Seahawks WR D.K. Metcalf (ribs) did not practice on Wednesday. Metcalf has been playing through this injury since Week 2 and should be ready for this weekend's game vs. the Bengals. But it's not ideal that he's still missing practice coming off the bye week.
Bengals WR Tee Higgins (ribs) was limited in Wednesday's practice. He was limited last Friday before missing the Cardinals game. Higgins is uncertain for this weekend's game vs. the Seahawks. We'll keep you updated on his status over the next few days.
Bears RB Roschon Johnson (concussion) did not practice on Wednesday. That doesn't bode well for his chances of being cleared in time for this weekend's game vs. the Vikings. We know that RB Khalil Herbert (ankle) will miss that one. And RB Travis Homer (hamstring) also missed Wednesday's practice. It's looking like D'Onta Foreman will be up as Chicago's lead back against Minnesota.
Titans WR Treylon Burks (knee) remained sidelined for Wednesday's practice. HC Mike Vrabel said earlier this week that he was hoping Burks would be able to get back on the field this week. But fantasy owners shouldn't be counting on him playing vs. the Ravens on Sunday morning.
Chiefs TE Travis Kelce (ankle) is listed as questionable for Thursday night's game vs. the Broncos. He got in limited practices on Tuesday and Wednesday. Insider Jordan Schultz reports that Kelce's ankle has "responded well" and that he is expected to play tomorrow. We'll get Kansas City's inactives around 7 pm ET. An active Kelce is a must-start.
Broncos TE Greg Dulcich (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Thursday night's game vs. the Chiefs. He was a full participant in Wednesday's practice, so it looks like he has a real chance to play for the first time since Week 1. Dulcich shouldn't be in Week 6 season-long fantasy lineups but could quickly re-emerge as a fantasy factor.
Broncos RB Javonte Williams (quad) is not listed on the final injury report for Thursday night's game vs. the Chiefs. He put in full practices on Tuesday and Wednesday, so it doesn't look like that injury will be an issue tomorrow. Williams was sitting 31st among RBs in PPR points through three weeks. He's just a RB3 or flex in Week 6 fantasy lineups with the Broncos 10.5-point underdogs.
The Colts will ramp up RB Jonathan Taylor's work in practice this week, HC Shane Steichen said. "This will be a full week of practice, which is going to be really huge because especially today on Wednesday, you're in pads, you're able to get a lot of those high-speed reps in and really work on your craft," Taylor said. "You can definitely work on the details when you have shells and helmets, but it's different when you put those pads on. So it'll be a big week to be able to continue to progress." We assume more work in practice will mean more work on Sunday. Taylor was out-carried 23 to 6 by RB Zack Moss last week. Expect that gap to close against the Jaguars this weekend -- although we're still projecting Moss to lead in carries.
Panthers HC Frank Reich told reporters Wednesday that RB Miles Sanders won't be practicing Wednesday because he "came out of the game with a little something" in his shoulder, according to Darin Gantt of the team website. Assuming the team didn't find buried treasure in that joint, Sanders is adding some sort of shoulder injury to a groin issue that has bothered him on several occasions already this year. We'll see how he progresses through the practice week, but Chuba Hubbard could be in for another solid share of backfield work in Week 6. He's worth holding -- or a modest waiver buy -- this week. No Panthers RB will be exciting against the Dolphins, however.
Lions HC Dan Campbell said WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (abdomen) will practice on Wednesday and is trending toward playing vs. the Bucs this weekend, according to Tim Twentyman of the team's official site. We'll track St. Brown's progress over the next few days.
Giants QB Daniel Jones is skipping Wednesday's practice. HC Brian Daboll told reporters that Jones' neck is sorer today than in recent days. We'll see how he progresses through the week. But you should be trying to not use Jones in your fantasy lineup even if he's active.
Giants Darren Waller is sitting out Wednesday's practice with a groin injury. It's too early to tell what his outlook for Sunday's game against the Bills will be, but this obviously doesn't help a guy who has disappointed fantasy managers already. And it comes at the same time his QB is dealing with a neck issue (which is keeping Daniel Jones out of Wednesday's practice as well). Avoiding Giants in Week 6 as much as you reasonably can seems like a good idea.
Colts QB Anthony Richardson is expected to miss four to eight weeks with his shoulder injury, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Richardson was placed on IR earlier today, knocking him out for at least the next four games. But he could miss time beyond that, "depending on his rehab and whether or not he still would need surgery on his right shoulder," per Schefter. Despite Richardson's top-5 weekly upside, he's droppable in standard-sized fantasy leagues.
Dolphins RB De'Von Achane (knee) has been placed on IR. He'll miss the next four games vs. Carolina, Philadelphia, New England, and Kansas City. Miami then has a Week 10 bye, so Week 11 is the earliest we'll see Achane again. We're still waiting for details on his knee injury and whether he'll be ready come Week 11. Considering how awesome Achane was over the last three weeks, he's worth keeping stashed in all fantasy leagues.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport says Vikings WR Justin Jefferson (hamstring) "should be able to come back" when first eligible in Week 10. There's been some talk, even from ESPN's Adam Schefter, that Minnesota's record might impact whether Jefferson returns when his four-week stint on the IR is up. It's also worth remembering that Jefferson is still looking for a new contract. That clouds the situation a bit, but there's still a good chance that fantasy owners get Jefferson back in Week 10.
Colts QB Anthony Richardson has been placed on IR with his Grade 3 AC joint sprain. That knocks him out for at least the next four games vs. the Jaguars, Browns, Saints, and Panthers. The rookie is droppable in shallower fantasy leagues without an IR spot. QB Gardner Minshew will step in as Indianapolis' starter for however long Richardson is out. Minshew is a capable veteran who's already registered a 68.7% completion rate with two TDs vs. 0 INTs this season. He might even be a slight upgrade for WRs Michael Pittman and Josh Downs.
The Eagles are opening the 21-day practice window on LB Nakobe Dean this week. Dean spent the past four games on IR after suffering a foot injury in Week 1. We'll see how soon he's ready to return to game action, but it's obviously positive that he's ready to practice at his earliest eligibility. Dean opened the season wearing the green helmet dot and calling plays in the defensive huddle. We'd bet on the second-year LB returning to that full-time role as soon as he's physically ready. We'll see what that means for the playing time of LBs Nicholas Morrow and Zach Cunningham. Morrow began the year on the practice squad, with Cunningham starting alongside Dean. But Morrow has performed well in Dean's absence, grading out better than Cunningham in every category, according to Pro Football Focus. Cunningham previously played his way out of starting opportunities in Houston and Tennessee. Dean is worth grabbing this week on waivers if stashing him makes sense in your IDP league.
Broncos RB Javonte Williams (quad) was listed as a full participant in Tuesday's practice. He was also full last Friday before missing the Jets game, so this doesn't necessarily mean that he'll play vs. the Chiefs on Thursday night. We'll see how Williams is listed on the final injury report tomorrow.
Chiefs TE Travis Kelce (ankle) was officially limited in Tuesday's practice. He was spotted on the field with that right ankle heavily taped. We're tentatively expecting Kelce to play vs. the Broncos on Thursday night, but check back tomorrow to see how he's listed on the final injury report.
Broncos TE Greg Dulcich (hamstring) has been designated to return from IR. He's eligible to play vs. the Chiefs on Thursday night if he's ready. We'll keep you updated on his status. Dulcich shouldn't be in your Week 6 fantasy plans but is worth grabbing in deeper fantasy leagues. He finished 17th among TEs in PPR points per game as a rookie last year.
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