Rashard Mendenhall Injury: Mendenhall's Status Has Major Fantasy Implications

Rashard Mendenhall is dealing with a hamstring injury, meaning his status is up in the air for Week 5.

Mendenhall and the Pittsburgh Steelers are facing the Tennessee Titans. The Steelers are dealing with multiple injuries, including quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Mendenhall's status will be something to monitor closely.

Fantasy owners need to be concerned about the health of Mendenhall. He hasn't had a great start to the season and this hamstring injury will only have a negative impact on his production. If you own Mendenhall, you are likely counting on him to be a major fantasy producer.

According to Jonathan Hutton, Mendenhall will not practice today, while the rest of the week is also in jeopardy. Fantasy owners should start to consider options other than Mendenhall.

Ben Roethlisberger's injury status will also have an impact on the Steelers running game. He is dealing with a foot injury that will limit his mobility. Pittsburgh could look to feature a heavy running attack in order to protect their quarterback.

However, this might not benefit Mendenhall, as he might not be ready for an increased workload. This makes his backup, Isaac Redman, a good fantasy option. Redman is the only other healthy running back on the Steelers roster. He has had a productive first couple of weeks, averaging 4.9 yards per carry. 

This week appears to be a good opportunity for Redman to earn some additional carries. Mendenhall may play, but I expect Redman to get the majority of the workload.