As fantasy football owners start to look ahead to Week 6, Saquon Barkley’s status is up in the air. The consensus top pick might make it back in time to play Thursday night against the Patriots — which is suddenly a little more important after the Giants lost Wayne Gallman to a concussion Sunday. There was also a brief scare in Carolina when Christian McCaffrey limped off, but it turns out he was just cramping. He looks safe in the Week 6 RB rankings seems secure, and Reggie Bonnafon (likely) won’t be among the top waiver pickups this week.
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WEEK 6 NON-PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Christian McCaffrey injury update
McCaffrey left Sunday’s game with a limp and wasn’t in for the final few Panthers’ drives. Afterward, it turned out he was just cramping, which means he should be fine. He even seemed to criticize his own hydration habits.
McCaffrey’s seemingly non-issue makes Reggie Bonnafon irrelevant as anything more than a handcuff to McCaffrey. We wouldn’t expect the Panthers star to be limited at practices this week as the Panthers prepare to take on the Bucs in London. If he is, that might be a sign of something worse than cramps. All signs point to no issue going forward.
MORE: Week 6 waiver report
Will Saquon Barkley play Thursday night?
Barkley was ruled out for Week 5 on Friday as he recovers from a high-ankle sprain. NFL Network reported that a Week 6 return is “in view” for Barkley. The Giants play on Thursday night against the Patriots.
It’s hard to imagine the Giants would return Barkley on a short week unless he’s fully up to speed, so if he’s active, he should be in every fantasy lineup. The Patriots’ defense is strong, so if Barkley is inactive, the injury question of Wayne Gallman and the inexperience of his backup Jon Hilliman might be better off avoided.
WEEK 6 PPR RANKINGS: Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end
Wayne Gallman injury news
Gallman left Sunday’s game in the first quarter because of a concussion. Hilliman finished with nine carries for 20 yards in relief. With the Giants playing Thursday night, it would be a remarkably fast turnaround for Gallman to clear concussion protocol.
Hilliman didn’t show any burst against a solid Vikings’ front, and we’d expect similar lack of success for him if he gets the start against New England. As we get deeper into bye weeks, Hilliman might be worth picking up as a player who’ll provide some volume if starting, but at probably startling inefficiency.