Full Week 17 Injury Report

I’ll refer you to my post at FFLockerRoom again for my Week 17 injury post.

http://fflockerroom.com/2012/12/29/fantasy-football-week-17-injury-update-t-richgronkmjd/

And just FYI, I’ll update the blog soon with a post about the recent rash of ACL injuries both during Week 16 and over the last few seasons. Hopefully it’ll give some insight into why the ACL is so important and why it’s so difficult to come back from.

 

Setting Your Week 11 Lineup

Sorry kids, it’s been a busy week. Check out my Week 11 Injury Report over at FFLockerRoom.com for all the insights for the week. They also do a fantastic job of putting together weekly rankings and analyzing add/drop trends. Click the link below for all the details. Be back next week with a weekend recap and to get you ready for a Thanksgiving Thursday chalk full of games!

http://fflockerroom.com/2012/11/17/fantasy-football-week-11-injury-report/

 

Setting Your Week 9 Lineup: Friday Injury Updates, Twitter-style

Jordy Nelson (Q): Didn’t practice today, still dealing with hamstring strain, will test Sunday before game, hammy’s are tricky, so have a backup just in case

Issac Redman (P): Will play, but same can’t be said for Rashard Mendenhall and Jonathan Dwyer, who are both doubtful. Look for Redman to get most of the work, tough matchup with the Giants, but he’s the guy this week

Adrian Peterson (Q): He didn’t practice, but did do some rehab work on the side to test that ankle of his. Looks like he’ll play, but monitor just in case. Remember, ankle/hip injuries on same side as post-ACL reconstruction is never positive (RE: Mendenhall). Scares me a bit moving forward, may be a nice sell-high guy. But word is he will play this week.

Calvin Johnson (Q): Didn’t practice at all this week, knee soreness is really becoming a problem. I think he still plays through it, but he just hasn’t looked the same, as I stated earlier this week (https://ziaddahdul.wordpress.com/2012/10/31/wednesday-injury-report-megatron-dez-tannehill-more/). You just can’t bench him unless he’s ruled out, so he’s in your lineup if he plays.

Felix Jones (P):  Probable to play, dealing with a shoulder injury in addition to his knee. I just don’t like the way he’s run these last two games, doesn’t look like he has any burst or explosiveness. And Atlanta is pretty solid against the run. He’s a flex at best.

Donald Brown (P): He participated fully today, which is great news for his likelihood of playing on Sunday. He’s got a few things working against him: Tough Dolphins run D, split carries with Vick Ballard, and still finding his rhythm after knee surgery. I think he’ll be involved, but it’s hard to tell how much with time shares. He’s probably more of a flex guy at this point.

Ryan Tannehill (Q): Limited all week with thigh injury, my guess is he plays, but they’ll evaluate him this weekend and make a firm decision at that point. Matt Moore is listed as probable, so know that option is there just in case Tannehill can’t go. With Brian Hartline also questionable and looking like a game-time type decision, Miami may be running the ball quite a bit this week. I like Tannehill’s chances of playing, but can’t imagine you’d want to start either of these guys this week.

Dez Bryant (Q): Limited all week with a hip injury, the extent or specifics of which has not been released. It seems like he’s questionable with the idea that he’s going to play, but he did take a nasty tumble on that play at the end of the Giants’ game. Looks like it could have been a hip pointer type of injury, but if he suits up, you probably have to play him, especially since they play the Sunday night game. Maybe a Kevin Ogletree pick up is in line just in case you need a quick change.

Darren Sproles (O): Out indefinitely with a fractured hand (not sure the specifics, usually means the long bones in the hand that connects the small wrist bones to the fingers) that also required surgery. I’d say, if pressed, that he’ll be out at least 3 weeks, especially since he’s so important to the passing game, which clearly requires healthy hands (you know, to catch the ball). Pierre Thomas is an immediate pick up and you can even think of targeting a guy like Chris Ivory, who will now get some more run with Sproles out.

Ben Tate (O): Already ruled out with a hamstring issue. Seems to be lingering pretty good for him, as he’s been ruled out pretty quickly each week. Justin Forsett becomes the backup this week against a really bad Buffalo run D. Looks as if Arian Foster will continue to get run into the ground.

Victor Cruz, Ahmad Bradshaw, Aaron Rodgers, Percy Harvin, Lance Briggs, Jermichael Finley: All listed on their teams’ respective injury reports to some extent (Bradshaw is the only one not Probable, he’s questionable), but all will play. Get them in your lineup.

Week 7 Reactions

What an amazing weekend of games, with close games throughout the day that either came down to the last second or were decided in OT. I wanted to share some general musings and reactions from some of the games I watched this weekend in terms of guys coming back from injuries or suffering injuries during Sunday’s games.

• Hakeem Nicks looked pretty solid overall. He continues to be second fiddle at this point to Victor Cruz, but in terms of his foot, he didn’t show any signs of hobbling and wasn’t restricted by his knee issue as well. And he was targeted 10 times, which is a nice number, even though he only connected on 5. I think it’ll be more a matter of shaking off the rust from missing a few weeks, but he should be fine moving forward. I really think he’d be a great guy to target in trade discussions as his owners might be a little down on him. I think next week against the Cowboys will be a great test for him, but it seems like he’s getting close to fully healthy.
• Aaron Hernandez looked fantastic overall. I didn’t see any signs of setbacks or him hobbling around on that injured ankle throughout the game. He appears to be just a hint of a step slow coming out of his breaks, which is very common and normal following a high ankle sprain. Remember, he can go full bore this week against the Rams in London, then have the bye week to rest after 3 straight games played. I think he’ll be active in Week 8 against the Rams, but barring any setbacks, he’ll be 100% coming out of the bye.
• The Cowboys’ backfield is a mess. DeMarco Murray is slated for more tests this week to see how that injured foot is holding up. Felix Jones had to sit out the final two drives on Sunday after bruising his knee in the 4th. Phillip Tanner seems to be next in line, but it looks like the Cowboys are hopeful Murray can play this week against the Giants. I don’t think he’ll necessarily play this week, as I think it’s tough for an RB to bounce back that quickly from a sprained foot (I’m assuming it’s just a sprain, haven’t heard anything in the contrary). Jones, on the other hand, is what he is. He can’t stay healthy, and even when given a golden opportunity like this, can’t manage to stay on the field. I wouldn’t fault you for dropping him, because unless you absolutely have no other option, do you really feel comfortable with him as your RB2 or Flex option.
• Keep an eye on MJD’s foot injury. I thought it was funny that he hurt his foot, but they decided to tape his ankle and see if he could get back out there. Lo and behold, he couldn’t stay on the field and had to be carted off, possibly because he hurt his FOOT, not his ANKLE! MJD has already been ruled out for Week 8, so that much we know. However, Coach Mularkey gave no indication what exactly happened with the foot, just to say that the “midfoot” was involved. Could be joint, could be ligamentous, could be both. They haven’t ruled out a Lisfranc injury at this point, which would be worst case scenario (check out my previous post on Lisfranc Injuries https://ziaddahdul.wordpress.com/2012/10/09/lisfranc-injuries-what-they-are-and-why-we-care-about-them/). Beyond that, we won’t know until the exact diagnosis is given and the extent of the injury is made more aware. Obviously, Rashard Jennings is the pickup to replace MJD, but in all honesty, I’m not clamoring to get him because the Jags’ offense is a mess and they’re playing the Packers on the road, who’s defense is improving on a week to week basis.
• Ben Tate looked pretty solid coming back from a toe/foot sprain…until he developed a hamstring issue. Luckily for him, the Texans are on their bye week, so he’ll have plenty of time to rest. Watch him for any setbacks, but it’s a little disconcerting because the less Tate plays, the more Arian Foster gets beat up, which will make it difficult for him to last the entire season without developing his own nagging injury. Tate should be fine, but watch for any developments early next week.
• What did I tell you about Lance Moore?? He came back from that hamstring issue this week and didn’t look like he lost a step. With Jimmy Graham out, Drew Brees looked for his slot receiver a ton, which is something you’d expect when you lose a guy like Graham. The star TE should be back next week, so we’ll monitor how that affects Moore’s targets, but Brees clearly looks his way and with as many points as the Saints’ D gives up, there should be plenty to go around. Moore will definitely continue to be a part of the offense so long as he stays on the field.
• I was critical of Terrell Suggs’ return to action this week just 5 months after tearing his Achilles tendon and, although he had a good statistical game, he didn’t look right. He didn’t have any of his quick bursts off the line or that same power when barreling past linemen on passing downs. I think it was very admirable that he came back and tried to be that leader for the defensive unit, but at what risk? I think he’s going to play out the rest of the season looking like he’s clearly not 100%, which can have an effect on his ability to prepare for next season as well. Like I said before, I have seen it take as little as 6-7 months or as much as 10-11 months to come back from this injury, and those guys weren’t playing in the NFL. The demands on the body are so great for these elite athletes, I think it’s doing them a disservice to rush them back so quickly.
• Trent Richardson didn’t look right, and although reports said that he had no setbacks during the game, he clearly did not look like he was fully there. Rib injuries are tough, as they require quite a bit of pain tolerance and if you get hit/knocked down the wrong way at any point, it may make it difficult to focus/run hard that next time out. Monitor him week to week, but it should get easier for him to tolerate as each week wears on.

Ravens/Browns Update & Other News

First off, quick update for tomorrow’s game between the Ravens and Browns. Not a ton going on fantasy wise, but let’s do a quick run through:

Ravens:

Basically, not a damn thing. Ladarius Webb had a minor little thing, but he’s probable and will play. Roll out everyone you normally would. And for what it’s worth, I think Joe Flacco throws 3 TDs, all to RBs/WRs (I think Dennis Pitta gets shut out since the Browns are very solid against TEs this year).

Browns:

Trent Richardson is officially forever probable, but his knee is good to go. He has a tough match up this week, so I could see why any Richardson-owner would be hesitant, but I think he sneaks in a late TD, possibly on a screen pass, which Brandon Weeden will be checking down to all night. I’d still play him.

Joshua Cribbs is also probable with a sprained knee, but I don’t like him at all this week. Weeden really is not very good, and the Ravens pass rush is going to throw different looks at the rookie QB. Cribbs really didn’t look 100% this past week anyways. I’d sit him.

Mohamed Massaquoi is officially out. I’m so, so sorry if you were relying on him (your chances to win this season aren’t good if you’re relying on guys like him), but he’s not going to suit up tomorrow.

I honestly don’t like anyone on the Browns tomorrow except for Richardson. Baltimore is dominant at home and is coming off an emotional win against the Pats, which I think will cause a bit of a let down early on, but come on, it’s the freakin Browns.

Other News:

Ahmad Bradshaw: Full participant in practice Wednesday, he looks like a go. I think he’ll be ok, even though he’s in more of a time share now than he probably thought he would be. But if you’ve been waiting on him, play him. He seems ready to go

Arian Foster/Andre Johnson: Get used to these guys being limited on Wednesdays. Reports are they’re going to be “limited” participants because the Texans are going to use Wednesdays as rest days. Play both.

Roy Helu/Beanie Wells: I combined these two because they were both placed on IR today with turf toes, effectively keeping them out until November. Both were pretty big disappointments thus far, so thank your lucky stars. However, Ryan Williams’s stock shot through the roof.

Jeremy Maclin: He practiced today, which is good. I still think he’s toughing this hip pointer out, because he doesn’t seem right at all. I just think he’s gutting through this injury and being a good solider, but if he was on my team, I’d sit him until he demonstrates he can play a whole game.

Matthew Stafford: Reports say he didn’t practice, but did do some things on the side and was moving around well. It seems like the Lions are just being cautious, but this is one of those cases where the end of the week will tell the story. Wait until Friday, but make sure you have a serviceable backup just in case (Ryan Fitzpatrick is available in a ton of leagues, and the Pats aren’t exactly world beaters against throwing teams).

Titus Young: He didn’t practice today with an undisclosed knee injury. I don’t remember hearing anything about this over the weekend, so just monitor and adjust accordingly.

Hakeem Nicks: He had his scheduled “non-practice” on Wednesday, as the Giants’ plan was to have Nicks practice on Thursday for the first time. Post-surgical soreness is pretty normal, so here’s hoping that 10 days of rest and rehab went a long way for him. I think he’s dress and play, and I’m expecting him to look a lot more fresh this week.

Reggie Bush/Matt Forte/Fred Jackson: They were no practice/practice/practice today, respectively. I’m lumping them together because all three scream “TOO SOON” to me.

• Jackson was very honest, saying there were a lot of things that didn’t feel quite right, even though some things felt good. I   think he doesn’t play and I’m in total agreement with that.
• Forte seems like he’s on pace to play, and he will have the extra day since they play Monday. My gut is that he tries to go, but I have Michael Bush is one league and I’m confidently playing him regardless of what comes out.
• I can’t imagine Bush playing this week after he JUST injured his knee. I know they were happy that nothing was structurally damaged in his knee, but he reportedly still has a lot of stiffness and swelling in the knee, which is never a good sign. It’s typically 7-10 days before swelling really clears out of the joint space. I’d sit him this week, go with Daniel Thomas or Lamar Miller if you picked them up, I just don’t like ol’ Reg this week.

CJ Spiller: Reports are he’s going to make a strong push to play this week, and it seems like he’s progressing well. From an injury standpoint, I don’t necessarily think he will damage the shoulder any more than it already is, but there will be pain associated with it when he gets hit. My one concern is if he gets tackled and goes down shoulder first, because that’s a very common mechanism for AC joint separations. I’d probably err on the side of sitting him this week regardless of what news comes out.

Ok boys and girls, as more news comes out, I’ll post more information. Friday’s practices will tell us a lot about these guys. Keep checking the waiver wire for more gems.

Arian Foster: Game-time Decision

Looks like the Texans star is dealing with soreness in his knee. He dealt with some hamstring issues at the beginning of last season but that doesn’t seem to be an issue this year. The soreness is a bit concerning, but it seems like it was more precautionary than anything else because there are no reports of him having an X-ray or MRI to check it out. Hopefully you handcuffed Foster with Ben Tate, as Coach Kubiak was reported as saying Foster is a game time decision. I’d watch out the day of the game and, if he is active, play him. Just expect him to have limited carries if the Texans jump out to a big lead over a bad Dolphins team

UPDATE: Looks like Foster will be ready for Week 1 against the Dolphins. He actually did have an MRI on Friday and it showed that everything was good, nothing going on in the knee. He seems confident that he can play, I share that confidence. I think he plays and he’ll play well.