Is Dak Back? 2022 Week 6 Fantasy Football Injury Report

Sometimes I wonder why we even worry about injury reports. Take Thursday Night Football for example — two teams that were as healthy as could be. Even the miraculous “got shot 2 months ago and is already the starting RB Brian Robinson” was there. And what did we get for Amazon’s 11 billion dollar investment in TNF? The Commanders topping the Bears in the most baseball-like 12-7 game you could imagine. Bookies literally paid out the under at the start of the 4th quarter — they didn’t even wait for the end of the game. Carson Wentz with a field of healthy receivers against the freaking Chicago Bears couldn’t top 100 yards passing. Like, who cares about injuries if the freaking starters aren’t even playing. We all saw the Justin Fields meme of him literally meditating and checking out in the middle of the game. 

Namaste, friends. Seek the center. 

So let’s consider the power of change, and see what we can do for all of you who are missing essential players this week. 

The following players are listed as OUT at the time of writing: 

Week 6 Injury News

Dak Prescott: I’m not going to point to Russell Wilson as an example of what happens when a QB hurts his hand and then rushes back to the field like he’s Iron Man. Oh, remember when Russell Wilson had the worst NFL game in history before we had to watch that Commanders / Bears fiasco? Good times. ENYWHEY. Dak Prescott is officially questionable for Sunday. Prescott could have returned last week but his grip strength didn’t impress coaches enough to take the field. Fortunately, there’s a new Call of Duty game coming out and rumors have it that Dak has been doing controller crunches to challenge Kyler Murray on the Moon Base map using laser-guided frisbees (source: my nephew). What should we do if Dak starts? The alphabet news sites keep manufacturing this story that Cooper Rush should remain the Cowboys starting QB even when Dak is healthy. I mean, come on. Dak has been a top-10 QB in terms of passing production for two out of the past three years, and he’s been above league average in every year of his career, minus the ankle situation in 2020. He’s only 29. Let the alphabet sites be click-bait, and you should welcome Dak back to your rosters. AKSHUALLY — he’s still available in 25% of leagues. He’s got PHI, CHI, and DET on the docket coming up, and even if he doesn’t play this weekend, he’s got a great chance of returning top 10 QB value in the NFC North games. 

Jameis Winston: Practicing again, but Andy Dalton remains the Rocketeer in charge of the Saints offense. Or, I should say, Andy Dalton keeps the center position warm until Taysom Hill shows up in the wildcat and smashes the juke button down the field. Winston’s remaining absence is great news for Hill — who’s still available in 25-30% of leagues. If/when Winston returns, he’ll be a streamer and probably reduce opportunities for Taysom to knock on your door and offer you books. 

Mac Jones: I mean, if there’s a narrative that we want to get excited about, it’s the Dynasty-like drama that is Mac Jones vs Bailey Zappe. The Patriots report that Mac Jones could play this weekend, but will Belichick want to see more of Zappe? Will I stop mixing in hot dogs into my spaghetti? Who knows? Fun fact: Jones and Zappe have the same number of passing TDs this year. Another fun fact: Jakobi Meyers has been a top 20 WR in the two weeks that Zappe has been QB. Another another fun fun fact fact: Jakobi Meyers is still available in 20% of leagues. SEW! Darn it. So! If Jones starts, you’re probably benching him anyway. If Zappe starts, you’re rushing to snag Jakobi Meyers and seeing if the third time’s a charm. 

Tua Tagovailoa / Teddy Bridgewater: Tua’s back practicing but he’s supposed to miss another week. Teddy Bridgewater — who was pulled from the week 5 game when physicians were concerned about his health — practiced through his injuries this week. For your QB needs, you’re not starting either of these guys. The question is how much you’re trusting the injured Bridgewater or the 7th-round draft pick Skylar Thompson with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Dolphins fans are gonna ask “What if” for years about this team — a room full of great receivers, some tolerable RBs…and all the QBs got smashed to the ground. If Bridgewater plays, keep Hill and Waddle at full exposure. If Thompson plays, you’re probably best off downgrading Hill and Waddle from WR1 status to WR2 status and sitting guys like Mike Gesicki. But lemme tell you this, coming from a Vikings fan — if we get a Touchdown Teddy appearance this weekend in a revenge game against the Minnesota Vikings — I up my DFS exposures in the hopes that the tables turn and the Fish become the hunters. How easy is it to narrate Teddy Bridgewater to Tyreek Hill, and Kirk Cousins to Justin Jefferson? Put me down for the Over on that game because I think revenge, like sushi, is best served cold. 

Kenneth Walker III: His compatriot Rashaad Penny is done for the year after suffering a tibia fracture in Week 5. Everybody FAAB’d Walker so hard this week, they’re practically chafed. Make sure you use protection when you FAAB — limber up those wrists, and lubricate your cuticles before and after! Walker has less than 100 NFL snaps worth of experience, so it’s more than fair to temper expectations. Sure, Walker went wild in Week 5, racking up 11 yards per carry, but that chases his three previous weeks where he failed to top 30 yards per game. Walker is a statistical risk, but if you’re in a hole and you were lucky enough to land him on your team, I give him a start in the RB2/Flex spot this week. Another consideration is DeeJay Dallas, although DJD is probably better suited to massive DFS tournaments. 

Jonathan Taylor: Saturday edit: — JT has been marked OUT for Sunday. Avoid the Colts entirely. Every story has two sides, and I’ve got one alphabet site telling me that he’s out for week 6, and I’ve got another alphabet site telling me he’s playing in Week 6. How much venture capital can I get to say he’s questionable? Taylor practiced multiple times this week and is officially listed as OUT. For weekly fantasy, you’re rolling with JT because you can’t afford not to. For DFS, you’re likely lowering your exposure because the Colts are a mess and JT coming back from an ankle sprain in two weeks is about as desirable as drinking that warm beer you found in the garage cupboard. At least it’s not flat! 

James Conner: Conner is out for the week, which means Eno Benjamin takes RB1 duties in Arizona. Benjamin barely touched the field in 2021 (8% snap count) but he’s been doing one of those pseudo-scatback impressions in 2022 (12 rec on 17 targets) while also piling up 30 rushes for 136 yards (4.5 avg). Benjamin’s available in 40% of leagues still, and he could get a pile of short game targets while playing against the [checks notes] scorching-hot Geno Smith. It sounds dumb, but Geno Smith is now at “prove it’s not mirage” mode. If the Seahawks put up a bajillion points again, it could force Kyler Murray to pass a ton and put Eno Benjamin into a D’Andre Swift-like role. If you missed out on the Kenneth Walker III lottery, go get Eno Benjamin as your compensation. 

Cam Akers: Here’s a weird one — Akers and the Rams coaching staff are “working through things.” I mean, I’m an agreeable type. I realize that I’m largely replaceable in most things I do, so if you ask me to do something, I’ll probably do it. When you think about the scale of the NFL, there are, what — 70ish meaningful running backs? 70 people in the entire world who do what you do. And most would say that being the RB1 for the Super Bowl Champion Los Angeles Rams would be…pretty cool, right? Whatever’s going on in the Rams locker room, it ain’t good for Cam Akers, and he’s being removed from the lineup despite being at full health. This is something that does not happen very often. Teams literally played Antonio Brown as he was actively going crazy. Ron Riviera told the media how much he hates Carson Wentz and he still started him. The Browns are literally about to put the most hated man in football in a helmet and let him be the face of their franchise. Meanwhile, Cam Akers will be a healthy scratch in the middle of the season. Woof. Darrell Henderson will take the reins in Akers’ absence, and he’s available in 40% of leagues. Henderson has a better track record than Eno Benjamin and is another great plug-in option for week 6. 

Stay tuned on Sunday morning for the Razzball YouTube start/sit show with the Razzball gang. In the meantime, let me know how your teams are doing and if you have any questions!