Four teams will be on a bye in Week 6, including two fantasy-friendly offenses in the Lions and Bengals. Combine those absences with a bevy of injuries across the league and it might be difficult to set some fantasy football lineups. Let’s highlight some of the noteworthy injuries and decide what action to take in fantasy football. For those who need reinforcements, check out our Week 6 waiver wire targets.
Fantasy Football Week 6 Injuries: Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
Barkley (hamstring) did not play in Sunday’s loss to the Jaguars in London. DeVonta Smith (hamstring) also sat out, robbing the Eagles of their top two offensive weapons. To complicate matters, Will Shipley (foot) was also forced out of the matchup and could miss multiple weeks. In a bit of positive news, head coach Nick Sirianni said that he is hopeful that Barkley and Smith will both be cleared to face the Panthers this week.
Week 6 fantasy outlook: If Barkley can’t play, the Eagles would be down to Dameon Pierce and Carson Steele at running back, neither of which comes with much fantasy upside. If Barkley and/or Smith return, immediately slot them back into fantasy starting lineups.
Fantasy Football Week 6 Injuries: Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens
Jackson (ankle) did not play in Sunday’s win over the Falcons in Atlanta. The Ravens remain on the road for their Week 6 meeting with the Browns, but it’s still unclear if Jackson will take the field. Ravens head coach Jesse Minter said that Jackson is “definitely doing better”, but did not say when he will return to practice.
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Week 6 fantasy outlook: Tyler Huntley had three total touchdowns against the Falcons last week, but if Jackson is out again, he’s still not one of the better quarterback streaming options for the week with the Browns allowing the fourth-lowest completion rate in the NFL.
Fantasy Football Week 6 Injuries: Deebo Samuel Sr., WR, San Francisco 49ers
Injuries continue to pile up for the 49ers, especially at wide receiver. After suffering a hamstring injury last week, Samuel is expected to miss at least a couple of weeks. While Samuel hasn’t racked up a ton of yards this season, he recorded a touchdown in three of five games.
Week 6 fantasy outlook: If you have a roster crunch, it’s ok to drop Samuel with him expected to miss time. The 49ers have a bye in Week 8, so he might not retake the field until Week 9 at the earliest.
Fantasy Football Week 6 Injuries: TreVeyon Henderson, RB, New England Patriots
The Patriots have their offense back on track, but they’ll have to make do without Henderson for a bit after he was diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain. That puts the bulk of the backfield duties back in the hands of Rhamondre Stevenson, who posted 95 total yards against the Seahawks in Week 1 when Henderson was out.
Week 6 fantasy outlook: Stevenson should be considered as a low-end RB2 or high-end flex option for however long Henderson remains sidelined.
Fantasy Football Week 6 Injuries: David Montgomery, RB, Houston Texans
Montgomery had three touchdowns in his first game as a member of the Texans, but has mostly struggled with his new team. He has only averaged 2.7 yards per carry and is now dealing with a groin injury that forced him out of their matchup with the Titans last week. He is being considered as week-to-week with the injury, lining up Woody Marks to take on an expanded workload.
Week 6 fantasy outlook: Even with more carries coming his way, Marks is not an appealing fantasy option against a Jaguars team that allows only 2.9 yards per carry.
Fantasy Football Week 6 Injuries: Quinshon Judkins, RB, Cleveland Browns
The Browns are dealing with problems at running back after Judkins (ankle) and Raheim Sanders (hip) suffered injuries against the Jets last week. Sanders has already been placed on IR, but Judkins appears to have avoided a serious issue. Browns head coach Todd Monken said that he is day-to-day heading into their Week 6 battle with the Ravens.
Week 6 fantasy outlook: Even if Judkins takes the field this week, he shouldn’t be viewed as anything more than a flex option in 12-team and deeper leagues. He only averages 3.0 yards per carry and has scored one touchdown through five games.
Fantasy Football Week 6 Injuries: Michael Penix Jr., QB, Atlanta Falcons
Penix left the Falcons’ overtime loss to the Ravens late in the game after he took a big shot to the ribs. He tried to play through it, but ultimately stayed on the sidelines while Tua Tagovailoa took over at quarterback in overtime. The Falcons are optimistic that Penix won’t miss a game and will start versus the Bears this week.
Week 6 fantasy outlook: The biggest impact of the Penix injury might be on the production of Drake London, who struggled with Penix out to begin the season. He shouldn’t be benched if Penix is out again this week, but his upside would be limited.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com