Week 6 Fantasy Football Injury Report

How should fantasy managers adjust their lineups following injuries to some of the league's key players?

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There was a lot of scoring in Week 5, and scoring is great for fantasy football.

What’s not great for fantasy football? Injuries.

Unfortunately, there were a lot of those too this past weekend.

So, knock on some wood. Cross your fingers. Pray to the fantasy Gods your players aren’t on the list below.

Let’s get to it.

Won’t See Them Again In 2019

James O'Shaughnessy, Jacksonville Jaguars, ACL

The Jaguars lost their top tight end for the season now that it is confirmed O’Shaughnessy tore his ACL in the third quarter of the team’s bout with the Panthers. “Principal O’Shag-Hennessy” was a hot commodity off the waiver wire with a touchdown in Weeks 3 and 4, but he can now be dropped in all formats.

Fantasy Impact: With O’Shaugnessy out for the remainder of the year, Jacksonville will turn to Geoff Swaim and rookie tight end Josh Oliver, but neither are on the fantasy radar.

Might Be A While Before We See Them Again

Mason Rudolph, Pittsburgh Steelers, Concussion

Typically I’d put Rudolph in our “In The Protocol” segment, but given the nature of his injury, the Steelers' backup-turned-starting quarterback may be out a few games. Rudolph was popped by Ravens safety Early Thomas and fell to the ground completely unconscious. He was out for about a minute before “waking up” when trainers removed his facemask and attempted to put him on the training cart. Problem is, the cart broke and Rudolph had to be assisted off the field by teammates. It was a scary scene but recent reports indicate Rudolph has already been discharged from the hospital.

Fantasy Impact: Down Ben Roethlisberger and now Rudolph, the Steelers will turn to undrafted rookie Devlin Hodges for Week 6. Hodges played well coming off the bench, completing 7-of-9 passes and throwing for 68 yards. The top Steelers playmakers (JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Conner) do get downgraded (again) now that the third-string passer is taking over. Expect Pittsburgh to dial up even more wildcat formations with Jaylen Samuels.

Sammy Watkins, Kansas City Chiefs, Hamstring:

Questionable heading into Week 5, Watkins aggravated his hamstring injury in the first quarter of Sunday Night’s matchup against the Colts. Given his lengthy injury history and seemingly slower than normal healing ability, Watkins may be sidelined a few weeks. He hasn’t found the end zone since his monster game in Week 1.

Fantasy Impact: With Watkins sidelined and Tyreek Hill inactive, the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes turned to Mecole Hardman, DeMarcus Robinson and Byron Pringle, who led the team with 103 yards and a touchdown. If Hill (clavicle) can’t return in Week 6, the trio of Robinson, Hardman and Pringle would form a rotation for Kansas City’s starting wide receiver group.

Should be OK But Expect A Questionable Tag And Limited Practice

Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs, Ankle

The reigning MVP was seen hobbling pretty much all game after twisting his ankle on a few different plays and even getting it stepped on by his own teammate. Good news, he battled through the pain and didn’t miss a snap. The bad news is he lost a few of his linemen to injury, which could turn into a bigger problem considering the ankle injury limited Mahomes’s mobility.

Fantasy Impact: With little to no movement in the pocket thanks to a bum ankle and constant pressure, Mahomes turned in a very average stat line in Week 5. Keep in mind, “average” by Mahomes’s standards is still over 300 yards and a touchdown, but it just wasn’t the dominant performance fantasy managers have come to expect. Let’s end on a positive note: Mahomes was able to finish the game, so there’s no reason to panic about him missing Week 6 against the Texans.

James Washington, Pittsburgh Steelers, Shoulder

The Steelers second-year playmaker was knocked out of the game and did not return after suffering a shoulder injury against the Ravens. He’ll be further evaluated in the coming days where we will learn more about the severity of the injury.

Fantasy Impact: JuJu Smith-Schuster and Diontae Johnson are the starting wide receivers, so their depth chart won’t change much at the top. However, Johnny Holton or Donte Moncrief will now suit up as Pittsburgh’s third wide receiver.

Phillip Dorsett, New England Patriots, Hamstring

Early in the first quarter of the Patriots’ matchup against the Redskins, Dorsett exited the game with a hamstring injury and was quickly ruled out for the rest of the contest. Reports indicate the injury isn’t considered serious, however New England has a short week as they play the Giants on Thursday night. Dorsett will be listed as a DNP (Did Not Practice) all week and likely end up being inactive or best-case scenario a game-time decision.

Fantasy Impact: Tom Brady will still have Julian Edelman and Josh Gordon ready to roll over a weak Giants secondary. If Dorsett is sidelined, undrafted rookie Jakobi Meyers would see a boost in playing time when the Patriots go to a three-wide set.

David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals, Back

The workhorse running back was in and out of the game with back spasms, and although he says he’s “fine,” expect to see Johnson limited this week in practice. Given his immense role in the offense, Arizona doesn’t need to over-work Johnson in practice to feel confident in his abilities come Sunday.

Fantasy Impact: Chase Edmonds had a productive day while filling in for Johnson, rushing for 68 yards and a score against a bad Bengals defense. The second-year rusher is a great handcuff for anyone with Johnson on their squads.

Nothing To See Here

Josh Jacobs, Oakland Raiders, Elbow

The Raiders rookie briefly exited during the team’s game in London with an elbow injury but was able to return. And he didn’t just return, he dominated once back in action. Jacobs ran all over the stout Bears defense to the tune of 126 yards and two touchdowns.

Fantasy Impact: The Bears previously held all opposing rushers to under 90 yards. Even the great Dalvin Cook mustered up just 40 yards against Chicago, which makes Jacobs’s performance that much more impressive. Oakland has a bye in Week 6 so any lingering pain with his elbow should subside in plenty of time for Week 7.

Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers, Cramps

With an average of 27 combined touches per game, it’s no surprise McCaffrey started cramping up just a bit. Everyone deserves a rest once in a while, and even though McCaffrey is putting up video game stats, he is still human … at least I think he is.

Fantasy Impact: There is no long-term issue on hand but it would be wise to grab his handcuff in Reggie Bonnafon, who rushed for 80 yards and a score while McCaffrey was getting a quick break.

Marquise Brown, Baltimore Ravens, Ankle

“Hollywood" Brown made the most of his three catches in Week 5, turning them into 22 yards and a score against the Steelers. It was concerning when he was forced to leave the field with an ankle injury, but head coach John Harbaugh already confirmed the injury is “nothing serious.”

Fantasy Impact: Brown is going to be a hit-or-miss player for fantasy purposes given the volatility of his skill-set. He’s a fantastic deep threat, but considering he’s only played in five games in the NFL, he’s still developing as a short-to-intermediate route runner. He’s not in danger of missing a cupcake matchup against the Bengals in Week 6.

In the protocol

Brandin Cooks, Los Angeles Rams

Wayne Gallman, New York Giants

Sterling Shepard, New York Giants (second concussion in five weeks)

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