Chris Allen and Jorge Martin analyze the NFL injury landscape heading into Sunday action for Week 5 and offer fantasy advice based on the players' status. For a look at all the players sitting out Week 6, check out our Inactives Tool.

Injuries and four teams on a bye forcing fantasy managers to sit some prominent players will make for some interesting lineup decisions for Week 6. Let's jump into some of the more prominent injuries facing people as they set their lineups Sunday morning.

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Quarterback

Anthony Richardson (oblique)

Anthony Richardson is was a surprise Sunday-morning inactive, coming off a limited practice on Friday. He had practiced in full on Thursday. Reports were that he took most of the snaps with the first team in practice when he was in, which made it look like he would start on Sunday. This after Joe Flacco went for 359 yards and 3 TDs against the Jaguars’ porous pass defense (298 pass yards allowed per game). The Colts' thinking may have been to let Richardson get 100% and to avoid a tough matchup.

The Titans have been stingy against the pass, giving up 113 yards/game, but two of those QBs they’ve faced were Malik Willis and Tyler Huntley. With Flacco starting, but this could be more of a game script to throw against Tennessee, which is No. 5 in allowing 58.6 rushing yards to RBs. Even with the Titans being improved against the pass, this will be a stiff test with Flacco looking to air it out. Indy WRs get an upgrade in this matchup with Flacco.

Derek Carr (oblique)

It did not look good on MNF when Derek Carr was favoring his side after a play late in the contest against the Chiefs. He’s already been ruled out for this week, which will open the door for Spencer Rattler to debut in the NFL.

A 5th-round pick this year, Rattler was one of the most highly rated QBs coming out of his class. He gets a home date against the Buccaneers, who just got torched by Kirk Cousins for 509 yards and 4 TDs. Hard to expect a big game from Rattler, but against a Buccaneers defense that’s gotten beaten often this season—allowing 4th most fantasy points to opposing WRs—itcould still make Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed startable this week.

Running Back

Jonathan Taylor (ankle)

This will be the second straight week that Taylor sits, as he was ruled out for Week 6 on Friday. Trey Sermon steps into the role previously held by Taylor, and he totaled 63 yards on 16 touches and a score last week. The Titans are allowing the 5th-fewest rushing yards to running backs thus far, so Sermon will not have wide-open lanes to run through in Tennessee.

Brian Robinson (knee)

No thumbs up emoji for fantasy managers this week.

Brian Robinson entered Week 5 with a knee injury and played through the ailment. Three DNPs later, Washington will be without its RB1 against the Ravens. Even worse, there's no direct backup for the Commanders.

Jeremy McNichols mixed in with Robinson during Week 4 as Austin Ekeler was going through the concussion protocol. The same happened when all three were active last week. Ekeler did get the early-down work (69.0% long-down-and-distance snaps) and earned an 8.0% target share, but McNichols took the short-yardage totes. The lack of clarity coupled with a matchup against Baltimore (allowing the ninth-fewest PPG to RBs) push both into RB4 territory for Week 6.

Aaron Jones (hip)

This is an injury to monitor, as the Vikings are on bye this week. So if Ty Chandler is still available in your league—as he is in 73% of Yahoo leagues—he could be a speculative pickup. Chandler was not as effective as Jones pre-injury, as the third-year pro managed just 39 total yards on 16 touches in Week 5. 

De'Von Achane (concussion)

Like with Jones, there will be no practice reports on De’Von Achane until Wednesday, so there will be no progress on his recovery from a concussion. As we’ve seen with Malik Nabers (below), no two concussions are alike and recovery is dependent on the person. Jaylen Wright flashed with 86 yards on 13 carries in Week 5, so he must be targeted in case he gains a larger role—available in 91% of Yahoo leagues. 

Rhamondre Stevenson (calf)

Lost in the shuffle of Rhamondre Stevenson's "not starting the game" was a hit to the calf he sustained during play. Stevenson and Antonio Gibson nearly split the offensive snaps (25 to 26), but shockingly the bigger back dominated the touches (12 to 6). The usage emphasized his role to the team and the unlikelihood he'd lose his role. However, his fumbling isn't the issue anymore.

Stevenson has missed the week of practice with a foot injury and has been ruled out. As mentioned, Gibson not only worked in as a runner but ran a route on 31.6% of Jacoby Brissett's dropbacks and earned a target. New England is entering the Drake Maye era and we can't project how the offense will operate with the rookie under center. However, in a pinch, Gibson can function as a volume-based FLEX play since Stevenson will sit out the team's matchup against the Texans.

Travis Etienne (shoulder)

After Etienne saw his snaps dry up because of this injury, Tank Bigsby ate up 57% of rush attempts and put up a 13-101-2 rushing line. Etienne did put up 43 receiving yards on 6 receptions, so he was not taken out of the game plan altogether.

This should be a split backfield, as Bigsby is going to continue to be a part of this offense. The Bears are allowing 24.9 fantasy points and 103.2 rushing yards to running backs. Both running backs have to be playable as long as they are active for this inviting matchup.

Christian McCaffrey (calf/Achilles)

After the Thursday night game against the Seahawks, Kyle Shanahan announced that CMC would miss Week 7. The calendar may be working against Christian McCaffrey now. The 49ers have a Week 9 bye, so it’s looking increasingly like he will be held out until after that week. Keep an eye on when they open up his 21-day practice window. That will be the first indication that he’s coming back. 

Jordan Mason (shoulder)

The sight of Mason keeping his shoulder limber on the sideline during the second half of the 36-24 49ers victory over the Seahawks on Thursday Night Football was not what fantasy managers wanted to see for one of the waiver wire finds of the year. 

Also seeing Isaac Guerendo pop for 99 yards on 10 carries will make him a headliner on waiver wire columns this week. He did run a route only 7% of the time and did not draw a target, so his overall production may be tied solely to the running game. Still, Mason never drew more than 3 targets in any game he started.

Jaylen Warren (knee)

After missing two games and most of the game prior, Jaylen Warren may be trending in the right direction. He practiced in full on Friday after being limited the previous two days. This is positive news for a player who totaled 1,154 scrimmage yards and 4 TDs last season while sharing the backfield with Najee Harris.

Warren could be startable this week, considering the injuries that are piling up and four teams on a bye. The Raiders are 7th in the league, allowing 108.2 rushing yards per game to running backs this season. Three RBs have gone over the century mark in total carries against them—J.K. Dobbins, Chuba Hubbard, and Javonte Williams. 

Zamir White (groin)

Zamir White puts fantasy managers in a tricky position because the Raiders don’t kick off against the Steelers until 4:05 p.m. ET. Anyone counting on White to start will need a contingency plan for the late game, as White missed the first two days of practice before returning to a limited session on Friday. 

The Georgia product has not been the bellcow he was expected to be coming into the season, as he’s yet to surpass 50 rushing yards in any game. The Steelers have yet to allow a 100-yard rusher and are 9th lowest in the league with 77.4 rushing yards allowed per game. 

Nick Chubb (knee)

Chubb is expected to make his season debut in Week 7, according to Mary Kay Cabot. Just in time to face the Bengals. 

Wide Receiver

Nico Collins (hamstring)

Collins has been placed on IR, which rules him out of at least four games. Dr. Edwin Porras called out that Collins has a history of soft-tissues injuries, which is cause for concern for reinjury over the rest of the season. Keep that in mind for any possible trade talks that may take place while Collins is rehabbing.

This game should see an increased number of targets going toward Stefon Diggs, who has seen a steady 22% or higher target share in the season’s first five weeks. Tank Dell could draw  a tough matchup on the outside  against Christian Gonzalez, so be wary about putting him in your lineup.  

Christian Watson (ankle)

Watson suffered an ankle sprain in Week 4 and missed last week, but is trending toward playing after logging limited practices all week. He does return to a full WR room in Green Bay, with Romeo Doubs also returning from a suspension for personal conduct. 

Watson is a boom/bust player, as he’s drawn just 8 targets on the season. His air-yards share was 23% and 37%, respectively, in Weeks 1 and 3, so Jordan Love will take some shots to him. The Cardinals did just get lit up by Brandon Aiyuk for 8-147-0 in Week 5, so for fantasy teams projected to lose Watson could be playable in hopes for a boom play. 

Malik Nabers (concussion) 

This is Travis Scott's fault. I'm sure of it.

Fortunately, Wan'Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton filled the Malik Nabers-sized hole in the offense against the Seahawks. The two combined for 64.5% of Jones' targets and 94.7% of the air yards.

For those thinking Slayton's output was a fluke, there's some reason for optimism if he's still sitting on your bench. Yes, he was primarily used on the perimeter. However, Slayton moved into the slot and was targeted on 27.3% of the play-action concepts. He's not just the typical deep threat.

Regardless, with Cincinnati in the Top 10 for the most explosive receptions allowed, the Giants' coaching staff doesn't have to get creative for Slayton (or Robinson) to be FLEX plays for Week 6.

Michael Pittman (back)

Wednesday: Michael Pittman doesn't practice due to a back injury.

Thursday: Colts' WRs Coach Reggie Wayne discussed Pittman's absence and the potential of him going on IR.

Friday: Pittman logs a full practice.

Sure.

So, great, fantasy managers will have the option of putting Pittman into their starting roster. Byes and injuries may force the issue, but Pittman's path to success has been narrow.

• with Anthony Richardson: 68.0% (catchable target rate), -0.58 (EPA per target), 2.5 (YAC per reception)
• with Joe Flacco: 75.0%, +0.03, 3.8

For fantasy purposes, Flacco has been better for Pittman. Like Gardner Minshew in 2023, Flacco is willing to let it rip into the middle of the field. Plus, Josh Downs has out-earned Pittman since returning to the lineup in Week 4 (21 to 17 targets). So, even before the health concerns, Pittman's fantasy value was already on shaky ground. With the switch back to Richardson, the Colts’ WR1(B?) should be valued as a WR3 in a tough matchup against the Titans, who allow the fewest FPPG to WRs.

Tight End

David Njoku

On the positive side, David Njoku's limited return in Week 5 instantly changed how the Browns deployed their personnel. In Week 4, three TEs got at least one look from Deshaun Watson. Njoku cut the list to two the following week. In addition, Jordan Akins ran fewer routes against the Commanders despite Njoku playing less than half the snaps (42.4%). With him off the injury report, it's fair to assume we'll see more of Njoku against the Eagles.

However, the question is if rostering a traditionally efficient TE attached to the Browns' passing game makes sense. Jokes about Watson's (lack of) touchdowns aside, Watson is averaging fewer passing yards per game (170.4) than Bo Nix (173.2). On top of that, he has three other viable options at WR to target. Njoku's situation will limit his ceiling, but his potential share of the offense places him in the wide range of TE2s. If you start him, you're hoping his target floor will enable him to fall into the end zone with the ball in his hands. Otherwise, you can join the chorus of cries for a switch to Jameis Winston. 

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