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Another weekend of fantasy football is over, and it was another one filled with injuries. Fortunately, it doesn’t appear that any fantasy-relevant players suffered anything serious, but once again, there were plenty of smaller ones to discuss.
While nothing was major (and that’s great news), many injuries this week occurred early in games and forced players out of action before they could accumulate any fantasy points. This was particularly frustrating for fantasy managers as they were forced to take zeros or negative points in some cases. Much like life, fantasy football isn’t always fair.
Make sure you follow RotoBaller on X and check out RotoBaller.com for all your fantasy football needs. Let’s dive into all the major injuries from Week 6.
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Travis Etienne Jr. - RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars fell to 1-5 after suffering an embarrassing 35-16 loss to the Chicago Bears in London. In addition to losing the game, the team also lost running back Travis Etienne Jr. to a hamstring injury.
Status alert: Travis Etienne (hamstring) questionable to return Sunday.
— Underdog NFL (@Underdog__NFL) October 13, 2024
Etienne was not having his best game as he only carried the football three times for -1 yards. Hamstring injuries are notoriously tricky. It would be wise for fantasy managers to expect Etienne to miss a week or two of action. He could be out longer depending on the severity of the injury.
Tank Bigsby would seemingly be the biggest beneficiary if Etienne misses time. However, he only played 27% of offensive snaps and ceded work to D’Ernest Johnson. Bigsby still figures to be the preferred play, but Johnson is worth adding in deeper leagues.
Dallas Goedert - TE, Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia’s starting tight end was forced to leave their Week 6 game with a hamstring injury.
Injury Update: TE Dallas Goedert (hamstring) is questionable to return.
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) October 13, 2024
Goedert was soon ruled out for the game and did not return. We will know more about the severity of this injury later today or tomorrow, but like Etienne, gamers should plan on Goedert missing a few games. It’s a shame because Goedert’s season was off to a great start.
Managers should plan on streaming the position until he is healthy. Grant Calcaterra performed well in Goedert’s absence. He's worth a potential add from waivers. Cade Otton, Noah Fant, and Zach Ertz are also options gamers can consider as potential Goedert replacements for Week 7.
Chris Olave - WR, New Orleans Saints
Olave was injured on his first catch of the game in yesterday’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Chris Olave -
Looked very dazed after taking this shot. Likely screened for concussion, which I would assume he’s then ruled out. pic.twitter.com/FSC3RaSf7t
— Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT (@jmthrivept) October 13, 2024
He was diagnosed with a concussion and did not return. Olave also lost a fumble on the play and finished with negative points as a result. This was a tough break for fantasy owners as he was injured early and never had a real chance to contribute.
We should expect Olave to miss Thursday night’s game against the Denver Broncos. Rashid Shaheed should operate as New Orleans’ defacto WR1. Rookie receiver Bub Means tied for the team lead with eight targets Sunday. He could be a potential bye-week replacement and is worth an add in deeper leagues.
Jerome Ford - RB, Cleveland Browns
Hamstring injuries were going around like the flu in Week 6. Ford suffered a hamstring injury early in Sunday’s contest against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Browns RB Jerome Ford is questionable to return today with a hamstring injury.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 13, 2024
Ultimately, Ford was unable to return to action. Longtime Cleveland starter Nick Chubb is slated to return in Week 7, so Ford’s time atop the depth chart was coming to an end. Despite Ford's injury, we should still expect Chubb to split carries as he is unlikely to immediately receive a full workload.
D’Onta Foreman and Pierre Strong Jr. received work once Ford was injured. Both are worth a look on waivers should Ford miss time. However, both Foreman and Strong are unlikely to be viable long-term plays with Chubb expected back next week. It’s likely only a matter of time until he retakes control of this backfield.
Dontayvion Wicks - WR, Green Bay Packers
Wicks was injured early in Sunday’s victory over the Arizona Cardinals. He was diagnosed with a shoulder injury and did not return to the game.
WR Dontayvion Wicks is questionable to return with a shoulder injury.#AZvsGB
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) October 13, 2024
The sophomore wide receiver said he is day-to-day, so this doesn’t sound too serious. Wicks was a popular waiver addition a few weeks ago after injuries struck the Green Bay depth chart, but he has now disappointed gamers in back-to-back weeks. He might have blown his opportunity as Christian Watson returned yesterday to lead the team in receiving and also scored a touchdown.
Wicks is still a talented player, and he’s worth stashing on your roster if you’ve got the room. However, we are in the thick of bye weeks, and owners need viable replacements. Gamers should feel comfortable kicking Wicks back to waivers if they need replacements for Week 7.
Marvin Harrison Jr. - WR, Arizona Cardinals
Arizona’s rookie receiver was looking forward to another solid outing against the Green Bay Packers. Sadly, those hopes were dashed when Harrison suffered a concussion.
Marvin Harrison Jr #cardinals
Injured on this play, appears to take a thigh to the head. We’ll see if he can return pic.twitter.com/gV4YsIZGq2
— Tom Christ, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT (@FantasyInjuryT) October 13, 2024
We should plan on Harrison missing Week 7. Sometimes players can quickly clear concussion protocol and suit up for the next game, but these instances are rare.
Arizona does play on Monday night next week. That gives Harrison an extra day to clear protocol, but we should still consider him a long shot to play. We will have to monitor his practice status throughout the week.
Trey McBride will likely operate as Arizona’s top receiving threat with Harrison sidelined. Michael Wilson and Greg Dortch would also see an increase in targets. They are worth adding off waivers and could be inserted in lineups if managers need a receiver or flex play.
Tyjae Spears - RB, Tennessee Titans
Spears also fell victim to a hamstring injury yesterday. He was forced to leave the game and did not return. The sophomore rusher said he is optimistic the injury is not too serious, but we won’t know for sure until further testing is done. Stay tuned to the RotoBaller news feed for further updates on his status.
Tony Pollard will operate as the Titans' clear bellcow back for however long Spears is sidelined. Pollard has been functioning as the lead back even with Spears’ health and would be a clear RB1 with the sophomore back potentially out of action.
Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The 11th-year veteran suffered an unknown injury in yesterday’s victory over the New Orleans Saints.
Not sure if Bowles addressed Mike Evans in his postgame, but he was in and out with some kind of injury -- didn't have a catch after the opening drive, only had one target in second half (Bucs only had six passes in second half). Finished with two for 34 yards on six targets.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) October 13, 2024
Evans left the game and went to the locker room but did eventually return. We don’t know what type of injury he sustained or the severity. It doesn’t appear to be too serious as he returned to the field. It is worth noting that Evans only caught two passes on the day, so the injury may have affected his play.
We should know more about this situation later today or tomorrow. Gamers will need to monitor the Tampa Bay injury report throughout the week to get a better gauge of his Week 7 status.
Chris Godwin would be the team’s clear-cut WR1 should Evans miss time. Sterling Shepard and rookie Jalen McMillan could also see increased roles in a potential Evans’ absence and would be worth adding off waivers. The veteran will probably suit up next Monday against the Baltimore Ravens, but managers should have a backup plan just in case he can’t go.
James Conner - RB, Arizona Cardinals
Conner appeared to suffer some kind of injury yesterday. At one point, he was spotted getting both of his ankles taped on the sideline.
RB James Conner looks like he's getting ankles taped on sideline. Now running sprints to test whatever he needs.
— Darren Urban (@Cardschatter) October 13, 2024
The veteran back did return to the game and attempted to fight through his ailment. He was not particularly effective though and only totaled 46 yards on 11 touches. This injury was not widely reported, but Conner clearly was battling some kind of issue. Managers should not be surprised if he pops up on Arizona’s injury report and misses some practice time.
Rookie Trey Benson and veteran Emari Demercado would likely form some kind of committee if Conner misses time. Benson was selected in the third round of this year’s draft and might seem like the preferred play, but Demercado has been playing ahead of him. Both would be worth an add from waivers if Conner is out.
Ladd McConkey - WR, Los Angeles Chargers
McConkey was evaluated for a head injury during Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos.
Now Ladd McConkey is being pulled off the field, likely for concussion screening after this contact to the helmet. https://t.co/BIfAUFznIj pic.twitter.com/NgZ9fyhbov
— Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT (@jmthrivept) October 13, 2024
He did clear the concussion protocol and returned to the game. While he avoided a head injury, he was seen leaving the game several other times and genuinely looked beat up. He did take an awkward hit, so it’s possible he was fighting through a different injury than what he was evaluated for.
McConkey should be fine moving forward, but gamers should still monitor his status just in case he suffers any delayed concussion symptoms later in the week, or if he sustained a different type of injury that flares up.
Jayden Reed - WR, Green Bay Packers
Reed continued his solid sophomore season in Week 6 as he led the team in receptions and found the endzone for the fourth time this year.
Bird is the word.
TOUCHDOWN. JAYDEN. REED.#AZvsGB pic.twitter.com/VOwG4XEY7Q
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) October 13, 2024
Unfortunately, he also suffered an ankle injury.
WR Jayden Reed is questionable to return with an ankle injury.#AZvsGB
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) October 13, 2024
Reed was able to return to the game, but we should monitor this injury going forward. Ankle injuries can sometimes get worse after a game is finished, so we need to watch his practice status throughout the week.
Christian Watson, Tucker Kraft, and potentially Dontayvion Wicks (depending on his health) could all benefit from any Reed absence. For now, though, gamers should proceed as though Reed is fine but should be prepared in case he does pop up on Green Bay’s injury report this week.
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