Site icon Dynasty Nerds

Next Man Up: Regular Season Week 6

Matthew Mitchell

Each and every week, players across the NFL suffer injuries. This weekly article will explore the injuries that affect your dynasty squads. We will briefly discuss the injured players and the players who stand to benefit or suffer as a result. To make them easier to follow, we will break down the injuries by division. Without further ado, let us examine the Regular Season Week 5 injuries and the next men up.

AFC East:

Teddy doesn’t bridge the gap in Week 5

Miami quarterback Teddy Bridgewater left the team’s Week 5 loss with head and elbow issues. In a twist of irony, Bridgewater was the first player evaluated under the NFL’s updated concussion protocols. Despite passing the tests on the sideline, he was ruled out for the rest of the game based on what the new spotter saw during the action. Already without starter Tua Tagovailoa, the Dolphins 7th-round rookie Skylar Thompson took over . Needless to say, the first-year player struggled. Teddy is still in the concussion protocol but seems to have a good chance of suiting up for Week 6. If he cannot go, the Dolphins will turn once again to rookie Skylar Thompson putting an extreme damper on all the Miami skill players.

Hill’s heel is much ado about nothing. Right?

Miami wide receiver Tyreek Hill injured his foot in the Dolphin’s Week 5 loss to the Jets. Head Coach Mike McDaniel did not seem overly concerned about his star receiver following the game. According to his coach, Tyreek was stepped on at some point, and the boot was simply a precautionary measure. At this point, Hill seems to have avoided any serious issues. However, it is still a good idea to monitor his practice reps this week to ensure he is healthy. If for some reason, the star receiver cannot go, the Dolphins will turn to a combination of Eric Ezukanma and River Cracraft behind starters Jaylen Waddle and Cedrick Wilson.

Harris’s hamstring open door for Rhamondre

New England running back Damien Harris was knocked from his team’s Week 5 victory with a hamstring injury. In typical Patriots fashion, we do not have any updates as to the severity of Harris’ injury. The Patriots were rolling on Sunday, and it is possible they held Harris out as a precaution. In any case, New England turned no.2 Rhamondre Stevenson as a 3-down back. The youngster produced for both the Patriots and your fantasy teams if you had him in your lineups by chance. If Harris misses any game action, Stevenson will be a plug-and-play RB2 for your squads.

AFC South:

Hines gets wobbled and sits this one out

Indianapolis running back Nyheim Hines suffered one of the scarier injuries of the week when he was forced from his team’s victory with a concussion. As you can see above, Hines was visibly wobbled and was immediately ruled out for the remainder of the game. Hines was himself filling in for injured starter Jonathan Taylor with a high ankle sprain. Keep an eye out for news on both players ahead of Indy’s Week 6 showdown with the Jaguars. If neither of the Colts top running backs suits up, they will turn to a combination of Phillip Lindsay and Deon Jackson.

AFC North:

Freiermuth get his bell rung in on the lake

Pittsburgh tight end Pat Freiermuth exited the Week 5 loss with a concussion. This game was brutal for Steelers fans on multiple levels. Freiermuth will have to pass through the league’s ever-more stringent concussion protocols before next week’s showdown with Tampa Bay. If the former Penn State star cannot go, look for the Steelers to rely on Zach Gentry and rookie Connor Heyward. Pat’s absence would likely funnel additional targets to the Steeler’s talented wide receivers in the passing game. Keep an eye on how Freiermuth makes his way through the protocols as the week continues.

Will rest be the prescription for Tee Higgins?

Cincinnati wide receiver Tee Higgins sustained an ankle injury in his team’s Week 5 loss to the Ravens. Higgins entered the game with an issue in his ankle and re-injured himself early in the contest. His absence allowed veteran Tyler Boyd to assume the mantle of second fiddle to Ja’Marr Chase. If Higgins misses game action after this re-injury, the Bengals will insert Trent Taylor, Mike Thomas, and Morgan Stanley into the third receiver role. In all likelihood, Chase and Boyd would act as target hogs, along with a bump for their resurgent tight end Hayden Hurst who is coming off his best game as a Bengal. Joe Mixon could see a slight bump in targets as well.

AFC West:

Can Waller get a leg up and play in Week 6?

Las Vegas tight end Darren Waller injured his hamstring early in his team’s Week 5 loss to the rival Chiefs. Vegas was already without backup Foster Moreau in this game. That left them with just Jesper Horstead as a healthy option. Hamstrings are a tricky injury to predict. Keep an eye out for news about the availability of Waller and Moreau throughout the week. If both miss game action, the Raiders will likely move those targets to their talented wide receivers. Hunter Renfrow would particularly benefit out of the slot. Horstead would be no more than a desperate play.

NFC East:

Will Barkley be the last man standing in New York?

New York running back Saquon Barkley briefly exited his team’s Week 5 victory with a shoulder injury. The talented runner returned to the game and had a dramatic effect on the outcome. At this point, Barkley seems fine, but it is worth monitoring his practice status. If he misses any time, the Giants will turn to Matt Breida and rookie Gary Brightwell.

Is time running out on Dalton Schultz?

Dallas tight end Dalton Shultz was in and out of his team’s Week 5 contest with a knee injury. Shultz’s dynasty and fantasy managers should strap in because this will be a season-long ride. His knee injury doesn’t appear to be getting any worse, but it is also unable to fully heal between games. Keep a close eye on his progress each week. If Dallas decides to shut him down, Jake Ferguson steps up as the starter.

NFC South:

Chris Olave is the latest Saints WR to not be marching in

New Orleans wide receiver Chris Olave suffered a concussion in his team’s Week 5 victory. The talented rookie again had a nice outing before the injury. With fellow starters Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry also dealing with their own injuries, New Orleans is suddenly very thin at the position. If any of the group misses game action, the Saints will roll with Marquez Callaway and Tre’Quan Smith as their top options. If this happens, look for Alvin Kamara and the tight ends to be extremely busy in the passing game. Taysom Hill will also be a very intriguing play with his swiss army skill set.

Can PJ Walker step up with Mayfield out?

Carolina quarterback Baker Mayfield reportedly suffered a high ankle sprain in his team’s Week 5 loss. This one was the straw that broke the camel’s back as Head Coach Matt Rhule was fired after the game. The team has already announced that Mayfield would miss some game action due to this injury. Last year’s starter Sam Darnold is still on IR with an injury of his own. That leaves PJ Walker as the next man up. The former XFL star takes another shot to show he belongs in the NFL. At this point, it is hard to imagine he will be any worse for the Panthers’ skill players as Mayfield has struggled in 2022. Walker’s upside could make him a desperate Superflex play in your lineups.

NFC North:

The NFC North escaped Week 5 without any fantasy-relevant injuries. 

NFC West:

Rashaad Penny can’t catch a break

Seattle running back Rashaad Penny suffered a fractured tibia in his team’s Week 5 loss. The fracture will require surgery and has ended his 2022 campaign. The former first-round pick was off to a nice start in 2022 with a 57/346/2 stat line. He will now enter free agency with a checkered injury history and some highlight-worthy tape. In his place, the Seahawks will turn to second-round pick Kenneth Walker. The former Michigan State and Wake Forrest star will now get a chance to firmly establish himself as the no.1 option in a run-heavy system. He should be an every-week starter moving forward.

Will James Conner be back

Cardinals running back James Conner left the Week 5 loss with a rib injury. His loss was further compounded by the loss of Darrell Williams to a knee injury and Jonathan Ward to a hamstring injury. We haven’t received any updates as to the severity of these injuries. However, the Cardinals will almost certainly be shorthanded at the position for Week 6 at a minimum. Look for Eno Benjamin and potentially rookie Keaontay Ingram to hold down the fort until Conner can return. Of the two, Benjamin would be the preferred fantasy play, likely returning low-end RB2 to flex potential as a ceiling.

Thank you for reading this article! Please be sure to join the #Nerdherd, so you don’t miss out on any of the amazing things we have to offer Dynastynerds.com. Use my promo code DynastyHolliday for a 15% off discount. You will get rankings, extra podcasts, and access to our rookie film room. For just a couple of bucks more, you can get access to our revolutionary DynastyGM tool. So much for so little. Why miss out on all the fun? Also, you absolutely must check out our new mock draft tool. Find it in your Apple & Android app stores. Follow me @ReflipeWThenuz for more dynasty content and other musings.

Exit mobile version