Alfred Morris Injury: Latest News and Fantasy Outlook for Redskins Starting RB

Alfred Morris expects to be on the field when the Washington Redskins travel to Dallas to take on the Cowboys in Week 6.

According to team announcement, Morris injured his ribs in the first quarter and played through the injury for much of their Week 4 matchup against the Oakland Raiders:

X-rays have determined the Skins’ starting running back bruised his ribs and did not suffer any fractures, per ESPN’s John Keim.

Washington is conveniently on a bye in Week 5, so Morris will get the added bonus of another week of rest before his team meets the Cowboys in two weeks on Sunday Night Football.

What does it all mean for fantasy owners? For starters, it means absolutely nothing in Week 5. If you don’t have a viable option already waiting for bye weeks, you’re out of luck.

Morris has been excellent again this season, although the Redskins’ inability to play defense has limited his opportunities. Through four weeks, the talented back hast just 56 rushing attempts—tied with Baltimore Ravens backup Bernard Pierce for 17th in the NFL.

Still, he hasn’t done anything to hurt his favor within the Redskins organization. Making the most out of every carry, Morris has averaged 5.3 yards per touch out of the backfield. He’s also 91 yards from eclipsing the 2,000 yard mark after 20 career games.

If his rib injury is as insignificant as reports suggest, you should deploy Morris as you normally would starting in Week 6 when the Redskins get back on the field.

Don’t worry about Roy Helu taking much of Morris’ workload. Morris is the clear feature back in Mike Shanahan’s offense, despite the coach's frustrating handling—often perceived as “trolling”—of fantasy owners in the past.

If Robert Griffin III can continue to recover from his offseason knee surgery, the Redskins could come out of the gate of their bye week swinging. You’re going to benefit from it if you’ve got Morris or RGIII waiting to put back into your lineup.