RADIO
Bowen Byram Out Against Jets With Upper-Body Injury
Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Bowen Byram (upper body) is day-to-day and won't play on Thursday against the Winnipeg Jets. This will be Byram's second absence this season, after he missed one game at the start of the month for personal reasons. Since moving from Buffalo, Byram has struggled to meet his usual standards. He has recorded one assist and a minus-seven rating in his first six appearances for the Blackhawks. Still, Byram will be a big loss for Chicago, as he leads the team with 24:42 of ice time per game. With Byram out, Ethan Del Mastro is expected to join the blue line, but he offers little value from a fantasy perspective.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Tank Dell Will Remain on Injured Reserve in Week 6
Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell (knee) will not travel with the team to London and has been officially ruled out for the Week 6 contest on Sunday against the division-rival Jacksonville Jaguars. Dell has practiced in full in both practices this week, but the Texans do not feel that he is quite ready to come off Injured Reserve to make his 2026 debut. But if the 26-year-old continues to make progress going into next week, he could be officially activated to return in Week 7 against the New York Giants. He is recovering from a severe left-knee injury (he tore multiple ligaments) that kept him out for all of last season. It remains to be seen if the former third-rounder from the University of Houston can regain his downfield speed and burst, but even after the Texans acquired former first-rounder Marvin Harrison Jr. in a trade with the Arizona Cardinals, Dell could play a key role in the team's passing attack behind WR1 Nico Collins when he returns. Dell is not a bad WR stash for fantasy managers with IR spots available. He caught 98 passes for 1,376 yards and 10 touchdowns on 98 targets in his first two years in the NFL.
Source: Houston Texans PR
Source: Houston Texans PR
Filip Chytil Available for Season Debut Thursday
Vancouver Canucks center Filip Chytil (shoulder) will make his 2026-27 debut in Thursday's matchup with the Florida Panthers. This will be his first regular-season appearance since Feb. 2. Chytil has dealt with several health issues and missed the start of this season with a shoulder injury. He will center the third line on Thursday night and skate with the second power-play unit. While Chytil isn't a flashy player, he's averaged close to 0.5 points per game in his career, which gives him some fantasy appeal. Arshdeep Bains will sit as a healthy scratch to accommodate Chytil's return.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Josh Jacobs and Accuser File to Block Release of Evidence
Updating a previous report, Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs has filed a civil suit seeking a permanent injunction restricting access to records from his May 23 altercation with a woman at his home, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN. Jacobs' attorneys said that their client's filing "is an effort to assist" the woman in the altercation, who filed a restraining order against the Hobart/Lawrence Police Department on Wednesday to block the release of the records. The lawsuits were filed on Wednesday, a day after the police department announced it had approved the release of certain records. The initial criminal report said there is surveillance video from Jacobs' garage that shows part of the altercation with the woman. Jacobs pleaded no contest on Sept. 10 to charges of battery and criminal destruction of property. He was convicted of battery and fined $1,000 and agreed to a deferred judgment agreement on a charge of damage to property. He is on the commissioner's exempt list while the NFL investigates the matter. It is becoming harder to justify holding Jacobs in fantasy leagues, but if he is eventually handed down a suspension by the NFL, his time spent on the commissioner's exempt list (five games now) could count towards time served on a suspension.
Source: ESPN.com - Rob Demovsky
Source: ESPN.com - Rob Demovsky
Luke Evangelista Misses Second Straight Game Thursday
New Jersey Devils winger Luke Evangelista (illness) will remain sidelined Thursday against the New York Rangers. At the start of the week, Evangelista played through illness against Ottawa, but he exited the lineup Tuesday against Detroit and will miss a second consecutive game. Evangelista has tallied two goals and one assist in five appearances. The Devils also remain without Connor Brown (lower body) up front, giving Dawson Mercer and Arseny Gritsyuk a chance to move into the top six. Gritsyuk looks like the better fantasy target at the moment, having notched two points (one goal, one assist) in the last three games.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Pavel Buchnevich Won't Play Thursday
St. Louis Blues forward Pavel Buchnevich (personal) won't be in action against Minnesota Thursday night. He has left the team for the birth of his child. Buchnevich produced three assists in the last game against Ottawa and has improved offensively in recent outings. Overall, he has five points (one goal, four assists) in six games. Zach Dean will re-enter the lineup to fill in for Buchnevich. Dean has a limited skill set and isn't a recommended fantasy target. The Blues also have a road game Saturday against Nashville, and it's unclear whether Buchnevich will rejoin the team by then.
Source: St. Louis Blues
Source: St. Louis Blues
David Montgomery Officially Out in Week 6
Houston Texans running back David Montgomery (groin) will not travel with the team to London and has been ruled out for the Week 6 contest on Sunday against the division-rival Jacksonville Jaguars, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. The 29-year-old was expected to miss time after injuring his groin early in the Week 5 win over the division-rival Tennessee Titans. He could also miss next week's action versus the New York Giants, depending on how his recovery goes over the next week. Monty has been underwhelming from an efficiency standpoint, averaging only 2.7 yards per carry for 138 yards and two rushing scores on 52 carries in his first five games with Houston in 2026. Since scoring three touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving) in the season-opening loss to the Buffalo Bills, Montgomery has not found the end zone at all. He is not dealing with a long-term injury, which is good news, but if Woody Marks hits the ground running in his absence, Montgomery could be looking at a reduced backfield role and a lower fantasy ceiling and floor upon his return.
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
CeeDee Lamb Not Expected to Have Any Limitations in Week 6
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (quadriceps) has been a full participant in practice this week and is feeling better, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic. He is not expected to have any limitations in the Sunday night game at Lambeau Field in Week 6 against the Green Bay Packers. Lamb suffered a quad bruise in the second quarter of last Thursday's loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played through the injury and then took two hits to the same area that caused him to hit the sidelines at the end of the contest. "As far as the extra days (off), I took advantage immediately. Got a lot of time to rest. Got a lot of time to get some rehab. So, kind of back to square one now," Lamb said. The 27-year-old five-time Pro Bowler put up a dud for his fantasy managers due to the injury, catching only two of his five targets for nine yards. It came after his Week 4 blowup in the win over the Houston Texans, when he caught 17 of 21 targets for 189 yards and a touchdown. With his injury scare in the rearview mirror, fantasy managers can set and forget Lamb in their starting lineups this week.
Source: The Athletic - Jon Machota
Source: The Athletic - Jon Machota
Rasmus Dahlin Unavailable Against Maple Leafs
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (upper body) will miss Thursday's clash against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He recently exited the lineup with an upper-body injury and will miss a second straight game. Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said Dahlin is 50/50 to play on Saturday against Montreal. Owen Power and Olen Zellweger have more fantasy value with Dahlin on the shelf. Both have also been productive offensively: Zellweger is coming off a two-goal game, and Power is averaging a point per game.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Deebo Samuel Sr. Not Seen at Practice on Thursday
San Francisco 49ers veteran wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (hamstring) was not seen in the portion of practice open to the media on Thursday, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN. Samuel suffered a hamstring injury in the Week 5 win over the division-rival Seattle Seahawks that is expected to sideline him for multiple weeks, so it should not come as a big surprise that he is not practicing on Thursday. The good news for the 30-year-old pass-catcher is that head coach Kyle Shanahan said that the team will hold off on placing Samuel on Injured Reserve due to the team's bye in Week 8. Going on IR would have sidelined him for at least four games. With that said, fantasy managers should still be expecting Samuel to miss several games, so he might not be available again for the 49ers until Week 9. San Francisco's receiving corps is the most banged-up unit around the league, with veteran Mike Evans (Achilles, ribs) holding down the fort while battling through multiple injuries. With Samuel set to miss the Week 6 contest on Monday night against the Washington Commanders, veteran Brandin Cooks and Jacob Cowing will be much more involved, as well as tight end George Kittle.
Source: ESPN.com - Nick Wagoner
Source: ESPN.com - Nick Wagoner
Lamar Jackson Still Not Practicing on Thursday
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (ankle) is not practicing for the second straight day on Thursday, according to ESPN's Jamison Hensley. The Ravens were saying earlier this week that there was a realistic chance that Jackson could return this weekend to face the division-rival Cleveland Browns in Week 6 after tweaking his ankle in the Week 4 win over the Tennessee Titans, which caused him to sit out the Sunday night overtime victory over the hosting Atlanta Falcons. The 29-year-old missing two straight practices this week does not exactly make him look like he is ready to return this weekend, so fantasy managers should be planning to be without Jackson again as things currently stand. The Ravens have the utmost confidence in Huntley, who is very similar in many regards to Jackson as a QB. Head coach Jesse Minter said last week that Jackson is the kind of player who could miss practice all week and still play, but it seems foolish for the Ravens to put the former MVP in harm's way like that. Jackson will probably have to practice on Friday to have a chance at suiting up in Week 6.
Source: ESPN.com - Jamison Hensley
Source: ESPN.com - Jamison Hensley
Zay Flowers Added to Week 6 Injury Report With Toe Injury
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers (toe) was added to the Week 6 injury report after being limited in Thursday's practice with a toe injury, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN. Just when fantasy managers thought Flowers was getting healthy after dealing with hamstring and foot injuries in the first five weeks of the season, he is back on the injury report. Hopefully, the 26-year-old's toe injury is not serious enough to keep him from facing the division-rival Cleveland Browns in Week 6 on Sunday. While playing through a foot injury in Sunday night's overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons, Flowers caught eight of his nine targets for 53 yards with backup quarterback Tyler Huntley running Baltimore's offense. Flowers will obviously have a higher fantasy football ceiling if Lamar Jackson (ankle) returns to the starting role under center, but that could be a long shot with Jackson not practicing yet this week. Even if Huntley makes another start, Flowers should have WR1 upside against Cleveland if he is active on Sunday. Flowers has 26 receptions on 31 targets for 405 yards and two touchdowns in four games played and has been a top-10 fantasy wideout in average fantasy points per game early in 2026.
Source: ESPN.com - Jamison Hensley
Source: ESPN.com - Jamison Hensley
Tyjae Spears Downgraded to DNP on Thursday With Knee Injury
Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears (knee) went from being a limited participant in practice on Wednesday to sitting out on Thursday due to a knee injury. Midweek downgrades typically are not good signs, and the 25-year-old is now trending in the wrong direction to play in Week 6 against the division-rival Indianapolis Colts on the road. Backfield mate Tony Pollard was rested on Wednesday but made his return to the practice field on Thursday and should be fine to play this weekend. If Pollard's knee injury keeps him out against the Colts at Lucas Oil Field, Pollard would have clear RB2 value for fantasy managers despite the Titans' lackluster offense. Spears resurfaced on the PPR waiver-wire radar this week after catching a season-high nine passes on nine targets for 28 yards in Sunday's loss to the division-rival Houston Texans, although he had just two carries for the second straight week. If Spears plays against Indy, he will be an intriguing PPR flex option against a Colts defense that has been vulnerable to pass-catching backs through five weeks.
Source: Titans PR
Source: Titans PR
Chris Olave Misses Second Straight Practice on Thursday
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave (illness) missed his second straight practice on Thursday with an illness, per Jeff Nowak of WWL Radio. It's still too early to say whether Olave's status for the Saints' Week 6 matchup against the New York Giants is truly in doubt, but he will likely need to log a full practice on Friday to avoid carrying an injury designation into the weekend. The 26-year-old has been one of the most productive wide receivers in the NFL so far this season, recording 39 catches for 537 yards and a touchdown on 54 targets across five games. If Olave is unable to play against New York, Saints wideout Devaughn Vele and tight end Juwan Johnson would both be much more attractive starting options for fantasy managers in Week 6.
Source: WWL Radio - Jeff Nowak
Source: WWL Radio - Jeff Nowak
Kyle Monangai Misses Another Practice on Thursday
Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai (toe, thumb) did not practice on Thursday, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. Monangai is battling a thumb injury and turf toe, which caused him to miss Chicago's Week 5 loss to the Green Bay Packers and could hold him out of his team's Week 6 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. Monangai has been extremely productive when healthy this season, recording 324 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 60 carries across four games. If he is unable to play against Atlanta, Bears running back D'Andre Swift would likely dominate the team's backfield work and would profile as a potential top-12 running back for fantasy managers in Week 6.
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
