The Week 6 RB injury report has some intriguing names present for fantasy football managers. While it is not the most packed list of NFL injury updates at the RB position, there are certainly fantasy implications. Let’s examine the latest RB injury report coming out of Wednesday’s practices.
Practice status listings are as follows: DNP – did not participate, LP – limited participant, FP – full participant.
RB Injury Report Heading Into Week 6
Jonathan Taylor, IND | Ankle (DNP)
Nyheim Hines, IND | Concussion (Limited)
Phillip Lindsay, IND | Back (not listed)
After Jonathan Taylor missed the Indianapolis Colts’ Thursday Night Football game last week, there was hope he would be able to return for Week 6. There was initially some concern among Colts’ beat reporters when Taylor was not on the field to open practice. However, the RB later emerged onto the field and worked with the trainers on the side. He was considered a non-participant at practice, meaning we will need to watch his progress during the week.
The fact that Taylor was able to get out and work with the trainers is a positive sign. Tests on his ankle came back negative, indicating there was no high-ankle sprain. While he was unable to play on the short week in Week 5, there is optimism that Taylor will be back on the field in Week 6. If he plays, it is impossible to do anything other than throw him back into fantasy lineups. If he does miss Week 6, the Colts’ backfield will still have other question marks.
While Nyheim Hines was spotted in a red non-contact jersey, the fact he was on the field at all is promising. That would indicate Hines has made some steps through the concussion protocol. We will need to monitor his availability during the week, especially with Phillip Lindsay not seen at practice on Wednesday. Lindsay will not appear on the official practice injury report, as he has reverted back to the practice squad.
If Taylor misses time, Deon Jackson could be an intriguing player to look to as a 16-team Flex option. If Hines and Lindsay also struggle to suit up or are limited on Sunday, Jackson could creep into 12- and 14-team league Flex consideration as the Colts’ lead back.
Damien Harris, NE | Hamstring (LP)
Reports early in the week had Damien Harris set to miss a few weeks with the hamstring injury he suffered in Week 5. However, Harris was listed as limited to open practice for Week 6, raising some hopes he might be able to play on Sunday. It will be interesting to see how he progresses during the week and whether New England makes any other roster moves at RB.
If Harris does play, it would be a surprise if he does not see a reduced workload, with Rhamondre Stevenson taking the bulk of the work. Whether Harris is active or not, Stevenson is essentially a must-start in all formats in what is a very nice matchup with a Browns run defense that has struggled in recent weeks.
Saquon Barkley, NYG | Shoulder (LP)
The presence of Saquon Barkley on the Wednesday injury report will have raised some eyebrows. Barkley left the game for a period against the Green Bay Packers before returning to score a crucial touchdown. There appears to be absolutely no concern over Barkley’s availability as of Wednesday, so this could be something that fizzles out quickly across the rest of the week.
James Conner, ARI | Rib (DNP)
Darrel Williams, ARI | Knee (DNP)
The Cardinals practice report on Wednesday is somewhat difficult to decipher, as the team held a closed walkthrough rather than an open practice. Earlier in the day, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported that James Conner’s status will become clearer later in the week, while Darrel Williams is expected to be out.
Cardinals’ head coach Kliff Kingsbury referred to Conner as day-to-day and was quoted as saying, “we will see” in regards to Williams. If Conner plays, it sounds like it will be a pain tolerance issue, which is tough to judge. He is a largely touchdown-dependent fantasy option right now, so it may end up being prudent to sit him out of an abundance of caution. If Conner misses time, Eno Benjamin figures to be the lead back but could split touches with one of a number of other backs on the roster.
Tyrion Davis-Price, SF | Knee (FP)
Tyrion Davis-Price appears set to return in Week 6. That is good news for Davis-Price but complicates a backfield that saw Jeff Wilson Jr. and Tevin Coleman getting touches last week. It would be surprising to see Davis-Price get a heavy workload in his first game back, so his fantasy value will be limited. Additionally, you would expect him to eat into more of Coleman’s work than Wilson’s. Therefore, Wilson should be good to start for fantasy managers in Week 6.
Justice Hill, BAL | Hamstring (DNP)
Notably, Justice Hill remained absent from practice to open Week 6. However, we saw last week that Hill’s absence did not mean a significant increase in work for J.K. Dobbins. Instead, Kenyan Drake and Mike Davis stepped up to take on work, with Devin Duvernay also carrying the ball three times.
