Seton Hall
Injuries and returning players during week six
Date: October 16, 2019By: Jorie Mickens
This past weekend, players dealing with injuries made their long-awaited returns and news broke of a season-ending injury for a top-ten player at his position.
Sophomore quarterback Sam Darnold made his return for the New York Jets last Sunday after missing the past four weeks with mono. In his return, Darnold threw for 338 yards and two touchdowns in the Jets’ first win of the season. Jets receiver Robby Anderson finally had the breakout game fantasy owners and Jets fans were looking for as he caught five receptions for 125 yards and a touchdown.
The return of Darnold should do wonders for Anderson and fellow receiver Jamison Crowder. Crowder is a PPR machine, in week one of this season against the Bills, Crowder caught 14 passes for 99 yards. Last Sunday against the Cowboys, he caught six passes for 98 yards. An improved passing game should also benefit running back Le’Veon Bell, who is currently the 15th ranked running back in PPR leagues.
It will not be easy for the Jets the next two weeks, as they face the Patriots and Jaguars, but after that their schedule really eases up. The Jets face the Dolphins twice, the Giants, the Redskins and the Bengals over the next six weeks. Darnold and company could get the Jets and fantasy owners back on track.
Star Kansas City Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill returned last Sunday after being hospitalized with a shoulder injury in week one. Hill exploded in his return catching five passes for 80 yards and two touchdowns in the Chiefs 31-24 loss to the Texans. Hill is a must-start from here on out, but for Chiefs receivers Demarcus Robinson and Mecole Hardman, it is likely the end of being able to stream these two receivers.
Although Robinson played 86 percent of the Chiefs offensive snaps, which was eighth-most on the team behind the offensive line, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, Robinson ended the game with just four targets and zero receptions for zero yards. Hardman finished the game with four receptions for 45 yards but ever since these two broke out in week two against the Raiders, they have been trending downward every week.
The Chiefs have a Thursday Night Football matchup this week against the Denver Broncos in the Mile High city. Denver is currently on a two-game winning streak while the Chiefs have lost their last two games. Start Mahomes, Hill and Kelce in this matchup but avoid starting any other Chiefs player against the Broncos this week.
Seahawks tight end Will Dissly will likely miss the remainder of the season after tearing his Achilles against the Browns last Sunday. It has been a rough start to Dissly’s career as he missed twelve games last year after he tore his patellar tendon. Dissly was the tight end-six on the season and for what has already been a down year for tight ends, this is a huge blow for Dissly owners.
For those in need of a tight end, Texans tight end Darren Fells is the tight end-13 on the season, owned in just 2.5 percent of ESPN leagues and faces the Colts this week who have allowed the third-most fantasy points to the tight end position this season. Fells is coming of a two-touchdown performance against the Falcons and a six reception for 69 yards performance against the Chiefs. Fells is a great streaming option for this week.
For those in need for a long-term pickup at tight end, Jets tight end Chris Herndon has been suspended the last six weeks of this season and is finally eligible to play. As stated before, the Jets schedule will finally ease up in a few weeks and Darnold targeted Herndon about 14 percent of the time when they were both rookies last year.
Jorie Mickens can be reached at jorie.mickens@student.shu.edu.
