most recent game with a lingering injury like this.
Josh Gordon (hamstring) is questionable … You have to assume Gordon is healthy enough to play, so any questions about his status for Week 5 probably center around Julian Edelman's return after Gordon was limited to just 18 of 81 snaps in Week 4. He hasn't been fully integrated for the Patriots, but I'd bet we see his role grow as we move on.
Antonio Callaway (knee) could have his reps limited … Whether Callaway's injury keeps him sidelined, head coach Hue Jackson said earlier in the week he may limit Callaway's playing time a bit after the rookie struggled with drops early in the season. That would be disappointing, because Callaway has shown game-breaking ability – he just needs to hang on to the ball when he gets under it on those wide open go routes.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling could start … With Geronimo Allison (concussion) and Randall Cobb (hamstring) very much in question for Week 5, Packers coach Mike McCarthy told reporters Valdes-Scantling would be the next man up. I'm not sure I'd have the confidence to start him in a season-long league, but Valdes-Scantling could make for a great DFS play.