Aaron Hernandez Injury: Updates on Patriots TE's Week 5 Status and Fantasy Value

New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez missed his second straight game with a strained MCL on Sunday against the Oakland Raiders.

Hernandez, who caught 45 balls for 563 yards and six touchdowns in his rookie campaign last season, injured his knee in the Patriots' 35-21 victory over the San Diego Chargers in Week 2.

Keep checking back to this page throughout the week for the latest updates on the injury, his playing stats and fantasy value as the Patriots prepare to take on the New York Jets in Week 5.

UPDATE: Sunday, Oct. 9 at 5:33 p.m. EDT by Brandon Galvin

Tom Brady has thrown his first interception of his career in the red zone at Foxboro thanks to Aaron Hernandez. Brady hit Hernandez on the hands with a pass at the goal line, but Hernandez misplayed the ball and tipped it into the air right into the hands of Jets CB Antonio Cromartie. That's a good way not to see another pass thrown your way...

UPDATE: Sunday, Oct. 9 at 5:26 p.m. EDT by Brandon Galvin

Hernandez started today against the Patriots and started slow. He was even forced back into the locker room after limping off the field in the second quarter, but he is already back on the field and caught a pass. He has two catches for 13 yards so far.

UPDATE: Sunday, Oct. 9 at 3:10 p.m. EDT by Donald Wood

The New England Patriots will have their No. 2 tight end Aaron Hernandez available for this afternoon’s game, but how much they use his is still to be determined.

Mike Reiss of ESPN Boston is reporting on twitter about Hernandez’s availability for Sunday’s game against the division rival New York Jets:

While he may be returning to the lineup for the Patriots, he should be held out of your starting lineup until he proves he can go for a whole game and be affective.

UPDATE: Sunday, Oct. 9 at 12:50 p.m. EDT by Donald Wood

Hernandez will be in the lineup for the New England Patriots, but the role he will play in the offense is up in the air.

Roto World is reporting about Hernandez’s status for Sunday:

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Aaron Hernandez (knee) is expected to be active Sunday against the Jets, but Greg Bedard of the Boston Globe doesn't anticipate much of an impact from the second-year tight end.

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While he is back, it’s not a good idea to invest much in Aaron Hernandez coming up big for your fantasy team the first week back from a knee injury.

UPDATE: Sunday, Oct. 9 at 10:30 a.m. EDT by Donald Wood

While this may not be the best bet of the day, the odds of Aaron Hernandez returning to the New England Patriots lineup this week are excellent, but his offense is what should be limited.

Sal Paolantonio of ESPN reports that Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez is “determined to play” following a knee injury also suffered in Week Two.

This is Hernandez’s first game back after straining his MCL, and there is no way I would start him this week. The Patriots have no need to rush the tight end back, so if he is even the slightest limp in warm-ups or during the game, New England will sit him on the bench.

UPDATE: Saturday, Oct. 8 at 4:59 p.m. EDT by Donald Wood

The New England Patriots have done well without Aaron Hernandez in the lineup, but against a tough divisional rival like the New York Jets, the Pats need all hands on deck.

ESPN Boston’s NFL insider Mike Reiss is reporting on twitter about Hernandez’s status for Sunday’s game against the Jets:

While Hernandez was a fantasy juggernaut when he was healthy, the matchup and his first game back from injuries would make Rob Gronkowski a better starter this week than Hernandez.

UPDATE: Friday, Oct. 7 at 12:20 p.m. ET by Eric Bowman

Ian Rapoport of The Boston Herald tweeted the Patriots latest injury news. 

Two days in a row of practice this late in the week is very good news for Hernandez owners. It's likely he'll still be a game time decision for Sunday against the New York Jets, but it does appear he will play. 

Hernandez splits time with Rob Gronkowski, but as we've seen many times this year they've been on the field at the same time and both have had success.  

Keep watch on whether or not he'll start, and even though the Jets defense is very tough, I would still play Hernandez if he is fully cleared to play on Sunday. 

UPDATE: Thursday, Oct. 6 at 1:15 p.m. EDT by Matt Faulconer

There is good news for Aaron Hernandez owners as he has reportedly returned to practice, according to Mike Rodak via Mike Reiss of ESPN Boston.

Hernandez is questionable, but with him hitting the practice field today, there is a pretty good chance he is going to play this week. Stop scavenging the waiver wire for another team's garbage, and continue to monitor this situation through the weekend.

UPDATE: Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 4:43 p.m. EDT by Brandon Galvin

Aaron Hernandez is currently questionable to play this week against the New York Jets, but this freak of nature is making great progress, according to Patriots_United.

UPDATE: Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 2:50 p.m. EDT by Donald Wood

The New England Patriots need two tight ends for their offense to be running at 100 percent, but they may be without second-year tight end Aaron Hernandez again this week

Boston Globe beat writer Shalise Manza Young is reporting on twitter about Hernandez’s lack of participation in practice:

While you need to keep Hernandez on your team, the odds of him playing are small and the chances of him making a fantasy impact are even smaller. If you need a temporary replacement, look to Titans tight end Jared Cook as a waiver pickup.

Update: Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 9:07 a.m. EDT -Alex Kay

Ian Rapoport, a Patriots beat writer, believes that Hernandez has a chance to play against the Jets. While not anything substantial, the man does follow the Pats' more than anyone else and has regular contact with Hernandez.

UPDATE: Monday, Oct. 3 at 7:05 p.m. EST

After missing the last two weeks, there are some indications that Hernandez may start in Week 5 against the Jets.

Rotoworld.com reported on Sunday that Hernandez is "on track to return in Week 5."

There was also this little nugget, per Brad Evans of Yahoo! Sports:

Hernandez had 14 catches for 165 yards and two touchdowns in the first two games prior to going down with the strained MCL. Even though the Patriots also sometimes throw to tight end Rob Gronkowski, Hernandez still appears ready to have an ever better season than last year if he can stay healthy.

Keep in mind that the Jets have a solid pass defense, though, so you may want to temper expectations even if Hernandez starts in Week 5.