Week 6 Friday Injury Report: Stars Align for Eno Benjamin & Darrell Henderson

This article is part of our Injury Analysis series.

The bottom section — truly questionable — can be used as a kind of checklist or cheatsheet for Sunday morning. First, let's see who's in and who's out for Week 6. We've got a lot of injuries to star players and a lot of potential game-time decisions, even with byes kicking in for the first time (DET, TEN, HOU, LV).

The good news is that nearly all of the important game-time calls are from the early games, apart from the Cowboys throwing us a curveball by listing Dak Prescott as questionable and adding CeeDee Lamb to the injury report (questionable with a hip injury, expected to play). Elsewhere, it's a big week for Darrell Henderson and Eno Benjamin, both of whom seemingly have stumbled into workhorse roles for favorable Week 6 matchups.

One last note: The Cardinals-Seahawks may be pushed back an hour, depending on what happens with the Mariners this weekend. Fortunately, there aren't any GTDs of great fantasy import in that contest.

Good to Go 💯

• WR Tyler Lockett (hamstring)
• WRs Chris Godwin (hip/knee) + Russell Gage (ankle)
• TE Dalton Schultz (knee)
• K Jake Elliott (ankle) 
• K Harrison Butker (ankle)
• K Robbie Gould (truck-stick aftershocks)

Ruled Out/Doubtful 🚑 

• QB Tua Tagovailoa & Teddy Bridgewater (concussions)

Bridgewater is listed as questionable but reportedly is only expected to be the backup even if he's active. Skylar Thompson is expected to start, and potentially without blindside protector Terron Armstead (Q - toe) again. The Vikings are much, much healthier than the Dolphins right now.

• WR Rashod Bateman (foot) + RB Justice Hill (toe)
• TE Pat Freiermuth (concussion)
• WR Michael Thomas (foot) + WR Jarvis Landry (ankle) + QB Jamies Winston (back)

Winston technically is listed as questionable but reportedly will only be the backup if he plays. Speedy depth receiver Deonte Harty (foot) also is ruled out, and Chris Olave (concussion) is questionable. Andy Dalton, Alvin Kamara, Marquez Callaway and Taysom Hill... not exactly the dream team (besides Kamara).

• RBs James Conner (ribs) + Darrel Williams (knee)

Eno Benjamin will lead the Arizona backfield, with Keaontay Ingram and Corey Clement available in reserve. Given the workload potential and sterling matchup, Benjamin is on the RB1/2 borderline for me (somewhere around RB11-15).

• RB Cam Akers (personal)

The Rams announced Friday that Akers will miss the upcoming game for non-injury reasons. It's unclear if this is a one-week thing or a potential long-term issue. Either way, Darrell Henderson figures to play a lot of snaps against Carolina this weekend, with Malcolm Brown providing depth. Henderson, like Benjamin, is somewhere in that RB11-15 range for me, ahead of Najee Harris, Miles Sanders, Melvin Gordon, James Robinson, etc. 

• WR Julio Jones (knee)
• WRs Kenny Golladay (knee) + Kadarius Toney (hamstring)
• WR Christian Watson (hamstring)

Key Defensive Players + Offensive Linemen

• DE Arik Armstead (foot) + DT Javon Kinlaw (knee) + OT Trent Williams (ankle)

The 49ers also are without Jimmie Ward (hand surgery) for another week and CB Emmanuel Moseley (ACL) for the rest of the season. On top of that, Nick Bosa (groin) is questionable, potentially leaving the Niners without three of four starters on one of the best D-lines in the league. On the offensive side, Williams figures to miss at least a game or two beyond this one.

• S Logan Ryan (foot) + CB Sean Murphy-Bunting (quad) + DT Akiem Hicks (foot)
• S Minkah Fitzpatrick (knee) + CB Ahkello Witherspoon + CB Cameron Sutton (hamstring) + CB Levi Wallace (concussion)

Terrell Edmunds is the only remaining starter in Pittsburgh's secondary for a matchup with Tom Brady, who has all his pass catchers healthy besides Julio Jones.

• DE Jadeveon Clowney (ankle) + CB Denzel Ward (concussion)
• LB Mykal Walker (ankle)
• LB Shaquille Leonard (concussion/nose/back)
• CB Marshon Lattimore (abdomen) + DE Payton Turner (chest)
• CB Jaycee Horn (ribs)
• CB Rashad Fenton (hamstring)

Listed as Questionable - Should Play 👍

• RB Alexander Mattison (shoulder)

• RB Raheem Mostert (knee)

• WR Wan'Dale Robinson (knee) + TE Tanner Hudson (illness)

• WR Jakobi Meyers (knee)
• TE Hayden Hurst (groin)
• WR Cooper Kupp (foot) + TE Tyler Higbee (ankle) + DT Aaron Donald (foot)

Truly Questionable 🤔

• TE Kyle Pitts (hamstring) - 1 ET 

Pitts said Wednesday he expects to play, while the Falcons have avoided commenting. He was a limited practice participant Wednesday through Friday.

• RB Damien Harris (hamstring) + QB Mac Jones (ankle) + TE Jonnu Smith (ankle) + WR Nelson Agholor (hamstring) - 1 ET

Early reports suggested Harris will miss time, but the Patriots aren't ruling him out yet. Their offense is awfully banged up, but so is Cleveland's struggling defense with DE Jadeveon Clowney (ankle) and CB Denzel Ward (concussion) ruled out. The No. 1 item for fantasy pertains to Rhamondre Stevenson, a low-end RB1 in the event Harris is inactive. There is some bust potential for the whole offense, especially if Bailey Zappe starts again, but Stevenson would be headed for a huge workload behind a powerful O-line.

• RBs Jonathan Taylor (ankle) + Nyheim Hines (ankle) - 1 ET

Deon Jackson and Phillip Lindsay had a pretty even timeshare last week (check out Backfield Breakdown for details) after Hines suffered a concussion on the opening drive. The bigger question of course is whether Taylor will be back after missing last week... he was a limited practice participant Thursday and Friday.

• WR Chris Olave (concussion) - 1 ET

He was listed as a full participant Friday, despite multiple reporters saying he didn't do much during the open portion of practice. Olave thus needs to be considered a game-time decision entering the weekend, though word could come down sooner if he can't clear concussion protocol Saturday.

• WR Tee Higgins (ankle) - 1 ET

Higgins appears 50/50, with Mike Thomas set to fill in alongside Ja'Marr Chase and Tyler Boyd if Higgins can't suit up against the injury-ravaged Saints.

• WRs Zay Jones (ankle) + Marvin Jones (hamstring) - 1 ET

Zay returned from the ankle injury last week and played 79 percent of snaps, but he caught only three of eight targets for 12 yards. Marvin, meanwhile, was a late-week addition to the injury report. I don't love the matchup for Christian Kirk, but his volume projection is lofty if both of these guys end up missing the game. Zay, at least, seems more likely than not to play.

• DE Nick Bosa (groin) - 1 ET
• WR Robbie Anderson (illness) - 4:05 ET
• QB Dak Prescott (thumb) + WR CeeDee Lamb (hip) - 8:20 ET

I figure Lamb plays and Prescott doesn't, but I don't want to assume it when there's already a whiff of gamesmanship in the air. Comments coming out of Dallas this week made it sound like Prescott would be out or doubtful, but now we need to keep a close eye on the situation ahead of Sunday Night Football. Lamb, meanwhile, was added to the injury report Friday as a non-participant.

• WR Keenan Allen (hamstring) - Monday 8:20 ET

Not sure he'll be a game-time call, but we'll stay open to that possibility as of Friday evening (the Chargers and Broncos won't post final injury reports until Saturday).

Key Defensive Players + O-Linemen

• OT Terron Armstead (toe) + TE Durham Smythe (hamstring) - 1 ET

Raheem Mostert's banged-up knee might not be his only challenge this weekend. The Phins presumably still will try to run the ball, considering they have a third-string QB under center and Minnesota is 23rd in run-defense DVOA.

• S Marcus Maye (ribs) + CB Paulson Adebo (knee) - 1 ET 
• CB Donte Jackson (ankle) - 4:05 ET