Dolphins TE Mike Gesicki erupted for 6-69-2 against the Vikings in Week 6. He saw just a 14.8% target share, but he benefited from 47 team pass attempts while Miami played from behind. Gesicki’s usage was encouraging beyond the targets, as he earned a ~77% route rate. This was simply his best game of the season, but we’re not ready to elevate him into the TE1 mix after one productive outing. He’ll likely rank as a low-end TE2 for Sunday’s matchup with Pittsburgh. Look for Tua Tagovailoa to return for that one.
Ravens HC John Harbaugh said Monday that WR Rashod Bateman (foot) is "close to returning." He's yet to practice since going down in Week 4. We'll track his progress leading up to Sunday's game vs. the Browns.
Vikings TE Irv Smith posted a bizarre Week 6 line at Miami: 4 catches, 7 yards and 1 TD. Smith scored at the goal line when he blocked and released to find plenty of open space. Overall, his 4 targets ranked 4th on the team behind Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen and K.J. Osborn. There hasn't been a ceiling to chase here, but Smith does enter a Week 7 bye with 3+ catches in 4 of his past 5 matchups. He could be a top-15 option in Week 8 vs. Arizona.
Vikings WR Adam Thielen found the end zone in a Week 6 win over Miami. While his 36 yards underwhelmed, he tied Justin Jefferson for the team-lead in targets (8). Thielen’s score — his 2nd of the season — came from 2 yards out when he shook free from CB Xavien Howard. Through 6 games, Thielen’s up to 29 catches, 284 yards and 2 TDs. He draws a nice matchup with Arizona following a Week 7 bye.
Vikings RB Dalvin Cook posted 77 yards and 1 score on 13 carries against the Dolphins in Week 6. The light workload was due in part to the Vikings running only 50 plays. Cook nearly busted, too, before he broke off a 53-yard TD run late in the 4th quarter. The veteran has now recorded 76+ rushing yards in 5 of 6 games this season. Just note that his receiving role remains light, as he garnered only 1 target. Cook owns only 5 catches over the past month. Next up is a Week 7 bye.
Saints TE Adam Trautman is expected to miss Thursday night's game against the Cardinals after leaving Sunday's loss with an ankle injury, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "Early signs are that he's avoided a serious issue," Fowler adds. Juwan Johnson should benefit from Trautman's absence and be a TE2-level option for fantasy football lineups in Week 7.
Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill went off for 12 catches and 177 yards in Week 6. Starting QB Skylar Thompson left the game in the 1st half due to injury, putting Teddy Bridgewater back on the field. But it simply didn’t matter for Hill, whose speed overwhelmed the Minnesota secondary. He’s now posted 3 games of 10+ catches as a Dolphin. Week 7 (vs. Pittsburgh) should bring the return of Tua Tagovailoa.
Bucs TE Cameron Brate has been diagnosed with a sprained neck, HC Todd Bowles said Monday. Brate has no neurological issues. It's about the best-case scenario after he was carted off the field during Sunday's loss to the Steelers. It's still unclear, though, how long Brate will be sidelined. If he misses games, rookie TE Cade Otton will be a low-end fantasy option.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the foot injury for Cardinals WR Marquise Brown is "potentially season-ending." Brown is undergoing further testing today to determine the extent. The trade for WR Robbie Anderson also seemed to point to concern on the team's part. We'll watch for the official diagnosis on Brown.
The Panthers are trading WR Robbie Anderson to the Cardinals, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Anderson had already been on the trade block before his sideline altercation with Carolina's coaching staff in Sunday's loss to the Rams. He heads from a pathetic Panthers passing game to a struggling Cardinals passing game. When Arizona's WR corps is healthy, Anderson might be the #4 WR behind DeAndre Hopkins, Marquise Brown and Rondale Moore. Brown went down with a foot injury late in Week 6, though, so we'll see about his status. Anderson is worth stashing in fantasy leagues of 12+ teams, but we're not very excited about his rest-of-season outlook.
Update: The Panthers are receiving a 2024 6th-round pick and a 2025 7th-rounder for Anderson, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.
Saints insider Jeff Duncan hears that WRs Michael Thomas (foot) and Jarvis Landry (ankle) are not expected back for Thursday night's game vs. the Cardinals. Neither guy seemed close to playing this past week, so it's no surprise that they won't be ready on the short turnaround. Duncan adds that there's "optimism" that WR Chris Olave will clear concussion protocol by Thursday. If that's the case, the rookie should be in for a big target share.
The Cardinals "hope" WR DeAndre Hopkins will be able to play vs. the Saints on Thursday night, according to insider Jordan Schultz. Hopkins' 6-game suspension is up, and he's in "phenomenal shape," per Schultz. But the short week complicates the situation. Of course, Arizona could really use Hopkins -- especially with WR Marquise Brown dealing with a foot injury. We'll keep you updated on this. If Hopkins does suit up on Thursday, he's best treated as a risk/reward WR3.
Browns EDGE Myles Garrett missed time at the end of Sunday's loss to the Patriots after aggravating his left-shoulder sprain. "I've been dealing with it since the accident, just trying to manage it and be in the best position to play come Sunday," he said afterward, according to Cleveland.com. "And certain falls, tackles, stuff like that that’s going to aggravate it." Garrett will get further testing on the shoulder Monday, but he says, "I'll be playing next week."
Bengals LB Logan Wilson injured his right shoulder in Sunday's win over the Saints. Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports that there's "real concern" over the injury, which occurred to the same shoulder on which Wilson had offseason surgery. That followed a 2021 injury to the joint. We'll see about the specific diagnosis and return timeline this time. Germaine Pratt and Akeem Davis-Gaither would likely lead the corps in snaps if Wilson misses further game time.
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott (thimb) told the media after Sunday night's loss to the Eagles that he plans to return for Week 7. Prescott has another doctor visit this week to check on the status on that injured thumb, but the expectation is that he'll be ready for a full practice on Wednesday. We'll track his participation throughout the week.
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts attempted just 25 passes in Sunday night's win over the Cowboys, completing 15 (60%) for 155 yards and a pair of TDs. He found A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith for the scores. Each wideout caught 5 balls for the game, with Brown tallying 67 yards and Smith 44. TE Dallas Goedert was the only other Eagle to see multiple targets, catching just 2 of his 5 for 22 yards.
Eagles RB Miles Sanders posted an 18-71-1 rushing line in Sunday night's win over the Cowboys. It marked his 2nd highest carry total of the year and the 5th straight game in which he garnered 15+ attempts. RB Boston Scott returned from a 2-game rib injury to carry 6 times for 16 yards. RB Kenneth Gainwell rushed 5 times for 25 yards. Sanders claimed the backfield's only target in a game that saw QB Jalen Hurts go just 15-for-25 passing.
Cowboys rookie TE Jake Ferguson caught 4 of 6 targets for 40 yards and the team's lone passing TD in Sunday night's loss to the Eagles. He checked in 3rd in targets, with TE Peyton Hendershot drawing another 5 and TE Sean McKeon 1 as well. WR CeeDee Lamb led Dallas with 10 targets, catching 5 for 68 yards. WR Michael Gallup ranked 2nd, putting up a 2-18 receiving line on his 7 looks. QB Cooper Rush attempted a season-high 38 passes but completed only 18 (47.4%) for 181 yards and 1 TD. He also threw 3 INTs.
Cowboys RB Tony Pollard matched his season highs for opportunities (carries + targets) and touches in Sunday night's loss to the Eagles. He ran for 44 yards on 11 carries and added 2 catches for 8 yards among 3 targets. The 14 opportunities and 13 touches matched his totals from the Week 3 win over the Giants. Pollard's 40% snap share fell right in line with the previous 4 games, however, and still well short of the 55% he played in the season-opening loss to the Buccaneers. It would seem fair to expect more opportunities for Pollard in trailing game scripts, though we remain surprised that Dallas hasn't integrated him further into the offense across situations. RB Ezekiel Elliott did run well in the loss to Philly, gaining 81 yards and scoring among his 13 carries. Elliott added 1 catch for 5 yards on his lone target.
Chiefs WR JuJu Smith-Schuster delivered 113 yards and a TD on 5 catches in Sunday's loss to the Bills. He caught all 5 targets, with the biggest strike a 42-yard catch-and-run TD. TE Travis Kelce doubled Smith-Schuster's targets (10) and finished with 8 catches for 108 yards. WR Mecole Hardman checked in 3rd on the team with 4 targets, catching 3 for 42 yards and the Chiefs' other TD. WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling went catch-less on 3 targets. He did nearly score on a reception that got wiped out by an ineligible-man-downfield penalty. Valdes-Scantling also had an end-zone target intercepted later on the same drive. Rookie WR Skyy Moore matched MVS' 3 targets, catching 1 for 24 yards.
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