Travis Kelce's Status is Up in the Air ⏳

It’s a new week of fantasy football. For some of us, the comeback starts now. The season is far from over - don’t give up just yet.

Whoever needed to hear that, I hope it helped you. 😂

What’s in store:

• Anthony Richardson could be out for a while. He’s got a Grade 3 AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder, and Minshew is in line to start next week.

• Travis Kelce’s status on a short week is up in the air. Might want to have a backup ready just in case for Week 6.

• Run to the waiver wire to scoop up Roschon Johnson! 🐻 He might be the only healthy back in Week 6 worth starting in Chicago.

• Devon Achane is shattering efficiency metrics like nothing. He’s been untouchable on a per-attempt basis so far.

• Dolphins rookie RB Devon Achane reportedly dealing with knee injury, says HC Mike McDaniel

  • Things were going just a bit too well for Achane and his fantasy managers these past few weeks, weren’t they? While the extent of the injury remains unknown – and there’s a chance that he misses no time at all – it’s obviously unsettling considering Achane is the fantasy RB1 over the past three weeks. As things stand today, there’s no reason to panic about Achane missing significant time. Even if he would miss a week, it would hardly be the end of the world considering the production he’s put up in four starts this year. If Achane is ultimately unable to go for Week 6, though, Raheem Mostert stands to benefit the most and enter the high-RB2/low-RB1 conversation. Jeff Wilson Jr. would also be worth a waiver wire pickup.

• Colts rookie QB Anthony Richardson expected to miss at least a few weeks with Grade 3 AC joint sprain

  • Richardson was able to escape his first two injury scares relatively unscathed, but this time around he doesn’t appear to have been as fortunate. The injury to his throwing shoulder could cause him to miss multiple weeks of action, but no exact timeline has been confirmed for his potential return to the field. The fact that Richardson is seeking a second opinion suggests that the initial returns weren’t what he or his fantasy managers would want to hear, but his status remains in the air as of the writing of this newsletter. What we do know is that he’ll miss at least this coming week’s game against the Jaguars, with Gardner Minshew slated to draw the start once again for the Colts. He’s a solid streaming option and has played admirably in relief of Richardson in the action he’s seen so far.

• Chiefs TE Travis Kelce would not have practiced Monday in Kansas City’s estimated practice report

  • The short turnaround this week heading into a Thursday night matchup with the Broncos has the top tight end walking a fine line with regards to his playing status. The fact that he wouldn’t have practiced Monday isn’t necessarily earth-shattering news, as he would likely have been given the day off or been limited anyway in a normal week coming off a low-ankle sprain. However, the situation should be monitored closely today and tomorrow. That being said, the Broncos aren’t necessarily an opponent that teams have had to throw the kitchen sink at to beat. If the Chiefs wanted to give Kelce the full mini-bye to rest and hold him out of this week’s matchup, they could reasonably get away with it. At any rate, fantasy managers can head to the waiver wire this week and look for a one-off replacement to carry them through s potential absence from Kelce.

1. Roschon Johnson (RB - Chicago Bears) - Both Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson exited the Bears' TNF game against Washington. Johnson's injury (concussion) leaves him likely to return in Week 6, especially with an extended week for recovery while Herbert's injury (ankle) will likely force him to "miss multiple weeks" per Tom Pelissero. The Bears haven't exactly been an exceptional fantasy source this season, but have ramped up production over the last two weeks. Johnson has shown what he can do when given the opportunity, averaging 4.9 YPC this season, and posting a 17.5-point performance in his lone week of exceeding the 10-touch threshold (Week 1). With Herbert missing time, Johnson could be a solid RB2 option for the better part of the middle of the season.

2. Tyjae Spears (RB - Tennessee Titans) - Spears continues to be the most effective RB in the Titans' backfield, even over Derrick Henry, averaging 5.8 YPC through five weeks, and now showing some standalone value for fantasy purposes with an 11-touch, 69-yard, 1-TD, 16.9-point game in Week 5. He's not someone that I would trust in my lineup on a weekly basis, but Spears appears a potential matchup-based FLEX option to fill in for injuries/bye weeks. Where he provides his most significant value is as a handcuff to Henry - should the Titans' lead back go down, Spears becomes a fringe-RB1 option. He's a worthwhile stash on the bench for his standalone value but factoring in the handcuff potential takes his value over the top.

3. Josh Downs (WR - Indianapolis Colts) - Downs has shown a promising role through the first five weeks of his career, drawing 5+ targets in four of his first five games, plus now going for 6+ catches, 50+ yards, and 13+ fantasy points in two of his last three games. That comes with a career-best 6 for 97 (15.7 points) in Week 5 with Gardner Minshew filling in for the injured Anthony Richardson, who exited Week 5 with an AC Joint injury that will likely cost him at least a week or two. Downs is quickly becoming a favorite of Gardner Minshew (14 catches, 18 targets in 2 games with Minshew) and the definitive number 2 to Michael Pittman in the Colts' passing game. He's a priority stash for me, especially with his significant involvement over the last few weeks.

4. Quentin Johnston (WR - Los Angeles Chargers) - It's 'beating a dead horse' with Johnston, but he remains available in over 50% of leagues after his Week 5 bye week. He wasn't significantly involved in the first game without Mike Williams (3 targets, 1 catch) due to a negative game script with the Chargers leading for over 50 minutes, but Johnston will be involved, especially as the season progresses. He's a potential long-term WR2 at least worth a stash on the bench.

5. Curtis Samuel (WR - Washington Commanders) - Samuel showed out with an 18.5-point performance on TNF in Week 5 (6-65-1), granted a large majority of that production came in 'garbage time' late, but that now makes twice this season he led Washington in catches, the third time he exceeded 11+ points, and every game this season where he has eclipsed the 6+ point threshold. That level of production (and consistent involvement) is not very common off the waiver wire at this point of the season. He may not offer the long-term upside a player like Downs or Johnston may offer but Samuel has shown he is more than a reliable depth WR and a potential FLEX/WR3 option on a bye week/injury-based basis.

Coming into the 2023 season, Devon Achane was one of Faraz’s favorite sleepers to take over a Dolphins backfield that looked primed to get by on quantity over quality. And through the first two weeks, Achane had a minimal role and wasn’t even a though as an asset on fantasy rosters. But over the past three weeks, Achane has come into his own – and he’s been setting the fantasy football world on fire while doing it.

Achane is leading all running backs with 30+ attempts over the past three weeks in just about every relevant fantasy football and efficiency metric there is. He’s currently leading the NFL in yards per carry by over six whole yards, tied with Christian McCaffrey for first with five touchdown runs, leading the league in missed tackles forced per attempt, and first in both yards before AND after contact per attempt. That’s just hilarious efficiency unlike any we’ve seen in a long time, and the more he continues to produce, the greater the legend will grow for Achane as this year’s clear top waiver wire pickup.

Another eye-popping stat that adds even more context to the story: Achane ranks just 16th in expected fantasy points per game (13.8) among all RBs with 30+ carries over the past three weeks. At 33.6 actual points per game, Achane is outperforming his expectation by 243% - by far the largest discrepancy between expected points and points scored among RBs with 30+ carries. He’s off to an unbelievable start to his career, and fantasy managers who held onto him even after a quiet first two weeks are reaping the rewards right now.