NFL Player News

The four targets were nice considering quarterback Jared Goff attempted just 18 passes but LaPorta was held out of the end zone on a night the team scored six touchdowns. LaPorta has had a string of difficult schematic matchups considering his acumen against man coverage and relative shortcomings against zone through his first season-plus of play, which carries forward into a Week 6 matchup with the Cowboys after the team heads to their bye week in Week 5.

The free agent addition has made a big impact over his first month as a Cowboy, totaling two sacks, two TFLs, one forced fumble, and one interception. Dallas is already expected to be without Micah Parson this week and fellow pass-rusher DeMarcus Lawrence is on injured reserve. This is a defense that can’t afford to lose more talent in their front-seven, making Kendricks’ practice status worth monitoring throughout the week.

Parsons is dealing with a high-ankle sprain and looks unlikely to return this week. He went down with the injury two weeks ago and was forced to miss the Cowboys’ Week 5 win over the Steelers. With DeMarcus Lawrence on injured reserve, the Cowboys are light on pass-rushing talent heading into their Week 6 game versus the Lions.

Sermon is a surprise addition to the injury report as he played through Week 5 seemingly without any issues. He ran 10 times for 38 yards and a touchdown while adding six receptions for 25 yards through the air. Jonathan Taylor looks unlikely to play this week, putting Sermon in line for another strong workload if he can suit up. Tyler Goodson would be the next man up if both Indy backs are ruled out.

This is a new injury for Mooney, who is currently the WR15 in PPR scoring. It is unclear as to whether the Falcons are managing an injury Mooney picked up in his 31.5-point Week 5 outing or if the injury was suffered in practice. Thursday’s injury report should clarify his status though.

It’s not a good start to the week for Downs, who has come on strong after missing the first two games of the year because of an ankle injury. Downs has 20 receptions for 173 yards and a touchdown in three games this year. With Michael Pittman also missing practice, the Colts are at risk of being without their top two receivers going into Sunday’s game against the Titans.

Pittman dealt with a back issue heading into Week 3. He was listed as questionable with back and calf injuries after being a surprise addition to the injury report on Friday. He played through the pair of injuries on Sunday. It’s possible that back injury flared up once again, forcing him to miss Wednesday’s practice. This will be a situation to monitor closely as Josh Downs also missed practice. Adonai Mitchell and Alec Pierce would be the next men up if both receivers are sidelined for Week 6.

Nabers suffered the concussion in Week 4’s Thursday Night Football game against the Cowboys and was unable to play against the Seahawks in Week 5. Nabers’ inability to practice to begin the week is worrying, given his extra time off. Giants slot receiver Wan’Dale Robinson would be a near-lock to lead the team in targets if Nabers is unable to suit up in Week 6.

Wilson has yet to appear in a game this year and has been inactive with the QB3 designation for all five contests. Head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters the door is ajar for Wilson to be active this week. Justin Fields will likely draw the start, but he is coming off two shaky starts in a pair of losses. Another poor performance could see the Steelers turn to Wilson for Week 7.

Head coach Mike Tomlin called Warren doubtful for Week 6 yesterday. Warren told reporters he feels great before returning to practice on a limited basis. It’s possible Warren is nearing a return, but the Steelers plan to give him one more week off as a precaution. Najee Harris will contniue to dominate the backfield touches if Warren sits this week.

O’Connell has taken over for Gardner Minshew mid-game two weeks in a row. He hasn’t done much to earn the starting gig, completing 19-of-32 passes for 172 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Still, having lost two of their past three contests, Pierce clearly felt the need to try something else on offense. Like Minshew before him, O’Connell is at risk of being pulled before the final whistle and isn’t a strong fantasy option even when he gets the full game. O’Connell is only worth adding in deep Superflex leagues.