It is mind-numbing to think about all of the various injuries that wreak havoc on fantasy football lineups every week. Week 6 was particularly brutal to several relevant wide receivers that happened to be in the midst of productive games. Once again, fantasy GMs will be asked to overcome such despair and make difficult choices when it comes to preparing for Week 7. So without further adieu, here is the next edition of the gridiron walking wounded.
.jpg)
Odell Beckham, Jr. (WR – NYG)
Beckham did not practice all week but is with the team in Philadelphia as the Giants prepare for their Monday night showdown with the Eagles. He will be a game-time decision so by now you either conservatively kept him on the bench or already committed to him. If healthy and on the field, Beckham could be in for a monster game against a suspect Eagles defense.
Keenan Allen (WR – SD)
Fantasy owners were treated to a 14-catch performance by Allen before he left the game against Green Bay with an apparent hip injury. He was a significant part of Philip Rivers’ 500-yard game and could have had even more if not for the injury. We will know more about his status during the week so check in for updates. Allen is unquestionably a must-start option if he plays next week against a susceptible Oakland defense.
Emmanuel Sanders (WR – DEN)
Sanders sustained a sprained AC joint when he dove for a pass during Denver’s overtime win against Cleveland. He did come back for a play in overtime but left the game again after that. Denver is on a bye for Week 7 which is good news since it will give Sanders two weeks to recover. While he is an extremely valuable player in all fantasy formats, it cannot be denied that Peyton Manning’s struggles have prevented Sanders from replicating the kind of numbers he had in 2014.
Allen Robinson (WR – JAX)
Robinson had a collision with Lonnie Ballentine during Jacksonville’s game against Houston and suffered a leg contusion. Robinson was using crutches after the game but his injury dwarfs that of Ballentine, who had to be carted off the field. Check back in during the week for more updates on Robinson’s status for next Sunday against Buffalo.
Jeremy Maclin (WR – KC)
Maclin had to be helped off the field after suffering a concussion during the Chiefs’ loss to Minnesota on Sunday. He’ll have to go through the concussion protocol during the week so his status for next Sunday is in question. His value is diminished now that opponents don’t have to defend Kansas City’s running game after Jamaal Charles’ season-ending injury.
Ameer Abdullah (RB – DET)
Rookie Ameer Abdullah sustained a stinger during the Lions’ overtime win against the Bears on Sunday. He seemed to get banged up when he recovered his own fumble and only saw limited touches later in the game. It’s unclear whether his health or the fumble itself played a bigger role in his diminished playing time, but he should be ready to go in Week 7 against the Vikings.
Sammy Watkins (WR – BUF)
Watkins has quickly established himself as an injury-riddled player after missing several weeks with a calf injury. During Buffalo’s loss to Cincinnati, Watkins managed to get injured again while scoring a touchdown and spraining his ankle. He was seen on crutches later on and his status for Week 7 goes back to familiar territory of being questionable.
Ty Montgomery (WR – GB)
Montgomery had become a more vital part of Green Bay’s offense since Davante Adams went down with an injury a few weeks. However, he sustained an ankle injury when getting tackled after receiving a shovel pass during the Packers’ win over San Diego. He had to be carted off the field so Green Bay’s bye week couldn’t be coming at a better time.
Michael Vick (QB – PIT)
It is hard to imagine a scenario where Vick is starting again next week after an abysmal performance against Arizona before leaving the game with a hamstring injury. Vick’s best days are well behind him and now the combination of terrible play and injuries could mean he is back on the bench for good. Ben Roethlisberger could be back by next week, but if not then there is a good chance Landry Jones will get the start.
Michael A. Stein, Esq. is the Chief Justice of Fantasy Judgment, the industry's premier dispute resolution service, and is also the co-host of the Fantasy Alarm podcast. You can contact him at michael.stein@fantasyjudgment.com or on Facebook and Twitter (@FantasyJudgment).
Player News
ESPN’s Ryan McFadden reports Jakobi Meyers is “open” to an extension with the Raiders.
Meyers is entering the final year of a three-year, $33 million contract signed in the 2023 offseason and coming off an 87/1027/4 receiving line in 2024. McFadden writes that the team views Meyers as a “key player” on the roster. Meyers could probably come close to a $20 million AAV in a new contract given the way the market is trending — that’s about what Stefon Diggs got from the Patriots this offseason after a lengthy wait.
The Athletic’s Nate Taylor writes that the Chiefs “need a young, dynamic running back to pair with” Isiah Pacheco.
Rarely do you see a beat writer go with the word “need,” but here we are. Kansas City clearly had no juice in the running game all last season as Pacheco struggled to run the same after returning from a broken leg. Kareem Hunt was a steady veteran pounder but couldn’t hit a second gear. Taylor notes that Brett Veach has been quoted as saying running backs in Andy Reid’s offense “need to be a better receiver than a runner” and ties them to Georgia back Trevor Etienne.
The Athletic’s Chad Graff “gets the sense” that the Patriots “would like to add a speedy running back” to “complement” Rhamondre Stevenson.
Graff writes this in the context of a mock draft where he selects Bhayshul Tuten for the Patriots, but this is not the first time this offseason someone has mentioned running back as a potential position of need for the Patriots behind Stevenson. Tuten ran the fastest 40-yard dash at the combine at 4.32. Other running backs on the podium for the 40 in Indianapolis included Texas’ Jaydon Blue (4.38) and SMU’s Brashard Smith (4.39), so they could also be interesting Patriots targets.
Courtland Sutton said extension talks with the Broncos are “working in the right direction.”
“I’m open and optimistic about the fact that I’ll be able to be here for the rest of my career,” Sutton added. The timeline for Sutton’s extension has been downplayed a bit by the Broncos this offseason and it sounds like they’re probably just waiting to figure out what happens in the draft to lock down a figure. Sutton was an unhappy camper last season after getting only a band-aid adjustment to his contract, but responded with one of the best seasons of his career.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reports “more than one person sa[id] to me that if [Shedeur] Sanders goes in the first round, it’ll be because an owner got involved.”
Breer writes a pretty rough profile of Sanders’ current prospects, reporting he doesn’t believe Sanders is going in the top three and that it’d be “surprising” if he went in the top 10. “I’m having a really hard time finding coaches or scouts who believe Sanders is a first-round talent,” is the lede of that section of the column. The draft landscape is always shifting and we’ve seen perceived first-round quarterbacks like Will Levis and Malik Willis tumble out of Day 1 — it’s possible that Sanders will be the next to join that list.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reports that “other teams were under the impression” that Derek Carr was seeking a trade this offseason.
Regarding his injury, Breer writes that the “Saints knew about this shoulder issue. What I’m less sure about is if they view it as something that was actually threatening his 2025 season. The story I’ve heard is that Carr’s camp has told people that this actually stems from his ’23 AC joint sprain, which never fully healed,” Breer continues. The implication here seems to be that Carr wanted to play for former Saints coach Dennis Allen and may not be as thrilled to play with Kellen Moore. That Carr would really threaten to go under the knife to fix his arm rather than play out the 2025 season as a starter seems hard to believe, but his status with the Saints even beyond that appears to be shaky at the moment. New Orleans holds the No. 9 pick in the draft and could look to take a quarterback early to address the room.