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    Michael Penix forced from Week 5 in fourth quarter

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    ATL Quarterback #9
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    Falcons QB Michael Penix (ribs) is questionable to return to Week 5 against the Ravens.

    Penix took the full brunt of a brutal hit to the midsection late in the fourth quarter of Week 5 against the Ravens. He would leave for one play due to the medical timeout, return for one play, and then retreat to the sideline. Tua Tagovailoa came on in relief in overtime, with the team designating Penix questionable to return with an injury to his ribs. Penix completed 19-of-32 passes for 240 yards and one touchdown prior to departing, adding eight yards on two carries. Fantasy managers will want to monitor his practice status in the coming days ahead of a Week 6 meeting with the Bears.
Week 6 brings rare feat for two NFL divisions
Mike Florio examines the AFC North and NFC North entering Week 6 with every team boasting a winning record, a feat accomplished by an entire division just three times in NFL history.

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  • ATL Quarterback #9
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    This is great news for the Falcons’ offense, which can barely function with Tua Tagovailoa at the helm. Penix is firmly on track to play in Week 6 against the Bears, as long as he gets through the week setback-free. Penix can be viewed as a high-end QB2 with four teams on bye.
  • ATL Quarterback #9
    “We’ll see how he’s feeling,” head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters Wednesday morning, adding that Penix should be able to play through the injury. Even if it’s a limited practice session for Penix, it’s good news for his Week 6 availability following his Sunday night rib injury against the Ravens. Penix, operating under center at a much higher rate than last season, is among the most efficient quarterbacks in the league through Week 5. If Penix is out, Tua Tagovailoa would represent a major downgrade for all Atlanta pass catchers.
  • ATL Quarterback #9
    Penix said after Sunday’s loss that he didn’t believe his injury would be long-term. He was replaced by Tua Tagovailoa in overtime because of his injury, but he also added that he likely would have gone back on the field had the Falcons received the ball to start the extra quarter. Instead, Penix said his pain worsened the longer he sat, which was why he ultimately didn’t go back in. Penix’s status will be one to monitor throughout the week. If he can’t start in Week 6, Tagovailoa would be in line to start his first game of the season.
  • ATL Quarterback #9
    Penix will undergo an MRI on Monday to confirm the severity of his injury, but it doesn’t sound like he’s at risk of missing much time. Penix exited in the fourth quarter of Sunday night’s game against the Ravens and was forced to stay on the sideline in overtime to watch Tua Tagovailoa throw the game-losing interception shortly after the Ravens scored the go-ahead touchdown. Penix threw for 240 yards and a touchdown and has been solid in his three games since returning from injury. If he’s not able to start in Week 6, Tagovailoa would presumably draw the start at home against the Bears.
  • ATL Quarterback #9
    Penix wasn’t asked to do much with his arm as the Falcons tied a franchise record with five rushing scores, but the threat of consistent and reliable passing has done wonders for a Falcons offense that looked lost through two games behind poor quarterback play. It also doesn’t hurt when your All Pro running back goes for a 59-yard touchdown on his first touch of the game. The Falcons were never threatened by an underperforming Saints team after jumping out to a 14-point lead in the first quarter. Penix has yet to be called on for increased passing volume through two starts, something that could change, pending the health of Lamar Jackson, in Week 5 when they host the Ravens. Penix remains a middling QB2 and does not warrant starting in all formats outside of two-quarterback leagues.
  • ATL Quarterback #9
    The final stat line looks more impressive when you consider Penix started the game 1-of-5 passing with an interception, settling into the game from there to go on to complete 17 of his final 20 pass attempts. As was the case during his rookie season, Penix leaned on his top option through the air, feeding Drake London 10 targets that the talented receiver parlayed into a gaudy 194 yards, with no other pass-catcher surpassing the 19 yards receiving of running back Bijan Robinson. The Falcons improve to 1-2 on the young season while handing the Packers their first home opener loss in 14 years. Penix has all the look of an upside QB2 and deserves streaming consideration ahead of a road matchup with the Saints in Week 4.
  • ATL Quarterback #1
    Tagovailoa, fighting injuries for much of the offseason, missed Atlanta’s first two games with an oblique issue. He’ll return just in time to serve as backup to Michael Penix, who’s returning from a 2025 ACL injury. Penix is set to start Thursday night against a Packers defense allowing the ninth lowest adjusted yards per pass attempt.
  • ATL Quarterback #9
    Penix will make his first start since Week 11 of last season, when he suffered a torn ACL against the Panthers. If he plays well enough, Penix will have a chance to secure the starting job for the remainder of the season, but he will have Tua Tagovailoa looming in the background once he is fully recovered from his oblique injury. Penix has struggled early in his career, throwing for 2,757-12-6 in 14 career games while completing just 59.6 percent of his passes. It seems unlikely that he will hold onto the job for the remaining 15 games of the season, but he’ll get the first legitimate crack at it after the Falcons were forced to start Cooper Rush for the first two weeks of the season. Penix shouldn’t be viewed as anything more than a low-end QB2 for fantasy purposes on Thursday night against the Packers.
  • ATL Quarterback #1
    Stefanski said the team will “work through what that means for this week.” Time will tell whether or not that means Tagovailoa has a chance to play in Week 3 against the Packers on Thursday night, as the Falcons have a number of ways they can go at QB this week after another disastrous outing by Cooper Rush. Tagovailoa did not log a practice last week, but Michael Penix (knee) was a full participant. It would be fair to assume that Penix is closer to returning than Tua, but we’ll see where things stand when the team releases its estimated injury report later today.
  • ATL Quarterback #18
    With the Falcons set to play on Thursday night, Stefanski will have little time to prepare his starter for the week. It’s hard to imagine the team going back to Cooper Rush after back-to-back disastrous starts to open the season, which could pave the way for rookie UDFA Jack Strand to make the start of Tua Tagovailoa (oblique) and Michael Penix Jr. (knee) still aren’t ready to go. Strand completed 8-of-15 passes for 59 yards and an interception in his first taste of NFL action. Stefanski did say he had a “decent idea” of who he thinks he will be starting this week, so we’ll likely have our answer soon.

Rotoworld

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    Evan Engram caught both targets for 13 yards in the Broncos’ Week 6 win over the Seahawks.

    Engram has not seen more than five targets in a game this season and has been held out of the end zone since Week 1, making him a difficult start in fantasy leagues of all sizes. He can safely remain on the bench in an enticing matchup against the Cardinals in Week 7.
  • DEN Wide Receiver #14
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    Courtland Sutton caught 2-of-3 targets for 19 yards in the Broncos’ Week 6 win over the Seahawks.

    Nix’s only incompletion when targeting Sutton resulted in the veteran receiver getting rocked over the middle of the field on a ball Nix led him directly into oncoming contact. Sutton vented his frustration by repeatedly pounding the ground following the hit, with it unclear whether it was due to the hit or the incompletion on third down on a night the Broncos struggled to move the football to the tune of only 168 yards of total offense. Fantasy managers likely aren’t utilizing Sutton as a weekly option, but will want to track his practice status ahead of a Week 7 meeting with the Cardinals if bye week fill-ins are required.
  • DEN Running Back #12
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    RJ Harvey rushed six times for 25 yards and a touchdown in the Broncos’ Week 6 win over the Seahawks, adding 31 yards on three receptions.

    The fact that the 31 yards through the air led the team in receiving is a comment on the state of an offense that gained only 168 yards of total offense against the defending Super Bowl Champions. Even so, a relentlessly aggressive defense willed the team to victory behind a consistently positive game script, which allowed J.K. Dobbins to handily lead the backfield in opportunities. Harvey remains a matchup-dependent fantasy option best utilized in trailing game environments, which is unlikely to be the case when the Broncos face the struggling Cardinals in Week 7.
  • DEN Running Back #27
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    J.K. Dobbins rushed 17 times for 41 yards and a touchdown in the Broncos’ Week 6 win over the Seahawks.

    Dobbins found little room to run on a night the Broncos gained only 168 yards of total offense but handily led the backfield in opportunities in what was a consistently positive game script due to the dominance of their defense. Dobbins has now failed to eclipse a modest 50 yards on the ground in four of five appearances but might be useful as a bye week fill-in when the Broncos travel to Arizona to face the Cardinals in Week 7.
  • DEN Quarterback #10
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    Bo Nix completed 17-of-27 passes for 107 yards in the Broncos’ 17-14, Week 6 win over the Seahawks, adding two yards on four carries.

    The Broncos managed just 168 yards of total offense on a night their defense carried them to victory in overtime. Nine of the Broncos’ 11 possessions, excluding the two kneel downs to end each half, ended in punts on drives that lasted five plays or fewer. Two second quarter touchdown drives had the Broncos playing with a lead for much of the game but they were otherwise unable to move the football with any consistency. An overtime interception by nickel corner Ja’Quan McMillian allowed for a game-winning, 53-yard field goal from kicker Will Lutz after the Broncos again failed to gain a first down. The win sends Denver to 4-2 while averaging only 18.7 points per game through six weeks. The team gets a scheduling gift with the Cardinals on deck in Week 7, although Nix cannot be treated as a starter-worthy fantasy asset outside of the deepest leagues.
  • SEA Wide Receiver #10
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    Cooper Kupp caught 5-of-10 targets for 50 yards in the Seahawks’ Week 6 loss to the Broncos.

    Kupp’s 10 targets finished second on the team behind alpha Jaxon Smith-Njigba but were largely a product of 51 Sam Darnold pass attempts in game that had all the ingredients for increased pass volume, including an inability to run the football, negative game script, and overtime. It continues to appear as if Kupp’s fantasy-relevant days are far behind him, with the veteran best left on the waiver wire ahead of a Week 7 showdown against the Chiefs on deck.
  • SEA Wide Receiver #22
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    Rashid Shaheed caught 5-of-8 targets for 66 yards in the Seahawks’ Week 6 loss to the Broncos, adding two yards on one carry.

    Shaheed’s eight targets were a product of 51 Sam Darnold pass attempts in a game the Seahawks could not find any room to run on the ground. He lost a fumble on a fluke play in the second quarter in which he rolled over the tackling defender, only for the defender’s knee to knock the football loose before Shaheed’s rear end touched the playing surface. he would fumble a punt return in the fourth quarter but easily had time to regain control before the ball was in real trouble. Shaheed remains the third option through the air for an offense typically not seeing this level of volume, making him a touchdown-or-bust fantasy option, for the time being. That doesn’t change ahead of a Week 6 meeting with the Chiefs in Seattle.
  • SEA Wide Receiver #11
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    Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught 12-of-16 targets for 134 yards in the Seahawks’ Week 6 loss to the Broncos.

    Smith-Njigba overcame a sluggish first half to extend his stranglehold on the overall WR1 in fantasy circles with a dominant second half and overtime period. While the 51 pass attempts from Sam Darnold were highly uncharacteristic of this Seattle offense, a complete inability to run the football paired with a negative script to form the perfect environment for Smith-Njigba to set a season high in targets and receptions. Smith-Njigba has now gone over 100 yards in five of six appearances to start the 2026 regular season and is in a good spot to continue that dominance when the Seahawks host the Chiefs in Week 7, where he remains a top-tier WR1 in fantasy circles.
  • SEA Running Back #36
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    George Holani rushed five times for 20 yards and a touchdown in the Seahawks’ Week 6 loss to the Broncos.

    Holani split primary change of pace duties with recent practice squad call-up Velus Jones Jr, the latter of whom turned four carries into 20 yards while losing one yard on his lone reception. Both backs appear unlikely to return fantasy value as Zach Charbonnet nears a return from injured reserve.
  • SEA Running Back #23
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    Emanuel Wilson rushed 14 times for 52 yards in the Seahawks’ Week 6 loss to the Broncos.

    Wilson is now down to just 3.4 yards per carry while filling in for numerous key injuries in the Seattle backfield, with the team clearly waiting with bated breath for the return of Zach Charbonnet. Charbonnet continues to inch closer to a return from injured reserve and appears likely to bring an end to the Wilson experiment, relegating the latter to bench fodder in fantasy circles in the process. That could come a early a Week 7 when the Seahawks host the Chiefs.