Week 13 Injury Report

Ok boys and girls, the most important week of the regular season is upon us. Many playoff spots hinge on the results of this week’s games, so make sure you have you monitor Inactive lists tomorrow AM and prior to the afternoon games, as many guys who are iffy are playing either at 1pm PST or Sunday night.

Felix Jones looks like he’s going to be a game-time decision for this Sunday night’s game. This knee injury appears to be troublesome and he hasn’t looked great healthy either. With DeMarco Murray slated to come back this week, Jones becomes a definite sit this week…Speaking of the Cowboys, watch out for reports prior to the game concerning Miles Austin and his hip flexor strain. First he dealt with a hamstring strain, now a hip flexor. Looks like he’s definitely prone to muscular issues, which have a tendency to linger and really limit function. I think he’ll play, but he may not be quite 100% at this point…Sidney Rice is an interesting one to watch tomorrow, as he was a full participant on Wednesday and Thursday, but apparently suffered a calf strain during Friday’s practice. It’s never a good sign when someone is added to the injury report on Friday and we’re talking a strained calf, which is a very difficult injury to play through. The calf provides the force behind pushing off to change directions and accelerate, so he will be significantly limited whether he plays or not…Percy Harvin is officially doubtful to play and word is he didn’t travel with the team to Green Bay. Jarius Wright gets a bump in value with Harvin out…Danny Amendola is another guy who is listed as doubtful, but basically a lock to miss Sunday’s game against the Niners with a foot injury…Two Bengals are dealing with injuries, but both are expected to play. BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Andrew Hawkins should both be ready to go despite minor injuries. Green-Ellis sprained his ankle during Friday’s practice. I’m not concerned because he was still listed as probable despite the injury. Hawkins is coming back from a sore knee and looks like he’s ready to regain his starting job this week. Remember, he’s the possession guy who stands to benefit a ton from the attention AJ Green gets, so I’m expecting (hoping) he has a huge day tomorrow…Julian Edelman and Brandon Weeden both look good to return from concussions this week, as both returned to practice and were participants on Friday, which is always a good sign for return to action. No word on clearance from an independent neurologist per the NFL concussion guidelines though, so check reports before each guy’s game…Antonio Brown will be back in the starting lineup for the Steelers, but he’s still a must SIT this week with Charlie Batch getting the start at QB again. With Ben Roethlisberger expected to be back in action next week, that would be the time to get Brown back in your lineup. Brown has had time to recover and seems to have shaken off his lingering high ankle sprain.

THE REST:

Expected to Play: Ahmad Bradshaw, Aaron Hernandez, Carson Palmer, Jeremy Kerley, Torrey Smith, Owen Daniels, Andre Johnson, Wes Welker, Brandon Lloyd, Beanie Wells

Should Play, but Could Be Limited: Darren McFadden (I’m not a believer that he’s ready to roll, maybe one week away), Matt Forte

Long Shot to Play: Andre Roberts, Kevin Kolb

There we have it, should be an interesting Week 13 with so many implications. On a personal note, I have two teams that are in the playoffs with a victory, so I know I’ll be glued to the TV tomorrow morning and afternoon. This would actually be the first season I’ve had all my teams make the playoffs if things work out the way I hope they do (4 total teams). Let’s see how this puppy plays out. Good luck folks!

Thursday Injury Report, Thanksgiving Edition

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.

Murray Misses Practice Again

DeMarco Murray was again not spotted at practice Tuesday, which significantly increases the likelihood that he won’t play Thursday against the Redskins. Check back again tomorrow, but this foot sprain seems severe enough that it’ll keep him out yet another week. I have to say, this is a bit longer than I expected, with regular run-of-the-mill mid foot sprains taking anywhere from 2-4 weeks. However, location and severity of the sprain play a big role, so it must be severe enough and in a vulnerable position (arch of the foot, near first ray) that it’s still lingering. Expect Felix Jones again this week.

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/

 

Week 10 Injury Updates: Set That Lineup

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).

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.

Monday Injury Notes

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.

Thursday Injury Updates (Like What the Heck is a Plantar Plate Tear)

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

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.

Week 6 Injury Reactions and Possible Fantasy Trade Scenarios

We had a very, very busy NFL week 6, with some key guys suffering injuries ranging from minor to potentially career ending. Let’s talk about how these key injuries affect your Week 7 lineup and some short term ramifications. Also, some of these injuries will definitely play a role on your teams moving forward, so we’ll also talk a bit about what you can do to counteract these big injuries, possibly wheeling and dealing via trade.

Ray Lewis: Let’s start with the biggest one. Word is that he suffered a complete rupture of one of tendons of his triceps muscle group. Why is this muscle group important? Well, any time we push off and extend our elbows, we’re using the triceps. Any time we try to shed blockers and drive through offensive linemen, we’re using quite a bit of triceps. The main functions of the triceps are to extend (straighten) the elbows and extend (move arm back behind you parallel to your body) the shoulder. These types of injuries usually take a significant amount of time to heal, especially since it’s such a big muscle group and it’s a tendon injury, which takes time to heal. In terms of returning to the field for football-related activities, we’re probably talking 6-8 months before he’s near 100%. However, with  his age and the amount of wear and tear on his body, it’s tough to predict how quickly he’ll bounce back from an injury of this nature. The good news is that it’s not a leg issue, which would be very brutal for a guy his age, especially considering how hard he worked to shed weight and regain some of his speed. I can’t imagine Lewis will allow his career to end of this note, so I’d expect him back next season, maybe on a more limited basis. But what about the value of the Baltimore D?? Losing Lewis and Ladarius Webb for the season are huge, especially with Suggs already out for the year. They were already giving up a ton of points by their standards, and it’s only going to get worse moving forward. They’re too good to just fall off the face of the earth, but when you add Haloti Ngata to the list, it doesn’t look pretty. Look for them to drop a few notches, but they should still be a top 10-12 D/ST by the end of the year.

DeMarco Murray: He was just rounding into form and then, BAM, injured foot. Word is he sprained the foot, which if we know from past history (Pierre Garcon, Ben Tate, etc), which is a very fickle injury. It’s so hard to predict how a player will respond coming back from this type of injury because there are so many factors (what part of the foot, which joints if the midfoot is involved, is it a big weight bearing joint, etc). It looked and sounded worse than what they’re saying the prognosis is, but I can see this being a couple week type of injury because he’s a running back, and when you take away a runner’s ability to be dynamic, they just don’t function the same. Now, on the flip side, if Felix Jones (who you should be adding ASAP this week) struggles and doesn’t get the job done, this could turn into a “rushing back too soon” type of thing. I think his prognosis will all depend on how fast he responds to conservative treatment (PRICE- protection, rest, ice, compression, elevation; stretching, soft tissue mobilization, joint work, etc) early on so that he can get back to the aggressive stuff as soon as possible. He’ll definitely be week to week, so be ready to play that game.

Rashard Mendenhall/Issac Redman: Both are very up in the air for this week’s game against the Bengals with an achilles injuryand ankle sprain, respectively. I don’t like Mendenhall’s chances due to the location of his injury (same side as his torn ACL), which I think is a big compensatory pattern issue that needs to be corrected because it’s clear to me that he’s putting too much reliance on his ankle due to not fully trusting that knee yet (at least that’s what I suspect). Redman is coming off an ankle sprain and has a shot to play, but I don’t know about you, but I don’t really want to rely on Redman anyways. I have a feeling both will play, with Mendenhall obviously getting the bulk of the carries if he’s right, but it’s a bit sketchy this week, although they did have the luxury of an extra 3 days off after playing the Thursday night game. Take it day by day.

Jake Locker: I understand if fantasy owners are frustrated with his absence from the Titans’ lineup, but I love the approach the training staff is taking with Locker. He tried coming back, but it was clearly too soon, so they’ve now taken things slowly and allowed him to heal fully before sending him back in. People will ask me, “If it’s his non-throwing shoulder, why has he been out so long?”. Well, it only takes one shot to the shoulder or a defending driving him into the turf after a throw for him to go back to square one. Also, things such as handing the ball off, hiking the ball, holding the ball with two hands on a roll out, etc all involve the left arm as well. And add to the fact that running is one of Locker’s main strengths and you can see why a subluxed shoulder (quick subluxation) and separated AC joint would be difficult to come back from. He’s out this week, with the possibility of returning next week. Play it by ear, but he’s going to need some time to round back into form. Locker should be considered no more than a QB2 at this point moving forward.

Pierre Garcon: MRI results showed an “inflamed capsule under the 2nd toe”. What this means is that the joint capsule surrounding the 2nd “knuckle” on the bottom of the foot is inflamed. This is essentially like having a tender area and banging it against a surface over and over again. Every time he tries to run/sprint/plant/push off, he’s putting extra weight and force through that region, causing more discomfort. These sort of capsule injuries are a type of “itis”, which means an area is inflamed and has swelling in the region. What makes this better? Stop running/sprinting/planting/pushing off: REST. Inflamed regions don’t get better when you continue to pound on it, so look for Garcon to be in “pain management” mode this week in hopes of playing against the Giants. At some point, they’re either going to have to shut him down to let him rest or he’ll just be less than 100% all season. I don’t like the sound of either as a Garcon owner, so you should have a contingency for week 7 just in case.

Jermichael Finley: Another sprained shoulder that’s been slow to heal, he is at the mercy of the position he plays, as it requires a ton of blocking/contact, which doesn’t allow for a quick healing process. The good news was that he was able to play a little over 20 snaps. The bad news is he continues to be limited by the shoulder and has been a non-factor. He actually has had really only 1 good game all season and hasn’t done much otherwise, shoulder injury or not. If he can get healthy, this is his time to shine, with Greg Jennings still hobbled. Look for him to get more involved this week, as there was no reported setback during the game on Sunday. Watch his practice participation and if he’s more involved, he should be good to go for Week 7.

Kevin Kolb: He has officially joined the bruised rib QB fraternity headed by Michael Vick and Tony Romo. Again, this is more of a pain-tolerance type issue more than anything else, but there is a significant amount of rotation that offcurs in the trunk during the throwing motion, which can be affected by limitations in rib mobility. He’s definitely going to be limited to some extent, but they’ll get a flak jacket on him and see what he can tolerate. History (Kolb’s and other rib injuries) says he probably won’t play, but that’s more based on the fact that he hasn’t been the most resilient guy in the world when it comes to injuries. While Kolb is not nearly at the level of those guys, his injury does have a significant effect on the Cards, particularly the WRs. Larry Fitzgerald seems to have a better rapport with John Skelton while Andre Roberts seems to have a better rapport with Kolb. Fitz should be in your lineup regardless, but Roberts is just not the same when Skelton is in the lineup. I’d downgrade Roberts greatly if Skelton gets the start. UPDATE: Why am I updating before I even submitted the post? Because I’m lazy, that’s why. Looks like MRI results came back and showed rib cartilage damage, but no fractures. While the no fracture news is good, the rest of it is not, as rib cartilage has such poor blood supply that it creates a slow healing environment. In addition, the rib cartilage is stressed with the most basic of tasks (taking in a deep breath, twisting the trunk, standing up tall) that it can make it very uncomfortable to perform rigorous tasks such as playing QB in the NFL. He’s said to be out at least a couple weeks, so Skelton looks like the guy.

Trent Richardson: Another guy with a rib cartilage injury, his seems to be minor based on reports I’ve heard. Again, they’ll rest him this week (expect him to be limited basically all week, which is normal) and see how much pain he can tolerate on Sunday. I’d expect him to play unless he suffers a setback.

Aaron Hernandez: He played 38 snaps on Sunday, about 40% of the total offensive snaps for the Pats on Sunday. I can speak to Hernandez from seeing him in person at the game, he looked fantastic. Watching him cut and run prior the game, I felt better about his overall health. Then seeing him plant and run that fade route in the end zone for his touchdown put all concerns at ease. I think he looks as close to 100% as you can coming off a high ankle sprain, and if he came through with no extra swelling/soreness after the week, he will probably see an uptick in his snaps played this week against the Jets. I’d be confident playing him Week 7.

Hakeem Nicks: Only 5 targets, didn’t look 100% , but looked better than he did the last time he attempted to play. I think he’ll get his treatment this week and look better against a bad Redskins secondary. Manning will continue to look his way once he gets back on track.

So now, I wanted to spend some time talking about some guys who either are injured or are coming off injury who are great sell high/buy low candidates that you should be targeting now that we’re nearly halfway through the season.

QBs:

Sell High

Josh Freeman: Finally had a breakout game. If he strings one more good game on top of it, look to unload him to someone who needs bye week help or had Philip Rivers on their roster. You could probably snag a decent WR2/RB2 or flex type of guy to help you get through the bye weeks

Buy Low

Matt Stafford: He’s been very up and down, looking terrible in the first 3 quarters yesterday before putting together some good drives in the 4th. I’d feel good about picking him up if you can get value on him, especially if you need some QB help. I’d be willing to part with two guys to pick him up so long as you’re not giving up more than a WR2/RB2 in either case. I think Stafford is poised for a big second half.

RBs:

Sell High

Shonn Greene: He’s not doing that again, if you can find a sucker in your league to take him off your hands, I’d do it. He may have another good week (or at least dominate carries) with Bilal Powell on the shelf, so wif you can turn Greene into another RB2 or a solid, reliable TE/WR2-3, I’d do it in a heartbeat.

Darren McFadden: He’s coming off a solid Week 6 and looked pretty good overall, but with the state of the Raiders offense and how bad they’ve looked all the way around, I’d sell high on McFadden, especially if he has another good week this coming week. With the numerous bye weeks coming up (with 6 teams out of action this week), other peeps in your league my be looking long and hard on the waiver wire for RB help, but nothing on the wire will come close to an offer for McFadden. This would be a great time to parlay depth at RB for more help at WR or QB while selling a name brand instead of actual production.

Buy Low

Reggie Bush: He didn’t have the greatest week 6, but coming out of a bye, people tend to forget about how good of a start he got off to. He’s also looked remarkably durable and resilient this year, evidenced by not missing any time after injuring his knee. If you can get him cheap, I think he’s definitely worth it as he looks 100% after his knee and hip issues.

Matt Forte: Not that people are crazy down on him, but you haven’t heard his name a lot since he suffered that sprained ankle earlier in the season. He’s been solid, but unspectacular since then. I just love the idea of another owner suffering through the bye week for you, so he’s potentially someone you can steal if you can find a Forte owner in a bind due to the bye weeks (think a 2 for 1 to give the other owner more depth, but you’re always better off getting the best player in the deal)

WRs:

Sell High

Percy Harvin: Not here because he’s dealing with an injury, but he has a definite history of injury problems, especially of the nagging variety. He’s off to a fantastic start, leading the NFL in receptions, but when I think about his offense and how he’s essentially the only legit WR for Christian Ponder to throw to, I would not be averse to trading Harvin for a more established guy who has a history of consistent production (Roddy White, Larry Fitzgerald, Wes Welker) as I see Harvin’s stock dropping in the coming weeks.

Buy Low

Greg Jennings: I know I’ve talked a lot about his nagging groin injury and you could potentially wait one more week and get him dirt cheap, but if you can find a fed up Jennings owner and get him for 50 cents on the dollar, you do it. The groin injury is big, but he’s on a fantastic offense and can really do you a lot of good once fantasy playoff time rolls around as he should be 100% and ready to get back to his old ways by then.