Why can’t fantasy football managers have nice things? Even though I’ve been covering this game for a long time (and playing even longer), I’m continually astounded at the number of impactful injuries that we need to wade through each week.
More frustrating is the fact that the injuries are rarely “minor” in nature, with just a game or two absence – they seem to be bumps or bruises rarely, but instead ligament tears, broken bones, and soft tissue pulls that result in lengthy IR stints. It is a violent game after all – injuries are bound to occur.
Week 6 had its fair share of significant injuries crop up – here is the latest news and notes pertaining to each situation, and waiver wire pickups that result from the fallout.
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Fantasy Football Injuries to Know
Quarterbacks
Brock Purdy (QB – SF)
Purdy has been sidelined since Week 4 with a turf toe injury, and in his absence, veteran backup Mac Jones has kept San Francisco afloat with exceptional play. Speaking to reporters on Monday afternoon, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said that Purdy would be evaluated on Wednesday to see if he can return to practice, per ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. He hasn’t been able to return to practice yet, but is reportedly making progress in his recovery efforts. Participation on either Thursday or Friday would give him a chance to suit up.
Fantasy Impact: If Purdy can play, it would be the first step towards getting this back to looking like Week 1 again. Tight end George Kittle is also set to return, along with wideouts Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings. The return of San Francisco’s core receiving options would ease defensive attention off of Christian McCaffrey, but force recent breakout wide receiver Kendrick Bourne back to a tertiary role.
Kyler Murray (QB – ARI)
Murray missed Week 6 with a foot injury after briefly departing against Tennessee the week prior. Initially, it wasn’t expected to be serious, since he was able to return to action in Week 5 and play through the discomfort. Unfortunately, symptoms must have worsened afterward, and now it is being described as a “mid-foot sprain” by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. As the news has slowly trickled in, it appears that this has the makings of a multi-week absence.
Fantasy Impact: With nothing new to report from Arizona’s beat writers since the conclusion of Week 6, the information that we are working with is sparse. In a press conference on Monday, Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing offered little updates, but did praise the play of backup Jacoby Brissett against Indianapolis in Week 6, and stated that the offense wouldn’t look dramatically different should he be required to start again. Brissett was able to effectively target Trey McBride (8/72/1 on 11 targets) and Marvin Harrison (2/32 on two targets before leaving with a concussion), signaling that they shouldn’t experience a significant statistical drop off with Brissett under center. If anything, the fact that he doesn’t have the scrambling upside that Murray does will force this into a more traditional style of play.
J.J. McCarthy (QB – MIN)
Out of action since a disastrous Week 2 performance against Atlanta, “JJMC” has been nursing a high-ankle sprain and was fortunate that Minnesota had an early bye in Week 6. Head coach Kevin O’Connell stated earlier that McCarthy would require a whole week of practice to resume duties under center before he would start over veteran backup Carson Wentz. Fortunately, McCarthy was able to practice on Monday for the first time, and he appears in line to return to action.
Fantasy Impact: Wentz played admirably well enough in JJMC’s stead, but not nearly at the level required to usurp his spot as the starter. I’d expect McCarthy to be under center, barring any sort of setback. From a pure passing standpoint, this is a step backward. JJMC is the more gifted athlete, but hasn’t seen enough reps to make me feel comfortable trotting him out there as anything other than a bye-week fill-in. His rushing ability adds a nice statistical floor, but we have little data to suggest his presence will be a benefit or a detriment to wideouts Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, or Jalen Nailor.
Running Backs
Hubbard has been nursing a calf strain since Week 5, and it is fair to state that Carolina hasn’t seemed to mind much. In his absence, Rico Dowdle has been absurdly productive, rushing for 389 yards on 53 carries and a score, adding seven receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown as a receiver. Dowdle’s success has allowed the team not to rush Hubbard back into action. Hubbard failed to log one practice last week, and one would assume he would need to make significant progress to resume action.
Fantasy Impact: Without any practice reports yet or comments from the coaching staff, we should assume that Hubbard’s status for Week 7 against the New York Jets is iffy at best. Even if Hubbard were to return to action, the Panthers’ coaching staff will likely turn this into a full-blown 50:50 committee situation that will devalue both Hubbard and Dowdle moving forward.
Wide Receivers
Puka Nacua (WR – LAR)
With roughly 10 minutes remaining in the second quarter against Baltimore, Nacua landed awkwardly while attempting to break up a jump ball in the end zone with a defender. Down for several moments and needing assistance to get to the locker room, Nacua was (thankfully) later able to return to the game, but was clearly hindered by the ankle injury for the remainder of the contest. During Monday’s press conference, head coach Sean McVay stated that Nacua’s status was considered “day to day”, but he appeared to be reserved with his optimism for Nacua’s chances in Week 7. Though this doesn’t have the makings of a long-term issue that will keep him out for multiple weeks, Los Angeles is sure to exercise caution with him, given how he forced himself back early from past issues.
Fantasy Impact: All reports from Los Angeles have this injury designated as a mild low-ankle sprain, rather than the uglier high-ankle variety. Something to consider is the Rams’ Week 8 bye – resting Nacua in Week 7 against Jacksonville would give him ample time to recover and be the smart avenue for the team to pursue. Should Nacua miss the game against the Jaguars, Davante Adams would stand to benefit the most, with additional targets trickling down to Tutu Atwell and Jordan Whittington. Tight end Tyler Higbee would also be relied upon for a more significant role.
Emeka Egbuka (WR – TB)
As far as I’m concerned, the Tampa Bay wide receiver room is officially cursed. With Mike Evans (hamstring), Chris Godwin (fibula), and Jalen McMillan (neck) already on the shelf, Egbuka was one of 2025’s hottest rookies out the gate – scoring five touchdowns through the first five weeks, and eclipsing the century mark in the two games prior. Sadly, we can’t have nice things. Egbuka suffered a hamstring injury in the third quarter and failed to return to action after catching only two passes for 24 yards on the afternoon. Initial reports are vague regarding the severity of the pull, but all outlets point to Egbuka missing at least some period of time, with his status for Week 7 being murky at best.
Fantasy Impact: With all outlets expecting Egbuka to miss at least Week 7 against Detroit, one needs to wonder if Week 8 is on the table as well, with the Buccaneers on bye in Week 9. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are uncertain to play against the Lions as well, meaning that quarterback Baker Mayfield would need to rely upon Sterling Shepard, Tez Johnson, and Kameron Johnson to be his primary targets in the passing game. Tight end Cade Otton would also see a bump in usage.
Garrett Wilson (WR – NYJ)
The lone worthwhile wideout worth rostering in fantasy football for the New York Jets, Wilson suffered a hyperextended knee during Sunday’s embarrassing 13-11 loss against Denver, and is expected to miss several weeks. An MRI taken on Monday morning thankfully revealed no significant damage to the structural integrity of his knee, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that the team is already bracing to be without his services for the next “couple of weeks”.
Fantasy Impact: Wilson’s absence would bump Josh Reynolds, Arian Smith, and Allen Lazard up in the pecking order for targets, but rookie tight end Mason Taylor would stand to benefit the most immediately. New York’s offense is a certifiable mess as-is, so it would make sense that they would stick to their strengths as a run-first team, relying upon Breece Hall and Isaiah Davis to carry the load, with quarterback Justin Fields scrambling repeatedly. The Jets are the league’s worst team with a 0-6 record, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see wholesale changes come down the pipe in short order.
Calvin Ridley (WR – TEN)
Ridley exited Sunday’s contest against the Las Vegas Raiders with a hamstring injury and was unable to return. Worse yet, he only recorded one reception for 18 yards before leaving, and he continues to be one of the biggest disappointments in the early going of the 2025 season.
Fantasy Impact: This is an eerily similar situation to Wilson above, with an alpha option on a terrible team going down with an injury that could sideline him for several weeks. Rookie Elic Ayomanor has shown flashes of relevance and would be the biggest beneficiary of Ridley’s target share being spread around amongst several candidates. To put it bluntly, given how poorly Cam Ward is playing right now (he has thrown for 225 yards or less in five of his first six starts with a 3:4 TD: INT ratio), none of these fallback options have much relevance in standard-size leagues.
Marvin Harrison Jr. (WR – ARI)
Harrison Jr. banged the back of his head on the turf while hauling in a 21-yard reception on Sunday against Indianapolis, was brought off the field for a concussion check, and later placed into the league’s protocol measures. Given the strict steps that this program entails, it is almost certain that Harrison Jr. will miss Week 7 against Green Bay while passing through the safety protocols. The team has little need to rush him amidst a 2-4 record and with a bye coming in Week 8.
Fantasy Impact: Harrison Jr.’s absence in Week 7 would provide additional looks to veterans Michael Wilson and Zay Jones, though who will be throwing them the ball remains uncertain. Tight end Trey McBride is sure to lead Arizona’s offense in looks, in an otherwise lackluster, ho-hum cast of characters. Wilson has moderate streaming appeal for those managers who are hurting due to injuries or bye-week struggles, but this is a situation best left avoided if at all possible.
Tight Ends
David Njoku (TE – CLE)
Amidst an embarrassing 23-9 loss to their divisional rival, Pittsburgh, Cleveland faced additional insult with a knee injury to Njoku midway through the contest. Head coach Kevin Stefanski clarified this to be a knee injury (it was initially reported as a thigh issue) afterward. Njoku has been a disappointment early in the season, ranked as the TE15 and largely playing behind rookie Harold Fannin Jr.. Njoku only has one touchdown reception, and has been held to 40 receiving yards or less in five of his first six starts.
Fantasy Impact: Cleveland is a bit of a quandary, as the sensible thing for a 1-5 team to do would be to revert back to a running offense, on the strengths of rookies Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson. The Browns played their best football of the season when being a balanced team, rather than relying on the arms of their carousel under center. Fantasy managers looking to capitalize on this situation should elevate Fanning Jr. to a low-end TE1 while Njoku is out, with wideout Jerry Jeudy seeing a slight bump to WR3 status.
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