While the NFL season has been entertaining, the same cannot be said about everyone’s fantasy football experience. Some teams are coasting to a playoff berth. Other teams are already in desperation mode due to injuries. Their eyes will be glued to the fantasy football injury reports in order to find a potential plug-and-play option. As a result, let’s recap the NFL Injury Report Week 6 to look for key losses and players with added value for fantasy football.
We’ll list the injuries and insights game by game. Will update as the week goes along.
NFL Injury Report Week 6
Denver Broncos vs. New England Patriots (1:00 P.M. EST)
Quarterback Drew Lock was a full participant in practice after missing the last two games with a shoulder injury. Although this is a tough matchup for him, his return should provide a boost to wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and Tim Patrick since Lock is a clear upgrade at the quarterback position in comparison to Brett Rypien.
Running back Melvin Gordon III did not participate in practice yesterday but that was not due to injury. He was charged earlier this week with a DUI which should lead to a suspension in the future. However, he still has the chance to appeal if a suspension was announced so he should be able to play in this game unless the coaching staff decides to take matters into its own hands until then.
Quarterback Cam Newton was removed from the reserve/COVID-19 list so he will be able to play this week after missing just one game due to the coronavirus. Newton’s return will provide a fantasy boost to all New England wide receivers who no longer have to deal with Brian Hoyer and Jarrett Stidham.
Wide receiver Julian Edelman was limited in practice on Wednesday with a knee injury. Edelman has been dealing with a knee issue for the last couple of weeks but he has played in every game up to this point so fantasy owners should expect to see him suit up against a below average Denver secondary.
Houston Texans vs. Tennessee Titans (1:00 P.M. EST)
The Houston Texans are a rarity for NFL Injury Report Week 6. They’re expected to be completely healthy for this game. Several players did not participate in practice earlier in the week but that was nothing more than a rest day.
Wide receiver A.J. Brown did not participate in practice due to a knee injury. However, he was able to play against the Bills on Tuesday so the injury does not appear to be too serious. Fantasy owners should feel confident that he will be able to suit up for this game.
Washington Football Team vs. New York Giants (1:00 P.M. EST)
Quarterback Kyle Allen will be able to suit up for this game after having to leave last week’s game early due to an injury. While Allen is a below average quarterback, he does have a good matchup this week so he should receive streaming consideration for fantasy teams whose quarterback is on bye.
Wide receiver Darius Slayton was a limited participate in practice due to a foot injury. However, he is entering this game following a great performance against Dallas in which he recorded 129 receiving yards so fantasy owners should expect to see him suit up for this game.
Atlanta Falcons vs. Minnesota Vikings (1:00 P.M. EST)
The Atlanta Falcons had a coronavirus outbreak at their team facility on Thursday morning. While it is still possible for this game to take place, several positive tests being found this late in the week does not bode well. As a result, it would be a smart move for fantasy owners to start preparing backup plans in case this game gets postponed. Urghhh, NFL Injury Report Week 6!
Chicago Bears vs. Carolina Panthers (1:00 P.M. EST)
Tight end Jimmy Graham did not practice on Wednesday but it was not injury-related so he will be able to play in this game after recording a touchdown last week.
Running back Christian McCaffrey was expected to return for this game but the coaching staff has publicly stated that he will not be ready for Sunday. Mike Davis will remain the starting running back and should get virtually all of the touches out of the backfield once again after putting up huge numbers over the past few weeks.
Detroit Lions vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (1:00 P.M. EST)
Cornerback Desmond Trufant did not participate in practice on Wednesday due to a hamstring injury. He is currently being listed as questionable for this game but his inability to suit up for practice following a bye week should be a bit concerning.
Wide receiver Laviska Shenault did not participate in practice on Wednesday due to a hamstring injury. However, he has been playing through this injury for the last few games so fantasy owners should expect to see him in action against Detroit’s weak secondary.
Wide receiver DJ Chark did not participate in practice on Wednesday due to an ankle injury. Chark suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of last week’s game and left the field. Although he is currently being listed as questionable, it looks like he’ll stay on the NFL Injury Report Week 6 and miss this game. If he is unable to play, expect a bit of a fantasy boost for some of Jacksonville’s other receivers like Keelan Cole and Chris Conley.
Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (1:00 P.M. EST)
Wide receiver Jarvis Landry did not practice on Wednesday due to rib and hip injuries. Landry has been playing through the hip injury all season long but the rib injury is a new development so his status should be worth monitoring going forward. If he is unable to play, expect Rashard Higgins and Odell Beckham Jr. to receive a boost in targets.
Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster did not practice on Wednesday due to a knee injury. However, this should come as no surprise since he has been missing Wednesday practices all season long while also playing in every game so fantasy owners should expect to see him out there on Sunday.
Wide receiver Diontae Johnson did not practice on Wednesday due to a back injury. Johnson has been getting banged up all season long and his production has taken a massive slide over the past two games so fantasy owners should probably leave him on the bench whether he is active or not for this game. If he is unable to play, expect Chase Claypool to see more targets.
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Indianapolis Colts (1:00 P.M. EST)
Wide receiver A.J. Green was limited in practice on Wednesday with a hamstring injury. Green is currently being listed as questionable for this game as a result. However, Green has been one of the bigger fantasy disappointments this season after not playing last season so fantasy owners should either leave him on the bench or drop him.
Linebacker Darius Leonard did not practice on Wednesday due to a groin injury. Indianapolis has possesses one of the best defenses in the league up to this point in the season and Leonard is arguably the best player on that unit so expect it to struggle a bit more if he is unable to suit up in this game. Plus, he is a tremendous tackler and disruptor in the ground game so Joe Mixon might get a bit of a fantasy boost since Leonard is clearly not at full health.
Baltimore Ravens vs. Philadelphia Eagles (1:00 P.M. EST)
Cornerback Marcus Peters did not participate in practice on Wednesday due to a thigh injury while cornerback Jimmy Smith did not participate in practice on Wednesday due to a knee injury. Both of them are the best two cornerbacks on Baltimore’s roster so expect Philadelphia’s receivers to get a decent boost in fantasy if either of them are unable to suit up for Sunday’s game.
Cornerback Darius Slay did not participate in practice on Wednesday due to a concussion and he is currently being listed as questionable for this game. Slay is Philadelphia’s number one cornerback on the depth chart so Marquise Brown should see a fantasy boost if he is unable to play.
New York Jets vs. Miami Dolphins (4:05 P.M. EST)
Quarterback Sam Darnold appears on the NFL Injury Report Week 6, missing his second straight game due to a shoulder injury. Joe Flacco is the interim starting quarterback. Even though Darnold was underwhelming this season, Flacco is definitely a downgrade so fantasy owners should be doing whatever they can to get their hands on Miami’s defense for this matchup.
Wide receiver Breshad Perriman returned to practice after missing the last few games with an ankle injury. Plus, the coaching staff sounded optimistic about his chances of returning to the lineup for Sunday’s game so he can maybe generate something downfield with Joe Flacco’s rocket arm now being behind center. However, Perriman is still a massive risk in both fantasy and DFS lineups so he should be left on the bench.
Green Bay Packers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4:25 P.M. EST)
Wide receiver Davante Adams was a full participate in practice on Wednesday after missing the last two games with a hamstring injury. While quarterback Aaron Rodgers was already a must-start for fantasy owners, he now gets his favorite weapon back so expect both of them to be in line for huge games on Sunday. Look for Adams to pick up where he left off before getting injured as a result.
Wide receiver Mike Evans did not participate in practice on Wednesday due to an ankle injury. However, fantasy owners should not be too concerned since he also missed some practice last week before suiting up for Thursday’s game. Plus, he has had a few extra days of rest due to Tampa Bay’s schedule so it would be rather shocking if the Buccaneers play this game without him in the lineup.
Wide receiver Chris Godwin was limited in practice on Wednesday after missing the last two games with a hamstring injury. While he is still being listed as questionable for Sunday’s game, his return to practice is a great sign for fantasy owners. As a result, he should be put in everyone’s lineups barring a setback before the game.
Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers (8:20 P.M. EST)
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was a full participant in practice on Wednesday despite an ankle injury. Garoppolo returned to the starting lineup last Sunday before getting benched due to poor play so fantasy owners will be hoping that last week’s performance was just a fluke. While he should be able to play in this game, fantasy owners should most likely look elsewhere for their quarterback needs until he proves that he is back to his normal self.
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Buffalo Bills (5:00 P.M. EST)
Wide receiver Sammy Watkins is expected to miss a few weeks due to a hamstring injury. While Kansas City’s offense should function perfectly fine without him, Demarcus Robinson and Mecole Hardman should receive more snaps and targets.
Wide receiver John Brown is improving health-wise according to head coach Sean McDermott after missing last week’s game due to a calf injury. He is still being listed on the NFL Injury Report Week 6 but it seems like he’ll play. If he does, wide receiver Gabriel Davis will be negatively impacted.
Arizona Cardinals vs. Dallas Cowboys (8:20 P.M. EST)
Linebacker Chandler Jones is out for the remainder of the regular season with a biceps injury. While a bit quiet this season, Jones recorded a team-high 19 sacks last season. Expect Arizona’s defense to take a massive step backwards in his absence which should make fantasy players a bit hesitant to stream this unit.
Quarterback Dak Prescott suffered a season-ending injury last week. Andy Dalton takes over the starting quarterback job and becomes an extremely attractive streaming option. However, Dalton is definitely a downgrade at the position so expect Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup and CeeDee Lamb to take a slight dip in production.