Fantasy Football

Head coach Dan Campbell already told reporters that Arnold is expected to be out for a long time. Now Pelissero is all but confirming that Arnold is done for the year. Pelissero notes that Arnold still has some testing to undergo, though we suspect they will affirm his shoulder injury as season-ending. Arnold was dealing with the shoulder injury heading into Week 5 and aggravated the issue versus Cincinnati. Much like last year, the injuries are piling up on the defensive side of the ball for Detroit.

The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. wrote this morning that the Bengals’ replacement for Jake Browning wasn’t on the roster. That could mean White was released to clear space for a new addition at quarterback. Browning will likely get at least one more start, but he will need to turn things around on Sunday versus the Packers if he wants to hold the job beyond Week 6.

Rypien is on the 53-man roster as Browning’s backup while Clifford and White are currently on the team’s practice squad. Dehner Jr. put it bluntly, “Any options left open to, theoretically, replace Browning in Green Bay would have to come from outside the building.” With no outside additions made yet, Browning will get at least one more week as the starter. It is, however, clear that his leash is shrinking by the weak. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said earlier this week that the team is evaluating the quarterback position like any other heading into Week 6. The Giants have two backup quarterbacks, Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, who could both be moved now that Jaxson Dart is the starter. Kirk Cousins is also sitting on the Falcons bench waiting for an opportunity of his own, though his bloated contract makes a trade difficult to swing.

Brown’s four targets tied for second on the team on a night quarterback Trevor Lawrence attempted only 25 passes, keeping him on the fringes of fantasy consideration moving forward. He likely remains a touchdown-dependent potential FLEX option unless, or until, the team starts utilizing rookie Travis Hunter on offense for heavier rates.

Washington played sparingly behind both Dyami Brown and Tim Patrick, but made the most of his opportunity with a touchdown grab from three yards out in the second quarter for the team’s first points of the game. Washington can safely be returned to the waiver wire barring an injury ahead of him on the roster.

Hunter continued to play both ways against the Chiefs, notably matching up with Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce on multiple occasions on the defensive side of the ball. He made a ridiculous 44-yard catch in the second half after briefly exiting with injury in which he elevated enough to rest on the shoulder of a defender before coming down with the ball, something head coach Liam Coen hinted at this week with talks of getting the electric rookie involved more down the field. Volume has not yet erupted in an offense built behind the run, but Hunter could continue his surge in production against the Seahawks in Week 6.

Tuten continues to play well behind lead back Travis Etienne, the latter of whom managed 15 touches on a night the team ran only 54 offensive plays. Fantasy managers holding out hope for a Tuten takeover are kept waiting, with the rookie nothing more than a deep-bench stash at present.

Thomas has yet to rekindle the late-season magic from his rookie year with Trevor Lawrence under center, but the two had a deep connection down the sideline for a 33-yard gain on their final drive to put the team in position for the win. Fantasy managers continue to be left hanging after sinking a top-15 pick into the second-year receiver, something we are all holding out hope will improve as the season progresses. The modest six targets led the team on a night Lawrence attempted only 25 passes as their time of possession was dwarfed by the Chiefs, with their defense once again bailing them out as they improve to 4-1 in a tie atop the AFC South with the Colts. Thomas gets another difficult matchup with the Seahawks in Week 6.

Etienne’s modest volume was a function of the game environment after the Jaguars feel behind 14-0 early. He handily led the backfield again while seeing 15 touches to the five of rookie Bayshul Tuten, but was out-gained by quarterback Trevor Lawrence on the ground. Either way, Etienne remains the lead back in one of the more dynamic run offenses in the league and should return better counting stats moving forward. The 4-1 Jaguars travel to Seattle for another difficult test in Week 6.

This one was not pretty, but Lawrence found a way to get the job done when it mattered most. The Jaguars fell into an early 14-0 hole as their offense struggled to move the football before tying the game up in the third quarter. A 99-yard pick-six from Devin Lloyd gave the team their first lead of the game on Kansas City’s next possession. As they normally do, the Chiefs buckled down in crunch time to retake the lead with under two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter before Lawrence led the team down the field to be in position to retake the lead again. That final drive was a microcosm of Lawrence’s season as he made two perfect throws and committed two costly mistakes, including his second delay of game penalty of the game. A pass interference penalty in the end zone gave the Jaguars the ball on the one with no timeouts and just over 30 seconds remaining. Lawrence had his foot stepped on by the right guard on the next play but managed to stumble to his feet and carry it in for the go-ahead score without being touched. Lawrence has yet to live up to the hype in his first season with Liam Coen, but the two rushing scores at least give fantasy managers hope as we near the halfway point in the season. Up next is another difficult test against the 3-2 Seahawks in Week 6.