Broncos WR Courtland Sutton mustered only 2 catches for 14 yards against the Chargers in Week 6. This outcome surfaced despite the Bolts benching starting CB J.C. Jackson in the 2nd half. Sutton saw only 3 targets, behind both Jerry Jeudy (7) and Mike Boone (4). Sutton entered the night with 50+ yards in 5 straight, so this performance was certainly an outlier. But it’s a reminder that this passing game will continue to carry volatility for at least the foreseeable future. Week 7 turns up a home matchup with the Jets.
The Chargers pulled CB J.C. Jackson in the 2nd half of Monday night's OT win over the Broncos, opting for Michael Davis in his place. "It just wasn't good enough in the first half, and we felt like we needed to make a change," HC Brandon Staley said afterward, according to Chargers Wire. Jackson committed a 21-yard PI penalty on Courtland Sutton in the 1st quarter and later played a key role in TE Greg Dulcich getting open for his TD catch. We'll see about the team's plan at that corner spot for a Week 7 date with Seattle.
Packers QB Aaron Rodgers struggled mightily in Week 6, posting 246 yards and 1 TD on 41 attempts. He tied a season-high with 4 sacks against a Jets team that entered with only 10 in 5 games. After the loss, Rodgers shared a desire to simplify the offense. Something has to change, as he enters Week 7 as the QB18. The Washington matchup is a positive one, but it's tough to put QB1-level faith in Rodgers right now.
Broncos HC Nathaniel Hackett revealed after Monday night's OT loss to the Chargers that QB Russell Wilson hurt a hamstring in the 2nd half, according to ESPN's Jeff Legwold. Wilson got treatment after the game and will have further testing on the issue today. Week 7 holds a Sunday home date with the Jets.
Chargers TE Donald Parham caught all 3 of his targets for 53 yards in Week 6. This followed a 1-target, 0-catch debut in Week 5. The 6'8 skyscraper carries some appeal in ultra-deep TD-only leagues, but note that he ran only 11 routes against Denver. That ranked behind both Gerald Everett (37) and Tre’ McKitty (17).
Broncos TE Greg Dulcich made his NFL debut vs. the Chargers on Monday night and immediately stepped into the lead TE role. He paced Broncos TEs with a 71% snap rate and 79% route rate. Dulcich garnered 3 targets (an 11% share), catching 2 for 44 yards and Denver's only TD of the night. If the rookie can hang around an 80% route rate, he has a chance to be a viable fantasy option moving forward. Dulcich should be rostered in fantasy leagues of 12+ teams.
Chargers RB Joshua Kelley injured his knee in the 1st half of Monday night's game vs. the Broncos and didn't return. That left Sony Michel as Los Angeles' #2 RB. We'll see about the severity of Kelley's injury. If he's going to miss multiple weeks, Michel will be worth stashing as the Austin Ekeler handcuff.
Rams HC Sean McVay said Monday that he expects to get WR Van Jefferson back after the Week 7 bye. Jefferson has been sidelined since undergoing knee surgery in early August. The Rams desperately need his deep speed. Jefferson averaged 16.0 yards per catch on a 13.5-yard average depth of target last season. None of the Rams' current top 3 WRs (Cooper Kupp, Allen Robinson, Ben Skowronek) are averaging more than 10.8 yards per catch this year.
Packers HC Matt LaFleur said Monday that WR Randall Cobb's ankle injury is not season-ending but that he'll likely be out multiple weeks. His absence will leave WR Amari Rodgers as Green Bay's primary slot receiver. LaFleur did say that WR Sammy Watkins (hamstring) might be ready to come off IR this week. But Allen Lazard and Romeo Doubs are the only Packers WRs worth rostering in fantasy.
Broncos TE Albert Okwuegbunam is a healthy scratch for tonight's game vs. the Chargers. He played just 16 snaps over the past 2 weeks and lost his spot on the active roster tonight to rookie TE Greg Dulcich. Okwuegbunam is not worth stashing in redraft fantasy leagues.
Broncos RB Melvin Gordon (neck, ribs) is active for tonight's game vs. the Chargers. He was listed as questionable, but there never seemed to be any doubt about his availability for this one. Gordon should get 1st crack at leading the backfield tonight, but we'll see how much RBs Mike Boone and Latavius Murray mix in.
As expected, Chargers WR Keenan Allen (hamstring) is inactive for tonight's game vs. the Broncos. He was listed as doubtful, but he got in 3 limited practices this week and is targeting a return this Sunday vs. the Seahawks. Josh Palmer and DeAndre Carter get another game as Los Angeles' #2 and #3 WRs, respectively.
Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel said Monday that QB Tua Tagovailoa will work as the starter in practice this week and is expected to be ready for Sunday night's game against the Steelers, according to NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe. Tagovailoa, of course, last played in the Thursday night loss to Cincinnati in Week 4. We'll watch his status this week, but expect the Miami QB to be a viable starting option for fantasy football lineups in Week 7.
The Cardinals listed RB James Conner (ribs) and RB Darrel Williams (knee) as missing practice in their estimated report Monday, ahead of the Thursday night game against the Saints. We'll see whether either guy progresses enough this week to be in play for that contest.
The Saints listed WRs Michael Thomas (foot) and Jarvis Landry (ankle) as missing practice on Monday's estimated report, ahead of the Thursday night game against Arizona. WR Chris Olave (concussion) was off the injury report, indicating he should be good to go for Week 7.
The Saints listed QB Jameis Winston (back, ankle) and QB Andy Dalton (back) as limited participants in Monday's estimated injury report. Dalton sustained his injury in Sunday's loss to the Bengals. The report was "estimated" because New Orleans ran no actual practice Monday. The team will face Arizona on Thursday night.
The foot injury for Cardinals WR Marquise Brown isn't as bad as feared, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Brown suffered a small, "non-surgical" fracture to his left foot. It's expected to need 6 weeks' healing time. Brown is reportedly headed to Dr. Robert Anderson for a 2nd opinion. With Arizona's Week 13 bye 7 weeks from now, it seems like Week 14 against the Patriots is the earliest we're likely to see him. That timeline would make Brown cuttable in many fantasy leagues that don't have IR slots. We'd wait for official confirmation on his prognosis before making any move, though.
Broncos TE Greg Dulcich has been activated for tonight's game vs. the Chargers. The rookie missed a bunch of practice time this spring and summer but has a chance to carve out a real role in this passing game the rest of the way. We'll be keeping a close eye on his usage tonight.
Commanders QB Carson Wentz is expected to miss "roughly" 4-6 weeks with the fractured ring finger on his right hand, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. We'll see if Wentz lands on IR, but he can be dropped from all rosters in 1-QB fantasy leagues. Wentz hasn't been great through 6 weeks, completing 62% of his passes for just 6.4 yards per attempt. He sits 24th among 32 qualifiers in Pro Football Focus' passing grades. Washington will now turn QB Taylor Heinicke, which might just be a lateral move. We'll see if Heinicke can get more out of WR Terry McLaurin, who's seen just 16% of Commanders targets so far. 5th-round rookie QB Sam Howell is also on this roster and might hit the field at some point if Heinicke struggles.
Ravens HC John Harbaugh said there's a "possibility" that RB Gus Edwards (knee) makes his 2022 debut vs. the Browns this weekend. Edwards returned to practice a couple of weeks ago after his September 2021 ACL tear. He won't be a fantasy option out of the gate, but there's room for Edwards to carve out a role with RB J.K. Dobbins struggling to round into form off his multi-ligament knee injury.
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