Week 6's fantasy football rankings
Plus, the latest injury news and a preview of Thursday night's game to help you prepare your lineups.
Hey all,
Every season, a week comes along that kicks everyone’s ass in terms of major injuries to deal with. In 2023, that week has come. It won’t be the last one that scrambles all your best-laid fantasy plans, but it’s the first one you have to navigate this year.
The first step is getting informed and reading up on some expert takes to help you regroup. I’ll see you again this weekend with the full Week 6 Playbook.
Hang in there!
Justin
Week 6 news you wish you couldn’t use…
Typically, no news is good news in fantasy football, but here’s the latest on key injuries to help you plan your lineups this week.
DeVon Achane suffered a knee injury late in Sunday’s game and will be placed on injured reserve because of it. He will be out for at least the next four games, and the Dolphins have a bye in Week 10, meaning that his next chance to play will come in Week 11. Raheem Mostert will be the clear-cut RB1 for the Dolphins and should benefit from his absence for the foreseeable future.
Anthony Richardson will be sidelined for the next four games for the Colts, with backup Gardner Minshew taking over behind center while the rookie signal-caller is out. The club also signed Kellen Mond to the practice depth to solidify the team’s quarterback depth.
The Cardinals will place James Conner on the IR with a knee injury he sustained in Week 5. He will miss at least the next four games. Emari Demercado will presumably become Arizona’s RB1, though Keaontay Ingram and newly-acquired Tony Jones Jr. are in the mix.
Justin Jefferson will ALSO be out for the next four games at the very least, and he could possibly miss more time beyond that, depending on how his recovery goes. His extended absence will negatively affect the fantasy value of Kirk Cousins but could lead to more opportunities for K.J. Osborn and rookie Jordan Addison moving forward.
View the latest FantasyPros player news on 5thDownFantasy.com.
Who should you add to your roster in place of these injured studs? We have two 5th Down reads for you:
What to expect Thursday night
Fantasy analysis for Thursday night’s matchup between the Broncos and Chiefs, courtesy of 5th Down’s Neil Forbord…
Elite starts
Patrick Mahomes (QB, KC) – I expect Mahomes to do Mahomes things against a Broncos defense that is ranked dead last in the league and giving up 36.2 points per game. Mahomes has a lifetime QB rating of 101.5 when playing the Broncos at home as he looks to extend their lead in the division. Broncos seem to be going nowhere quick, and this game might be over before the 4th quarter starts.
Projection: 301 passing yards, 33 rushing yards, and 3 total touchdowns
Travis Kelce (TE, KC) – This will be one to monitor, as Kelce injured his ankle against the Vikings this past weekend. Coach Reid did say that Kelce planned to practice on Tuesday, which is a positive sign moving forward. So far in 2023, the targets are there for him, but we have yet to see a big yardage game from him. A visiting Broncos defense may just be what the doctor prescribed to give him one of his signature games. Assuming he will be a full-go for this game, I expect big things.
Projection: 8 catches for 99 receiving yards and 1 touchdown
Solid start
Isiah Pacheco (RB, KC) – Pacheco has scored in his last three games and accounted for 76.2% of the team’s rushing attempts last week against the Vikings. He’s also involved in the passing game, averaging just over 2 targets per game this year. This week, he goes up against the same Broncos defense that gave up 350 rushing yards to the Dolphins earlier this year. The only risk with this start is if he gets shut down after the Chiefs race out to a large lead early in the game. Let’s hope he can get plenty of work during the first half if this is the case.
Projection: 2 catches, 105 all-purpose yards and 1 touchdown
More fantasy analysis of Thursday night’s game on 5thDownFantasy.com.
Week 6 player rankings
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