Chargers RB Joshua Kelley injured his knee in the 1st half of Monday night's game vs. the Broncos and didn't return. That left Sony Michel as Los Angeles' #2 RB. We'll see about the severity of Kelley's injury. If he's going to miss multiple weeks, Michel will be worth stashing as the Austin Ekeler handcuff.
Rams HC Sean McVay said Monday that he expects to get WR Van Jefferson back after the Week 7 bye. Jefferson has been sidelined since undergoing knee surgery in early August. The Rams desperately need his deep speed. Jefferson averaged 16.0 yards per catch on a 13.5-yard average depth of target last season. None of the Rams' current top 3 WRs (Cooper Kupp, Allen Robinson, Ben Skowronek) are averaging more than 10.8 yards per catch this year.
Packers HC Matt LaFleur said Monday that WR Randall Cobb's ankle injury is not season-ending but that he'll likely be out multiple weeks. His absence will leave WR Amari Rodgers as Green Bay's primary slot receiver. LaFleur did say that WR Sammy Watkins (hamstring) might be ready to come off IR this week. But Allen Lazard and Romeo Doubs are the only Packers WRs worth rostering in fantasy.
Broncos TE Albert Okwuegbunam is a healthy scratch for tonight's game vs. the Chargers. He played just 16 snaps over the past 2 weeks and lost his spot on the active roster tonight to rookie TE Greg Dulcich. Okwuegbunam is not worth stashing in redraft fantasy leagues.
Broncos RB Melvin Gordon (neck, ribs) is active for tonight's game vs. the Chargers. He was listed as questionable, but there never seemed to be any doubt about his availability for this one. Gordon should get 1st crack at leading the backfield tonight, but we'll see how much RBs Mike Boone and Latavius Murray mix in.
As expected, Chargers WR Keenan Allen (hamstring) is inactive for tonight's game vs. the Broncos. He was listed as doubtful, but he got in 3 limited practices this week and is targeting a return this Sunday vs. the Seahawks. Josh Palmer and DeAndre Carter get another game as Los Angeles' #2 and #3 WRs, respectively.
Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel said Monday that QB Tua Tagovailoa will work as the starter in practice this week and is expected to be ready for Sunday night's game against the Steelers, according to NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe. Tagovailoa, of course, last played in the Thursday night loss to Cincinnati in Week 4. We'll watch his status this week, but expect the Miami QB to be a viable starting option for fantasy football lineups in Week 7.
The Cardinals listed RB James Conner (ribs) and RB Darrel Williams (knee) as missing practice in their estimated report Monday, ahead of the Thursday night game against the Saints. We'll see whether either guy progresses enough this week to be in play for that contest.
The Saints listed WRs Michael Thomas (foot) and Jarvis Landry (ankle) as missing practice on Monday's estimated report, ahead of the Thursday night game against Arizona. WR Chris Olave (concussion) was off the injury report, indicating he should be good to go for Week 7.
The Saints listed QB Jameis Winston (back, ankle) and QB Andy Dalton (back) as limited participants in Monday's estimated injury report. Dalton sustained his injury in Sunday's loss to the Bengals. The report was "estimated" because New Orleans ran no actual practice Monday. The team will face Arizona on Thursday night.
The foot injury for Cardinals WR Marquise Brown isn't as bad as feared, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Brown suffered a small, "non-surgical" fracture to his left foot. It's expected to need 6 weeks' healing time. Brown is reportedly headed to Dr. Robert Anderson for a 2nd opinion. With Arizona's Week 13 bye 7 weeks from now, it seems like Week 14 against the Patriots is the earliest we're likely to see him. That timeline would make Brown cuttable in many fantasy leagues that don't have IR slots. We'd wait for official confirmation on his prognosis before making any move, though.
Broncos TE Greg Dulcich has been activated for tonight's game vs. the Chargers. The rookie missed a bunch of practice time this spring and summer but has a chance to carve out a real role in this passing game the rest of the way. We'll be keeping a close eye on his usage tonight.
Commanders QB Carson Wentz is expected to miss "roughly" 4-6 weeks with the fractured ring finger on his right hand, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. We'll see if Wentz lands on IR, but he can be dropped from all rosters in 1-QB fantasy leagues. Wentz hasn't been great through 6 weeks, completing 62% of his passes for just 6.4 yards per attempt. He sits 24th among 32 qualifiers in Pro Football Focus' passing grades. Washington will now turn QB Taylor Heinicke, which might just be a lateral move. We'll see if Heinicke can get more out of WR Terry McLaurin, who's seen just 16% of Commanders targets so far. 5th-round rookie QB Sam Howell is also on this roster and might hit the field at some point if Heinicke struggles.
Ravens HC John Harbaugh said there's a "possibility" that RB Gus Edwards (knee) makes his 2022 debut vs. the Browns this weekend. Edwards returned to practice a couple of weeks ago after his September 2021 ACL tear. He won't be a fantasy option out of the gate, but there's room for Edwards to carve out a role with RB J.K. Dobbins struggling to round into form off his multi-ligament knee injury.
Dolphins TE Mike Gesicki erupted for 6-69-2 against the Vikings in Week 6. He saw just a 14.8% target share, but he benefited from 47 team pass attempts while Miami played from behind. Gesicki’s usage was encouraging beyond the targets, as he earned a ~77% route rate. This was simply his best game of the season, but we’re not ready to elevate him into the TE1 mix after one productive outing. He’ll likely rank as a low-end TE2 for Sunday’s matchup with Pittsburgh. Look for Tua Tagovailoa to return for that one.
Ravens HC John Harbaugh said Monday that WR Rashod Bateman (foot) is "close to returning." He's yet to practice since going down in Week 4. We'll track his progress leading up to Sunday's game vs. the Browns.
Vikings TE Irv Smith posted a bizarre Week 6 line at Miami: 4 catches, 7 yards and 1 TD. Smith scored at the goal line when he blocked and released to find plenty of open space. Overall, his 4 targets ranked 4th on the team behind Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen and K.J. Osborn. There hasn't been a ceiling to chase here, but Smith does enter a Week 7 bye with 3+ catches in 4 of his past 5 matchups. He could be a top-15 option in Week 8 vs. Arizona.
Vikings WR Adam Thielen found the end zone in a Week 6 win over Miami. While his 36 yards underwhelmed, he tied Justin Jefferson for the team-lead in targets (8). Thielen’s score — his 2nd of the season — came from 2 yards out when he shook free from CB Xavien Howard. Through 6 games, Thielen’s up to 29 catches, 284 yards and 2 TDs. He draws a nice matchup with Arizona following a Week 7 bye.
Vikings RB Dalvin Cook posted 77 yards and 1 score on 13 carries against the Dolphins in Week 6. The light workload was due in part to the Vikings running only 50 plays. Cook nearly busted, too, before he broke off a 53-yard TD run late in the 4th quarter. The veteran has now recorded 76+ rushing yards in 5 of 6 games this season. Just note that his receiving role remains light, as he garnered only 1 target. Cook owns only 5 catches over the past month. Next up is a Week 7 bye.
Saints TE Adam Trautman is expected to miss Thursday night's game against the Cardinals after leaving Sunday's loss with an ankle injury, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "Early signs are that he's avoided a serious issue," Fowler adds. Juwan Johnson should benefit from Trautman's absence and be a TE2-level option for fantasy football lineups in Week 7.
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