Heading into Week 6, many of us are feeling the pinch from injuries and when that precious No. 1 pick in your draft (Justin Jefferson) lands on injured reserve, you realize that your best played now was the 24th pick in your draft. Aaron Jones and Austin Ekeler have been painful to see on my roster for the last month.
After five games, were getting comfortable with how good and bad the players are. And from here on out, depth chart movement and new opportunities will almost entirely be related to injured players being out.
Let’s take a look at what the impact injuries have had over the first five weeks, and a few other notables to think about heading into the weekend.
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Running Back Injuries – Feels like there are more running backs getting hurt this season, so I took the Top-20 from the average draft from the last three years and marked the week in black if they didn’t play.
So yes, there have been more injuries through the first five weeks. Twice as many as either of the last two years. Hey, it’s getting hard out there – this doesn’t even touch playing injured. Just the zero point games.
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Wide Receiver Injuries – This is info to consider when making position choices during your draft. Are running backs or wide receivers more reliable to play?
Not only were the wideouts far less likely to miss games, but there was usually only one of the Top-20 draft picks that missed more than one. This year, Kupp was out for four games and Higgins had two. Notable too is that Justin Jefferson just landed on injured reserve.
- WR Chase Claypool – Sure, I was comfortable thinking that Claypool was just another “physical freak” who had one monster game in his career and then flamed out. That may well be still true, but Claypool leaves a passing attack that has improved from the disaster of 2022, but he just never made a difference and potentially rubbed coaches and players the wrong way (Part 2). But ending up in Miami is an opportunity his past probably doesn’t deserve. There are interesting aspects to joining Miami, who has suggested that the 6-4, 238-pound wideout might play tight end (which they have never used much under Mike McDaniel). Rumors abound that Jaylen Waddle could be traded – likely not true – but that would move everyone else up a notch on the depth chart. Just do not admit that you are tracking him or have him hidden in the dark recesses of your fantasy bench.
- RB D’Onta Foreman – The Bears backfield is not only a mess to decipher, but in the end, they all watch Justin Fields run past on the way to the endzone. But Khalil Herbert has a high-ankle sprain and will miss multiple weeks. Roschon Johnson has a concussion but has impressed. Foreman has been inactive for several games but may be the only healthy back. He ran for 914 yards in Carolina last year with five 100-yard games. What interests the most is that he’ll play the Vikings and maybe the Raiders as a waiver wire scrape. But watch what he does, not because he is taking over the crowded Bears’ backfield but also because we are heading into a three-week stretch where teams will make trades to fill holes or get more value getting rid of a player than keeping him. Running backs are getting hurt, and teams will be looking for help.
- WR KJ Osborn – Justin Jefferson landed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury that happened without contact. And while they said they expect him back this season, it wasn’t one of those “on the field in five weeks” declarations. How do you replace the best wideout in the world? Probably not that well. But Osborn slides over to take Jefferson’s split-end spot. Jordan Addison remains as the flanker and Brandon Powell is in the slot. Given that T.J. Hockenson maybe be the primary receiver now, the No. 3 wideout isn’t likely to matter. Osborn knows the offense and has chemistry with Kirk Cousins. The fear now is the rumor that they might trade Cousins away if they decide the season is already over and want to build for 2024. It’s worth tracking to see how the offense changes, though overall, it will not be for the better.
- Atlanta Offense – It is hard to track what HC Arthur Smith is doing in Atlanta, but the highly drafted offensive pieces are in place for what should be an offensive juggernaut. They even have a solid offensive line. But they have disappointed all last year, and again through Week 4. Then, they played the Texans who shut down the running game and made Desmond Ridder pass for 329 yards and a score. And for once, both Kyle Pitts and Drake London were both productive. They face the weak Commanders’ secondary this week, and it is a chance for back-to-back high-point offensive performances. There’s still a chance for the offense to reach their potential, but it has to show again this week.
About last night
Credit: William Purnell-USA TODAY Sports
Denver 9, Kansas City 19
The Chiefs won, and even beat the 10.5 point line. But this game was yet another low-scoring Thursday night affair, that contained precious few notable fantasy performances and WOW Taylor Swift! served no purpose other than give the Chiefs ten days off before they face the Chargers.
Javonte Williams was able to play and led the backfield with ten carries for 52 yards. That left the rookie Jaleel McLaughlin with only seven runs for 30 yards though he caught two passes for 12 yards. The struggles of Russell Wilson were on full display with 13-of-22 completions gaining just 95 yards and one score with two interceptions, Wilson had a QB-rating of just 46.6. The Denver defense played better than usual, though that could also be that the Chiefs just played worse from the Thursday night effect.
Isiah Pacheco (16-62) handled all but two carries for the backfield, and added six catches for 36 yards. Patrick Mahomes threw for 306 yards and one score but could have turned in three scores for the want of a few more yards and one interception. Travis Kelce dominated the first half and ended with 124 yards on nine catches. The Broncos opted to actually cover him in the second half and held him to only two receptions for 15 yards.
Rashee Rice was the next best receiver with four catches for 72 yards, but Mahomes threw to five other wideouts on the night. The 5-1 Chiefs keep their best record status in the AFC while the 1-5 Broncos are thinking about having a garage sale next week.
