Kansas City continues fine-tuning their preparation as they gear up for Sunday night’s primetime showdown with Detroit. Xavier Worthy has been dealing with some injury concerns lately that have created uncertainty around his status. For fantasy football managers counting on the explosive receiver’s production, what does his current situation mean for Week 6?
Xavier Worthy Injury Update
Update: Worthy returned to practice on Friday, suggesting our theory that Thursday’s absence was planned maintenance is legitimate. We await his final injury designation, but it sounds as if Worthy will be good to go. He likely won’t even draw a questionable tag.
Worthy appears to be moving past his dislocated shoulder issue from the season opener. The sophomore has been managing a torn labrum in that shoulder but has shown no signs of limitation from the injury. His explosive speed and route-running ability remain intact despite playing through the structural damage.
Last week brought an unexpected development when Worthy surfaced with an ankle injury ahead of Monday Night Football against Jacksonville. He became a late addition to the injury report after his ankle swelled up following the team’s flight to Florida. Despite the surprise designation, he played through the issue and finished with five catches for 83 yards.
During Monday’s contest, Worthy appeared to aggravate the ankle problem and briefly left the field. However, he missed only a couple of plays before returning and looked comfortable for the remainder of the game. His ability to finish strong suggested the ankle wasn’t a major concern.
Wednesday’s practice brought encouraging news when Worthy participated fully without restrictions. The complete participation indicated both his shoulder and ankle were feeling good enough for normal football activities.
However, Thursday brought an unexpected twist when Worthy was completely absent from practice. The Chiefs have not yet provided an official explanation for his nonparticipation, creating uncertainty about his status.
Before fantasy managers panic, this absence could be part of a planned maintenance schedule for the speedy receiver. Teams often give key players scheduled days off during the week, typically on Tuesday or Thursday rather than at the beginning or end of practice weeks.
The shortened turnaround from Monday night’s game may also factor into his rest day. With only four days between contests instead of the typical seven, the Chiefs might be managing his workload more carefully.
Currently, we lack information beyond his practice absence. Hopefully, more details emerge about whether this represents injury concerns or routine maintenance. Friday’s participation level will be crucial in determining Worthy’s weekend availability if clarity doesn’t come sooner.
Worthy Fantasy Outlook
Worthy was back to being WR1 in this offense on Monday night, even after being a late add to the injury report with ankle swelling following the flight.
The speedster was on the field for 77.8% of the snaps and earned nine targets. More encouraging was the type of involvement: he had a pair of behind-the-line-of-scrimmage targets in addition to two that came 25+ yards down field.
Health limitations seem to be a thing of the past (17 targets on 66 routes over the past two weeks), and we still have one game left until we have to worry about what this offense looks like when Rashee Rice returns from suspension.
We will dive deep into that when the time is here, but for Week 6, you can bank on Worthy as a strong WR2 as you normally would, even against a Lions defense trending in a positive direction.
— PFSN Fantasy Analyst Kyle Soppe
Week 6 WR Rankings
1) Puka Nacua | Los Angeles Rams (at BAL)
2) Amon-Ra St. Brown | Detroit Lions (at KC)
3) Jaxon Smith-Njigba | Seattle Seahawks (at JAX)
4) Rome Odunze | Chicago Bears (at WAS)
5) Drake London | Atlanta Falcons (vs. BUF)
6) Emeka Egbuka | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. SF)
7) Garrett Wilson | New York Jets (vs. DEN)
8) George Pickens | Dallas Cowboys (at CAR)
9) Deebo Samuel Sr. | Washington Commanders (vs. CHI)
10) Ja’Marr Chase | Cincinnati Bengals (at GB)
11) Davante Adams | Los Angeles Rams (at BAL)
12) Quentin Johnston | Los Angeles Chargers (at MIA)
13) Xavier Worthy | Kansas City Chiefs (vs. DET)
14) Tetairoa McMillan | Carolina Panthers (vs. DAL)
15) Michael Pittman Jr. | Indianapolis Colts (vs. ARI)
16) Courtland Sutton | Denver Broncos (at NYJ)
17) Jaylen Waddle | Miami Dolphins (vs. LAC)
18) DK Metcalf | Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. CLE)
19) Stefon Diggs | New England Patriots (at NO)
20) Marvin Harrison Jr. | Arizona Cardinals (at IND)
21) Keenan Allen | Los Angeles Chargers (at MIA)
22) Jakobi Meyers | Las Vegas Raiders (vs. TEN)
23) A.J. Brown | Philadelphia Eagles (at NYG)
24) Chris Olave | New Orleans Saints (vs. NE)
25) Ladd McConkey | Los Angeles Chargers (at MIA)
26) Zay Flowers | Baltimore Ravens (vs. LAR)
27) Brian Thomas Jr. | Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. SEA)
28) DeVonta Smith | Philadelphia Eagles (at NYG)
29) Calvin Ridley | Tennessee Titans (at LV)
30) Jameson Williams | Detroit Lions (at KC)
31) Wan’Dale Robinson | New York Giants (vs. PHI)
32) Chris Godwin | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. SF)
33) Tee Higgins | Cincinnati Bengals (at GB)
34) DJ Moore | Chicago Bears (at WAS)
35) Khalil Shakir | Buffalo Bills (at ATL)
36) Kendrick Bourne | San Francisco 49ers (at TB)
37) Cooper Kupp | Seattle Seahawks (at JAX)
38) Rashid Shaheed | New Orleans Saints (vs. NE)
39) Matthew Golden | Green Bay Packers (vs. CIN)
40) Jauan Jennings | San Francisco 49ers (at TB)
41) Romeo Doubs | Green Bay Packers (vs. CIN)
42) Tre Tucker | Las Vegas Raiders (vs. TEN)
43) Josh Downs | Indianapolis Colts (vs. ARI)
44) Keon Coleman | Buffalo Bills (at ATL)
45) Jerry Jeudy | Cleveland Browns (at PIT)
46) Darnell Mooney | Atlanta Falcons (vs. BUF)
47) Troy Franklin | Denver Broncos (at NYJ)
48) Elic Ayomanor | Tennessee Titans (at LV)