CeeDee Lamb injury update: Should fantasy managers be concerned about Cowboys WR ahead of Packers game?

CeeDee Lamb has had some impressive fantasy football seasons, but the Dallas Cowboys wide receiver finds himself in a difficult spot. Lamb missed Dallas' game against the Chicago Bears on Sept. 21. He now finds himself in a race against time to be available for the team's biggest regular-season game on Sunday against Micah Parsons and the Green Bay Packers.

The wide receiver has been battling an ankle injury, and after missing the game in Week 3, another red flag indicates he is highly likely to miss another. Lamb was a "non-participant" at Dallas' practice session on Thursday, per Jon Machota of The Athletic via ESPN.

The development is a clear indicator that he is likely not to be healthy enough to play. If a player is injured and they can't practice on Thursday or Friday, they usually are unable to play.

Lamb is listed as doubtful. Few players in recent history have ever been able to become active that week once hit with that assessment. Friday's practice will confirm it, but there's enough information now for fantasy managers to act.

Fantasy Outlook for Week 4

CeeDee Lamb at New York Giants v Dallas Cowboys - Source: Getty

With CeeDee Lamb now set with a Hail Mary chance to get on the field for Sunday, managers can act. If the Dallas Cowboys receiver doesn't play, he will earn 0.0 points and essentially waste a roster spot, which is likely to result in most managers losing the game. At this point, it's time to give up hope for the week and look to your bench or the waiver wire for reinforcements.

The good news is that as a wide receiver, there are usually a few candidates who have a chance to put up numbers sitting on the waiver wire in any given week. If CeeDee Lamb were a running back, for instance, there would be essentially no one available. As such, you can look to players like Darnell Mooney, Rashod Bateman, Hollywood Brown, Sterling Shepard, and others.

Over the course of a season, Lamb is clearly head and shoulders above those, having earned 16 catches for 222 yards in his first two games and working with a nearly perfect history of 1,000-yard seasons in his career. However, in a one or two-week slice, you can find someone capable of putting up usable numbers that won't exactly feel like a step down.

If CeeDee Lamb isn't available for Week 4, there's a chance he will be available for Week 5. However, considering he has been entirely unable to practice, one cannot rule out the receiver missing the following game either. At this point, play it safe and look to replace him. It goes without saying that it is also too early to drop him.

However, if Dak Prescott's top receiver gets placed on injured reserve and is out for the season, dropping him is on the table.