Fantasy Football Week 10 Injury Updates: Marshawn Lynch, Montee Ball, Andre Ellington, Rashad Jennings

Even though there are just three late afternoon kickoffs in Week 10, there are plenty of key running back injuries to keep an eye on. Here are the ones you need to know about.

Montee Ball and Juwan Thompson, RBs, Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders

Questionable – Groin; Probable – Knee
After not practicing at all the past four weeks, Ball (right) was back on the field, albeit in a limited capacity. He’s officially listed as Questionable, but it looks like there’s a good chance Ball will be activated today. Ronnie Hillman should still see the bulk of the work, however, as prior to last week’s game in New England, he had averaged 4.9 yards per carry over the previous three games. If anything, Ball’s potential return could impact Thompson’s usage. Thompson, who is Probable after practicing fully all week, had been getting some carries near the goal line and scored two touchdowns two weeks ago. He and Ball could end up sharing backup duties, which means Hillman is probably the only Bronco back to employ this week.

Marshawn Lynch, RB, Seattle Seahawks vs. New York Giants

Probable – Calf
Lynch was added to the injury report this week after missing the first two days of practice because of a calf issue. He was a full go on Friday, however, and when head coach Pete Carroll was asked, he said Lynch was “ready to roll.” Lynch is listed as Probable, which backs up Carroll’s confidence in his readiness, so there doesn’t appear to be any reason for you to not start him. Lynch has topped 88 yards rushing just once this season, but he does have eight total touchdowns, including two last week. Lynch is definitely a must-start RB1 this week at home against a Giants defense that is giving up the fourth most fantasy points to opposing RBs.

Andre Ellington, RB, Arizona Cardinals vs. St. Louis Rams

Probable – Foot
The refrain should be pretty familiar by now. The coaches limit Ellington’s work in practice mainly to cut down the wear and tear on their workhorse. He’s been a mainstay on the injury report this season, but as usual, he’s listed as Probable and will be out there carrying the load once again. Ellington is averaging 109 yards from scrimmage per game this season and has pretty much sewed up his status as a top-10 fantasy RB from here out.

Already Ruled Out:

Rashad Jennings, RB, New York Giants – Jennings returned to practice this week, but he was just a limited participant on Thursday and Friday. He was considered a long shot to play as of Friday, so it should come as no surprise that Jennings did not accompany the team to Seattle. This means that Andre Williams and Peyton Hillis once again will handle the backfield duties this afternoon against the Seahawks. Neither was that effective on the ground Monday night against the Colts, combining for 42 yards on 16 carries, but Williams got three times as many carries (12) as Hillis (four). That probably won’t change today, but it doesn’t mean that a great deal should be expected out of Williams either. Not only has the rookie struggled to gain much ground (3.0 ypc), he’s facing a Seahawks defense that’s usually pretty tough at home and one that has done a good job against the run. Hopefully you’re eyeing Williams as a flex option and nothing more.