In the Year of the Soft Tissue Injury, every week feels like the end times for fantasy managers. Week 6 is a little different though, with top fantasy producers finally getting healthy.
If you have a Halloween season spell to ward off in-game injuries, go ahead and use it this week. Let’s get into Week 6 injuries and how they might affect your fantasy decisions.
Early Games
Falcons @ Vikings
Falcons S Jaylinn Hawkins (concussion) and DE Takkarist McKinley (groin) are out. John Cominsky (illness) is listed as questionable. The big news: Julio Jones (hamstring) didn’t have an injury designation on the week’s final injury report. He looks to be a go for Sunday against the Vikings. Plugging and playing Julio will require some risk tolerance, but the matchup is right: only three teams have allowed more yardage to receivers this season and no one has given up more wideout touchdowns.
Vikings CB Kris Boyd (hamstring), RB Dalvin Cook (groin), WR K.J. Osborn (hamstring), and G Dru Samia (wrist) are out. Alexander Mattison, who functioned as a workhorse back in Cook’s place last week against the Seahawks, is an elite fantasy option against a soft Atlanta front seven.
Vikings CB Holton Hill (foot) is considered doubtful.
Ravens @ Eagles
Ravens DE Derek Wolfe (neck, concussion) is out. WR Miles Boykin (thigh), S Anthony Levine (abdomen), WR Chris Moore (finger, thigh), CB Marcus Peters (thigh), G Tyre Phillips (shoulder), CB Jimmy Smith (knee), and T Ronnie Stanley (shoulder) are considered questionable. Losing either Smith or Peters would be a boost for the Eagles’ pass catchers.
S Marcus Epps (rib), WR DeSean Jackson (hamstring), WR Alshon Jeffery (foot), T Lane Johnson (ankle), CB Avonte Maddox (ankle), G Matt Pryor (illness), and LB Duke Riley (rib) are out. CB Darius Slay (concussion) is listed as questionable. WR Travis Fulgham could be in for another high volume game with Jackson and Jeffrey out against Baltimore. The Week 5 breakout star should be considered a low-end WR2 this week.
Bears @ Panthers
Bears S Deon Bush (hamstring) is out. G Alex Bars (shoulder), S Sherrick McManis (hamstring), and DT Brent Urban (knee) are listed as questionable.
Panthers CB Eli Apple (hamstring), CB Donte Jackson (toe), DT Zach Kerr (toe), and WR Curtis Samuel (knee) are questionable. Samuel got in a limited practice on Friday -- he seems on the right track to suit up against Chicago. He’s a WR4 option.
Bengals @ Colts
Bengals WR Auden Tate (shoulder) is doubtful. Expect Tee Higgins to remain a part of the team’s receiver rotation. The rookie is a superior play to teammate A.J. Green going forward. CB Mackensie Alexander (hamstring) is questionable.
Colts TE Mo Alie-Cox (knee) and T Chaz Green (back) are out. Trey Burton, who last week operated as the Colts’ top tight end, is a solid streaming play against the Bengals.
Colts LB Darius Leonard (groin) is considered doubtful. DT Denico Autry (ankle, knee), T Anthony Castonzo (rib), DE Justin Houston (hip), and RB Jordan Wilkins (calf) are questionable to play. No Wilkins could offer a couple more touches to Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines.
Browns @ Steelers
Browns S Ronnie Harrison (concussion), S Karl Joseph (hamstring), LB Jacob Phillips (knee), and G Wyatt Teller (calf) are out. WR Odell Beckham (illness), P Jamie Gillan (left groin), WR Jarvis Landry (hip, rib), QB Baker Mayfield (chest), DT Larry Ogunjobi (abdomen), and DE Olivier Vernon (groin) are considered questionable. Mayfield, Landry, and Beckham should be active for this one, though it’d be prudent to check Sunday morning inactives -- you know, for fun.
Steelers G David DeCastro (abdomen) and WR Diontae Johnson (back) are out. Chase Claypool will have a shot to seize the No. 1 receiver role for Pittsburgh against a deceptively generous Cleveland secondary. Only the Falcons and Seahawks have allowed more yards to receivers through five weeks.
Football Team @ Giants
Washington G Joshua Garnett (illness) and T David Sharpe (illness) are out. DE Ryan Anderson (back) is questionable. QB Kyle Allen (left shoulder) is set to start.
Giants S Adrian Colbert (shoulder), DE Dexter Lawrence (knee), and WR Darius Slayton (foot) are considered questionable. Slayton should get the greenlight in a favorable matchup.
Broncos @ Patriots
Broncos LB Jeremiah Attaochu (quadricep) and WR KJ Hamler (hamstring) are out. WR Tim Patrick should continue to get a big snap share and could be in line for solid opportunity in what should be a pass-heavy game script for Denver, a 9.5-point underdog.
TE Noah Fant (ankle), RB Melvin Gordon (illness), and QB Drew Lock (right shoulder) are questionable to face New England. Lock is expected to play after a three-week absence; Gordon was sent home from Friday’s practice with a non-COVID illness and needs to be symptom free to travel to Minnesota; and Fant is a game-time call for Denver. If Gordon misses Week 6, Phillip Lindsay becomes an intriguing PPR option in 12 and 14-team leagues. We should know Gordon's status by Saturday evening.
Patriots DT Adam Butler (shoulder), WR Julian Edelman (knee), G Shaquille Mason (calf), and T Isaiah Wynn (calf) are questionable. Edelman should be fine.
Texans @ Titans
Texans TE Jordan Akins (ankle, concussion), CB Cornell Armstrong (knee), RB Buddy Howell (hamstring), and LB Peter Kalambayi (hamstring) are listed as questionable. Akins shapes up as an OK streaming play against the Titans. If he’s inactive, Darren Fells should once again operate as the team’s primary pass catching tight end.
Titans DT DaQuan Jones (foot) is questionable. WR A.J. Brown (knee) will be fine and should remain in all fantasy lineups. The Titans-Texans game has shootout potential.
Lions @ Jaguars
Lions CB Desmond Trufant (hamstring) is out -- a bump for Jacksonville’s passing game. S C.J. Moore (calf) and C Frank Ragnow (groin) are questionable. RB Adrian Peterson (illness) returned to practice Friday and will play against the Jags. The centerpiece of the Detroit offense is a low-end RB2 with upside in a plus matchup.
Jaguars LB Dakota Allen (foot), DE Josh Allen (knee), WR D.J. Chark (ankle), TE Tyler Eifert (neck), and DT Abry Jones (ankle, hamstring) are listed as questionable. Chark, limited at practice all week, seems like a game-time call for Sunday. Laviska Shenault and Keelan Cole should get an upgrade if Chark is out.
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Afternoon Games
Jets @ Dolphins
Jets T Mekhi Becton (shoulder) and QB Sam Darnold (right shoulder) are out. Joe Flacco will get another start. He’s in play for particularly nihilistic superflex managers. CB Blessuan Austin (calf, not injury related), DE John Franklin (foot), G Alex Lewis (shoulder), WR Breshad Perriman (ankle), and DT Quinnen Williams (hamstring) are questionable.
Dolphins DE Shaq Lawson (shoulder), TE Durham Smythe (knee), and LB Kyle Van Noy (groin) are listed as questionable. Mike Gesicki could see a bump in snap count if Smythe misses Week 6.
Packers @ Bucs
Packers RB Tyler Ervin (wrist) is out, making RB Jamaal Williams a viable flex play in deeper leagues. Williams was more heavily utilized out of the backfield after Ervin exited Green Bay’s Week 5 game, seeing eight targets and eight carries. DE Montravius Adams (neck), LB Rashan Gary (ankle), CB Kevin King (quadricep), and LB Za'Darius Smith (ankle) are listed as questionable.
Bucs CB Carlton Davis (abdomen), DT Khalil Davis (ankle), and RB Leonard Fournette (ankle) are considered questionable. Head coach Bruce Arians said Fournette would be a game-time decision. Ronald Jones, who has commanded 46-of-55 backfield touches in place of LeSean McCoy (ankle) and Fournette the past two games, should continue to dominate backfield touches if Fournette is out. It’s tough to project a big role for Fournette if he’s active against Green Bay. Losing Davis -- Tampa’s top corner -- would be a blow as Davante Adams returns from his hamstring injury. There should be plenty of scoring in this game.
Sunday Night Football
Rams @ 49ers
Rams LB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo (elbow) is out and LB Micah Kiser (groin) is questionable.
49ers LB Kwon Alexander (ankle) and CB Dontae Johnson (groin) are out. S Marcell Harris (ankle), CB Emmanuel Moseley (concussion), and RB Jeffery Wilson (calf) are listed as questionable. Wilson isn’t a fantasy option as long as Raheem Mostert is healthy.
Monday Night Football
Chiefs @ Bills
Chiefs LB Anthony Hitchens (illness), G Kelechi Osemele (knee, knee), and WR Sammy Watkins (hamstring) didn’t practice late in the week. Watkins is going to miss Week 6 and at least another game, positioning Mecole Hardman as a volatile but viable fantasy play. He should be considered a WR3 with all the upside of an explosive player in an elite offense.
Bills TE Dawson Knox (calf) didn’t practice this week and seems doubtful for this game. Tyler Kroft would be a streaming option in the deepest formats if Knox is out. RB Zack Moss (toe) and CB Tre'Davious White (back) practiced in full this week and should be active for Week 6. Moss will likely eat into Devin Singletary’s workload. Singletary, however, could maintain pass catching duties since Moss didn’t run a single pass route the last time he played a full game.
Cardinals @ Cowboys
Cardinals LB Kylie Fitts (hamstring), LB Dennis Gardeck (foot), and G J.R. Sweezy (elbow) did not practice Friday. They’re in doubt for Monday night’s game.
Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs (knee), DE Everson Griffen (not injury related), and DE DeMarcus Lawrence (knee) all practiced fully Friday and will go against Arizona. QB Andy Dalton makes his first start in place of Dak Prescott, who is out for the year.