Good Morning! Today’s fantasy football injury report touches on 27 players situations heading into Week 6 following the final practice for most teams yesterday. I look at each situation and try to figure out who the likely replacement will be. Then I identify the fantasy value of said player.
QB: Jacoby Brissett
RBs: Christian McCaffrey, Ezekiel Elliott, Saquon Barkley, Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, D’Andre Swift, Jamaal Williams, Chris Carson, Melvin Gordon, Chase Edmonds, Damien Harris, JJ Taylor
WRs: Mike Williams, Terry McLaurin, Allen Robinson, Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney, Darius Slayton, Sammy Watkins, Devante Parker, Preston Williams, Danny Amendola, Curtis Samuel, Dyami Brown, Cam Sims
TE: TJ Hockenson
Arizona Cardinals: Chase Edmonds (RB) - For the second consecutive week, Edmonds will be a game time decision with a shoulder injury. He did not practice in full at any point this week, leaving James Conner to all the first team reps. Conner has received essentially half of the carries thus far this season, and has scored the majority of the touchdowns. His value lives and dies by his touchdowns, only averaging three yards a carry. Jonathan Ward is RB3 and would see looks if Edmonds doesn’t play. Ward has one reception and no carries in over a year of play.
Baltimore Ravens: Sammy Watkins (WR) - The wideout was ruled out for Sunday’s game with his hamstring injury, something that kept him off the practice field all week. The team is anticipating that Rashod Bateman may be able to make his 2021 debut with the club in his place. Devin Duvernay may also see an uptick in looks with Bateman working his way into the fray. Duvernay has ten receptions on the year, but has been targeted 13 times in the last three games.
Carolina Panthers: Christian McCaffrey (RB) - The star running backs setback on Thursday proved to be the difference in his status for Week 6 as he did not attend the last two practices. Chuba Hubbard will take the reins, the rookie had over 100 yards rushing in Week 5 in addition to five receptions out of the backfield. Royce Freeman will be the RB2 behind Hubbard. Freeman has 45 total yards on 13 touches this season.
Chicago Bears: Allen Robinson (WR) - The WR1 in the Windy City, Robinson did not practice in full at all this week as he dealt with his ankle injury. The team is positioned in a way that requires a lot of three WR sets, opening the door for Damiere Byrd or Breshad Perriman to play on the outside of Robinson cannot play. Neither has done really anything with the Bears, and both are coming off of solid years with their former clubs.
Cleveland Browns: Nick Chubb (RB)/Kareem Hunt (RB) - Neither running back really practiced this past week. Chubb didn’t practice at all and was ruled out due to it and Hunt finally hit the field on Friday in some degree to give him hope to play in Week 6. Without Chubb, Demetric Felton and D’Ernest Johnson will split the touches Hunt leaves aside for them if Hunt can even take the bulk with his injuries. Felton has 6 receptions this season for 75 yards as a gadget player. Johnson put up 180 total yards last season for the Browns.
Dallas Cowboys: Ezekiel Elliott (RB) - The physical back added to his multitude of injuries in Week 5, accruing a chest injury to go with his knee injury that hampered him in the previous weeks. Zeke did not practice in full at all this week and that may bode well for Tony Pollard to get closer to half the carries this week. Pollard has over 400 total yards this season and is averaging 6.4 yards per carry, on pace for 1400 total yards this season.
Denver Broncos: Melvin Gordon (RB) - After missing practice on Wednesday, Gordon was able to get onto the field for limited work to finish out the week. Javonte Williams may still get the bulk of the carries once more with Melvin not at 100% this week however. Javonte has over 320 total yards this season, and averaged over 4.5 yards per carry.
Detroit Lions: D’Andre Swift (RB)/Jamaal Williams (RB)/TJ Hockenson (TE) - These three did not practice in full at all this week, and actually really didn’t last week either but they all played. It’s unclear the severity of their issues, but I imagine they all still play as they did in Week 5. Maybe Jermar Jefferson gets a look here or there in the backfield and Darren Fells sees more snaps at tight end too. Hockenson clearly suffered from his injury last week with his drop off in production, leading me to believe that Fells may definitely get more snaps.
Houston Texans: Danny Amendola (WR) - For the second consecutive week, Amendola practiced in a limited fashion all week. Last week he did not play despite this fact, but the team would benefit from the veteran receiver being a safe, reliable target for Mills. Chris Moore will move up the depth chart once more without Amendola in the lineup. Moore scored last week, bringing in all five targets for over 100 yards.
Los Angeles Chargers: Mike Williams (WR) - Despite some sources trying to give Williams a chance to play this week, I doubt he takes the field. He didn’t practice at all this week and that doesn’t bode well for him suiting up. Jalen Guyton is the next player to start opposite Keenan Allen. Guyton has 138 total yards on 12 touches this year, and he put up a rough 30/500 in 2020.
Miami Dolphins: Devante Parker (WR)/Preston Williams (WR)/Jacoby Brissett (QB) - The team may have to dig deep at the wide receiver position this week after Parker was ruled out yesterday. Williams is banged up and didn’t practice in full after suffering a hamstring injury this week. Albert Wilson is the top wideout to start opposite Jaylen Waddle on the depth chart. Wilson has five receptions this season on 10 targets. Brissett is the backup to Tua Tagovailoa and will likely miss Week 6 with a hamstring injury, giving Reid Sinnett the role.
New England Patriots: Damien Harris (RB)/JJ Taylor (RB) - The pair of backs were limited on Friday in practice, Harris being hampered all week due to his rib injuries from the past Sunday. Rhamondre Stevenson would get the carries with Brandon Bolden doing the work as a pass catcher. Stevenson has struggled, only averaging two yards a carry. Bolden on the other hand has 109 total yards on 20 touches.
New York Giants: Saquon Barkley (RB)/Kenny Golladay (WR)/Kadarius Toney (WR)/Darius Slayton (WR) - The former two of the four players listed are ruled out for Sunday, not coming as a surprise to most. The latter two, especially Toney, being questionable are a surprise though. Toney suffered an ankle injury during his breakout performance last week. Slayton’s status is a surprise because Sterling Shepard suffered the same injury at the same time and is ready to go. Devontae Booker will be the lead back for the club, and he had 19 touches last week for 58 yards and a touchdown. If these three wideouts cannot play this week, Sterling Shepard and John Ross will be the top two wide receivers on the club. Shepard started the year on a tear, on a 100/1200 pace.
Seattle Seahawks: Russell Wilson (QB)/Chris Carson (RB) - The pair of players were placed on the IR on Friday. Wilson is being spelled by Geno Smith for the next few weeks as he recovers from his finger injury. Smith hasn’t started a game since 2017 with the Giants and has a record of 12-19 in his career. Alex Collins will take most of the carries from Carson and Travis Homer will work as a pass catcher. Collins has put up 150 total yards over the last two weeks.
Washington Football Team: Terry McLaurin (WR)/Curtis Samuel (WR)/Dyami Brown (WR)/Cam Sims (WR) - These four wide receivers are questionable or out heading into the weekend. Washington will have to cross their fingers that players will get to the point where they can suit up, otherwise they are digging deep. Adam Humphries, DeAndre Carter and Dax Milne are the top three healthy wideouts. Humphries has 14 receptions on 20 targets this season, and Carter had 73 yards in Week 5 on five touches.