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.
Patriots WR Tyquan Thornton (shoulder) has been designated to return from IR. He'll practice this week and is eligible to play on Sunday vs. the Raiders. New England could use Thornton with WRs JuJu Smith-Schuster and Demario Douglas in concussion protocol. But Thornton showed nothing last year or this offseason to make him a legitimate fantasy option right now.
Cardinals RB James Conner (knee) has been placed on IR. He'll miss at least the next four games vs. the Rams, Seahawks, Ravens, and Browns. We'll see if he's ready to play when first eligible in Week 10. Sitting 18th among RBs in PPR points, Conner is worth keeping stashed in most fantasy leagues. His absence leaves Arizona's backfield to RBs Emari Demercado, Keaontay Ingram, and Tony Jones. We broke down the situation in this week's waiver wire report.
Steelers WR Diontae Johnson (hamstring) expects to be ready to play Week 7, following the team's Week 6 bye. Johnson has been on IR since going down with a hamstring injury in Week 2. He managed just a 3-48-0 line in the Week 1 blowout loss to the 49ers but will return as a big part of Pittsburgh's passing game. It'll be interesting to see how big a target share Johnson claims after WR George Pickens' success in his absence.
The Rams traded WR Van Jefferson and a 2025 seventh-round pick to the Falcons for a 2025 sixth-rounder, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Jefferson played just two snaps for Los Angeles last week with WR Cooper Kupp back. He'll find opportunity for playing time in Atlanta, with Mack Hollins currently serving as the No. 2 WR. But, considering WR Drake London and TE Kyle Pitts have struggled to find enough volume, Jefferson is a long shot for fantasy relevance.
Chiefs TE Travis Kelce (ankle) will practice on Tuesday, HC Andy Reid said. That should put Kelce on track to play vs. the Broncos on Thursday night. We'll watch his status over the next couple of days.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero calls Browns QB Deshaun Watson's status for Sunday's game vs. the 49ers "TBD." Pelissero adds that Watson is dealing with a rotator cuff contusion. We'll keep a close eye on his status throughout the week, but Watson shouldn't be in your fantasy plans this week with a bum shoulder in a brutal matchup. Cleveland will be in major trouble if forced to start QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson against San Francisco.
Titans HC Mike Vrabel said, "we'll see" when asked if WR Treylon Burks (knee) will be back for Sunday morning's game vs. the Ravens in London. "(We're) hopeful that he can try to get out and start running around," Vrabel added. We'll keep tabs on Burks' practice participation over the next few days.
Patriots QB Mac Jones is expected to start Sunday's game vs. the Raiders, according to The Athletic's Jeff Howe. "I’m told this is still an important week of practice for [Jones] as the Patriots evaluate every position on the roster on the heels of the worst two losses of Bill Belichick’s career," Howe adds. Jones has been awful the past two weeks: 56% completion rate, 6.1 yards per attempt, 0 TDs, and four INTs. It sounds like there's still a chance that a bad week of practice sends him to the bench in favor of QB Bailey Zappe. Either way, you should be avoiding this situation in Week 6 fantasy lineups.
Jaguars WR Zay Jones is considered "day-to-day" with the knee injury he suffered in Sunday's win over the Bills, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Jones has injured the same knee twice in the last four weeks. He missed two games the first time, so we're tentatively expecting him to miss at least this Sunday's game vs. the Colts. We'll track his progress throughout the week.
Cardinals RB James Conner is expected to miss "multiple weeks" with the knee injury he suffered in the Week 5 loss to the Bengals, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports. We'll see if Conner ends up landing on IR, which would cost him four games. His absence leaves Arizona's backfield to Emari Demercado, Keaontay Ingram, and the just-acquired Tony Jones. Ingram has missed the past two weeks with a neck injury but did get in a couple of limited practices last week. We'll see if he makes it back for Sunday's game vs. the Rams, but Demercado will be the best fantasy bet in this backfield at least for Week 6.
Lions HC Dan Campbell said WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (abdomen) is "closer to probable" for this weekend's game vs. the Bucs. "I feel pretty good about the possibility of him playing this week," Campbell added. "We’ll see how this week goes." St. Brown can be penciled back into Week 6 fantasy lineups. We'll track his progress throughout the week.
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