Bye weeks have arrived, injuries are piling up, and star players are underperforming. It’s peak fantasy football season!
Before you head to the waiver wire ahead of Week 7, here are 13 utilization notes to know from Week 6 of the 2022 NFL season.
13
New Orleans Saints: WR Marquez Callaway gets season-high 7 targets
Callaway has had an underwhelming start to the season with nine catches for 98 yards and one touchdown in six games. After playing just 50 snaps through the first three games, though, he has stepped up as an injury fill-in, totaling 54-plus snaps in each of the last three weeks. The increased playing time hasn’t led to much production, but he did draw seven targets on Sunday. Callaway totaled three receptions for 36 yards on those targets. Right now, he is not an option outside of deep leagues, but Callaway’s utilization will be worth monitoring going forward.
12
Atlanta Falcons: WR Drake London's dip continues
After getting 25 targets through the first three games and scoring twice, London’s targets and receptions have dipped, and he hasn’t returned to the end zone. The talented rookie was targeted just four times in Week 6 and caught three passes for 40 yards. London should not be dropped, but until his targets start to go up, fantasy managers might need to reluctantly bench him.
11
Green Bay Packers: TE Robert Tonyan's best game of the season
Tonyan was targeted a season-high 12 times in Week 6, and he totaled 10 catches for 90 yards. That big game seems to be more of an anomaly than any kind of indicator of future usage. Before Sunday, Tonyan was averaging 3.4 catches and 25.8 receiving yards per game this year. Tonyan is a roll-the-dice option at tight end.
10
Denver Broncos: TE Greg Dulcich makes instant impact
After spending the first five games of the season on injured reserve, Dulcich made his NFL debut on Monday and caught two passes for 44 yards and a touchdown on three targets (the incompletion was in the end zone). Dulcich had a quiet second half as Denver’s entire offense struggled, but the rookie has clearly emerged as the team’s new TE1 and is an intriguing waiver-wire option.
9
Tampa Bay Bucs: TE Cade Otton has a big opportunity
After suffering a concussion earlier this season, tight end Cameron Brate was carted off the field on Sunday with a neck injury. Tampa Bay will want to be cautious with Brate going forward, which likely means more snaps for Cade Otton. The Bucs offense is struggling right now, but Tom Brady has been a very tight end-friendly fantasy QB in the past. Otton is worth a flier if you’re thin at TE.
8
New York Jets: RB Michael Carter taking a back seat to rookie
Carter scored a pair of touchdowns last week, and fluky TDs could salvage his value on any given week, but he has clearly taken a back seat to Breece Hall. The rookie exploded over the last two games with 318 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns since Week 5. Carter, meanwhile, had just 10 rushes last week and six rushes on Sunday, and he is not as involved in the passing game as Hall.
7
Los Angeles Rams: Who will replace RB Cam Akers?
Akers’ time in L.A. appears to be coming to an end as the Rams are expected to field trade calls for the running back. Darrell Henderson is the team’s primary running back, but who will replace Akers as the new RB2? It was Malcolm Brown on Sunday, but he was not very effective (seven rushes for 15 yards). A deep sleeper to keep an eye on his rookie Kyren Williams, who suffered an ankle injury in Week 1 and was given a recovery timeline of 6-8 weeks. Five weeks later, it might be time to begin considering Williams as a waiver-wire stash in deep leagues.
6
Atlanta Falcons: No clear front-runner between RBs Huntley, Allgeier
After placing Cordarrelle Patterson on injured reserve with a knee injury, the Falcons appear content to split the backfield work between Caleb Huntley and Tyler Allgeier in a near-even rotation. Hunter (16 carries for 59 yards) and Allgeier (15 rushes for 51 yards) had nearly identical production in Week 6, and it will be hard to predict a better play between them while Patterson is sidelined for at least two more weeks.
5
Chicago Bears: RB Khalil Herbert still a flex option?
Herbert is a must-start whenever David Montgomery is sidelined, and it appears that Herbert might also have standalone value even when Montgomery plays. Herbert plays in a bad offense, but he’s a big play waiting to happen as demonstrated by his 64-yard run last Thursday. His value is obviously capped by Montgomery’s workload, but Herbert deserves consideration as a flex.
4
San Francisco 49ers: RB Jeff Wilson's stock is falling
Any lead running back in a Shanahan offense is going to have value, but Wilson’s time as a fantasy starter might be coming to an end soon. After a solid four-week stretch, Wilson rushed just seven times in Week 6 as Tevin Coleman (four rushes) and Deebo Samuel (two rushes) prevented him from hitting double-digit carries. Granted, the 49ers were playing from behind on Sunday, but there is reason to believe Wilson’s workload could be trending down in the coming weeks. San Francisco hopes to have Elijah Mitchell (sprained MCL) back in Week 10, and Mitchell will likely resume RB1 duties once he returns. The 49ers do have two more games to play before Mitchell’s expected return, but it might be time to sell Wilson if you can find any buyers.
3
Indianapolis Colts: RB Deon Jackson has a career day
With both Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines sidelined in Week 6, the Colts turned to Jackson, who took advantage of his opportunity. The second-year running back rushed 12 times for 42 rushing yards and a touchdown while adding 10 receptions for 79 yards. Jackson, who exited Sunday’s game with a quad injury, only has starter value in the specific circumstance of both Taylor and Hines being injured and Jackson is healthy himself.
2
Denver Broncos: RB Melvin Gordon benched
Gordon was benched at halftime of Monday’s game against the Chargers, and he was replaced by Latavius Murray, who rushed 15 times for 66 yards. Mike Boone also rotated in, gaining one yard on one carry, but Murray was the team’s top back in the second half. In case the rotation remains this way going forward, Murray should be a priority add on the waiver wire. But don’t drop Gordon just yet — he could become a starter again if the Broncos trade him before the NFL’s Nov. 1 deadline.
1
Washington Commanders: RB Brian Robinson emerges as RB1
It took Robinson just two games to emerge as Washington’s clear starter. The rookie has jumped Antonio Gibson on the depth chart, and while J.D. McKissic remains the Commanders’ receiving back, the team clearly wants Robinson to handle most of the carries. The rookie rushed 17 times for 60 yards and a touchdown last Thursday, and he should be considered a fantasy starter going forward. Make sure he’s not available on the waiver wire in all of your leagues.
