NFL Fantasy Football Week 4: 5 key injured players that could make you tweak your strategy

There's only one thing that makes fantasy football owners more frustrated in their leagues than losing close games; that is losing players to serious injuries during the season.

When you draft your fantasy team, you have to be prepared for every possible situation that may arise. But sometimes you're just as unlucky as the San Francisco 49ers, and most of your lineup is injured. Even if you are a waiver warrior, it's still tough to win your league if injuries decimate your starting lineup.

Week 3, luckily, wasn't as bad as Week 2 in terms of injuries. But there were still a few key players who went down during the week. As a result, lot of fantasy managers have to scramble to adapt their starting lineups depending on who is available for the next game.

On that note, here are five key injured players that could impact your strategy for Week 4:

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#1 Christian McCaffrey, RB

McCaffrey was the no.1 pick in most fantasy drafts. But he is hurt once again; this time it is his hamstring. It should not be a serious injury. But considering how important he is for all the fantasy football owners who have him, every week without him could be a disaster.

McCaffrey is a fabulous option running the ball both inside and outside the tackles. He is quick and twitchy enough to make defenders miss when he's receiving passes out of the backfield. Without him, Chuba Hubbard gains value, but he's not nearly close to McCaffrey's level.

It's the second straight year that McCaffrey has been hindered by injuries.

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#2 Marquez Valdes-Scantling, WR

Valdes-Scantling is more of a flex option for deep leagues, as he's not a consistent receiver. But his big plays are a threat to teams.

He suffered a hamstring injury late in the fourth quarter of the Packers' game against the San Francisco 49ers. So his chances of playing against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday are slim. Without him, Allen Lazard gains even more value as a WR3 option for fantasy football teams.

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#3 AJ Brown, WR

AJ Brown having problems with injuries is a new thing

The Titans are having major problems with injuries. And now AJ Brown has joined that list after he injured his hamstring during Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts. Although he's not a confirmed absentee, chances are he could miss the Week 4 contest against the New York Jets.

Without Brown, Julio Jones will be the main target. While Julio doesn't need anybody to take attention away from him, his value can only grow without Brown on the field. Anthony Firkser, if he's back from his knee injury, would be of great value as well.

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#4 Sterling Shepard, WR

The Giants' offense is really poor. But Sterling Shepard is a viable fantasy option, thanks to his strong production over the first two weeks (207 yards, 1 TD). He's another player who could miss Week 4 with a hamstring injury, though.

Things are getting even worse for the Giants in terms of injuries, as Darius Slayton is also out, so Shepard's targets could go to someone else, and Daniel Jones might be even more inept in Week 4. If you can, avoid players from the Giants for your fantasy football team.

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#5 James White, RB

White is a respected veteran who is also a great fantasy option. That's because he's the epitome of a third-down back, a runner who can contribute in the passing game too.

But he suffered a hip injury that saw him carted off the field last Sunday. White could go into the injured reserve. The Patriots don't have any other player as capable as White to be the third-down back. So Damien Harris might stay on the field for all three downs. You should start Harris on your fantasy football team, because Mac Jones is the checkdown king.