The question of is CeeDee Lamb playing in Week 6 was not even in the mind of fantasy football managers until Friday afternoon. As he appeared on the Dallas Cowboys’ injury report on Friday as a non-participant with a hip injury, it immediately created a concern. Let’s take a look at the latest on Lamb’s status and the fantasy impact of the news.
Update: CeeDee Lamb is officially active and playing tonight against the Eagles.
Is CeeDee Lamb Playing Today?
After uncertainty swirled with Lamb’s late addition to the injury report, we found out Sunday morning that he is expected to play, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo. This is somewhat surprising because players that appear on the injury report late in the week often face an uphill battle to be active on Sunday. The Cowboys, as well as Lamb’s fantasy managers, will be breathing a huge sigh of relief.
However, there is still an element of concern to be considered. Could Lamb simply be playing as a decoy? That is something we are extremely unlikely to find out because it’s not something the Cowboys would tell anyone in advance. There is always the risk when a star player gets hurt that he simply goes out onto the field to occupy the attention of the defense while running a limited route tree.
Can Fantasy Managers Trust Lamb in Week 6?
This is an absolutely huge question for fantasy managers to consider. If Lamb is active, you would usually start him without a second thought. That is especially the case in a huge NFC East game when we are also short four teams due to the start of the 2022 NFL bye week schedule.
The matchup itself is pretty solid. The Eagles allow 27.6 fantasy points per game on average, which is the 14th-highest number so far this year. The output from WRs against the Eagles has been quite consistent. They have never restricted the position below 20 fantasy points but have also not allowed more than 32.9 fantasy points to the position in any single game of the first five weeks.
MORE: Is Tee Higgins Playing Today vs. the Saints?
That all plays into Lamb usually being a solid start, but the risk is high. There is also the risk he has a setback in pre-game, at which point fantasy managers would have limited options to turn to. If you can, look to stash Noah Brown (rostered in 7.6% of ESPN leagues) just in case Lamb is a late inactive.
We would expect Brown and Michael Gallup to benefit the most in terms of targets if Lamb is out. Neither is a 12-team starting option if Lamb is active, but both are in consideration as an insurance policy if he is ruled out late.