Who's in and who's out of the early games in week 6
Unlike a couple of previous Sundays, week six's early games aren't totally stacked with injury concerns. But they are a few notable names -- Peyton Hillis
, Calvin Johnson, Aaron Rodgers
, Tampa Bay's Mike Williams
-- whose availability are in question. Keep checking back on this post for updates on those and other players who may be active or inactive for the 1 p.m. Eastern Time kickoffs.
Calvin Johnson is active. He took passes from Shaun Hill and Drew Stanton during warmups. He should be in your lineup, even thought the matchup is very tough. Matthew Stafford is the Lions' No. 3 quarterback today.
Michael Vick is listed as the Eagles' inactive No. 3 QB today. As expected, Kevin Kolb will get the start against the Falcons. He is a good play in two-QB leagues. Newly acquired Jerome Harrison is also inactive for the Eagles. LeSean McCoy is active and is a high-end RB2.
Peyton Hillis is active for the Browns today. He had been limited for the past week with a quad injury. It's unknown how much work he'll get, but with Colt McCoy officially starting behind center, I expect Hillis to touch the ball often. Sure, the matchup sucks, but there will be vast opportunities for Hillis to produce. He is a low-end RB2 in my opinion.
Mike Williams is active for today's game against the Saints. He had been bothered by a foot injury he suffered during week five's game, but he reportedly looked better in practice late in the week. The Saints' pass defense is pretty good, but Williams is still a nice WR3 as he is Josh Freeman's top target. Bucs running back LeGarrette Blount is a surprise inactive. If you thought he could get you a cheap TD out of your flex, that's not going to happen. Get him out of your lineup.
As expected, Aaron Rodgers is active. Unless you own two top-5 QBs, you're starting him, no questions asked.
Donald Driver is active after missing Friday's practice. He is a fine start.
Andre Johnson and Jacoby Jones are both active for the Texans. You're starting Johnson but probably not Jones. It's good news for Matt Schaub, but I am expecting another down effort from him this week against Kansas City's blossoming pass defense.
A handful of fantasy-relevant players have already been ruled out for week six. That list includes Pierre Thomas, Justin Gage, Donald Brown, Anthony Gonzalez, Seneca Wallace, Jermichael Finley and Fred Taylor.
Fantasy Analysis:
Regarding the inactives, Chris Ivory, Julius Jones and Ladell Betts will all contribute out of the Saints' backfield. Hard to trust any of them, but if you HAVE to, I would choose Ivory. A bunch of Colts skill players are listed as questionable to play tonight against the Redskins, but only Brown and Gonzalez will not play among the group. With Brown unavailable, Mike Hart will be Joseph Addai's primary backup. Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie should both be active despite the "Q" tag. Kenny Britt will get another start in Gage's place. With how Britt has been producing lately, he deserves to stay in the starting lineup whenever Gage returns. He's a nice WR3 against the Jaguars on Monday night. Wallace was ruled out last night because a high ankle sprain. He's the lucky one. Expect Colt McCoy to get trampled by the Steelers' defense today in Pittsburgh. Jake Delhomme is not expected to play either, so Brett Ratliff will probably fill the role of primary backup. Jermichael Finley is likely out for the season after undergoing knee surgery earlier this week. Donald Lee and Andrew Quarless should be the top tight ends for the Packers going forward. BenJarvus Green-Ellis will likely replace Taylor again as he is out with a toe injury for the second consecutive game. BJG-E has a decent matchup against the Ravens. But you know that a crowd of running backs will be involved for New England.
Source:
ESPN