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.
Lots of big, big news today about a few star players for both sides being rule Out for the Thursday night contest between the Giants and Panthers. Let’s run down the ailments, what they mean for each player, and who you should call upon if you’re in a pinch.
Hakeem Nicks: If you’re an owner like me, you were probably ecstatic with Nicks’ output this past Sunday (10 catches, 199 yards, 1 TD). However, if you really watched the game, you’d see that he didn’t look 100% healthy at all. He was hobbling quite often between plays and seemed to favor his sore right foot a lot even while running routes. He was huge, but you could see that he wasn’t all there (scary that someone who wasn’t 100% can put up those numbers). Clearly, the surgically repaired R right foot (he had a pin inserted into the 5th metatarsal, the pinky toe of the foot, to help heal his the fracture he suffered during OTAs.
I’m not sure exactly what the setback is, whether it’s just soreness from playing back to back weeks or what, but this is clearly not a good sign. Any time someone coming off surgery has issues in the surgically repaired area and it’s enough to keep him out of a game, it’s a bad sign. I searched the internet for reports about the extent of his soreness, but can’t seem to find much. Play it week by week with him, but don’t expect a one week rest to be a cure-all. This could be a season-long issue.
What do you do this week to replace Nicks?? The Giants seem to be in a bind, with basically Victor Cruz being the only healthy offensive weapon out there. Martellus Bennett will get some more looks, but from a WR standpoint, it’ll probably come down to Reuben Randle and Ramses Barden to fill in for Nicks. Yes, slim pickins, but Randle has a lot of promise and I felt he could be a deep sleeper this year. I’d go his way over Barden, but I will say, neither option is enticing. If you’re trolling the waiver wire, some hot pick ups, if available, are Danny Amendola (I hope you listened to me before the season http://tinyurl.com/c3pzkg7), Brandon LaFell, Andrew Hawkins, and Donnie Avery. Besides Amendola, they’re all risky WR3’s, but if you’re in a pinch, they have upside.
Ahmad Bradshaw: He suffered a sprained neck during the contest against the Bucs, which could mean many things, but seems to imply that he irritated/stressed some ligaments in his cervical spine (Sprains refer to ligaments, Strains refer to muscle/tendon). From the way it sounds, he could just be having a tough time with the quick 3 day turnaround and is better off resting up instead of risking an even more severe sprain. My hunch? He sits this week and comes back for Week 4.
BUT, What do you do this week to replace Bradshaw?? Andre Brown is the obvious answer, who I hope you Bradshaw owners snatched up quickly once you saw he was hurt. He’s reported to be getting the majority of the carries this week with David Wilson’s fumblitis still in Coach Coughlin’s doghouse. And remember, the Panthers’ run defense doesn’t scare anyone, so I’d play Brown with confidence, especially after how decisive he ran in Bradshaw’s place on Sunday. Second best option?? Mikel LeShoure of the Lions is reportedly going to steal carries away from Kevin Smith now that he’s back from suspension. The coaching staff is said to want to give him a long look, which could start this week. In PPR leagues, Dexter McCluster is such a huge threat to catch passes out of the backfield, he could have a Sproles-like effect if the Chiefs have to throw often (which they will playing the Saints this week).
Jonathan Stewart: First the ankle, now the toe? Can this guy get any more frustrating for fantasy owners, after teasing us (yes, I’m one of the idiots who drafted him) with a touchdown and good, solid running on Sunday. Coach Rivera intimated that the toe and ankle injuries are a combo deal, meaning they’re one in the same. What can I take from that? Maybe compensatory running strategies to make up for the ankle pain/limitations, so he was putting more emphasis on pushing off through his big toe? He could have also developed a little turf toe (sprained big toe). It’s all pure speculation, but Coach Rivera was quick to point out that the short week really worked against Stewart, even saying that he probably could have played if the game was Sunday. I wouldn’t worry long term, but it’s concerning that he’s missed two out of three weeks.
What do you do to replace Stewart?? DeAngelo Williams is back to being option one, but I kind of like Mike Tolbert more because he will vulture any goal line carries away from Williams (although Cam Newton is the #1 vulture around the goal line). Williams is so hard to count on because he’s so inconsistent, so if you’re in a pinch, I’d definitely play him as a RB2/flex. But if you have another mid tier guy (Benjarvus Green-Ellis, Doug Martin, Stevan Ridley), I’d play one of them instead.
One guy I really like this week is Michael Bush of the Bears. With Forte out and no other legit carry-stealing threat on the roster, I think Bush is going to have a hell of a week. And don’t forget that the Bears are playing against a terrible (and very injured) Rams defense. I like Bush as a good value this week as an RB2.
Ziad Dahdul 