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USATSI

I'm going to level with you, dear FFT Newsletter audience: It's been a long couple of days over here, what with all of the injuries and breaking news to react to. So I don't have time for a long, drawn-out intro. 

Today's newsletter is all about the meat and potatoes of helping you set your lineup, so let's get right to the meal. I have my previews for every Week 6 game, beginning with tonight's Broncos-Chiefs matchup, featuring the latest injury news you need to know and my thoughts on some of the toughest lineup decisions for each game.

Here's what you need to set your lineup: 

🔍Week 6 Game Previews

There's something to watch in every game on the NFL schedule every week, even if you have to squint to see it sometimes. Here's a look ahead at every Week 6 game, with some notes on what Vegas is expecting to see, the latest injuries, and the toughest lineup decisions:

All odds are via SportsLine's consensus odds.

Broncos at Chiefs

  • Thursday, 8:20 p.m.
  • Line: Chiefs -10.5; 47 O/U 
  • Implied totals: Chiefs 28.75, Broncos 18.25

The Chiefs are 4-1 and heavy favorites in this one, but they've also played four one-score games this season, so they aren't exactly blowing the doors off everyone yet. The Broncos could be the team to change that. 

  • Toughest lineup decision: Jerry Jeudy/Courtland Sutton -- Start ... I guess. If you have to start either of them, that's reasonable, since they're in the WR3 range for me. But my preference would be to avoid them. Sutton leads the team with a 19% target share, while Jeudy is just behind him at 18.9% in an offense that is spreading the ball around a ton -- including a 25% target share for the running backs and even players with at least 10 targets overall, the fourth-highest number of any team. That's a continuation of Sean Payton's time in New Orleans, and we haven't seen much reason to think Sutton or Jeudy can be efficient enough to overcome that consistently with Russell Wilson. Either or both could be useful in any given week -- especially one when they may have no choice but to throw a ton -- but nothing we've seen so far makes either must-start guys. 

  • Injuries to watch: Travis Kelce (ankle) got a limited practice in Wednesday and Thursday, but is questionable for Thursday's game. And he might be legitimately questionable, so keep an eye out for reports throughout the day and have an alternative ready to go -- preferably someone better than Noah Gray, who had two catches for 21 yards in Week 1 with Kelce out. The other injury worth noting here is Greg Dulcich, who practiced in full Thursday and could make his return from IR. I'm not starting him, and I'm not all that interested in adding him, but he's definitely worth watching to see if he can live up to some of the hype he had at points last season. 

Ravens "at" Titans

  • Sunday, 9:30 a.m.
  • Line: Ravens -4; 41 O/U
  • Implied totals: Ravens 22.5, Titans 18.5

This is our last London game, but don't worry, we've still got a few more 9:30 am starts on the schedule -- in Week 9 and 10 in Frankfurt Germany. But, this is your friendly reminder to make sure you're up early Sunday if you have any decisions to make. 

  • Toughest lineup decision: Gus Edwards/Justice Hill -- Sit. The Titans defense got absolutely gashed on the ground by Zack Moss last week, which just serves as a nice reminder that you shouldn't put too much weight on early-season defensive rankings. The Titans shut down the Saints without Alvin Kamara, the Chargers without Austin Ekeler, and the Browns without Nick Chubb, plus the always inefficient Bengals running game with Joe Burrow failing to pressure them through the air. The Titans do have a good rush defense -- it was very good last season -- but the difficulty of the matchup was probably overstated around the Fantasy world last week. I'm not sitting Hill or Edwards because of the tough matchup, but because they're both likely to only get 10-12 touches and probably need a touchdown to be worth using. They're fine dice rolls, but I hope I have better options. 
  • Injuries to watch: Odell Beckham (ankle) was limited Wednesday after leaving last week's game, though at this point, I'm not sure he's a player Fantasy players really need to pay much attention to. On the other side, Treylon Burks (knee) continues to sit out, though the team hopes he'll be able to ramp up his activity soon. If you have a roster spot to play with, Burks remains an intriguing talent if he can get going. 

Commanders at Falcons

  • Sunday, 1:00 p.m.
  • Line: Falcons -2.5; 42.5 O/U
  • Implied totals: Falcons 22.5, Commanders 20

The Commanders have a relatively middle-of-the-road offense overall, but it is not one you should be afraid of targeting for DST streaming. Sam Howell is pretty fun, but he's been sacked 32 times in six career games, with eight turnovers. The Falcons are available in nearly 80% of CBS Fantasy leagues right now. 

  • Toughest lineup decision: Terry McLaurin/Jahan Dotson - Sit. I've seen some Fantasy analysts suggest that Dotson is droppable, and while I'd prefer not to do that, I can't necessarily make a strong argument against it. Howell is fun, but he's not necessarily great at operating within the structure of the offense -- hence the gigantic sack numbers -- and that's held his ostensible top options back. In Howell's six starts, McLaurin has the highest target share, at 17.7%, with Dotson right behind him at 16.2%. Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy may also share some blame, since the Commanders are adopting a similar spread-it-around approach to the passing game that the Chiefs have had in recent years. Either way, it's not a great situation for McLaurin or Dotson right now, and I don't have a lot of faith it's going to get better anytime soon. 
  • Injuries to watch: There are no Fantasy relevant injuries to report as of now. 

Vikings at Bears

  • Sunday, 1:00 p.m.
  • Line: Vikings -2.5; 44.5 O/U
  • Implied totals: Vikings 23.5, Bears 21

At least Kirk Cousins and the Vikings should get a relatively soft landing in their first game without Justin Jefferson against a Bears defense that still looks like one of the worst in the league even as the offense has figured things out. 

  • Toughest lineup decision: D'Onta Foreman -- Start. As of Wednesday afternoon, it's not clear if Roschon Johnson is going to be cleared to play this week, but even if he is, I think Foreman is a decent starting option. The Bears want to run the ball no matter who is in the backfield with Justin Fields, and I just don't buy the Vikings as a top-six rush defense (where they currently rank in yards per carry). They struggled to do anything against the Eagles on the ground and haven't really faced a good running team otherwise. If Johnson is out, Foreman is a touchdown-or-bust RB3; if Johnson's out, Foreman is going to rank as a top-20 option, I think. 
  • Injuries to watch: With Jefferson on IR, Jordan Addison's ankle injury is worth noting. As long as he's playing, I'm starting Addison as a No. 2 WR in this matchup. On the Bears side, Herbert and Johnson both didn't practice Wednesday. Herbert almost certainly won't play, so Johnson is the one to watch over the next couple of days. 

Seahawks at Bengals

  • Sunday, 1:00 p.m.
  • Line: Bengals -2.5; 45 O/U
  • Implied totals: Bengals 23.75, Seahawks 21.25

The Bengals offense finally showed some signs of life last week, and the hope here is this one turns into a shootout with all of the offensive weapons on both sides. 

  • Toughest lineup decision: Joe Burrow -- Start. I understand the impulse to just say, "Okay, Joe Burrow is back." He looked more mobile than he has all season, and has said repeatedly this is the best he's felt since before his calf injury. But I do think it's worth being at least a little bit skeptical. He still only passed for 6.9 yards per attempt last week, and that's with 63 of his 317 yards coming on one bomb to Ja'Marr Chase. His average intended air yards was only 6.5 yards down the field, and he completed just the one pass of more than 15 air yards. I'm definitely more optimistic about Burrow than I was this time last week -- hey, I'm starting him, aren't I? -- but I think there's still a decent amount of risk here. 
  • Injuries to watch: The key one to watch here is Watson (shoulder), as he went from limited before missing Week 4 to a DNP Wednesday, despite a bye to rest up in between. That's awfully ominous, especially since the Browns have given very few details about the injury and Watson hasn't spoken to the media. 247 Sports reported Wednesday that P.J. Walker would start ahead of rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson if Watson can't play, and given how DTR played in his start in Week 4, it's hard to argue with that. But it would still be an across-the-board downgrade for this offense against a very tough matchup. 

49ers at Browns

  • Sunday, 1:00 p.m.
  • Line: 49ers -6.5; 37 O/U
  • Implied totals: 49ers 22, Browns 15

Only one of the 49ers wins so far this season has been by less than 18 points, and now they might face the Browns without Deshaun Watson. 

  • Toughest lineup decision: Jerome Ford -- Sit. As Jamey pointed out in Start 'Em & Sit 'Em, Ford's had a pretty tough run of defenses to open his time as RB1, going against the Steelers in the game Nick Chubb exited early, then the Titans and Ravens. It won't get any easier this week, but with the Colts, Seahawks, and Cardinals on the way after, this might be a good time to try to buy low on him. 
  • Injuries to watch: Words

Panthers at Dolphins

  • Sunday, 1:00 p.m.
  • Line: Dolphins -13.5; 48.5 O/U
  • Implied totals: Dolphins 31, Panthers 17.5, 

It's way too early to give up on Bryce Young, but it's been an awfully rough start to his career so far, and the Dolphins don't figure to make it too much easier, though they might be able to move the ball against Miami, at least. 

  • Toughest lineup decision: Jeff Wilson Jr. -- Start ... if he plays. When it comes to players coming back from extended layoffs, I tend to want to give them at least a week before I start them -- see Jonathan Taylor last week for an example of why. But I actually do think Wilson is a decent option if he's activated from IR. I don't expect him to be the Dolphins lead back, but they should be able to get him some work in a game they figure to win pretty easily. You'll probably need a touchdown to make it worth it, but Miami should have plenty of opportunities for those, and he's a decent flex option if you're desperate -- though, to be clear, I would still start someone like Ford over him. 
  • Injuries to watch: We can add a shoulder injury to the list of maladies Miles Sanders has dealt with. He was unable to practice Wednesday, so we'll watch this one to see if he's able to get up for Thursday and Friday's sessions. Chuba Hubbard would be in the RB2 discussion if Sanders is out, while I'd prefer to avoid both if he plays. Wilson was limited in his return to practice, so we'll have to keep a close eye on this one over the next few days. He is by no means guaranteed to come back. 

Colts at Jaguars 

  • Sunday, 1:00 p.m.
  • Line: Jaguars -4; 45.5 O/U
  • Implied totals: Jaguars 24.75, Colts 20.75

The Colts should be okay without Anthony Richardson, but the ceiling for the offense does probably take a little bit of a hit. That could spell trouble if the Jaguars can keep theirs going after something of a breakout game in Week 5. 

  • Toughest lineup decision: Jonathan Taylor -- Start. The Colts really eased Taylor back in last week, playing him just one snap in the first quarter and seven in the first half total, compared to 25 for Zack Moss. I think that trend will move in the other direction this week, but it's reasonable to assume Moss will be the lead back until Taylor looks like himself again. The thing that's tough about having Taylor on your team right now is, that could happen any moment, and he could go off like Breece Hall did a week ago. With those kinds of talents, you're always one carry away from regretting sitting them. Taylor isn't a must-start option, but I'd prefer to have him in my lineup if I don't have any can't miss options. 
  • Injuries to watch: Zay Jones (knee) didn't practice Wednesday after aggravating the injury in Week 5. I wouldn't be surprised if he sat out this game, given the recurring nature of the issue. 

Saints at Texans

  • Sunday, 1:00 p.m.
  • Line: Saints -1.5; 42.5 O/U
  • Implied totals: Saints 22, Texans 20.5

The are winning games on the strength of what has been an elite defense, and they might actually be pretty good if Derek Carr can get on the right track -- he has his lowest yards per attempt since his rookie season, to go along with a career-low touchdown rate right now. 

  • Toughest lineup decision: Nico Collins -- Start. Collins is coming off his second poor showing in the past three, which is a bit of an arbitrary endpoints special, because he had 246 yards on 13 catches in the two games immediately preceding this stretch. However, he seems like the Texans wide receiver most likely to draw the Marshon Lattimore, who has a track record of frustrating bit, downfield receivers like Collins. Still, I like what we've seen from Collins enough that he's still on that WR2/3 line for me. 
  • Injuries to watch: Tank Dell (concussion) didn't practice Wednesday, and seeing as players are returning the week after concussions less often than ever this season, there's a decent chance he doesn't play this week. Robert Woods (ribs) also didn't practice Wednesday, so there could be even more defensive attention on Collins. Chris Olave (toe) was limited, but seeing as he played through the injury last week without apparent issue, I don't have much doubt he'll be out there. 

Patriots at Raiders

  • Sunday, 4:05 p.m.
  • Line: Raiders -3; 41.5 O/U
  • Implied totals: Raiders 22.25, Patriots 19.25

We've got revenge games all around on the Patriots side, if you're the type to buy into narratives like that. On the other hand, do you really want to buy into anything about this Patriots offense right now? 

  • Toughest lineup decision: Rhamondre Stevenson -- Sit. Look, he's RB24 for me right now, so I'm not saying you have to sit him. This is a pretty good matchup, and Stevenson seems likely to get 15 or so touches -- it's happened in four of five games. But I don't know how you can start him with any confidence at this point, not with the offense struggling the way it is and Ezekiel Elliott taking on 40% of the carries and 45% of the targets. Pretty much everything about this situation for Stevenson is way less than optimal these days, and until that changes, he's very tough to trust. 
  • Injuries to watch: Davante Adams (shoulder) didn't practice Wednesday, and I'd expect he won't practice much moving forward. He admitted after last week that the injury limited him, but I'd expect him to play, and he's a must-start Fantasy option. On the Patriots side, they've got plenty of defensive injuries, but the biggest one on offense is JuJu Smith-Schuster (concussion) missing Wednesday's session. His absence could make it a little easier for Kendrick Bourne to be useful, though he'd still rank in the WR4 range for me. 

Cardinals at Rams

  • Sunday, 4:05 p.m.
  • Line: Rams -7; 48.5 O/U
  • Implied totals: Rams 27.75, Cardinals 20.75

The Cardinals are the perfect tanking team right now: Feisty enough that they're almost always entertaining, and competitive enough that you can make real determinations on who might be a long-term keeper, but neither so feisty nor so competitive that they're a threat to win more than a few games. That's the sweet spot. 

  • Toughest lineup decision: Emari Demercado -- Sit. This one will depend on Keaontary Ingram's status, but as of now, I'm not planning to have Demercado in any of my Week 6 lineups unless I'm absolutely desperate. If Ingram is out, then I'll have to consider it, because Demercado does have some interesting physical tools, and should be involved in the passing game if the Cardinals are chasing points. He'll likely have the whole backfield more or less to himself if Ingram is out, which will push him into the RB2 discussion -- and likely ahead of someone like Stevenson. So, watch those injury reports.  
  • Injuries to watch: Ingram was limited Wednesday, as he was Thursday and Friday of last week, so there's still some doubt as to whether he'll be ready. Marquise Brown (illness) missed Wednesday's practice, but we won't worry about that unless and until he's sitting out Friday. 

Eagles at Jets

  • Sunday, 4:25 p.m.
  • Line: Eagles -7; 41 O/U
  • Implied totals: Eagles 24, Jets 17

Zach Wilson turned back into a pumpkin last week, but Breece Hall finally looked like himself against the Broncos, and that was enough. Will it be enough against a good team? 

  • Toughest lineup decision: Garrett Wilson -- Start. I'm viewing Wilson very similarly to how I'm viewing Gabe Davis these days. They are, obviously, wildly different players with wildly different usage profiles, but the end result is the same: They need to hit on big plays to have a chance to be good for Fantasy. Davis, because he can't count on huge target totals, and Wilson because he can't count on useful targets. You'll drive yourself mad trying to chase matchups and figure out when you can or can't start those guys, and you're better off just keeping them in the lineup and riding the waves. 
  • Injuries to watch: Neither side has any Fantasy relevant injury concerns right now. 

Lions at Buccaneers

  • Sunday, 4:25 p.m.
  • Line: Lions-3; 44 O/U
  • Implied totals: Lions 23.5, Buccaneers 20.5

The Buccaneers have been surprisingly competitive, but I'm surprised this line is as close as it is. Maybe Vegas isn't entirely buying into the Lions defense yet? 

  • Toughest lineup decision: Jahmyr Gibbs -- Start. There's been an awful lot of consternation about Gibbs' usage in the Fantasy community, with plenty of attention paid to Dan Campbell saying Wednesday that Gibbs is, "a change-of-pace back." But the thing you need to keep in mind is, the theory behind Gibbs in Fantasy was always that you might need to be patient, but that he could become a difference maker eventually. He's not that yet, but let's keep things in perspective: He's had nine, 14, and 12 touches in the three games David Montgomery has played, and this is still a terrific offense. He's more useful in full-PPR than other formats, but he's definitely a starting-caliber option. Is he must-start? Not necessarily. But if a guy who is this explosive is getting a dozen or more touches nearly every week, I'm probably just leaving him in my lineup when healthy.  
  • Injuries to watch: It's worth noting, having said all that, that Gibbs (hamstring) didn't practice Wednesday. The hope is he'll be able to play, but obviously that isn't certain yet. Neither is Amon-Ra St. Brown's (abdomen) status, though he was limited Wednesday, a better sign. On the Buccaneers side, Mike Evans (hamstring) didn't practice in the first session after the bye, which is a bit ominous. We might need until Friday to see what his chances of playing are, but have an alternate ready to go. 

Giants at Bills

  • Sunday, 8:20 p.m.
  • Line: Bills -14; 45 O/U
  • Implied totals: Bills 29.5, Giants 15.5

This newsletter is already really long, do I really have to come up with a reason to be excited about the Giants being on National TV again? 

  • Toughest lineup decision: James Cook -- Start. It's not a tough call for me, despite Cook's awful Week 5, though that does highlight one limitation in his usage: On those days when things aren't going well for Cook, his typical lack of usage near the goal line gives him one fewer fallback option for Fantasy production. Things should go much better for him this week. 
  • Injuries to watch: Saquon Barkley (ankle) continues to progress, but he was still limited Wednesday, so we can't lock him in just yet. Daniel Jones (neck) didn't practice Wednesday, so that's a real concern as well, despite the team downplaying the injury in recent days. Oh, and Darren Waller (groin) also didn't practice Wednesday, as if things needed to get worse for the Giants. On the Bills side, both Dawson Knox (wrist) and Dalton Kincaid (concussion) were limited, so if they're both active, neither is much more than a touchdown-or-bust option. 

Cowboys at Chargers

  • Monday, 8:15 p.m.
  • Line: Cowboys -2.5; 51 O/U
  • Implied totals: 26.75, Chargers 24.25

I understand giving some deference to the Cowboys and some skepticism toward the Chargers, but I think have more legitimate questions about the Cowboys offense than anything with the Chargers at this point. 

  • Toughest lineup decision: Josh Palmer -- Sit. These teams are both absurdly top-heavy, so there really aren't many tough decisions to make. Palmer salvaged his day in Week 4 with a long, late catch, but I remain skeptical. I'm hoping, if not expecting, that we'll see a post-bye boost in Quentin Johnston's usage. 
  • Injuries to watch: Neither team will practice until Thursday, officially, but Austin Ekeler (ankle) has already said there's a 99% change he'll be playing this week.