Week 6 Flex Rankings: Battling the Injury Bug

Last week was a painful one for many fantasy football managers. Many were already dealing with injured players such as Saquon Barkley, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Tee Higgins, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Javonte Williams. Then on Sunday, several prominent players suffered injuries serious enough for their teams to place them on injured reserve. Included on this list are De’Von Achane (the overall RB3 in fantasy), Justin Jefferson (WR5), and James Connor (RB17). Replacing all of these players and their production will not be easy. Below you will find my Week 6 Flex rankings, which are designed to help you make those tough start/sit decisions.

These rankings are always fluid, but I feel that is the case this week more than any other this season. There are so many unknowns as to how certain teams will replace injured stars. Even several of the potential replacements themselves are dealing with their injury issues. It should make for an interesting few days between now and Sunday. As always, these rankings are based on half-PPR scoring, so adjust as needed. Feel free to comment with any specific questions you have regarding your lineups. Now let’s get to the rankings!

Running Back Notes

De’Von Achane will miss at least the next four weeks after suffering a knee injury last week. Miami placed the dynamic rookie running back on injured reserve earlier this week. With the incredible run that Achane was on over the last three weeks, it is easy to forget that Raheem Mostert is still the overall RB2 on the year. He should be treated as an RB1 until Achane returns. After Mostert, though, the waters get a bit muddied. Jeff Wilson has been on injured reserve all season but is nearing a return. Wilson had over 1,000 yards from scrimmage just last season. I will likely bump him up my Week 6 Flex rankings if he earns a clean bill of health before Sunday. Chris Brooks and Salvon Ahmed could also factor into the mix.

The Arizona Cardinals placed running back James Conner on injured reserve this week. Arizona has listed Keaontay Ingram as the RB1 on their depth chart. I am not necessarily convinced that he will be their go-to back while Conner is out. Ingram has been out for the past two weeks due to a neck injury. He has also only rushed for 75 yards on 39 career carries. Rookie Emari Demercado earned all of the work last week once Conner went down. He acquitted himself nicely, rushing for 45 yards and a score. I give him the slight edge over Ingram for Week 6, though I do not view either as a must-start. In addition to the lack of clarity regarding their roles, the matchup is less than ideal. The Los Angeles Rams have allowed the ninth-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing running backs this season.

Wide Receiver Notes

The loss of Justin Jefferson means that rookie Jordan Addison should be front and center in Minnesota’s passing attack. Addison has already posted three top-24 fantasy weeks in his first five, so his stock was already on the rise. The former Biletnikoff Award winner has scored 52.4 fantasy points on just 29 targets. Even if he is less efficient with Jefferson, the bump in volume should secure his status as a WR2 in 12-team leagues. K.J. Osborn enters Week 6 as the overall WR52. He has three top-40 weeks under his belt this year but has yet to secure a top-30 weekly ranking. Osborn should be considered as a potential weekly Flex play until Jefferson returns. This week’s matchup against Chicago’s 31st-ranked pass defense sets up nicely for the fourth-year pro. I currently have Osborn ranked as my WR38 for the week.

With the return of Cooper Kupp, many believed that the value of Tutu Atwell would go down the drain. Certainly, Atwell’s current ranking of WR25 overall is unlikely to remain as long as Kupp is healthy. However, the Rams traded Van Jefferson to the Atlanta Falcons this week. That should secure Atwell’s status as the team’s third wideout. Again, Atwell will still take a hit compared to the volume and success he enjoyed while Kupp was out. But I do think Atwell can still be started in certain matchups. Week 6 may be one of them. The Arizona Cardinals allow the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers this year. Kupp and Puka Nacua will get most of the targets, but Atwell may be in play as well depending on your other Flex options. I have him ranked 69th overall in this week’s Flex rankings.

Tight End Notes

As is the case with Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson will get a bump in volume with Justin Jefferson sidelined. Jefferson has never missed an NFL game, so we have yet to see Minnesota’s offense operate without him. However, it should be safe to say that Hockenson will get more looks. Of course, you were starting Hockenson every week anyway. He enters Week 6 as the overall TE5 on the season, and I expect that rank to rise in the coming weeks. I have Hockenson as my TE2 this week.

The Week 6 matchup between the Atlanta Falcons and Washington Commanders has several interesting tight ends to consider. Logan Thomas is the overall TE9 on the year. That is impressive, especially when you factor in that he has already missed a game due to injury. On the other side, we have Kyle Pitts and Jonnu Smith. Many are saying that Smith is taking targets away from Pitts. But you can see that they are playing different roles in Arthur Smith’s offense. Pitts is a downfield threat, as evidenced by him leading all tight ends in average depth of target (aDOT). Smith, meanwhile, has been targeted almost exclusively on underneath throws. I currently have Pitts ranked the highest of the three because of his ceiling, but he also probably has the least secure floor of the trio.

Week 6 Flex Rankings

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