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!

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/

 

Lightning Round: Setting Your Week 5 Lineup

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 Injury News

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!

Thursday Practice Updates of Wednesday’s Practice Updates

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.

Wednesday Injury Updates

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.