Inside the Tent - Week 6 NFL Injury Insight

October 17, 2020

Injury updates and analysis for Week 6 of the 2020 NFL season. Aaron Burger, PT, DPT provides analysis on fantasy football's biggest injuries during Week 1 to help you make informed lineup start/sit decisions.

At RotoBaller, we can't stress enough the importance of keeping up with injuries and playing your best lineup week after week. Players are going to get injured, that's an unavoidable fact. What's avoidable though is making the wrong roster decisions based on the injuries surrounding your fantasy squad. If you want to dominate your leagues and win some dough in daily contests, you have to be proactive with injury research.

That's where I come in to serve you, the readers! I'm Aaron Burger, a Doctor of Physical Therapy in Pittsburgh, PA. About three years ago, I decided to combine my love, fantasy football, with what I've been learning for years now: injuries and the human body. Each week, I'll be checking in on fantasy's biggest injuries to keep you informed.

Be sure you also have RotoBaller bookmarked and follow us on social media to catch all the latest NFL news and updates. Feel free to reach out on Twitter (@aaronburgerPT) for any injury questions!

Inside the Tent Updates

Sam Darnold, QB - New York Jets

• Darnold was sacked in the first quarter of the Jets' Week 4 game and was thrown onto his right shoulder. He was diagnosed with an AC joint sprain and missed Week 5 as a result. Unfortunately, he was ruled out for Week 6 on Wednesday. AC joint sprains are particularly painful but even more so if the throwing shoulder is involved. Darnold should be able to return next week against the Bills.

Drew Lock, QB - Denver Broncos

• Lock is dealing with a rotator cuff strain after a brutal hit in Week 2 against the Steelers. He missed Weeks 3, 4, and 5 as a result but seems primed to return in Week 6. He practiced in full all week but bears a questionable tag for Week 6. Lock will return but has to travel to New England to face the Patriots without two skill position players in Noah Fant and Melvin Gordon.

Phillip Lindsay, RB - Denver Broncos

• Lindsay has not played since Week 1 due to turf toe. He was able to practice in full on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday which means he will likely be good to go for Sunday against the Patriots. Turf toe can easily be reaggravated but he is certainly worth a start with Melvin Gordon out.

Davante Adams, WR - Green Bay Packers

• Adams suffered a hamstring strain in Week 2 and missed Weeks 3 and 4 as a result. The Packers had their bye in Week 5 and now Adams will be ready to go for Week 6. As with all soft tissue injuries, there is a chance of re-injury but that remains unlikely due to the rest he was given and rehabilitation done to prevent this from happening again.

Julio Jones, WR - Atlanta Falcons

• Jones suffered a hamstring strain in Week 4 and missed Week 5 as a result. Going into the weekend, he missed practice on Wednesday and the Falcons didn't practice on Thursday. He turned in a limited practice on Friday and is free of an injury designation for Week 6. Risk adverse fantasy managers should leave Jones on the bench but those who don't mind some risk should slide him into lineups.

Chris Godwin, WR - Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

• Godwin suffered a hamstring strain in Week 3 and missed Weeks 4 and 5 as a result. The Buccaneers had an extended break with Godwin practicing in a limited fashion on Wednesday and Thursday but in full on Friday. With this being said, he will likely have a questionable tag heading into the weekend but expect him to play against Green Bay.

Noah Fant, TE - Denver Broncos

• Fant suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 4 and would have missed Week 5 if the Broncos had played. These often cause players to miss three or more games but Fant is being ruled as questionable for this week. Based on the injury, it is much safer to look elsewhere for tight end this week if Fant is indeed active based on how debilitating high-ankle sprains can be. UPDATE: Fant has been ruled OUT for Week 6.

Last Week's Injury Updates

Dak Prescott, QB - Dallas Cowboys

• Injury: Prescott suffered a fracture and dislocation to his right ankle in a brutal injury on Sunday. He was being tackled and his foot got caught in the turf causing excess force through the inside part of his ankle. There are two bones that make up the lowe part of the leg: the tibia and the fibula. There are also ligaments on the inner part of the ankle which may be involved including the tibiocalcaneal and posterior tibiotalar ligaments.
• News: He will be done for the 2020 season after having surgery on Sunday night following the game.
• Outlook: This is not a career threatening injury for Prescott but it may certainly affect the offer he will get from the Cowboys which is a sad reality of sports. Prescott, in my opinion, should be able to make a full recovery although he may be limited in off-season activities. His mobility may take a slight hit but he should remain a dynamic playmaker within the game for quite some time.

Baker Mayfield, QB - Cleveland Browns

• Injury: Mayfield was taken to the ground in Week 5 and landed on top of his throwing shower and ribs. When a player lands on the tip of their shoulder, there's always concern for an AC joint sprain which is what Sam Darnold is dealing with right now. As far as the ribs are concerned, Mayfield is likely just dealing with a contusion, or bruise, which is painful nonetheless.
• News: Following the game, he received x-rays but thankfully they were negative for any fractures in his ribs. Mayfield was able to practice in a limited fashion on Wednesday and Thursday while turning in a full practice on Friday.
• Outlook: Mayfield will be active for Week 6 but given the beating the Pittsburgh defense can give, it would be wise to generate a quick passing scheme in order to keep him upright. Rib injuries are always painful so expect some extra padding around that area. It will be interesting to see Mayfield's throwing motion but expect him to be competitive against a tough Steelers Defense.

Dalvin Cook, RB - Minnesota Vikings

• Injury: Cook suffered a hip adductor strain in Week 5 and has been ruled out for this week against the Falcons. The hip adductor muscle group, better known as the groin, is commonly injured when a player's foot is planted and the leg is stretched out to the side. There are three severity of strains: Grade I, Grade II, and Grade III with Grade I being the least severe and Grade III being the most severe. Cook is likely dealing with a Grade I strain.
• News: Cook was not able to practice on Wednesday or Thursday and has been ruled out for Week 6.
• Outlook: With Cook sidelined, it should be the Alexander Mattison show this week for Minnesota. He was drafted as a high upside backup if something were to ever happen to Cook and this is the week fantasy managers will get to start him as an RB1. This will be short-lived though, as the Vikings have a bye week next week and Cook should be back in Week 8.

Keenan Allen, WR - Los Angeles Chargers

• Injury: Allen left the Charger's Monday night game and didn't return due to muscle spasms in his back. Spasms are the result of any injury where the muscle feels it must protect the joint. Treatment includes injections, stretching, and modalities to decrease tone and ultimately relax the muscles.
• News: The Chargers have their bye week this week so Allen is not expected to miss any time.
• Outlook: Allen should be able to play in Week 7 and seems to be locked in as a WR1 with Justin Herbert at the helm for the Chargers.

Diontae Johnson, WR - Pittsburgh Steelers

• Injury: Johnson was hit in the back on a punt return and was unable to return in Week 5. Any time there is a direct blow to the body, there's always concern for bone bruises or muscle spasms in the area. Bones, just like any other tissue in the body, can bruise as they have their own blood supply.
• News: Following the game, Coach Mike Tomlin was optimistic about Johnson and believed he would ultimately be able to play in Week 6. Unfortunately, after missing practice on Wednesday and being limited on Thursday, he was ruled out for this week against the Browns.
• Outlook: The Steelers wide receivers will look similar to last week with JuJu Smith-Schuster and Chase Claypool acting as the main cogs. We certainly can't expect another four touchdown performance from Claypool but he should once again be busy with Johnson out. Eric Ebron will continue to be a red zone threat and should be able to find the end zone in Week 6.

D.J. Chark, WR - Jacksonville Jaguars

• Injury: After dealing with a chest injury to start the year, Chark returned to form in Week 4, catching two touchdowns and racking up 95 yards on eight receptions. Unfortunately, the injury bug caught Chark once again but this time his ankle is involved. As far as the extent of the injury, the two common injuries within the ankle are lateral ankle sprains and high-ankle sprains. The high-ankle sprain is much more concerning but thankfully it seems like Chark is dealing with the less severe lateral ankle sprain.
• News: Chark missed practice on Wednesday or Thursday but was able to practice in a limited fashion on Friday. With this pattern, expect Chark to either be a game-time decision or be filed out 90 minutes prior to kickoff. Either way, it's going to be tough to roster Chark with any confidence.
• Outlook: If Chark is able to play, expect him to be limited in the routes he can run and expectations should be tempered. He is always dangerous in the red zone though, so a touchdown or two could certainly save his fantasy day. Laviska Shenault is dealing with a hamstring injury himself but is trending in the right direction following a full practice on Friday. He should see an increase in volume this week if Chark is out or limited.

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