Injuries are piling up in the NFL after the first five games of the season. Popular fantasy football waiver wire pickups heading into Week 6 include quarterback Gardner Minshew (Indianapolis Colts), rookie running back, Roschon Johnson (Chicago Bears), tight end Logan Thomas (Washington Commanders), and wide receiver K.J. Osborn (Minnesota Vikings).
Rookie running back Emari Demercado (Arizona Cardinals) could be worthy of a waiver wire pickup because starter James Conner is expected to miss several weeks with a knee injury.
Keep a close eye on the status of New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, who sustained a neck injury this weekend. If Jones doesn’t play in Week 6, the Giants will start backup Tyrod Tayor.
Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams returned to the lineup in Week 5 after serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s gambling policy. Williams had a quiet return to action with just two catches on three targets. He’s expected to play a bigger role in upcoming weeks, especially with WR #1 Amnon St. Brown nursing an abdomen injury.
Gardner Minshew (QB, Colts)
Rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson exited three games this season with injuries. Most recently, he went down in Week 5 against the Tennessee Titans with a shoulder injury, and he’s expected to miss several weeks with a sprained AC joint on his throwing arm.
Gardner Minshew came off the bench three times already this season to finish games for the Colts. He also started one game when Richardson had a concussion. He completed 68.7% of his passes this season for 533 yards and two touchdowns. He’s 1-0 as a starter in 2023 and led the Colts to a road upset against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3.
Minshew started 25 games in his career but only has a 9-16 record as a starter.
Minshew started 20 games for the Jacksonville Jaguars in his first two seasons in the NFL. He gets a chance to play against his former team in Week 6 and get revenge on the squad that traded him before the 2021 season began.
Roschon Johnson (RB, Bears)
The Bears lost running back Khalil Herbert to a high ankle sprain in a Week 5 victory over the Washington Commanders. Even if Herbert doesn’t land on the IR (four-week minimum stint), he’s expected to miss multiple weeks.
Rookie running back Roschon Johnson has a chance to see more touches in upcoming weeks. The Bears selected Johnson with a fourth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Texas, where he was a capable backup behind Bijan Robinson.
Johnson exited “Thursday Night Football” with a head injury, but he’s expected to clear concussion protocol with extra rest time heading into Week 6 against the Minnesota Vikings.
Robinson has 122 rushing yards and one touchdown. He also added 58 receiving yards this season on 11 receptions.
Veteran D’Onta Foreman is also on the roster, but he saw minimal playing time in the first five games. Foreman has only five carries and two receptions this season, but should be elevated to backup running back behind Johnson.
Logan Thomas (TE, Commanders)
If you need a tight end, then Logan Thomas has seen a gradual increase in production. Eric Bieniemy joined the Commanders this season as their new offensive coordinator, and the Commanders should be familiar with the playbook after five games. Bienemy, the former OC of the Kansas City Chiefs, historically places a big emphasis on tight ends in his offense.
Thomas had his best performance of the season in a blowout loss against the Bears in Week 5. He caught nine passes for 77 yards and one touchdown. Quarterback Sam Howell targeted Logan 11 times last week.
The Commanders play the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6. Opposing tight ends fared well against the Falcons this season. The Falcons are ranked in the bottom five teams in points allowed to tight ends in 2023.
K.J. Osborn (WR, Vikings)
The Vikings sent superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson to the IR after he sustained a hamstring injury in Week 5. That means rookie wide receiver Jordan Addison will have a huge uptick in targets from Kirk Cousins.
The Vikings used Osborn as a third option this season. He’s poised to have a breakout week after seeing only five total targets in Week 2 and Week 3. When Jefferson exited Sunday’s game, Osborn stepped up with five catches for 49 yards.
Osborn, a third-year wide receiver from Miami, has 13 receptions this season with 166 yards and two touchdowns. He averages 12.8 yards per catch. In his first two seasons in Minnesota, Osborn caught 115 receptions for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns as WR #3 on the team.
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