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.
Well, Week 14 didn’t go the way I planned. Not sure about you, but I had 4 teams in these playoffs and I’m on the brink of losing all 4 (2 upsets, 2 I probably should lose). The biggest culprits for me were Miles Austin, Vernon Davis, and my trio of Saints (Marques Colston, Lance Moore, Jimmy Graham). All three guys underperformed considerably and may end up costing me dearly.
From an injury standpoint, Week 14 wasn’t terrible, but we did get news that Fred Jackson is out for the year after suffering a grade 2 MCL sprain of his right knee. Shutting him down makes total sense, with the Bills’ season being over already and his extensive history of knee pathology. CJ Spiller becomes the man in Buffalo and should see a huge increase in his value moving forward.
Additionally, we saw a couple of Giants who are gritting out injuries, but really having a hard time with them. Hakeem Nicks had to have X-rays done on his sore knee and seems to have a bout of swelling and soreness each and every week now. To add insult to injury, he came down directly on the knee, causing pain and some missed time during the game. In addition, Ahmad Bradshaw suffered a knee sprain to go along with his already sore foot and neck, so he’s dealing with a trio of painful injuries at the same time. High pain thresholds are one thing, but three injuries (and two involving his legs) at once is tough to deal with and may lead to his workload being decreased, especially with David Wilson’s breakthrough game. I’d expect Nicks to be limited all week and be close to a game time decision while Bradshaw’s news will come out as the week goes on, giving us insight about his Week 15 status. Stay tuned.
And how can we forget Robert Griffin III and his right knee injury. Word is (as I expected) he suffered a sprained lateral collateral ligament (LCL), but the severity seems to be in the grade 1/2 range, which is definitely something that can be played through. What RGIII loses with this injury is some stability in the knee when he cuts or twists, as the LCL is the ligament that connects the femur (thigh bone) to the tibia (shin bone) on the outside of the knee. So anytime a player has LCL involvement and tries to play through it, a brace of varying strength is involved. My expectation is that he will play this week, especially since the severity of the sprain is a grade 1 or 2, which is mild to moderate in nature. However, we’ll wait til Friday to see what his practice participation was like this week.
Quick Hits:
Jay Cutler suffered a “whiplash” type injury on Sunday, which is normally categorized as a muscular injury to the neck muscles. He should receive a ton of treatment this week to help decrease inflammation and soreness and should play this week…Jared Cook seems to have suffered a re-aggravation of his shoulder injury from early in the season. Watch out for him to be limited this week and his availability for Week 15 is up in the air…Ray Rice suffered a hip pointer that’s being classified as “minor”. Wait until later in the week to see if he practices or not this week, but with the Ravens in the thick of the home field advantage race, expect him to play. Click this link (http://tinyurl.com/benbhhw) and scroll down to the Hip Pointer paragraph to gain a better understanding of what this injury entails…Victor Cruz had a monster day on Sunday, but he also hurt his shoulder during the game, requiring sideline evaluation to determine the extent of the injury. He basically played the whole game otherwise, so expect him to be just fine. We’ll monitor it just in case…Dwayne Bowe has two fractured ribs, which means he’ll either be able to play through it and tolerate the pain or his season may be over. More information should come out this week…Marshawn Lynch flared up his low back a little bit during his standout game against the Cardinals. Remember, he’s dealt with back spasms all season and has basically been a “rest” scratch from every Wednesday practice this season. He’ll do the same deal this week and should be fine for Week 15, but back spasms are a tricky, fickle injury, so keep an eye on him…Darren McFadden practiced today, which is a great sign for his availability for Week 15 after re-aggravating his high ankle sprain this past Thursday. If he continues to increase his availability, he should be fine, but monitor his situation closely.
That should cover the biggies. If your leagues are anything like mine, tonight is a VERY important night. Not only are my Pats playing on MNF, but I also need Steven Ridley and Matt Schaub to have huge days and Wes Welker and the Houston Defense to do not so well. So here’s hoping the Pats win 52-45 (wishful thinking, I know).
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).
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
Starts:
49ers defense: This is a proud unit, and a unit that was embarrassed by the Giants just 4 days ago. All of their key guys are healthy and with a hungry unit playing against a rookie QB at home, I say you always lean towards the veteran group. I see the D producing a couple turnovers and completely shutting down the Seahawks’ run game
Michael Crabtree: If there’s one thing I learned watching that Pats-Seahawks game in person, it’s that the most targeted guy on the team can absolutely get his, as Wes Welker did last week. Crabtree and Alex Smith have developed some nice chemistry, and with Crabtree seeming to be healthy and very involved with the offense, I think he leads the team in targets again.
Vernon Davis: After watching how often Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski got open this past Sunday, with Hernandez scoring a touchdown, someone as physically dominant as Davis should be able to create separation. I feel like out of all the positions on the Seahawks great defense, linebacker seems to be the weakest point. If Davis gets a lot of LB coverage on him tonight, he’s much too athletic for pretty much any LB to keep up with. Look for him to have a solid day today. And remember, Seattle’s defense is fantastic against the run, so expect more throwing the ball today.
Seattle Defense: Although I have a couple guys from the Niners offense in my start section, I think their production will be more from catches/yardage and less from scoring plays. I expect this to be a relatively low scoring game, somewhere in the high teens/low twenties. And Seattle’s defense is healthy, while Alex Smith is dealing with his finger issue on his throwing hand (still bothering him, not a huge concern, but it must be tough gripping and have complete control when your finger is swollen/painful) and Mario Manningham limited by shoulder issue (he was wearing the non-contact jersey up to Tuesday’s practice, he’s expected to play, but a game-time decision). Look for the opportunistic Seahawks D to force a couple turnovers (did you see Alex Smith against the Giants) and hold the 49ers to <25 points.
Sits:
Marshawn Lynch: I know it’s hard to bench someone of his caliber, but if the Pats D can completely stop the Seahawks’ run game, what do you think the 49ers D is going to do to it?? I’d have him relatively low on the list this week, as I personally don’t think the Seahawks will score more than 13 points in this game. His back has been pretty good the last couple weeks, so it doesn’t seem like he’s limited at all injury-wise, but this just seems to be a terrible match up for Mr. Lynch.
Frank Gore: See Lynch, Marshawn above. And replace 49ers with Seahawks. Not looking like a big day on the ground with either team today.
Russell Wilson: Rookie QB, on the road, coming of a super emotional high with a big comeback victory against the Pats, playing against one of the best defenses in the league? This has bench written all over it. Sit him
Let’s take a look at some key injuries for the upcoming week and some possible solutions for your lineup issues:
Jermichael Finley: He suffered a slightly separated AC joint on Sunday (based on the term slightly, I’d imagine it’s a grade 1) that he feels he can play through. He won’t attempt to practice until tomorrow, so we won’t know for sure whether he can even take the contact until then. I’m thinking there’s a chance he plays on Sunday, but my only issue is that when someone doesn’t even try to practice all week, it normally means there’s something they’re concerned about. I see him becoming a game time decision, which is no bueno considering they play the Texans on Sunday night. Make sure you have a backup plan, but I’d just as well roll with another guy because of the risk.
Greg Jennings: Another guy who won’t practice until tomorrow, who knows how this guy’s groin is feeling. It’s been a frustrating start for Jennings’ owners and this lingering groin strain is a real issue. He’s had a lot of time to rest, so that bodes well. If he can participate tomorrow pretty fully and not have any setbacks, I like his chances to play. Just know these muscular injuries can rear their ugly heads at any time, so be prepared. He basically needs to come through one full game without a “tweak” to feel better about things.
Alex Smith: The middle finger on his throwing hand seems like it’s not a factor, so he should be good to go. The only concern would be if he took another shot to the hand during the game, but that can happen at any time. There haven’t been any reports of swelling or range of motion issues, so if you normally play him, he should be good.
Hakeem Nicks: Today’s a big day for Nicks, as he’s supposed to give practice a go. He did some running and rehab type things on Wednesday, which is a great sign. Look for him to be limited today, with the possibility of ramping up to full participation on Friday. If he comes through today’s practice without issue in the foot or knee, I like his chances. More will be known tomorrow.
Brandon Jacobs: He practiced fully on Wednesday, but he also practiced every freakin day last week and was still inactive. I don’t know if it’s more a numbers issue in terms of his spot on the depth chart than anything else, but you probably shouldn’t be relying on him this week anyways. I still think he can be a valuable stash for later in the year, but if you’re like me and have injury/bye week issues, you may not have the luxury of a stash.
William Powell: He suffered a head injury, which could means tons of things, but he has practiced fully all week so far and hasn’t been reported as being limited at all. I actually think Powell is a better overall back than LaRod Stephens-Howling, only because Stephens-Howling is built more like a change of pace back. I can envision Powell playing on 1st and 2nd downs while Stephens-Howling is the 3rd down guy. But who knows. Either way, they both have a fantastic matchup this week against Buffalo, so they are both solid bye week fill-ins.
Marshawn Lynch: The sore back is back! Lunch was limited in practice on Wednesday and continues to be plagued by his balky back. It’s beginning to get a little sticky for Lynch, as he rested all last week and still came out of it with sore back this week. We’ll take a look at his participation this week and see where it takes him. He has a decent matchup, as the Pats are more of a bend-but-don’t-break type of defense, which lends itself to gaudy yardage totals. We’ll keep posted on his situation.
Wes Welker/Rob Gronkowski: Both were limited participants, Welker with an ankle issue and Gronk with a hip issue, but 1/2 the Pats roster was limited, so I wouldn’t worry. Both should be good to go Sunday.
Miles Austin: Coming off the bye week, Austin appears to be pretty healthy overall. He practiced fully yesterday and hasn’t had any setbacks yet after being plagued with hamstring issues. He seems like he’s finally rounding into form, and if you know anything from reading my posts, muscular injuries respond very well to rest and rehab, which Austin was able to do all week during the bye. I expect him to come out the gates strong and have a big game this Sunday.
Darrius Heyward-Bey: He practiced fully yesterday and seems to be on track to play this weekend. His concussion did look bad when it happened, but coming off a bye week and having a few weeks to recuperate, it looks like he should be fine. I’m sure they’ll monitor him well this week, but barring a setback, he should be out there.
Robert Griffin III: Although he did practice on Wednesday, taking part in team drills, he still has not been cleared for contact. Once cleared, he will probably need at least 1 day of full practice to be ready to go. I expect that day to be Friday. Look for him to take it slow, but barring any new issues popping up, he seems on track to play this Sunday.
LaRod Stephens-Howling: I talked about the Cards RB situation above with William Powell, but I think LSH (I got tired of typing his whole name, sorry) should be good to go this week coming off a hip injury. I was not able to find out exactly what the injury was, but it appeared that he was moving around well at practice yesterday and didn’t look limited. In terms of the backfield timeshare, I think both will get chances, but LSH is much better catching the ball out of the backfield as a change of pace, so I like Powell to be the lead guy and LSH to be the 3rd down/end of half guy. I think both have value and we’ll know more after Sunday’s game, but I project Powell’s value slightly higher than LSH.
Ben Tate: Still limited in practice by turf toe, he is looking like another game time decision, which doesn’t bode well because he is involved in the Sunday night game. Same thing happened this past week with the Texans playing on Monday night, but there appears to be more optimism that he plays this week. Risky if you don’t have a backup plan playing for the Packers or on Monday night, so it may not be worth the risk. Foster is still the guy anyways, so another option may be better.
Andre Johnson: While he hasn’t been quite the same this season, I can’t say it looks like it’s because of his groin issue. He seems to be drawing a ton of attention from opposing defenses due to a lack of WR threat on the opposite side. He was limited yesterday in practice, but that’s very normal with guys who have nagging injuries, as Wednesday seems to be rest day. Friday will tell us more, as I expect him to progress his way to full participation by end of week if he’s good to go on Sunday.
AJ Green: He seems to be dealing with a bit of a knee issue, which is interesting considering he had his ankle re-taped on Sunday in the 2nd half of the game against the Dolphins. Although the ankle was the issue, he seems to have developed a bit of a knee problem, which is not uncommon considering he did continue to play through the ankle issue on Sunday. When we play through pain and injury, we tend to place more stress and strain on other regions of our body to make up for the injured region, in this case Green’s ankle. I can’t see this being any more than some knee soreness, so I don’t think he’s in any danger of missing this week. But just in case, check out his status on Friday.
Ryan Mathews: He didn’t practice Wednesday, but took “mental reps” instead. Ya, not sure what that means either. But with the Chargers playing on Monday night this week, Thursday-Saturday will be the important days. Look for him to ramp up participation this week and be fully active by Saturday.
Aaron Hernandez: He practiced again on Wednesday and has been out there for 3 straight days now (2 last week, 1 this week). He’s looking good for this Sunday against Seattle and should blend back in seamlessly to his hybrid role in the Pats offense. With high ankle sprains, rest is a big factor early on, and I think the Pats did a fantastic job of not trying to rush him back (Having another TE like Gronk helps). He has been reported as looking quick and sharp with all cutting and mobility, so there’s not reason to believe he won’t suit up this week. Barring a set back, I’d put him in your lineup this week.
Saturday is upon us, so let’s do a quick rundown of who to play and who to sit to help you better maximize your week 5 lineup.
Absolute must starts:
Torrey Smith: The ankle is good to go, and so is he.
Rob Gronkowski: He played last week despite some hip soreness, he’ll do the same this week despite being questionable.
Marshawn Lynch: Back is good, and he’s well rested
Reggie Bush: No lingering knee or hip issues, he’s in for a big week against the Bengals.
Lesean McCoy: No worries here, he’s good
Trent Richardson: Only missed practice to see his daughter born, he’s healthy and ready to go.
Julio Jones: The hand is healed and healthy. Get him in your lineup.
Matt Forte: He’s looked dynamic all week, the ankle looks solid, Jags run D is not very good.
Chicago Bears D: Brian Urlacher and Julius Peppers are both a little dinged up, but both are reportedly playing tomorrow. Keep the top ranked D in your lineup.
Healthy Starts:
Jared Cook: He’s fully recovered from his AC joint sprain, he shouldn’t be limited at all.
Brandon Bolden: I’m only putting him here because he’s healthy enough to play, so that won’t be the issue. Who knows what the RB rotation will be like because it changes every week with the Pats, but if you’re in a deep league and were thinking about him as a Flex, don’t let health stop you. He should be good to go. Double check the inactive list prior to the late games to be sure.
Too Risky, Sit This Week:
Aaron Hernandez: I love him for next week, as he has really made strides (and I’m making a trip from LA to Seattle to watch my Pats take over the northwest, so I’m a bit hyped right now) coming off this high ankle sprain. There’s too much uncertainty surrounding Hernandez, with the Belichick-veil-of-secrecy, late game start time, and trickiness with high ankle sprains. Not worth the risk this week, unless you have the luxury of another TE who plays in the late games or Sunday night/Monday night that you can rush into your lineup once you find out Hernandez’s status. Otherwise, leave him on the bench.
Brandon Jacobs: He looks on track to play this week and is technically still the 3rd backfield option. I like him more as a stash than an actual start this week, only because I think he’ll play a big role in Jim Harbaugh’s offense. Monitor his effectiveness and carries this week and we’ll revisit next week.
Out:
Lance Moore: Has a good chance of coming back next week, hard to tell for sure with hammy injuries, but I think he comes back next week
New York Giants D: I think their entire team is Questionable. I know they’re playing the Browns, but with so many guys either out or clearly hobbled, I would look for a replacement if you have the luxury. A team like the New England D has been dropped by many after a couple bad games, but they’re forcing turnovers this year and have generated a much better pass rush with rookies Chandler Jones and Dont’a Hightower on board. I like them at home against Denver, Peyton Manning or not.
Hakeem Nicks: Monitor his availability this week, I said yesterday I don’t like how limited he’s been and their having him avoid weight bearing, so I don’t feel as good about him being back next week. Always a chance, but hard to say.
Ramses Barden: Never thought I’d have to include him in any of my posts, but stranger things have happened I guess. He didn’t practice at all this week and apparently did not pass his post-concussion battery of tests to return to play, so he’s out this week. Because Nicks and Barden are both out, look for Domenik Hixon to be very productive against a terrible Browns secondary still missing Joe Haden. I like Hixon as my SLEEPER O’ THE WEEK (I know, I’ve sucked at these so far, but Week 5 is the turn-around week, I swear)
Kenny Britt: He’s listed as questionable, not out, but I just wouldn’t touch him until he produces one productive game this season. Too many injuries, too much of a head case. Stay away.
Rashard Mendenhall: Another guy listed as probable, not out, I just have a rule not to play post-ACL guys in their first game back because of the inherent risk. I know AP came back and was great in his first game, but most of the time, you don’t know how a guy will respond to the other team hitting you and the return to game speed until they’re out there. He may be fine, but I’m just not taking the risk until his second week back.
Friday is typically the most important day in terms of a player’s likelihood to play on Sunday (Saturday is the day for Monday night games). So practice participation today is key, so let’s take a look at some key injuries and the chance of them playing in Week 5 (designation in parentheses:
Brandon Jacobs (Q): He hasn’t played all season after injuring his knee in the preseason, but the specifics are not well known. MRI showed that he had no structural damage, which likely means a bone bruise of some sort or maybe ligament sprain. The Niners weren’t going to let Jacobs come back until he practiced fully the whole week, and this week appears to be it. He’s 3rd in the backfield pecking order, but he was signed to be Frank Gore’s change-of-pace backup, which Kendall Hunter is not. So I think he’s a good speculative pickup this week as he looks healthy, doing wind sprints and practicing fully in pads. I wouldn’t play him this week, but he may be a nice deep league add if you need RB help.
Kenny Britt (Q): Britt sprained his ankle initially a few weeks ago, but seemed to tweak it again yesterday in practice. The thought is he won’t play this week, but he’s leaving the door open. Put it this way: He’s coming back from ACL reconstruction, he’s sprained the ankle on that same side, and now he reinjured the ankle at practice speeds. What does this tell you? There’s still something going on that’s causing him to compensate at other joints, but now he’s compromised at two joints in the leg, which could lead to a significant amount of instability up the kinetic chain (this is the link between all the joints from the ground up the leg, into the hip, etc). You should be sitting him this week and for all upcoming weeks until he can actually play a game and come out of it looking healthy.
Jared Cook (P): He practiced fully today, which is great news for his chances of being 100% this Sunday. I think he actually has a shot to have a big game now that Chris Johnson finally showed up and with one less mouth to feed (Britt) in the WR corp. Look for him to be unrestricted and ready to go.
Rashard Mendenhall (P): Practiced fully again, which means he’s looking like a go for this week. Play him at your own risk, but I’d still bench him until he shows me something out on the field. My rule of thumb is always to sit a guy their first week back and proceed according to how they look in that first game. Mendenhall is no different.
Torrey Smith (P): Practiced fully all week, sprained ankle looks good. He’s good to go.
Pierre Garcon (P): He looks like he’s on track to play this weekend against the Falcons, who despite being 4-0 are not playing a ton of D. He’s slowly played more snaps each game he’s been out there, but he himself acknowledged that he was not 100% yet, even though he can play at 100% during each play (not sure how much sense that makes). I think he’ll be more productive this weekend as he and RGIII have developed a good chemistry so far. He looks to be a solid WR3 this week.
Aaron Hernandez (Q): He practiced today and has looked pretty good, based on reports, cutting and moving more freely than anyone expected. This week would be his 3rd missed game, so I’m still skeptical that someone can be 100% in 3 weeks coming back from a high ankle sprain. I still think he sits this week, but it’s encouraging that he has gotten better so quickly. Week 6 seems much more realistic, so he should be on your bench this week (he’ll be on mine).
Marshawn Lynch (P): He was a full participant today, with his injury being described as Rest. Seems like the Seahawks were just buying him some time and that his back spasms didn’t flare up. Play him confidently.
Ryan Tannehill (P): He was a late add to the injury report with a right thumb sprain (throwing hand). It appears that he practiced fully, but may have hit his hand on a helmet or something of that nature. I think the injury report is more of a precaution, but he should be out there this week coming off a career game. Play him if you normally would.
Reggie Bush (P): His knee is reportedly fine and his hip has been pain-free all week, so he looks ready to go. He actually looked fine this past week, not missing any time after than knee injury scare. He was running well and looked like his dynamic self, so I’d feel good playing him this week. Nothing that I’ve heard or seen leads me to believe that he’ll be restricted at all, so have at it.
Ben Tate (Q): His sprained toe kept him out of practice today, and missing a Friday practice is never a good sign. I’d be suspicious about his probability of playing this week, but since they play Monday, wait until tomorrow and see if he participates. If he’s limited or doesn’t practice, I’d sit him since it’s pretty risky to wait on a Monday nighter since you won’t have many options otherwise. I don’t think the risk matches the reward, so I’d bench him.
Stephen Hill (Q): Well, not the rookie season we were hoping for. He came out like gangbusters in Week 1 and hasn’t played since. He has a hamstring strain that’s been plaguing him all season, and it doesn’t really seem like it’s going away anytime soon. I’ve stated numerous times how tricky these hamstring injuries are, and sometimes, depending on the location of the strain, the severity of the strain, and whether there was a prior history of hamstring pathology. Not sure in Hill’s case if there is a past history of hamstring issues, but this one seems to be a doozy. He was a non-participant again in practice, and even though he plays Monday night, put him in the same category as Ben Tate above: not worth the risk of waiting.
Hakeem Nicks (O): We know Nicks is out this week, that’s for sure. Just wanted to update to say that he had very limited participation, riding the bike and doing some stretching and participating in some team activities. While this is a good sign, one observation I wanted to mention was that the stationary bike for his kind of injury makes me think they’re just trying to limit his amount of weight bearing as much as possible, which leads me to believe that there’s some sort of bony pathology going on. I don’t like the sound of it, but the activity level is promising. Obviously, plan B needs to be in effect this week, but next week is still a possibility.
Lance Moore (O): My, how much things can change in one week. At first, reports were he had a mild hamstring strain. 4 days later, he’s labeled out. Maybe he had a setback during the week while trying to practice, or maybe they underestimated the extent and severity of the strain. Who knows? The fact of the matter is these hamstring strains are hard to predict, but hopefully one full week of rest and rehab will do him some good.
That’s it for today. I’ll make more updates via my Twitter feed @z_dahdul as more news becomes available. Good luck with Week 5 and beyond!
Did I confuse you? Good : )
I’m taking Wednesday’s post and making updates based on Thursday practice participations, just to give you a little taste of how quickly things can change in one day’s time. Here ya go:
Here’s a quick round up of today’s practice participations and their effect on each player’s ability to play and contribute in Week 5:
Marshawn Lynch: Limited in practice on Wednesday. The given reason was rest, but make sure you listen up on Friday to make sure it’s not a back spasm recurrence. I talked at the beginning of the season that back spasms are tricky and have a habit of rearing their ugly head at random times. Monitor his status leading up to the end of the week. THURSDAY UPDATE:
Matt Forte: The Bears didn’t practice, but word is he would have been a limited participant had there been a practice. Weird thing is he came out of the Monday night game with a supposed re-aggravation of his ankle sprain, but had his tape re-done and was fine thereafter. The only report after the game was “normal post game soreness”, which is very normal. So long as no setbacks are reported, he probably won’t be a full participant until Friday. Jacksonville’s run D, for lack of a better word, sucks. So throw him out there on Sunday with confidence, as it seems like his ankle is doing just fine.
Kenny Britt: Another guy who I just hate writing about, because he seems to always be hurt, like non-stop. So his recent ankle injury led to him being a non-participant in today’s practice. Word is he did some on-the-side drills, but no actual practice. With all the bad luck he’s had with his legs this past year, he just scares me. This ankle sprain seems to be lingering, which combined with the ACL reconstruction he had, can lead to quite a bit of weakness in his legs. A lack of stability around the knee with pain and discomfort in ankle take all of the drive and quickness out of a WR’s legs. I’m sticking with my thought on him: He needs to show you one solid week before he’s in your lineup, regardless of what you hear/see/read. THURSDAY UPDATE: He did not practice at all today, meaning he’s pretty much relegated to your fantasy bench again for week 5. Plan on moving forward without him. Again, wait until he shows you he can get back out there and produce before he’s back in your lineup.
Julio Jones: Apparently his hand issue was a problem during the last game, as reports said he was more decoy than anything else. He was a full participant today, and as long as that continues, this hand injury shouldn’t be an issue. Play him. THURSDAY UPDATE: More reason to play him, Jones himself said his lacerated hand feels great and ready to go. Matt Ryan is absolutely on fire right now the Redskins’ secondary is not very good. Big day coming for Jones and company.
Peyton Hillis: He’s been dealing with this ankle sprain for a couple weeks now, and although he seems to be better, it appears that he continues to be iffy for this week. The Chiefs have Jamaal Charles and Shaun Draughn playing pretty well right now, so there’s no reason to rush Hillis back. He’s not a speedster, but an issue with the ankle (which provides the push off and drive and helps maintain stability with cuts) can really make it difficult to hit holes in a timely manner. Plan on not having him this week. THURSDAY UPDATE: No practice for Hillis on Thursday and he remains on track to sit out this week’s game. Bench city for Hillis
Jake Locker: Separated shoulder, subluxation of said shoulder, already ruled out of Sunday’s game and having a short week for week 6, plan on him being out at least 2 more weeks at minimum. After his recent aggravation in week 5, they’ll take it easy with him and make sure not to rush him back. With all the instability surrounding that left shoulder of his, non-throwing arm or not, it’s going to restrict his function, especially with handing the ball off, receiving the hiked ball, and being sacked/going down head first. THURSDAY UPDATE: Not a ton more info available about Locker, but he’s as close to a lock as possible to sit out.
Jared Cook: His AC joint (tip of the shoulder) seems to be healing well, as he played the whole game on Sunday without issue (he was taken out early due to the Titans being blown out) or setbacks. He was limited today, but it seems to be more rest than anything else. AC joint sprains are very dependent on the severity of the shoulder separation (this is the joint people refer to when a shoulder is separated), and Cook’s seems to be more on the mild side based on how quickly he’s responded. Play him this week as their matchup is much more favorable than last week’s.
Torrey Smith: He had a minor ankle sprain during the game this past week, but it’s not considered anything major at all. He was a full participant this week, which always bodes well when a player participates fully on a Wednesday. He will be just fine.
Pierre Garcon: His sprained foot finally allowed him to play in week 4, but he was basically nonexistent, catching only 1 pass. He practiced fully today, which bodes well. I continue to hear that he’s not 100%, but the fact that he fully practiced on a traditional “take it easy day” is a good sign. We seem to be talking a lot about ankles/feet these days, but a sprained foot is a very general term (it could refer to any of the ligaments that hold together the joints in his mid foot, forefoot, rear foot) and depending on the exact region that’s sprained, could really affect a player’s ability to push off and accept weight onto the foot. The accepting weight part is important for a receiver, mainly when stopping on a dime and breaking off a route. If Friday rolls around and he’s still fully practicing, roll him out there on Sunday. THURSDAY UPDATE: He continues to proactice even though he’s not fully healthy, and he himself said that he’s not 100%. However, he states he can play at 100%, but how long remains to be seen. I think he plays this week, but just expect some ups and downs throughout the course of the season.
Lesean McCoy: Full participant, following a “tweaked”, aka sprained, knee. Looks to be a minor issue, he’ll be fine.
Reggie Bush: <sigh> The knee feels great, but miraculously, he has developed a hip issue! Yay! Normally, when a hip issue develops on the same side as a knee or ankle issue, it’s without a doubt a compensatory issue, where the joint above or below the injured region (in this case, above) compensates for the lack of stability/strength/function at the impaired joint. It could be a muscular strain, it could be irritation of the labrum in the hip, it could be tendonitis/bursitis, etc…Basically, it could be a crap ton of things. Until more is known about the severity of the hip issue, expect him to play. We’ll probably know more by Friday. THURSDAY UPDATE: Practiced fully, reports state he looked good overall, no signs of limitation. Barring setback, plan on him begin ready to go on Sunday.
Danny Amendola: He had a mild ankle sprain, and is officially listed as Probable for the Thursday night game against the Cards. He looks to be ready to go tomorrow, so feel free to put him in your lineup. And always remember who told you he would be the sleeper candidate of the year (http://tinyurl.com/c3pzkg7). Did that sound like bragging too much? Who cares, I was right. THURSDAY UPDATE: Not much in terms of his status, but the prevailing thought is that he’s ready to go tonight, as his ankle sprain was considered mild in the first place.
Steven Jackson: So this is clearly becoming a frustrating issue for SJax owners. This groin strain will not go away. Here’s what I said last week: “My thought is that he’s doing ok during the week, getting treatment and working to calm down inflammation/stretch/strengthening the adductors (groin muscles), I just think the second he really tries to play free of thought, he begins to feel the restriction. One week of limitation was ok, as that’s expected. But with two weeks of limitation in a row, I’d be a bit concerned.” Just change two weeks to three and the problem gets worse. Top it off with a short week against a very solid run defense, and I’d really consider benching him this week. THURSDAY UPDATE: Still listed as questionable, but he’s still planning on playing. He was better last week than the week before, so hopefully he can continue to build on that.
Rashard Mendenhall: Word is he is confident he will play against Philly. I stand by my comment with my post-ACL guys (I was wrong on AP, but right on the rest): Sit them until they give you a good week. Mendenhall is no exception. He needs to show good burst and dynamic running/cutting/planting without limitations at game speeds before he goes near my lineup. I’d sit him this week. THURSDAY UPDATE: He practiced fully, which means he’s got a very good chance of getting back out there on Sunday. Again, wait one week if you can, unless you’re desperate.
Greg Jennings: See Steven Jackson, but multiply it by 10 because he actually left the game. I don’t care what I hear by the end of the week, I’m sitting him and upgrading Jordy Nelson and James Jones significantly. Too much risk. THURSDAY UPDATE: He’s officially out for week 5. I actually like James Jones quite a bit against a pretty bad Colts D.
Lance Moore: He’s the latest in the hamstring strain club. He was limited, but his appears to be more mild than other guys. I’ve talked about the importance of the hamstrings in terms of explosiveness, but this seems to be very manageable. If he has no setback and is not limited by Friday, he should play and play well on Sunday. THURSDAY UPDATE: He didn’t practice at all today, which is never good after having a limited practice the day before. I’m officially in the “worried” boat now, so montior his status on Friday. He looks like he’s going to be a game time decision guy. Have a plan B just in case.
Aaron Hernandez: One big name I wanted to add, he actually participated and ran some routes in practice, but not at full speed. There’s a thought that he has a remote chance of playing against the Broncos this week, but I’m not buying it. I actually love that there’s a great chance he will play in week 6, which is fantastic news.
Here’s a quick round up of today’s practice participations and their effect on each player’s ability to play and contribute in Week 5:
Marshawn Lynch: Limited in practice on Wednesday. The given reason was rest, but make sure you listen up on Friday to make sure it’s not a back spasm recurrence. I talked at the beginning of the season that back spasms are tricky and have a habit of rearing their ugly head at random times. Monitor his status leading up to the end of the week.
Matt Forte: The Bears didn’t practice, but word is he would have been a limited participant had there been a practice. Weird thing is he came out of the Monday night game with a supposed re-aggravation of his ankle sprain, but had his tape re-done and was fine thereafter. The only report after the game was “normal post game soreness”, which is very normal. So long as no setbacks are reported, he probably won’t be a full participant until Friday. Jacksonville’s run D, for lack of a better word, sucks. So throw him out there on Sunday with confidence, as it seems like his ankle is doing just fine.
Kenny Britt: Another guy who I just hate writing about, because he seems to always be hurt, like non-stop. So his recent ankle injury led to him being a non-participant in today’s practice. Word is he did some on-the-side drills, but no actual practice. With all the bad luck he’s had with his legs this past year, he just scares me. This ankle sprain seems to be lingering, which combined with the ACL reconstruction he had, can lead to quite a bit of weakness in his legs. A lack of stability around the knee with pain and discomfort in ankle take all of the drive and quickness out of a WR’s legs. I’m sticking with my thought on him: He needs to show you one solid week before he’s in your lineup, regardless of what you hear/see/read.
Julio Jones: Apparently his hand issue was a problem during the last game, as reports said he was more decoy than anything else. He was a full participant today, and as long as that continues, this hand injury shouldn’t be an issue. Play him
Peyton Hillis: He’s been dealing with this ankle sprain for a couple weeks now, and although he seems to be better, it appears that he continues to be iffy for this week. The Chiefs have Jamaal Charles and Shaun Draughn playing pretty well right now, so there’s no reason to rush Hillis back. He’s not a speedster, but an issue with the ankle (which provides the push off and drive and helps maintain stability with cuts) can really make it difficult to hit holes in a timely manner. Plan on not having him this week.
Jake Locker: Separated shoulder, subluxation of said shoulder, already ruled out of Sunday’s game and having a short week for week 6, plan on him being out at least 2 more weeks at minimum. After his recent aggravation in week 5, they’ll take it easy with him and make sure not to rush him back. With all the instability surrounding that left shoulder of his, non-throwing arm or not, it’s going to restrict his function, especially with handing the ball off, receiving the hiked ball, and being sacked/going down head first.
Jared Cook: His AC joint (tip of the shoulder) seems to be healing well, as he played the whole game on Sunday without issue (he was taken out early due to the Titans being blown out) or setbacks. He was limited today, but it seems to be more rest than anything else. AC joint sprains are very dependent on the severity of the shoulder separation (this is the joint people refer to when a shoulder is separated), and Cook’s seems to be more on the mild side based on how quickly he’s responded. Play him this week as their matchup is much more favorable than last week’s.
Torrey Smith: He had a minor ankle sprain during the game this past week, but it’s not considered anything major at all. He was a full participant this week, which always bodes well when a player participates fully on a Wednesday. He will be just fine.
Pierre Garcon: His sprained foot finally allowed him to play in week 4, but he was basically nonexistent, catching only 1 pass. He practiced fully today, which bodes well. I continue to hear that he’s not 100%, but the fact that he fully practiced on a traditional “take it easy day” is a good sign. We seem to be talking a lot about ankles/feet these days, but a sprained foot is a very general term (it could refer to any of the ligaments that hold together the joints in his mid foot, forefoot, rear foot) and depending on the exact region that’s sprained, could really affect a player’s ability to push off and accept weight onto the foot. The accepting weight part is important for a receiver, mainly when stopping on a dime and breaking off a route. If Friday rolls around and he’s still fully practicing, roll him out there on Sunday.
Lesean McCoy: Full participant, following a “tweaked”, aka sprained, knee. Looks to be a minor issue, he’ll be fine.
Reggie Bush: <sigh> The knee feels great, but miraculously, he has developed a hip issue! Yay! Normally, when a hip issue develops on the same side as a knee or ankle issue, it’s without a doubt a compensatory issue, where the joint above or below the injured region (in this case, above) compensates for the lack of stability/strength/function at the impaired joint. It could be a muscular strain, it could be irritation of the labrum in the hip, it could be tendonitis/bursitis, etc…Basically, it could be a crap ton of things. Until more is known about the severity of the hip issue, expect him to play. We’ll probably know more by Friday.
Danny Amendola: He had a mild ankle sprain, and is officially listed as Probable for the Thursday night game against the Cards. He looks to be ready to go tomorrow, so feel free to put him in your lineup. And always remember who told you he would be the sleeper candidate of the year (http://tinyurl.com/c3pzkg7). Did that sound like bragging too much? Who cares, I was right.
Steven Jackson: So this is clearly becoming a frustrating issue for SJax owners. This groin strain will not go away. Here’s what I said last week: “My thought is that he’s doing ok during the week, getting treatment and working to calm down inflammation/stretch/strengthening the adductors (groin muscles), I just think the second he really tries to play free of thought, he begins to feel the restriction. One week of limitation was ok, as that’s expected. But with two weeks of limitation in a row, I’d be a bit concerned.” Just change two weeks to three and the problem gets worse. Top it off with a short week against a very solid run defense, and I’d really consider benching him this week.
Rashard Mendenhall: Word is he is confident he will play against Philly. I stand by my comment with my post-ACL guys (I was wrong on AP, but right on the rest): Sit them until they give you a good week. Mendenhall is no exception. He needs to show good burst and dynamic running/cutting/planting without limitations at game speeds before he goes near my lineup. I’d sit him this week.
Greg Jennings: See Steven Jackson, but multiply it by 10 because he actually left the game. I don’t care what I hear by the end of the week, I’m sitting him and upgrading Jordy Nelson and James Jones significantly. Too much risk.
Lance Moore: He’s the latest in the hamstring strain club. He was limited, but his appears to be more mild than other guys. I’ve talked about the importance of the hamstrings in terms of explosiveness, but this seems to be very manageable. If he has no setback and is not limited by Friday, he should play and play well on Sunday.
Ziad Dahdul 