Buzz from Sunday: Nacua, Egbuka injuries and a peak at Moody’s game notes

Everything that happens in the NFL has some additional context when viewed from a fantasy football perspective. From position battles to injuries and so much more, the news cycle will constantly affect player values in fantasy football.

Our Fantasy Football Buzz file, with contributions from our ESPN fantasy writers and our NFL Nation reporters, aims to provide fantasy managers with the intel they need as news breaks around the NFL.

Key links: Fantasy depth charts | Weekly rankings
Scoring leaders | Projections | The Playbook

Injuries to monitor coming out of Week 6

By Stephania Bell

Puka Nacua, WR, Rams (ankle): Nacua appeared to injure his left leg on an attempted leaping catch in the end zone early in the second quarter. He landed awkwardly on his left forefoot with the majority of his weight coming down on the left side along with the weight of a defender. In obvious discomfort afterward, Nacua reached for his lower shin just above the ankle. He was eventually assisted off the field and into the tunnel by the medical staff, with his arms around them for support. After the half, Nacua returned to the sideline and eventually reentered the game but didn’t touch the ball again.

After the game, coach Sean McVay told reporters Nacua would undergo further testing when the team returned to the facility, adding that Nacua’s status for Week 7 (in London) was uncertain. With Nacua reentering the game, it might seem unusual that he would then be held out a week later. It’s not unusual, however, for injuries to declare themselves to a greater degree within 24-48 hours postgame, whether it be symptomatic (pain/stiffness), swelling/bruising or additional information that emerges via imaging or other testing.

Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Cardinals (concussion): In the second quarter of Sunday’s game against the Colts, Harrison’s head took a hard hit to the ground as he was tackled following a 21-yard reception. He was taken inside the blue tent for evaluation, as is common for an initial concussion screen; the results indicated further testing was warranted and Harrison was taken to the locker room. The Cardinals eventually announced he would not return because of a concussion.

Harrison is now in the concussion protocol and must not only pass the progressive phases to return to action, but also must be cleared by the team physician and an independent neurological consultant. While it is often the case that athletes miss at least one game following a concussion, it is not a time-based protocol but rather criterion-based.

Emeka Egbuka, WR, Buccaneers (hamstring): Egbuka, in his first game serving as the No. 1 wide receiver with Mike Evans (hamstring) and Chris Godwin Jr. (fibula) out, exited the game against San Francisco in the second quarter with a hamstring strain. It didn’t take long for the team to rule out his return.

After the game, coach Todd Bowles told reporters Egbuka was still being evaluated. An MRI is often used to better evaluate the specific size, location and depth of the injury, which helps shape rehab timeframes and treatment. There is no prognosis yet on the timeline for Egbuka, but if the injury is truly not serious, it could range from no missed time to 1-3 weeks.

Calvin Ridley, WR, Titans (hamstring): Just when Ridley seemed to have found his groove with a strong Week 5 performance, he suffered a hamstring injury Sunday after just one catch for 18 yards. According to coach Brian Callahan, Ridley had «a hamstring that popped up early and [he] couldn’t get through, couldn’t open up and run.»

It is unclear what the severity of Ridley’s injury is, but more details will hopefully be forthcoming after he undergoes additional evaluation at the start of the week.

Who got the ball on Sunday?

By Eric Moody

A peek at a fantasy analyst’s Sunday game notes.

Running Backs

• Breece Hall has played a high percentage of the snaps in the Jets’ backfield this season and is averaging 17.5 touches per game. The good news is that the volume is there and the Jets’ offensive line ranks eighth in run block win rate. The bad news is that Justin Fields‘ inconsistent play can lead to down weeks such as this one, with only 5.9 fantasy points against Denver. The Jets’ rest-of-season schedule for running backs gets tougher, and the Panthers in Week 7 won’t be a cakewalk. New York then faces the Bengals in Week 8 before heading into a Week 8 bye, and Cincinnati’s defense allows the most fantasy points per game to running backs. This sets up a strong opportunity for managers to trade Hall while his value is still high.

• Zach Charbonnet led the Seahawks backfield in snaps, routes, and touches (13) against the Jaguars. Charbonnet and Kenneth Walker III have both been heavily involved all season, which keeps either one difficult to trust in fantasy lineups.

• Michael Carter started at running back for the Arizona Cardinals against the Colts, finishing with 11 touches and 8.4 fantasy points. Bam Knight had 12 touches and 12.4 fantasy points thanks to a rushing touchdown. Both players saw a similar number of snaps, but Carter ran more routes, giving him added involvement in the passing game.

• Tyjae Spears led the Titans’ backfield in snaps and routes run, but Tony Pollard still saw more touches, finishing with 12 touches to Spears’ nine.

• Rhamondre Stevenson led the Patriots backfield in snaps, routes, and rushing attempts (13) but managed just 1.8 fantasy points, marking his fourth straight game of fewer than 40 rushing yards. TreVeyon Henderson had 10 touches for 4.6 fantasy points, proving more effective. It remains to be seen if that performance will lead to increased usage for the rookie. Both backs are low-end flex plays for now.

• Isiah Pacheco led the Chiefs’ backfield in snaps, routes run, touches (13), and fantasy points (6.1), while also seeing a high percentage of short-yardage and goal-line opportunities thanks to a positive game script for the Chiefs, who were ahead the entire second half.

Wire Receivers

• Chris Olave led the Saints’ WR/TE room in snaps, routes, and targets (10) and finished with a season-high 98 receiving yards against the Patriots. It was his fifth game with at least six receptions and 50 yards, and he’s scored 11 or more fantasy points in five of six games. Olave has only one touchdown but elite volume, seeing 10 or more targets in five games. With an easier schedule ahead, he’s a strong hold or candidate to trade for.

• Travis Hunter set a career high in offensive snaps against the Seahawks, all in three-receiver sets. The Jaguars ran more 11 personnel than usual, influenced by the game script and Brenton Strange‘s absence.

• Stefon Diggs disappointed against the Saints, catching just three passes for 28 yards as the Patriots leaned on the run and spread targets. While he’ll have big games, Diggs is a volatile bench asset, often lining up in the slot and sharing snaps with DeMario Douglas, making him hard to trust as a weekly starter.

• Jerry Jeudy led the Browns with 13 targets and scored 9.3 fantasy points in a game where rookie QB Dillon Gabriel attempted 52 passes. The bigger story is Isaiah Bond, who played almost as many snaps and ran nearly as many routes as Jeudy. If David Njoku misses time with his thigh injury, Bond stands to be an even bigger part of the offense.

• Hollywood Brown scored 20.5 fantasy points on two touchdowns, but Xavier Worthy led the Chiefs’ wide receiver room in snaps and routes run, though he had just four targets and finished with 10.2 fantasy points.. Rashee Rice is set to return from his six-game suspension next week, which hurts the fantasy value of both Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster. In three full games last season, Rice commanded a massive 36% target share and averaged 21.6 fantasy points per game.

• After Calvin Ridley‘s hamstring injury, Van Jefferson moved to the Titans’ X receiver spot, with Elic Ayomanor shifting to Z. Jefferson caught four of six targets for 11.5 fantasy points, continuing the trend of X receivers thriving against the Raiders. Monitor Ridley’s health, but with a tough rest-of-season schedule for Tennessee’s wideouts, it’s hard to trust any Titans receiver consistently in fantasy lineups.

Tight Ends

• Evan Engram was more involved in the Broncos’ offense against the Jets than he had been in previous weeks, finishing with 9.9 fantasy points in a game where Denver’s receivers weren’t much of a factor. However it was Nate Adkins, not Engram, scored the receiving touchdown, and despite the uptick in usage (at least six targets in three straight games), Engram is still splitting snaps and routes with Adam Trautman and Adkins, making him hard to trust in fantasy lineups.

• Mason Taylor finished with just one reception for 1.2 fantasy points in a game where the Jets managed only 82 total yards of offense which was the third lowest single-game total in franchise history. One silver lining is that Taylor played over 90 percent of the snaps for the first time in his career. According to Mike Clay’s strength of schedule, the Jets have the fourth-easiest rest-of-season schedule for tight ends.

• Isaiah Likely led all Ravens tight ends in snaps and routes run against the Rams, making now a great time to add him. Considering Baltimore’s record and that Mark Andrews in the final year of his contract, there’s a real chance the veteran could be traded before the deadline.

• Darren Waller finished with just three targets and 9.2 fantasy points (thanks to a touchdown) but the key stat is that his snaps played continue to rise. That increased involvement will pay off as he has scored 17 fantasy points in two of his three games this season despite being brought slowly into the offense.

More from Sunday:
Week 6 winners and losers: Dowdle, Mahomes and Smith-Njigba deliver; time to sack Fields?

Early Week 6 takeaways: Is red-hot Dowdle in line to leapfrog Hubbard in Panthers’ backfield?

By Liz Loza

Rico Dowdle stays hot in Week 6

Dowdle found the end zone and rumbled his way to triple-digit yardage serving as the replacement for Chuba Hubbard for the second consecutive week. The former Dallas Cowboy touched the ball 34 times, logging 239 scrimmage yards and a receiving touchdown while facing his old team. Dowdle has now cleared 22 rushing attempts and collected at least three balls in back-to-back outings.

Carolina will travel to the Meadowlands in Week 7, taking on a Jets defense that gave up 78 rushing yards on 26 attempts versus the Broncos in London. Assuming Hubbard remains sidelined, Dowdle projects as a top-15 fantasy play at the position. He might have very well gained control of the backfield’s top spot even if Hubbard is healthy enough to suit up.

Kimani Vidal leads the Chargers backfield

Omarion Hampton‘s absence created a flurry of speculation as to which backup would take charge of the Bolts’ rushing opportunities. Vidal came away the clear winner, registering 18 carries for 124 rushing yards while converting three of four targets for 14 receiving yards. With volume on his side, the second-year RB took advantage of a plus matchup against Miami’s bottom-ranked run defense, posting 22.8 fantasy points in Week 6. He’ll take on an above-average Indianapolis Colts squad in Week 7.

Derrick Henry regains his crown

Despite being stuffed at the goal line in the game’s first half, Henry rebounded Sunday. The Ravens fed the vet early and often, helping him reach 90 rushing yards before halftime. Despite the Ravens falling to the Rams 17-3, Henry averaged 5.1 YPC, clearing 100 rushing yards for the first time since Week 1. Baltimore goes on bye in Week 7, but Henry’s production should continue to pick up from there, especially if Lamar Jackson returns in Week 8.

Marvin Harrison Jr. exits early

Harrison suffered what was being reported as concussion-like symptoms in the first half of Arizona’s game at Indianapolis. Jacoby Brissett (who was starting in the stead of Kyler Murray) focused the bulk of his efforts on Trey McBride (8-72-1), Zay Jones (5-79) and Michael Wilson (4-44). Fantasy managers should brace for both Harrison and Murray sitting out next Sunday’s tilt versus Green Bay.

Drake Maye continues to produce

Maye posted more than 20 fantasy points for the third time in five weeks this past Sunday. The second-year signal-caller led his team to a third straight victory, throwing for 261 yards, 3 TDs and 0 INTs while the Patriots beat the Saints 25-19. Maye also buoyed his fantasy stock on the ground, taking off nine times for 28 rushing yards. He has now managed at least 25 rushing yards and/or found the end zone in four of his past five outings. He’ll offer virtual investors top-10 positional appeal in another solid matchup at Tennessee (70.2 COMP% allowed) in Week 7.