This article will recap all fantasy-relevant injuries. Remember, we are operating with limited information, and as the week progresses, situations will become clearer. Be sure you’re aware of the following teams who are on byes in Week 6:
Green Bay Packers
Pittsburgh Steelers
Aaron Jones - Hamstring
I really don’t have the slightest clue what went wrong here. Nearly 2 weeks after returning to the field, Jones is shut down again. At this point, he’s been dealing with this injury for 3 weeks and is at high risk to miss even more time. Rostering AJ Dillon is little reprieve for Aaron Jones managers, which is why they should look to acquire Emari Dmercado and/or Jeff Wilson Jr.
Khalil Herbert - High ankle
The mode for these injuries (as we learned with Saquon and Ekeler) is 3 weeks of missed time. Not only is Herbert down, but Roschon Johnson has a concussion as well. Thankfully, Johnson will have more than a week to clear protocol which gives him a decent chance for Week 6. This could be the perfect opportunity for Johnson to pull a classic Wally Pipp. Need another reason? RBs who return from this injury hover ~80% of typical production even 2 weeks after their return. At the very least, he'll see more opportunities than he was before, especially if Travis Homer's hamstring injury keeps him out for a while.
Justin Jefferson - Hamstring
On Monday morning, the Vikings said that JJ was still undergoing tests on his injured hamstring. They’re likely sending him through an MRI to determine the extent of the tear. The bottom line is this is getting dicey. Since 2018, 52% of WRs with a hamstring strain have missed no time at all. However, 21% have missed 1 game, and 17% have missed 2 games. Jefferson is officially at high risk to sit in Week 6. You can’t replace Jefferson, but looking at the waiver wire to see who may have rage-dropped a WR is a good idea.
UPDATE: Jefferson is officially on the IR and cannot return until Week 10 at the soonest. That is a realistic clinical recovery time for him (see: Cooper Kupp).
Anthony Richardson - AC Sprain (Shoulder)
AR’s shoulder injury is severe enough that he’s seeking a second opinion. Usually, seeking a second opinion means the first one was not favorable. The surgery for these injuries is controversial, so there’s a chance Richardson and the Colts will elect rest and rehab. If that’s the case, a 4-6 week absence is on the table, which implies IR. It’s still early, though, so keep an eye on this one and plan to be without Richardson. Gardner Minshew is definitely a worthwhile addition in single QB leagues who need to replace Richardson and/or in 2 QB and SF leagues.
Amon-Ra St. Brown - Abdomen
St. Brown was a surprise DNP 3 days in a row last week and did not play in Week 5 due to an abdomen injury. This injury is difficult to analyze because an “abdomen” injury can be quite literally anything. Filtering out to just “abdomen” or just “core” since 2018, we see that 9/14 WRs (small sample, I know) didn’t need surgery, and all but 1 missed 0-2 games. Detroit is conservative with injuries, so the hope is that they sat him out of caution and he’ll practice again this week. At worst, this is a 2 game absence for the Sun Gawd. Until then, the real answer to the waiver wire if ARSB is out again is Sam LaPorta.
Travis Kelce - Ankle
Travis Kelce has a run-of-the-mill lateral “low” ankle sprain. He didn’t practice on Monday for the Thursday night game, but until further notice, we should expect him back in Week 6 and close to full strength. There’s only a small concern for reinjury. Continue to monitor this throughout the week, but Noah Gray is probably not worth the FAAB.
James Conner - Knee
Unfortunately, video is not helpful for this injury, but we do know the Cardinals have already signed Tony Jones off the street. That implies they’re concerned with RB depth. Without knowing the specific injury, Conner has ~50% chance to miss Week 6 based on available data. Additionally, the Cardinals have said Conner will “miss a little time.” Fantasy managers should look to acquire Emari Dmercado for depth.
De’Von Achane - Knee
By video, this injury looks to be an MCL sprain (at best). In a best-case scenario world, Achane misses just 1 week or so and returns at close to full speed. Alternatively, if this injury is a grade II MCL, Achane could be looking at ~4 weeks of missed time. Nick Chubb in 2020 is the best comparison here — he went on IR and missed the minimum 4 games.
Daniel Jones - Neck
Jones injured his neck on Sunday and needed imaging. Brian Daboll says he’s optimistic that DJ will go but keep an eye on this injury as it’s what sent Jones to the IR 2021.
Tank Dell, Demario Douglas, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Wan'Dale Robinson - Concussion
All of these guys were evaluated for a concussion in Week 6. For first-time concussions (everybody on this list except JuJu) there’s about a 50% chance they’ll return by Week 6. For JuJu, this is his 3rd career concussion which might cost him more missed time. Lastly, even though Robinson apparently returned to the game, keep in mind the Giants specifically have had that happen before, followed by that player being ruled out the following week (Sterling Shepard in 2019).
Players to Monitor This Week
Jeff Wilson Jr.
Saquon Barkley
Austin Ekeler
Below is a table of all major injuries:
Expect updates throughout the week, and make sure to subscribe to my YouTube Channel here dedicated to up-to-the-minute updates and breakdowns.
