Dawson Knox injury update: Should you start the tight end in Week 6?

Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox's participation in practice on Thursday was limited due to a hamstring injury. However, Knox has participated in consecutive limited training sessions since sitting out the Week 5 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. There does seem to be a chance that he will play against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

The tight end's playing status will be revealed in Friday's final injury report. On Monday's Knox discussed his injury on the Team West Herr podcast. Here's what he said:

"It's just been a little hamstring thing. Against the Titans earlier in the season, I had a little ankle sprain on the right side. Sometimes, a minor injury can have a series of effects, causing you to overcompensate on one side."

He continued:

"I've learned so much about the human anatomy from playing, and it's crazy. I've seen men with turf toe on one side, which causes lower back pain on the opposite side. The body is interconnected. A hamstring strain can result from an ankle sprain. Hopefully, I intend to return for this one."

Knox appears to have a solid chance of playing in Week 6 as long as he doesn't have a relapse later in the week. However, due to the nature of his injury, it seems likely that he will have fewer snaps until he is 100% fit.

We recommend that you bench Dawson Knox until he is fully fit.

Dawson Knox fantasy outlook

Dawson Knox - Tennessee Titans v Buffalo Bills

Buffalo have allegedly been in the tight-end market for a long time, but Knox's move forward in 2021 eased some worries. The third-round pick in 2019 played 87% of the snaps in his 17 active weeks, along with the playoffs. Knox finished fourth in the end zone targets during the regular season but topped all tight ends with touchdowns and TD%. On the downside, Knox didn't have a top-10 fantasy campaign because he was only targeted 73 times.

He appeared on the injury list with foot and hamstring difficulties heading into Week 5. This was after participating in 75% of the offensive snaps in a victory over the Baltimore Ravens. In the four games he has played, Knox has been on the field for 75.3% of the offensive snaps taken by his squad for the Bills in 2022. With a top-tier Buffalo system, Dawson Knox's usage isn't expected to increase significantly in 2022, so it's best to think of him as a solid TE2 this season.

Potential fantasy replacements for Dawson Knox

David Njoku - Los Angeles Chargers v Cleveland Browns

Obviously everyone in fantasy wants Mark Andrews or Travis Kelce, but they're not going to be easy to trade for. With Dawson Knox only out for a short time, there are some tight ends that could get you through his injury.

The obvious replacement is Quintin Morris, a reserve tight end for the Bills. He replaced Knox in the last match. He caught three passes for 39 yards, but he lost a fumble just inches from the end zone. If Knox is ruled out, he should be available to pick up easily and could score decent points.

David Njoku of the Cleveland Browns has been improving after a slow start. He's recorded solid points in the last three weeks (particularly in PPR leagues) and, though not spectacular, is dependable. Sometimes that's all you need in fantasy to win your matchup. He could be available or easily traded for.

Evan Engram of the Jacksonville Jaguars is also worth a punt. They play the Indianapolis Colts in what is expected to be a Colts victory. However, recent times have not been kind to Indianapolis in this matchup and Engram might see a good volume of targets.

Other potentially easy pickups include Robert Tonyan (Green Bay Packers), Hayden Hurst (Cincinnati Bengals), Tyler Conklin (New York Jets), Cameron Brate (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and Mo Alie-Cox (Colts).