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.
Will Play:
Wes Welker: Don’t let the questionable tag fool you. He’ll be out there, despite his limited participation.
Brandon Lloyd: Minor knee soreness, hasn’t really slowed him down at this point, Pats will go with many more 3 WR sets.
Calvin Johnson: Don’t get cute. His leg needs to be cut off for him not to produce.
Owen Daniels: He’ll definitely be out there, may still be a tad limited by this hip injury, could cause some difficulty with driving off the line of scrimmage, but he should be a full go this week.
Logan Paulsen: Minor hip injury, in better shape than Daniels, should be 100%.
Should Play, but won’t be 100% for sure:
Pierre Garcon: Repeat after me: Instability, hypo mobility (lack of motion), and weakness in the foot are not good things for a WR who relies on separation and speed. He’ll more than likely play, but he’s not in my lineup if I own him.
Game Time Decisions:
Felix Jones: Shoulder sprain and lingering knee soreness have really limited him this week. He supposedly had a setback this past Sunday in terms of his knee, with the shoulder injury being new. Expect him to test it out pre game tomorrow and if he doesn’t look good, he may sit.
Aaron Hernandez: I think this is a game time decision that will turn out well, honestly. I think he’s ready, with 7 straight practices under his belt to test that high ankle sprain of his. He instantly becomes a #1 TE on the best offense in football, so get him in your lineup if he’s announced as active prior to the 8:20pm ET kickoff.
Jeremy Kerley: He’s dealing with a heel injury and a hamstring strain. Depending on the severity of the hamstring strain, it’s hard to say how limited he’ll be unless we knew the extent of the injury. I would not expect him to be at full strength, and he’s a speed-type receiver who needs all the burst he can get, so you may want to look elsewhere this week.
Not Playing:
DeMarco Murray: Week 12 appears to be one week too early. He didn’t practice hardly at all this week (some minor side stuff with the training staff), so keep him on that bench of yours.
Kevin Ogletree: Ruled out with a concussion. Bench time.
Ben Tate: This is no guarantee yet, but the fact that he’s had this hamstring injury for over 4 weeks tells you the severity of the injury. Don’t put him in your lineup until he can play a game without a setback.
With breaking news that both Percy Harvin and Aaron Hernandez are going to be out this week, some owners are left scrambling for fill-ins. While Harvin’s absence doesn’t surprise me (I think he’s got a two to three week time line), Hernandez missing this game is a bit shocking. He’s had two full weeks of rest and seemed primed to come out of the bye completely healthy. This screams one thing to me: setback in practice. My guess is he reaggravated the ankle during practice this week, causing him to take a step or two back. We’ll keep an eye out for both guys for week 11, but let’s talk a bit about the guys who are slated to play this week and what you should expect to see.
Calvin Johnson: He’s an absolute stud, so he’ll play. He had a great week 9, even though he still appears limited. Expect him to draw a ton of attention, even more so if Titus Young doesn’t play. That nerve injury he spoke about early in the week? Don’t worry about it, as he seems to have bounced back from that. Watch out for any signs of discomfort in the knee, which has plagued him for weeks.
CJ Spiller: He reappeared on the injury report with a shoulder issue, which stems from the separated shoulder he suffered earlier in the season. It’s not out of the ordinary for him to have some shoulder soreness after an injury like that, but it’s disconcerting that he’s popped back up on the injury report. Expect him to play this week, but any setback when his shoulder is a bit vulnerable could be a weeks-long issue.
Marshawn Lynch: Back, wrist, whatever it is, he practiced fully on Friday, so there’s no risk for him missing this week. He’s a gamer, so expect him to produce.
Guys who are banged up, but shouldn’t be limited:
Adrian Peterson (just caught a cold, he’ll be good), Lesean McCoy (same as AP), Law Firm (sensing the illness theme?), Willis McGahee (knee soreness), Mikel Leshoure (ankle, showed no limitations at all), Frank Gore, Jamaal Charles, Dez Bryant (hip appears to have calmed down quite a bit, he looks ready to go), Eric Decker (full practice Thurs/Fri), Demaryius Thomas (knee soreness), Rob Gronkowski (don’t even think about sitting him), Jerome Simpson (I like him as a deep sleeper this week, so why not give him the kiss of death as my SLEEPER O THE WEEK)
Banged up, possibly limited, but will play:
Ahmad Bradshaw (he hasn’t been the same recently, basically since playing the Niners in week 6, he’ll play, but limit your expectations), Andre Brown (seems like he has a shoulder sprain, possibly similar to CJ Spiller, will play, but could be bothered), Felix Jones (limited more because he kind of sucks, knee issue seems to be almost past him), Any non-Issac-Redman-Steelers-RB (I still dont trust Mendenhall’s Achilles issue, he’s a walking risk right now, Dwyer is probable, but Quad strains are tough to push through), Steve Johnson (I almost put him in the above section, but he did look a bit limited last week, so he goes here, great matchup though)
Banged up, definitely not the same:
Hakeem Nicks (poster child for this section, he says all the right things and practices fully, but these flare ups in his knee are pretty problematic, more so because they keep coming back, knee swelling itself isn’t the main issue but can be indicative of an underlying pathology, I wouldn’t blame you if you sat him until he showed something), Danny Amendola (I think it’s one week too soon, I could be totally wrong, but it seems too soon to me from such a freak injury)
Out fo sho:
Alshon Jeffery (still trying to work back from a broken hand, next week seems likely), Darren McFadden (high ankle sprain, 2-3 weeks at least in my book), Antonio Brown (possibly same as McFadden, didn’t look as serious though), DeMarco Murray (next week possible, don’t know for sure until he gets some practice time on his sprained foot), Darren Sproles (hand surgery two weeks ago, expect him back at the low end of the initial timeline, 4 weeks).
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.
Ryan Tannehill was seen taking 1st team reps at practice on Wednesday and was wearing a sleeve over the thigh and knee to help protect his strained quad and bone bruise. However, Matt Moore was also seen taking snaps, and some reports even said that Tannehill wasn’t limping/favoring the leg, but not going full speed. I’m not sure if that was more by design or if it was something that was limiting him, but keep an eye on the situation as bone bruises can be very painful when you get hit or land on that area and, as I’ve stated in the past, they’re slow healers.
Both Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray missed practice on Wednesday. Bryant’s hip injury seems to be limiting him a bit, but there’s not reports about the extent or severity of the injury, so hard to tell if this was precautionary or not. Watch his participation levels as Friday approaches and see if things change for the better, but barring a setback, I can’t imagine he doesn’t play this week. Murray, on the other hand, needs to get back onto the practice field before he can get back into game shape, so him missing practice today is a bit concerting. I’d lean more towards him not playing, taking another week to allow the foot to heal, but with the Cowboys’ backfield such a mess, I can see why they’d want to rush him back. Again, monitor practice participation this week.
Mikel Leshoure did not practice Wednesday, which leads me to believe that the leg injury he suffered during Sunday’s game was a bit more serious than Coach Schwartz led the media folks to believe. Obviously, with a diagnosis of “leg injury”, it’s hard to say what’s going on exactly, but another report came out after practice that said Leshoure missed practice for personal reasons and not anything injury related. Either way you slice it, you may want to speculatively Joique Bell as insurance just in case Leshoure can’t go as Bell did get the bulk of the carries at the end of the game in Leshoure’s place.
I’m starting to get worried about Calvin Johnson and his bum knee, as he just hasn’t looked like himself the last couple weeks. Even with the Lions’ offense finally getting of the schneid and putting up a solid day, it was all done without Johnson being more than a decoy. Granted he’s drawing double teams constantly and getting a lot of the defense’s attention, which can explain his lack of production as well, but also remember that he’s been getting double teamed for years and it never stopped him before. My biggest concern is his lack of explosiveness and burst. A few times I saw him going up for balls that were a bit high and it seems like he’s not exploding into the air as he normally does. He’s probably going to sit out tomorrow’s practice as well (he didn’t practice today) with limited participation on Friday, but I don’t think there’s any chance he misses game time. Just monitor the situation and see if any setbacks/progress are noted.
I read something interesting about Jake Locker and the reason why he’s been out so long with this dislocated shoulder issue. Apparently, he’s been dealing with a fracture in the region as well, which totally explains why he’s sat week after week. Remember our 6 week fracture healing rule of thumb, so that puts him on track to play week 11 or 12. Just an FYI if he’s out there on the waiver wire, week 10 might be a good time to snatch him up.
Jimmy Graham looked pretty good out there for the most part against the Broncos. He had moments where he looked a bit hesitant with his cuts and wasn’t as dynamic as he normally is. I don’t know exactly how much we could have expected being only 3 weeks post-high ankle sprain, but the key is that he didn’t have any reported setbacks. He should be fine moving forward
Trent Richardson looked more like himself against the Chargers, as the hesitancy that he played with last week seemed to be gone. He looks to be recovering nicely from the bruised ribs and is going to benefit from games like Sunday’s, as the Browns had to run the ball a ton due to inclement weather. In terms of his ribs, I’d say he should be back to normal in Week 9 and moving forward.
Danny Amendola seems on track to be ready for Week 10 following the Rams’ bye. It’s pretty remarkable that he made the trip to London and was officially listed as questionable considering that the dislocation he suffered is so rare and there’s really no protocol for the rehab timeline. As I’ve mentioned before, it’s usually 5-6 weeks for physiologic healing to occur with bone/ligament complexes, so Week 10 puts him right at 5 weeks. Look for him to be a go after the bye week and hopefully get back to himself.
Don’t buy into Greg Jennings being back in 3 weeks. “Sports Hernia” surgeries are a bit more involved than they’re made to sound and there’s no way to know the exact extent of the damage until they actually get in there and see for themselves, regardless of MRI results. I’d be shocked if he was back prior to week 13, with week 12 being the probable best case scenario. Abdominal tears are tough to predict because the core is involved with all movements, especially for WRs. Good news is this isn’t a risky thing to come back from and he won’t be prone to recurrence, but I’d put his prognosis closer to 6 weeks, not 3.
Caught up in all the hoopla of the dramatic Giants-Cowboys finish was Dez Bryant limping off the field after his game winning then overturned TD. Based on the mechanism, it looked like a bone bruise/contusion type of landing, as he hit just near the outside of his hip. I wouldn’t expect anything serious, but some soreness and discomfort is definitely on the docket. Monitor him this week for practice participation.
The Packers did the right thing in resting Jordy Nelson’s bum hamstring in week 8 and will reap those benefits now that he’ll have had 10 days to rest prior to their next game. Barring setbacks or abnormally slow healing, expect Nelson to be out there this week. But just in case, take a look at his participation this week for confirmation.
I think I may have been a bit premature with saying that Hakeem Nicks would be back to his old self against the Cowboys. He didn’t look bad by any stretch, but he seemed to be a bit rusty out there. He did get 7 targets from his buddy Eli, which is a definite positive, and he didn’t look limited at all. I still maintain that he’s close to 100% and will continue to get better as he gets back into the flow of offense.
Something’s going on with that knee of Calvin Johnson, as it appears that it’s hindering him more than anyone thought. He even stated that he was bothered by it and he lacked his normal freakish athleticism/explosiveness against the Seahawks. I’m not concerned that he’ll miss time, but two subpar weeks in a row is slight cause for concern. There hasn’t been any reports of an exact diagnosis, but it could be something as simple as a bone bruise or patellar tendonitis. Hard to say for sure without seeing any diagnostic testing done, but keep an eye on him this week as I can’t imagine they’ll list him as probable again after how limited he looked.
I’m not sure what to make of Jermichael Finley and his dwindling production. I really don’t think his shoulder is limiting him at all, as he’s practiced fully and had no setbacks for weeks. I thought this would be the week he’d contribute more with Jennings and Nelson both out, but he just doesn’t seem to be on the same page with Aaron Rodgers. I’d fully support any Finley owner’s decision to bench him at this point until he breaks out of this funk if you have a good secondary guy.
Wes Welker left the Pats’ big win over the Rams with an ankle sprain. He’s got the whole bye week to rest and will have two weeks off before their week 10 contest against the Bills. I think he’ll be fine, and remember he torched the Bills for 9-129 last time out.
Dolphins’ QB Ryan Tannehill left the game against the Jets with what was termed a quad contusion. From the looks of the injury, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were some mild ligamentous involvement, possibly the MCL or PCL. He’s scheduled to have an MRI done on Monday, so more will be known then. As of know, expect him to be out there for week 9 until you hear otherwise.
Desean Jackson tweaked his ankle during the contest against the Falcons, leaving the game to get checked out in the locker room. He returned to the game and finished it, which is always a good sign. Expect him to be fine for week 9
Word is that DeMarco Murray is out of the walking boot and has gotten rid of the crutches, which is a great sign for the Cowboys’ star RB. Next step is going to begin doing more football-related activities to see how he tolerates more force and load through his sprained midfoot. I’d expect him to make some sort of limited return to practice this week, but Friday will be the key day in terms of his participation level. My thought is that this may be a bit to soon and I’m expecting him to be back in week 10 at the earliest. Should be one more week of butterfingers Felix Jones, which can be construed as a good or a bad thing depending on how you look at it.
So lots of big news this wek, MJD being ruled out for this week and beyond, and potential disastrous news regarding Greg Jennings and Pierre Garcon. Let’s take a look at all the big injury news of the week and implications for this weekend’s games.
Blaine Gabbert: He took all the snaps during Thursday’s media portion of practice and seems to be on track to play this week. Look for him to be out there against the Pack as his sprained shoulder appears to be minor.
Ahmad Bradshaw: He didn’t practice Wednesday or Thursday, which is no surprise at all with Bradshaw. This seems to be par for the course with him for the near future as it doesn’t seem worth it to risk setback during the week. Look for him to be out there this week barring any new issues when he inevitably practices on a limited basis on Friday. It appears this foot soreness is something he’s going to be dealing with for the rest of the season.
Trent Richardson: His ribs are sore and will probably continue to be sore for a couple more weeks. However, he practiced fully on Wednesday and seems to be ahead of schedule this week compared to last. Look for him to be out there against the Chargers, with things being pain-management based more than anything else.
Pierre Garcon: The official diagnosis now is a tear to the plantar plate in his foot. What is that exactly? The plantar plate is a ligamentous-type structure on the plantar surface (bottom of foot) of the balls of the feet. It functions to protect the metatarsal heads (balls of toes) from excessive pressure with weight bearing tasks. It also prevents our toes from over-extending during push off tasks like running and sprinting. When the planter plate tears, the stability of the individual toe is lost, causing direct pressure on the met heads (balls of toes) and sapping a person of their explosiveness and speed. In Garcon’s case, he has been unable to push off and plant/cut properly because his toes don’t want to absorb that amount of force without the proper stability from the plantar plate to counter the forces. Check out the picture to the right to see exactly where the plantar plate is, which will give you an idea of why he’s having such a hard time with going full speed. 
The word is that Garcon could potentially be shut down until after the Redskins’ week 10 bye week, which would be a great idea so that he could actually get off that foot, protect in a bit more from movement to allow it to heal, and see if more conservative measures would be beneficial. If this doesn’t settle down in 3 weeks, I’d expect the Skins to potentially shut him down and look to surgery to get this thing taken care of. Typically, when an injury doesn’t respond well to conservative measures in 4-6 weeks, the next step needs to be looked at, which can consist of further imaging (MRI, X-Ray, CT scan), cortisone injection, or, the last resort, surgery. What do you do about his roster spot? If you have the luxury of waiting 1-2 weeks, I’d hold onto him until you got official word. But my gut feeling is that he’s not going to be contributing to your fantasy season for the rest of the year.
Greg Jennings: You can count on him not being in the lineup this week, or next week for that matter. His complications with the groin issue continue to get worse and it’s getting more difficult to figure out exactly what’s going on with it. Conflicting reports say that he could potentially need surgery to repair the groin issue and/or has a sports hernia that needs to be dealt with. Either way, he’s not back in the lineup anytime soon, and to be honest, they really don’t need him right now. Their offense is clicking and they’re playing the 1-5 Jaguars this week, so there is absolutely no rush with Jennings. Keep an eye on reports in the next week or so, but if you hear the word “surgery” being thrown around with him, you’re probably going to need a contingency plan if you don’t have one in place already.
Danny Amendola: Don’t kid yourself about him playing this week: He’s not. Since he separated his sternoclavicular joint (SC joint, connects your collar bone to your sternum, the breast bone) just 3 weeks ago, don’t expect much in the next week or two. But with the Rams having a bye week coming up in week 9, there’s an outside chance he plays in week 10. I would venture to guess that week 11 he’ll be back in the lineup. So if you have the ability to stash him for a couple more weeks, he should be back up to speed for the start of fantasy playoff season, which could be a huge boon to your lineup.
Jermichael Finley: Limited in practice Wednesday, still restricted by his shoulder injury, I think he’ll play this week and will be darn near 100% for week 9. Typically, it takes a couple weeks for an injury like a minor separated shoulder to resolve itself, so expect him to feel pretty good to go next week, when at least 4 weeks will have passed since hurting the shoulder.
DeMarco Murray/Felix Jones: Murray is believed to be out for this week against the G-Men, which was definitely expected. The prevailing thought is that his sprained foot was more minor than anything else, the expectation of him being out 2-3 weeks seems right on the money. But don’t look to count on him this week. Jones, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to ever want to benefit from an opportunity. He suffered a bone bruise in his knee during week 7, which could potentially limit him this week. He’s still expected to start this week, but his practice participation will give us some insight about how active he’ll be. Bone bruises are normally just trauma to the bone, which won’t predispose him to developing a more severe injury, but can be painful depending on the severity of the bruise. Look for him to play, but make sure he’s more active in practice on Friday, even if it’s limited.
Chris Johnson/Marshawn Lynch/Calvin Johnson: All listed with minor little injuries, all will play.
Aaron Hernandez/Rob Gronkowski/Wes Welker: The questionable 3 are all at it again, but rest assured that they will all be out there in London against the Rams. Gronk looked as close to his regular self as he has in weeks against the Jets and Hernandez’s snap counts continue to rise each week. Welker’s supposed ankle issue is more a Pats injury report thing than anything else, as he’ll get treatment all week in preparation for their Friday departure for London. Look for all 3 to have great weeks against a not-so-great Rams secondary, although Welker may have his hands full dealing with Cortland Finnegan.
Donald Brown: He seems to be a little ahead of schedule in his return from arthroscopic knee surgery. They seemed to be targeting next week initially, but with his return to practice on Wednesday, there appears to be an outside chance that he plays in week 8. I wouldn’t bet on it, but if he gets himself to be close to a full participant by Friday, there’s an outside chance he goes. Hold onto Vick Ballard for this week, but with Brown potentially back next week at the latest, it appears Ballard will be very droppable at that point.
More to come later today, as I’ll touch more on who to play from tonight’s Bucs/Vikings contest
Yes, I know, I’ve been lagging. Sorry folks, but I’ll make it up to you by actually giving GOOD advice this week. Here we go:
Matt Forte: He is definitely OUT, but I mention him here because there was speculation that he could possibly play, which is a great sign. Obviously, keep him out of your lineup this week, but considering this could have been a 6 week ordeal, it’s nice to know we could be revisiting this next week.
Marshawn Lynch: Full participation all week, including Friday. He’s all systems go, put him out there.
Steven Jackson: He was out of practice all week, which is never a good sign for his availability on Sunday. Groin injuries are tough, as Greg Jennings (more on him later) owners know all too well. They have a tendency to linger, especially with cutting and pushing off, as this muscle group helps stabilize the hip during dynamic movements. Had he been limited in practice and not out, I may feel better. But I don’t think he plays this week, so hopefully you snatched up Daryl Richardson as a handcuff this week. I’d sit Jackson.
Dexter McCluster: He’s been listed as questionable and was limited in practice all week with a shoulder injury. No word on an exact diagnosis, I’m assuming nothing more than a sprain (maybe landed on the shoulder wrong) or some rotator cuff/biceps tendonitis. Either way, neither shoulder be enough to keep him out of the game, so unless it’s something that’s more serious than they’re letting on, he should play. But monitor the inactive report Sunday morning, as we can benefit from the Chiefs playing the early game.
Marques Colston: He’s been limited all week with this lingering foot injury. I’m getting more concerned about it because he was absolutely nonexistent last week. It’s just regarded as a “sore” foot, so take that for what it’s worth. But this sounds like something that can linger all year if he continues to play through it. If you would normally play him, do so. But just know this type of injury doesn’t just disappear with continued play. He’s played through pain before, let’s see if he can do it again.
Jeremy Maclin: So I was wrong about him last week and he ended up playing and scoring a TD. But it looks like he’s suffering the consequences of playing too early because he looks like he is OUT this week due to sorriness and pain in the hip. Like I said last week, hip pointers are a pain-tolerance type of injury, meaning these bone bruises are slow to heal and don’t do so on their own. He’s better off taking this week off and giving himself more time to rest because that’s the only way it’ll improve. We’ll revisit him next week and see how he practices leading up to the Week 4 contest. Damaris Johnson will start in his place if you’re looking for a deep sleeper (I can’t really tell you anything about him because I have no clue who he is)
Desean Jackson: He, on the other hand, came through last week’s game fine with no aggravation of his hamstring issue, although he didn’t contribute fantasy-wise like Maclin did. With Maclin out, he’s the guy this week, with only Damaris Johnson and Jason Avant behind him. They have a tough matchup against the Cardinals potent defense, so that tempers my excitement a bit. I like him because he’s the 1st option this week, but I don’t think he’s anything more than a WR3 at this point until he shows me something.
Jonathan Dwyer/Rashard Mendenhall: I lump them together because they have a direct effect on each other. Mendenhall has already been ruled out as he tries to bounce back from ACL surgery, so we know that much is true. Dwyer has been plagued by a sprained toe, but he is listed as probable and should be good to go this week. I just don’t like this whole RB situation in Pittsburgh at all. When Mendenhall comes back, that’s 3 mouths to feed and Mendenhall won’t just become a 20+ carry guy right away. They’ll limit his carries/plays for a few weeks and go from there, which makes this the timeshare from hell. I’m still in the “avoid Mendenhall’s ACL” camp, so I’d just as well stay away for this week and beyond.
Heath Miller: Listed as probable with sore ribs, it appears he’ll tough it out and play against the Raiders. Considering his matchup, I like him this week to catch a TD (yup, I’m tying predictions into these posts now)
Antonio Gates: He practiced fully Thursday and Friday, which is a change from last week’s limited participation. I’ll be the first to admit I was shocked and wrong about him last week. He looks ready to go this week and I think with the return of Ryan Mathews (more on him in a second), the Chargers offense should be it’s dynamic self again. Remember, Gates spent the offseason dropping weight to take pressure off his chronically hurt feet, so he’s poised to go back to his dynamic self. He looks ready to start that this week. Play him
Ryan Mathews: Cleared for contact, 7 weeks post surgery, listed as probable. The stars are finally aligning for Mathews. I predicted a Week 3 return, so him being ready doesn’t surprise me. I’m going to hold my breath the first time he takes a pop, but as long as he bounces back up, he should be good to go. I”d play him this week with confidence.
Brandon Lloyd: He’s been officially listed as questionable with a thigh injury, as he was limited in practice on Thursday and Friday. Not a great sign, but with no information on Patriots injuries ever being public knowledge, I’d have to speculate it’s a femoral (thigh bone) contusion or some quad tightness/strain. I wouldn’t worry about him sitting this week, as it seems like it’s more precautionary than anything else. If you would normally roll him out, do so this week, even against a good Ravens D.
Greg Jennings: He was limited in practice and there’s a momentum push that he’ll be available on Monday. But that’s tricky if you don’t have someone playing on Monday who you could sub in just in case he can’t go. The risk is putting him in your lineup at the expense of a solid WR and having to sit Jennings last minute for someone like Doug Baldwin. Gut feeling: He plays, he’s not 100%, the Seahawks D is underrated and very solid in the defensive backfield, so I’d sit him. Again, that’s my gut feeling, he could easily play at less than 100% and contribute (a la Jeremy Maclin), but I’m not the risk taking type with Monday nighters.
Probable Guys Who Are Locks to Play, Therefore Require No Explanation: Miles Austin, Calvin Johnson, Drew Brees, Mark Sanchez, Roddy White, Julio Jones
Adrian Peterson, (Questionable, ACL): My, how much difference a week makes, huh? After tallying 17 carries last week and being a full participant in all practices this week, he looks revved up and ready to go. They’re talking about increasing his workload this week since he did not have anything more than minor patellar soreness (if they used a patellar tendon graft for his ACL reconstruction, this is a very common post surgical side effect as they had to take a piece of his patellar tendon to replace his torn ACL, just speculating though) during the week, but I can’t imagine they load him up quite yet. Depending on how the game goes, he can still be effective with less than 20 carries, so get him in that lineup. Just FYI: Don’t forget to trade for Gerhart as his handcuff; it may come in handy at some point and it’s worth it to protect your #1 back.
Denarius Moore, (Probable, Hamstring): He’s a sneaky play this week. He was actually dropped in quite a few leagues this week, but with Jacoby Ford out and Darius Heyward-Bey not a very good receiver, I think he gets quite a few targets this week from Carson Palmer against a porous Miami defensive backfield. The hammy appears to be just fine and the probable designation is a good sign. I kind of like him as a flex/WR3 option this week. SLEEPER O’ THE WEEK
Trent Richardson, (Probable, Knee): He practiced fully this week and had a pretty full workload in week 1. The numbers weren’t great, but as Brandon Weeden gets better, so will Trent. Run him out there this week.
Calvin Johnson, (Probable, Foot): He practiced fully Thursday and Friday. He defies common logic. Play him
Ryan Mathews, (Questionable, Fractured clavicle): I just can’t endorse him quite yet, and frankly, I’m getting kind of tired of talking about him. But there remains a chance he plays this week, I just don’t think he should be in your fantasy lineup quite yet. I like that he was cleared for contact, and considering he’s 5 weeks post op, he’s right on schedule. But from a physiologic standpoint (I’m going to get nerdy for a second, sorry), it takes approximately 6 weeks for bone to lay down and heal properly. Taking blows to an area that’s still in the healing process can set him back, and I bet that the Charger training staff/MDs know this. Next week’s game will put him at 6 weeks, so I’d sit him until he’s a full participant in practice. That’s just my gut feeling.
Jeremy Maclin, (Questionable, Hip): I have a feeling he plays, but I also have a feeling he won’t be terribly effective. These hip flexor/pointer injuries are not easy to bounce back from in one week. I think he plays mainly because Jason Avant becomes Vick’s #1 if he doesn’t play (and if Jackson doesn’t play, see below). I’m not a huge fan of Maclin this week against a VERY good Ravens team. Check the Active/Inactive list prior to the game to be sure either way.
Desean Jackson, (Questionable, Hamstring): I like Jackson more than Maclin this week. Both of them were limited participants this week, which can be just as much precautionary as it is necessary. He didn’t have any reported setbacks this week, but as I stated in a previous post this week, he really hasn’t done an awful lot when HEALTHY over the last year or so. But if you got him and usually run him out there, do so as long as you check the reports prior to game time.
(For both Jackson and Maclin, the only guys I touch in case both don’t play is Brent Celek and Jason Avant. Other than those two, it’s way too difficult to predict who gets targets)
Pierre Garcon, (Questionable, Foot): This is the definition of a game time decision. The report is he will test it out prior to the game and they’ll make a determination at that point if he will play or not. In all honesty, not a lot of the reports I read gave any indication of what type of injury he is suffering from, so it’s hard for me to make an argument one way or another. Have a backup ready to go and watch in the AM for injury reports to come out. Play him if you normally would if he’s active.
Jake Locker, (Questionable, Shoulder): He was a full participant all week, he had no setbacks, and the injury was to his non-throwing shoulder. I say that sounds as sure as it gets that he plays.
Marshawn Lynch, (Probable, Back): Looks like he got through Week 1 without any back issues. And he had no flare ups all week. Always remember, back spasms are volatile by nature, as they can flare up with one wrong twist or turn. Just know that’s always lingering there until he goes a few weeks without issue. But looks like he’s ready to go this week. Robert Turbin would pick up carries if Lynch is slowed at all, so have him stashed away if you don’t already.
Jason Witten, (Probable, Spleen): He has had 10 days of rest and he practiced every day this week. If he was able to suck it up and play Week 1, he will definitely be a go this week.
Antonio Gates, (Questionable, Ribs): I truly think it’s the Chargers just putting that designation on him and not how they feel about his chances to play. He’s played through worse foot issues, so some bruised ribs won’t keep him from playing this week. I think he plays his normal workload and only a setback will stop him from continuing on. He should be good.
Beanie Wells and Ryan Williams, (Probable, Knees): They’re both basically in the same boat, easing their way back from injuries, although William’s torn patellar tendon was more serious. It looks like both will be suiting up and playing hits week against New England, but keep in mind that the Pats did hold Chris Johnson to 4 yards on 11 carries, and he is a significantly superior back. I don’t particularly like either guy this week or for the next few weeks because Beanie is made of china glass and Williams still needs 1-2 more weeks to really get into a rhythm after such a serious injury (the patellar tendon is attached to your quadriceps, which are the power muscles in the legs and the largest muscle group typically in terms of force production).
Ryan Mathews: He has officially been cleared for contact and was a limited participant in practice, with full pads. Impact: I’m more comfortable waiting to see how he plays at game speed at least once before I play a guy who was just cleared. If you’re desperate, he’s a solid play this week if you really don’t have a legit backup. Wait for reports tomorrow and Saturday; if all looks good, play him.
Jeremy Maclin: Sat out practice today with no participation. Impact: Sit him this week. Not worth the risk
Darelle Revis: Did not practice today and more info won’t be known until Fri/Sat at earliest. Impact:</em My guess is he will play, but with teams needing an independent neurologist to clear concussed players, there’s a chance he doesn’t play if he still has ANY semblance of concussion symptoms. I think the Jets D is still a solid play, even against the Steelers, but without Revis on Mike Wallace, the field opens up quite a bit for Antonio Brown and Heath Miller.
Jake Locker: Full participant in practice today. Impact: If this continues through the rest of the week, he’s good to go.
Calvin Johnson: Sat out Wednesday’s practice with a foot injury suffered during Sunday’s game. Reports are he will still play Week 2 and that he is out for precautionary reasons. Impact: He’s cut from the Adrian Peterson/Bo Jackson (ya I just went old school on you) mold, in that he’s such a physical specimen that you just count on him performing every week until a firm OUT designation is given to him. Play him this week.
Jonathan Stewart: He was listed as a full participant in practice today. Impact: If he participates fully tomorrow and has no setbacks, I’d roll him out this week. He’s, in my opinion, the best back on that team because he’s a big part of the run and pass game.
Antonio Gates: He sat out practice today with soreness in the ribs and the hope is that he practices fully tomorrow. Impact: I still like him this week. He’ll wear a flak jacket and take some pain mess and will be good to go. I can’t envision a scenario where he sits unless he has a practice setback.
Roddy White: Word is he was limited in practice today with a groin injury. Impact: Very surprising considering I hadn’t heard anything about this going into today. I wouldn’t be concerned, especially since he has an extra day with the Monday night game. If he’s a full participant, he plays. I’d be a teeny bit worried if he is t a full participant, but I think he has a minor issue and will play (I have him on one of my teams and there’s nothing I’ve heard so far that screams “bench him”.
Ziad Dahdul 