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Injuries are a fact of life in the NFL and in the fantasy streets, so let’s take a good look around.
Anthony Richardson (oblique) had a full practice Thursday, putting him in good shape to start Sunday against Tennessee. The Indianapolis receiving room looks more interesting these days if Joe Flacco starts, but the Colts know Richardson is their long-term future and he’s going to start if physically able.
Although Jonathan Taylor says he’s feeling better, he did not practice Thursday and still looks like a long shot to return this week. Trey Sermon (collarbone) had a full workout Thursday and is ready to start again.
Michael Pittman Jr. (back) is expected to miss multiple weeks, with an IR stint a possibility.
Malik Nabers (concussion) is out for another week, which puts Darius Slayton back in consideration as a flex option.
The Bills could be without two top offensive weapons in RB James Cook (toe) and Khalil Shakir (ankle), both of whom did not practice Thursday ahead of Monday night’s showdown against the Jets. WR Curtis Samuel (toe) was also limited to start the week. That doesn’t bode well for Allen, whose fantasy prospects already looked suspect in this matchup.
Brian Robinson Jr. (knee) looks like a game-time decision for the showdown against Baltimore. Austin Ekeler and Jeremy McNichols would likely see more work if Robinson can’t go.
Rachaad White (foot) missed Thursday’s practice after a partial session Wednesday. Bucky Irving is an auto-start for most fantasy managers if White is scratched. Tampa Bay plays at New Orleans on Sunday.
Alvin Kamara (hip/hand) is usually on the injury report; Week 6 no exception. He had a limited session Thursday after missing the previous day. Spencer Rattler steps in at QB, with Derek Carr (oblique) week-to-week.
Rashid Shaheed (hip) did some limited work Thursday after missing the previous day. He says he’ll be good for Sunday’s game against Tampa Bay.
Justin Herbert (ankle) should be ready to start after a bye week, though he did miss some of Thursday’s practice. Gus Edwards (ankle) didn’t practice Thursday.
Tucker Kraft (groin) and Christian Watson (ankle) both had limited work Thursday. Check their Friday status before committing. A healthy Kraft has the potential to be a set-and-forget starter at fantasy’s trickiest position.
Joe Mixon (ankle) had a limited practice Thursday while Dameon Pierce (hamstring) logged a full session. Houston plays at New England on Sunday.
Aidan O’Connell is the fresh QB starter for the Raiders, but how much help will he have? Davante Adams (hamstring) isn’t going to play, and Jakobi Meyers (ankle) didn’t practice Wednesday or Thursday. Fantasy managers desperate for a WR option might want to consider Tre Tucker.
Zamir White (groin) didn’t practice Wednesday or Thursday, setting up Alexander Mattison for a likely start against the nasty Pittsburgh front seven.
David Njoku (ankle/knee) did some work Thursday after missing the previous day. He’s questionable for Sunday. Nick Chubb (knee) had a limited session but the Browns haven’t said when he might be ready to return.
Devin Singletary (groin) had two limited days of work and seems to be trending positively for a Week 6 return. Tyrone Tracy collected a lovely 129 rushing yards in Singletary’s absence last week, but we know Singletary has a long history with head coach Brian Daboll.
Zack Moss (ankle) had a limited session Thursday while teammate Chase Brown (quad) was added to the injury report, though HC . We’re hoping for a fantasy feast between the Bengals and Giants.
Evan Engram (hamstring) remains limited in practice, but context clues point to him starting against Chicago.
Earlier this week, the Jets relieved Robert Saleh of his head coaching duties. Thursday, the second shoe dropped; passing game coordinator Todd Downing was elevated to offensive play caller, replacing OC Nathaniel Hackett.
Downing’s NFL experience dates back to 2003, but his three stints as an offensive coordinator have been mediocre. He piloted the 2017 Raiders offense and had the Titans sheet for two years (2021 and 2022). His offenses have ranked 23rd, 15th and 29th in yards, and those groups slotted 23rd, 15th and 28th in points. Derek Carr was his quarterback with the Raiders, while most of his Tennessee plays ran through Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry.
Hackett’s resume with New York is shaky; the Jets were 31st in yards last year, 29th in points, and they’ve only improved to 27th and 25th this season, respectively, even with Aaron Rodgers returning. So maybe anyone not named Hackett will represent an upgrade. That said, if Downing has some magic as a play caller, we haven’t seen it in his earlier stints.
