Setting Your Week 6 Lineup: Friday Injury Updates

First off, I wanted to make a quick comment about Kenny Britt. I thought he looked ok yesterday from an injury perspective, as he didn’t show any signs of limping on/off the field and came out of his breaks pretty well. He looked pretty close to the dynamic receiver he was two years ago. My only concern with him is that Jake Locker should be coming back next week, which will mark another transition for Britt. I’m willing to say that Britt supplied us with that one game we were looking for, so that’s definitely a positive. But who knows what will happen with the Titans offense going forward, especially since consistency is not their forte.

Now let’s get to the hurt folk:

Hakeem Nicks (Q), Ramses Barden (P), Domenik Hixon: I lumped these three guys together because they all have a direct effect on each other. When Nicks went down, the first thought was that the Giants were going to be crazy thin at WR. With the emergence of Barden, Hixon, and Rueben Randle, things have changed. We actually have a bit of a crowded receiving core now. Nicks looks like he’s moving in the right direction to play this week, as he participated in practice today, although not fully. He has a history of playing a little banged up, and actually performed very well against the Bucs on a bum foot. Although he’s dealing with both a slightly sore foot and a sprained/irritated knee, he seems like he’s going to give it a go. I’d highly recommend finding someone else who is also playing in the late group of games just in case because it does seem like Nicks will be a game time type decision.

Miles Austin (P): He looks like he’s ready to go. Tough match-up against the Ravens, but he’s healthy and he’s usually very good when he’s healthy.

LaRod Stephens-Howling (P), William Powell (P): Both appear ready to go, with LSH’s bum hip looking good in practice, according to reports, and Powell’s head injury not being a huge concern. Who is going to get the bulk of the carries remains to be seen. I still think Powell is getting first crack at it because he’s the more complete back and LSH will be the 3rd down/passing down/end of half guy because of his Darren Sproles-like attributes. I like Powell slightly better, but we won’t know for sure until they throw them out there.

Rob Gronkowski (Q), Wes Welker (Q), Aaron Hernandez (Q): All listed as questionable, Welker and Gronk will play, Hernandez isn’t quite a sure thing. Welker’s ankle issue appears to be overblown, as he wasn’t limited at all during Sunday’s game and there were no reports of physical limitation at practices. Gronk will probably be questionable for the rest of the season, especially with no consensus about whether Hernandez will play or not. Hernandez seemed like he was right on track up until Friday’s practice when he was limited and not available for the media portion of practice. It looks like Hernandez will travel, but Coach Belichick stated that he would be re-evaluated on Saturday. I think he’s a game time decision guy, but they may not have liked how he responded to three consecutive days of practice, maybe having a little swelling or discomfort in the ankle. Or it could be some misdirection and not wanting to play their hand so that the Seahawks can’t prepare. Who knows. Either way, have a late game backup plan just in case.

Titus Young (P): He looks like he’s ready to go for Sunday, as he fully participated today. Seemed to have a bit of a knee sprain, which is common at this point in the season after playing so many games. However, he’s coming of a bye, so he’s had time to rest and hopefully time to get on the same page with Matt Stafford. I actually think he’s going to have a big game this week. Consider him my SLEEPER O’ THE WEEK.

Stephen Hill (P): Listed as probable even though he was a limited participant, this is a perfect opportunity for the rook to seize the #1 WR spot on the team with Santonio Holmes out for the season. I think he has some upside, as he did have a huge Week 1 to start the season and looks like he has a ton of talent. But this team is definitely different now, with much more volatility and less stability at QB. I like him semi-long term, but for now, wait him out. He’s definitely stash-worthy if you have a roster spot. In terms of his hamstring issue, it seems to be resolved, and if he comes out of this first game back without a setback, look for the issue to be behind him.

Adrian Peterson (P): I don’t like ankle issues developing on the same side that an ACL repair was done, so right off the bat that scares me a bit. I’ve talked about this with others in the past, but compensation is huge with these types of injuries, and maybe placing increased stress on the joints above and below have begun to catch up with AP. It seems like a minor issue, as he’s been practicing, but it’s something to watch out for, as instability at the ankle is never a good thing for someone coming back from knee instability. Monitor it week by week.

Percy Harvin (P): Looks like it was nothing more than some tightness and soreness in the hamstring. He looks good to go. Roll him out there.

AJ Green (P): He’s had a bit of a sore knee, which can mean a mild sprain to the knee (ligamentous) or just some swelling/irritation of the joint itself or the surrounding soft tissue. Either way, he appears to be over it and was able to practice today. He’s got a fantastic match up against the Browns, so look for a huge game from Green.

Pierre Garcon (Q): After playing last week and looking ok, reports are he had a setback during the week, which is never a good sign. I think he just became a bit too risky to put in your lineup. If you have the luxury of waiting until game day to make a decision, see whether he falls on the inactive list and then act accordingly. Either way, he’s probably still a Flex at best.

Jermichael Finley (Q): He falls into that game-time decision category. The problem with that: he plays Sunday night. So what do you do at that point? I’ve talked about AC joint injuries with Jake Locker and CJ Spiller in the past and they’re hard to predict without knowing how severe the sprain is. My gut feeling tells me because he has such a large roll with blocking in the run game and taking hits across the middle, I think he either won’t play or will play, but not be productive. Either way, I’d stay away. This also means that guys like James Jones, Jordy Nelson, and Randall Cobb go up a notch.

Robert Griffin III (Q): The Good News: He practiced full today and took all the first team snaps. The Bad News: He still hasn’t been cleared by an independent Neurologist for contact. So looks like it’ll come down to his evaluation with the Neurologist and how he feels after practice this week. He seems like he’s been asymptomatic and hasn’t had any negative effects from practicing. But again, contact is where he would feel issues, and he hasn’t had contact yet. I’d say he’s got a good chance to play this week, I’d take the chance on him this week.

Lastly, I wanted to touch on Rashard Mendenhall and his unfortunate luck. So it appears he has developed an Achilles injury on the surgically repaired limb that required him to miss the 2nd half of last night’s game. As I stated above with AP and his ankle issue, compensation’s and pathology to other joints are common, so I can’t say it’s unexpected, but it truly is unfortunate. He busted his tail to get back as soon as he did, and maybe he came back to soon, but I think it’s less that a more a product of playing his first game Sunday (with 13 carries) and then playing another game 4 days later. It’s very difficult to be ok with that quick turnaround when you’re healthy, so imagine how difficult it is when you’re slowly coming back from injury. Hopefully it’s nothing more than a strained tendon, which will keep him out a couple weeks. If it’s anything more, like a significant tear or rupture, his season is definitely over. Take a wait and see approach with him, but I’m not thinking it’s a rupture only because you almost know it when you see it and his didn’t look like one. Baron Batch apparently is the next in line if Issac Redman is also out long with an ankle injury while Jonathan Dwyer looks to be the other back fighting for carries.

Week 6 Injury Round Up

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.

Injury Reactions from Week 5

Let’s do a quick rundown of injuries around the league and make some projections about availability for Week 6 and beyond:

Robert Griffin III: Suffered a concussion during the Week 5 contest, so his Week 6 availability will be predicated on him passing the battery of tests that have been put together for concussion sufferers. It’s murky at this point, and depending on the extent of the concussion, it’s kind of hard to predict. I’m sure he’ll go through the concussion tests around Wednesday of this week, so stay tuned. Have a backup plan this week, possibly a guy like Brandon Weeden, who had a solid start this past week.

Jermichael Finley: He drove his right shoulder into the turf after making a catch, and didn’t return to the game after. He said he would be playing for sure against the Texans in Week 6 and that he didn’t come back into the game as a precaution. I think he’s probably right, but the biggest thing is practice participation. From looking at the mechanism of injury, he seemed to have suffered an AC joint (point of the shoulder, the region referred to in separated shoulders) sprain, which can be played through, but is tough with a high contact position like TE.

Cedric Benson: Based on how the injury looked, everyone immediately thought Lisfranc injury. He stated after the game that X-Rays came back negative and that he feels better than it looked. He was seen leaving the stadium in a walking boot, which is absolutely precautionary for this type of injury, so I wouldn’t read a ton into that. Even if it’s just a midfoot sprain (small tears in the ligaments that hold the small bones of the foot together), it can be very limiting for a running back who relies on that stability of the arch and toes when pushing off and performing quick burst of speed motions. Granted Benson is not a burner or anything, but it’s still key to the effectiveness of running backs. He’s been ruled out of week 6 already, so backup plans are in order. Possible back up plan? Alex Green, who filled in admirably for Benson. Possibly David Wilson from the Giants, who got more touches this week and seems out of the doghouse.

Jimmy Graham: He suffered a nasty-looking ankle sprain in the Sunday night game against the Chargers. While he did return to the game, which is promising, he clearly didn’t look the same. He didn’t look to suffer a high ankle sprain, which is great news, and having a bye week this coming week, he should be fine for Week 7. Don’t be alarmed if he really doesn’t practice much at all this week, as it’ll be precautionary to give that ankle time to rest. I would expect him out there for Week 7 with minimal restrictions.

Troy Polamalu: He returned yesterday for the first time this season, played 19 snaps, and re-injured his problematic calf. Strains to the calf muscle are very similar in nature to hamstring strains, as they’re lingering types of injuries that don’t go away with rest. And the calf muscle is a very powerful muscle with sprinting, changing of speeds, and accelerating/decelerating. I don’t have a good feeling about Polamalu’s chances of playing this week and potentially next, unless he decides to play hurt and clearly less than 100%.

Rashard Mendenhall: I was a proponent of sitting him Sunday, and he definitely proved me wrong. He looked great, very explosive and elusive. He also seemed very comfortable with outside and inside runs, which is fantastic for a post-ACL player. So long as he doesn’t have any soreness or setbacks, he’s looking good moving forward.

Adrian Peterson: Mendenhall’s post-ACL brethren seemed to tweak his ankle on his first carry of the game Sunday, but did not miss any time. No word on whether it’s his post-ACL side or not, which could make a bit of a difference. But the fact that he still played the rest of the game bodes well. I can’t imagine he’ll miss any games, but he may be limited in practice this week, so don’t be alarmed.

Jared Cook: He seems 100% from his AC joint sprain, as he caught 5 passes for 37 yards and a TD on Sunday. Granted he didn’t have gaudy yards totals, but with Matt Hasselback at QB, he’s bound to be a bigger part of the plan as Hasselback doesn’t throw downfield a ton, leading to more check downs and short passes. Look for Cook to continue to be a big part of the offense.

Kenny Britt: Only caught 2 passes on Sunday, and he looked like he was clearly having a hard time moving around. I’ve warned many times about Britt and his multiple-joint involvement on his surgically-repaired side, which seems to really be bothering him. I’d continue to sit him until he gives you that one good, solid game where he doesn’t look like he’s hobbling around.

Matt Forte: He looked fantastic Sunday, and he has a bye week now to get back to 100%. He had 24 touches on Sunday, which should tell you that he’s pretty damn close to being back to full strength. He’ll be ready to go at full speed once Week 7 rolls around.

Alex Smith: Lost in his incredible 300+ yard performance was that fact that he sprained a finger on his throwing hand. He left the game after the result was determined, but who knows if he would have stayed in had the game been closer. I can’t imagine this will keep him from missing time, but he could potentially be limited in practice this week. Monitor the situation, as gripping the ball and releasing the ball when throwing could be uncomfortable and may cause some discomfort. But at this point, it doesn’t seem like enough to keep him from missing time.

Julio Jones: 10 catches, 94 yards, 1 TD. Do I even have to tell you his hand is fine?

Pierre Garcon: He led the team with 7 targets, which is a good sign. Bad news is only 3 went for catches. And now that RGIII is banged up, who knows what the passing game will look like with Kirk Cousins at the helm. Garcon didn’t seem restricted by his injury, so he should be fine in terms of his injury now that the soreness has subsided and he’s in less pain. Look for him to be ok health wise in the coming weeks, but RGIII being out concerns me more.

Daniel Thomas: He had a decent week 6, with 29 yards rushing and 1 TD on the ground. However, he suffered a concussion during the contest, which means he’ll have to go through and pass his battery of tests prior to being able to participate next week. Like all of our other concussion folks, monitor his test results and move forward accordingly. Reggie Bush is still the lead back, so upside for him may be limited.

Matt Cassel: He also suffered a head injury during Sunday’s contest, as he took a violent blow that reportedly knocked him unconscious for a little bit. I can’t speculate as to the severity of the head injury, but it sure did look bad. And they are so strict these days with coming back to play from concussions, any residual symptoms automatically make a player ineligible from returning to contact. Consider Cassel out with Brady Quinn the next in line.

Hakeem Nicks: The knee issue is starting to seem more serious by the day. He had an MRI done today, but results were not released by the team. Coach Coughlin says “he’s iffy” for this week against the Niners, so who knows what’s actually going to happen. We’ll take it day by day like last week, but at this point, the knee injury (whatever it is) seems to be worrisome. Plan on a Domenik Hixon/Reuben Randle duo again across from Victor Cruz.

Ryan Williams: He was placed on IR today after suffering a shoulder injury that will cause him to miss at least 3 months.The exact injury has not been disclosed, but they did say surgery will be required. My guess considering the timetable? Partial labral tear, maybe an AC joint separation, ligamentous damage around the glenohumeral joint (ball and socket shoulder joint). I would say rotator cuff as well, but if they have to repair it via surgery, the timetable is typically much more than 3 months. Same with a biceps tendon tear. Fact of the matter is, he’s out for the season, so who is the guy in the Cards’ backfield now? Well, Beanie Wells is still out, so is Larod Stephens-Howling, who could be back next week. That leaves William Powell and Alphonso Smith, which aren’t great options themselves. I’d probably say Powell is the guy, but it’s most definitely going to be a RB-by-committee situation, which is never good from a fantasy perspective. I think Stephens-Howling and Powell are good speculative pickups, but I’d just as well steer clear of this murky situation.