Week 6 lineup watch: byes, injuries, decisions

Week 5 ended with a 37–34 overtime win for Buffalo over the Rams. That means we can close the scoring book, but not the medical one. A player leaving Sunday's game does not automatically mean he is ruled out next week.

Four teams you cannot start

Detroit, Cincinnati, Minnesota and Miami are on bye in Week 6. Remove their players from starting slots before making speculative adds. For Detroit managers, the biggest mistake would be selling Jahmyr Gibbs cheaply to solve a single unavailable week.

Injury decisions need checkpoints

Michael Penix Jr., Will Shipley and David Montgomery were among the players whose Week 5 situations prompted follow-up questions. Seek the next official practice report and coach update. Treat a confirmed inactive, a limited practice and an unverified expectation as three different pieces of evidence.

If your questionable starter plays in an early game, retain a similarly timed alternative. If he plays late, make sure the bench replacement is still available at that kickoff. Do not leave your only contingency locked on Thursday or Sunday afternoon.

Start, sit, hold

Start a healthy player with a stable role ahead of a speculative backup whose opportunity depends on a still-unconfirmed absence. Sit bye-week players, however attractive their season-long ranking. Hold valuable dynasty assets through a predictable bye unless a trade improves your team beyond Week 6.

For a final decision, use rankings and the dynasty trade calculator. The latest injury designations and model projections may change after this frozen publication snapshot.