Pittsburgh Steelers DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Pittsburgh Steelers running back/kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson (ankle) missed practice all week and was ruled out for the Week 6 contest this Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Patterson hurt his ankle in the Week 4 loss to the Indianapolis Colts and missed the Week 5 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. The 33-year-old hasn't practiced in the last two weeks, so he could be in danger of missing another game in Week 7 against the New York Jets. His absence will be felt more for Pittsburgh on special teams than it will on offense, and the backfield will be getting a boost with Jaylen Warren (knee) returning after sitting out last week. Patterson, a four-time Pro Bowl kick returner, has seen only 16 carries in four games this season in his first year in Pittsburgh for 92 rushing yards, also catching five passes for 34 yards. He belongs on the waiver wire in most fantasy formats.

New York Jets wide receiver Mike Williams had been trending up in recent weeks but he took a step back in Week 5, catching just two balls for 25 yards in a loss to the Minnesota Vikings. He will look to bounce back at home against the Buffalo Bills in Week 6's Monday night game. It isn't a great matchup for Williams, however, as the Bills are allowing the seventh-fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers this year. Williams could benefit from the extra defensive attention paid to Garrett Wilson and, to a lesser extent, Allen Lazard, but he is still not a strong fantasy option heading into Week 6. Treat him as a WR5 this weekend.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren (knee) has been upgraded from his questionable status and no longer carries an injury designation for Sunday's game. Warren was dealing with a knee injury and had to miss the past two games. Warren was able to log three consecutive limited sessions during this week's practice and will now make his return on Sunday afternoon. The 25-year-old is coming off a career year where he ran for 784 yards and added 370 yards through the air with four total scores. Even though the 25-year-old has battled injuries this season, he remains a high-upside flex option in PPR formats given his skills as a pass catcher.

Pittsburgh Steelers kicker Chris Boswell was not very involved in last week's loss to the Cowboys but could be in line for more opportunities against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 6. The Raiders are allowing the fifth-most points to opposing offenses as well as the third-most fantasy points to kickers this season. While the Steelers struggled offensively in Week 5, they should be able to move the ball and put Boswell in a position to score on Sunday. Despite his hot start to the campaign, it's clear at this point that Boswell is not going to put up elite numbers on a weekly basis, but he can be trusted in favorable matchups. The 33-year-old should be viewed as a solid starting option this week.

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth (calf) was listed as a full participant for the Steelers' final practice of the week. Freiermuth popped up on the team's injury report on Thursday with a calf designation, but it appears to have only been a minor issue. The 25-year-old is set to resume his TE1 duties when Pittsburgh hits the road to take on the Raiders in Las Vegas. Despite having yet to clear 57 yards in any contest, the former second-round pick has at least four receptions in all but one outing and a touchdown in two straight, working his way to a TE7 ranking in PPR formats. Freiermuth ranks second on his team in targets (23), receptions (20), and yards (178) and has scored the most touchdowns (2) of any Pittsburgh pass-catcher. He'll be a back-end TE1 in the road matchup and is RotoBaller's TE10 in this week's rankings.