Quick answerWeek 5 ended with Buffalo's overtime win at Los Angeles on October 12. Start Week 6 by checking new injuries and bye-week gaps, then reassess changed roles. Prioritize a usable starter over an optional stash, and review Thursday and London players before their earlier lineup deadlines.
Monday's finale: Bills 37, Rams 34 in overtime
Buffalo's recap records 25 carries, 111 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns for James Cook. Josh Allen added 121 rushing yards and a rushing score on 10 attempts.
LineupLab takeaway: Cook's workload is the more useful starting point than assuming the same touchdown total repeats. For a receiver coming out of this game, inspect targets and routes before treating a lower score as a lost role. The way a team moved the ball on one night does not by itself establish next week's passing volume.
Tuesday's injury news changes the replacement problem
NFL's October 13 roundup reports TreVeyon Henderson is expected to miss multiple weeks with a high ankle sprain. This is a reported outlook, not a published Week 6 final designation.
For an affected roster, compare a replacement's likely usefulness over several weeks with a one-week bye fill-in. Check the current New England backfield and available alternatives before assigning a bid. Do not assume that every lost touch goes to a single teammate.
Monday's reporting says Will Shipley's plantar-fascia injury could cost multiple weeks; Philadelphia is hopeful Saquon Barkley can return for Week 6.
That makes last week's conditional Shipley recommendation stale. Reassess the whole backfield instead of automatically keeping an old injury replacement in your starting lineup. Wait for updated participation and the active roster before assigning the next replacement a full workload.
Marvin Harrison Jr. trade: reset the role assumptions
NFL's Monday roundup reports the deal sending Marvin Harrison Jr. from Arizona to Houston.
A new team changes the questions you need answered: when the player joins practice, whether he is active, and how much of the offense he is ready to play. Do not copy his previous target expectation into a new offense. On the other side of the trade, investigate who actually runs the vacated routes before assuming a teammate inherits them all.
Four teams off: the Week 6 bye checklist
Cincinnati, Detroit, Miami and Minnesota are on bye.
Audit quarterback, tight end, kicker and defense as well as RB, WR and FLEX. A roster that looks deep at receiver may still have no eligible tight end. Check your Week 5 bench again before placing claims; a player parked there for last week's bye may now solve a gap without a transaction.
Use five weeks of evidence without chasing the standings
- Separate a one-week bye from a multiweek injury and an uncertain return.
- Compare routes, targets and touches over several games, then account for any new role change.
- Name the exact starter and bench player affected by a waiver move or trade.
- Reserve an eligible fallback for every player whose status remains unresolved.
- Review the Thursday and early Sunday windows before waiting for late news.
A 1–4 fantasy team needs useful starting points now, but that does not make every expensive pickup a good purchase. A 4–1 team can consider a stash only after ensuring its current lineup is legal. Judge a trade by all affected slots rather than the reputation of the biggest name.