Dontayvion Wicks Hurts His Hamstring and the Eagles Could Take Four Healthy Receivers to London

Dontayvion Wicks landed on the Philadelphia Eagles' injury report Thursday with a hamstring injury that appears to have happened in practice, and it could not have come at a worse time. Wicks has been Philadelphia's top healthy receiver with DeVonta Smith (hamstring) sidelined, and Smith and Hollywood Brown (ankle) both missed practice again Thursday. If all three are unavailable for Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, the Eagles would be down to four wide receivers on the roster, with Saquon Barkley also on track to miss the game.

For fantasy managers, that turns the Eagles' Week 5 passing game into a guessing game. For bettors, it sharpens a matchup in which Philadelphia was already an underdog. The game kicks off at 9:30 a.m. ET at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which means no late-week waiting room: lineup decisions have to be made before the main slate starts.

The injury report, as of Thursday

Wicks was listed as limited Thursday after not appearing on Wednesday's report, which is why multiple outlets concluded he was hurt during the week. ESPN has listed him as questionable. Even if he plays, he is unlikely to be at full speed on a soft-tissue injury after an overseas flight.

Smith has not practiced since missing the Week 4 loss to the Rams. Brown has missed practice all week and is heading toward a third straight absence. Barkley, who hurt his hamstring against the Rams, has not practiced and is considered week to week, according to NFL Network, with The Philadelphia Inquirer reporting he is unlikely to play. Tank Bigsby is already on injured reserve after core muscle surgery.

The team's official game designations come Friday, the same day it crosses the Atlantic.

Who is left to catch passes

If Smith, Brown and Wicks are all out, Jalen Hurts would be throwing to Makai Lemon, Elijah Moore, Darius Cooper and Britain Covey. Lemon, the rookie first-rounder, is the most important name: he would move into a full-time role on the outside or in the slot, and the Eagles have every incentive to build their plan around him.

Dallas Goedert is the other variable. He was limited Thursday with the knee injury that has cost him the last two games. If he returns, he becomes the most experienced target Hurts has, and his volume could spike. If he does not, the tight end room adds to the uncertainty.

The running game is just as thin. With Barkley and Bigsby out, Will Shipley and Dameon Pierce are positioned to carry the load. That comes on top of an offensive line that lost Lane Johnson to retirement and traded center Cam Jurgens to Baltimore this week.

Fantasy fallout

Makai Lemon: start in most formats if Wicks sits. A rookie with near-every-down snaps and a quarterback who has to throw to someone is a usable WR3 or flex. If Wicks plays, Lemon slides back to a deeper-league flex, but his snap share should still rise.

Wicks: avoid unless he gets a clean status. A questionable tag on a hamstring injury in an early international kickoff is a poor bet. If he is active, he may be a decoy or on a snap count, and you will not have time to pivot if he is pulled early.

Dallas Goedert: the sneaky winner if active. He is the safest target on the field if he plays. Tight end streamers should check his designation first.

Jalen Hurts: downgrade but do not bench in one-QB leagues if you have no clear upgrade. His rushing floor keeps him relevant, but a patchwork line and a depleted receiving corps cap his passing upside. Managers with a strong alternative should consider it.

Will Shipley: RB2 volume play. He is the lead back by default, and volume alone makes him startable, though the offensive environment limits his touchdown chances.

Betting angle

The market moved against Philadelphia well before Wicks' injury. Lines have ranged from Jacksonville favored by about 4.5 to 7.5 points depending on the book and timestamp, with the total in the 42.5 to 43.5 range. An Eagles team without Barkley, its top three receivers and two departed starting linemen has a hard time scoring enough to cover a big number, but low-total games also make backdoor covers more likely.

We lean under on the total. Philadelphia's offense has too many new parts to trust, and the Jaguars have little reason to open things up with a lead. On props, Lemon's receiving lines are worth checking once the Wicks designation is final: if Wicks is out, books may not fully adjust for the volume Lemon inherits.

Verdexed's game-by-game probabilities for the full slate are at /nfl/predictions, and the weekly picks piece is at /blog/nfl-week-5-picks-2026.

The Verdexed take

Few teams will field a more depleted skill-position group in Week 5. The Eagles' path is to shorten the game, run Shipley, lean on Hurts' legs, and try to hit a few throws to Lemon and Goedert. We expect Lemon to lead the receivers in targets if Wicks is limited or out, and we would rather bet on his volume than on any player returning from a hamstring injury in London.

What's next

The official Friday designations will settle Smith, Brown and Wicks. Because the game starts at 9:30 a.m. ET, inactives come out early Sunday morning, so set backup plans Saturday night. Barkley's week-to-week designation means the backfield picture could carry into Week 6 as well, so Shipley remains a priority hold until Philadelphia says otherwise.