After another hard-hitting week with a slew of starters going down across the league, let’s assess the impact of injuries on fantasy.
Fantasy Breakdown of Week 2 Injuries
Fantasy Up
- Mike Bell - The man-crush continues. Rather than missing 2-6 weeks as originally feared, it now appears Bell might be good to go for Week 3. As long as Bell can stay on the field, his spot in the Saints’ running back platoon seems secure. He’s been extremely productive with the opportunities he’s received thus far, so barring any extended absence from the field, he should remain the Saints’ 1A back, with Pierre Thomas close behind.
- Lance Moore - Last year’s fantasy revelation has been limited so far, due to injury and competition for targets in the Saints’ uber-productive passing game. But as Woody Allen says, 90% of success is just showing up, so look for Moore to finally get involved. Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem have yet to demonstrate much consistency, so there is an opportunity for Moore to establish himself as the Saint’s second receiver.
- LeSean McCoy - With starting RB Brian Westbrook already hobbled, look for the rookie out of Pittsburgh to carry more of the load to ease the wear and tear on Westbrook. And it goes without saying that if Westbrook is sidelined, McCoy becomes a must-start in nearly every format. “Real McCoy” jokes will be sure to follow.
Fantasy Down
- Brian Westbrook - The eternally questionable Westbrook returns to the injury list. While he will likely play, it seems likely that his touches will be limited, as the Eagles try to preserve his health.
- DeSean Jackson - Groin strains can linger, and for a player who relies on his sharp cuts and quickness like Jackson, this could potentially be a debilitating injury. It's unclear how severe his strain is, so it's certainly possible Jackson could continue what figures to be a breakout campaign. Still, the injury concerns have to downgrade the former Bruin's stock for now.
- Clinton Portis - The Redskins' offensive line depth is virtually nonexistent. Portis struggled down the stretch last year when the offensive line experienced injuries, so losing roadgrading starting LG Randy Thomas should hurt. Don't panic on Portis, but keep in mind that an already suspect offensive line is even weaker.
- Darren McFadden- While Robert Gallery never lived up to his draft position, he has established himself as an above average guard in the NFL. The Raiders have a sneaky good offensive line, so losing Gallery for a month shouldn't be devastating. Now if the Raiders just had a decent passing attack, McFadden might face some defensive fronts he could actually run against. Wildcat anyone?
- Steven Jackson- While Jackson had a respectable game on the ground against Washington, losing second overall pick Jason Smith at RT certainly won't help. Look for teams to drop eight in the box against the Rams, while the Rams' offensive line continues to struggle to get a solid push. Jackson will still flash his talent every few weeks, but it figures to be another frustrating season in St. Louis.
- Marc Bulger- Bulger certainly took some shots against the Redskins. While he was only sacked once, Bulger was under enough pressure that he was repeatedly forced to check down quickly, leading to a meager passing day of just 125 yards. Losing a top prospect like Jason Smith won't help. Look for more poor performances out of the Rams' offense.
- Aaron Rodgers, Greg Jennings, Donald Driver - The Packers can't protect the quarterback. After RT Allen Barbre got "justiced" on Sunday night in Week 1, the Packers gave up six sacks in Week 2 against the Bengals. With LT Chad Clifton set to miss at least one game, the Packers will most likely continue to struggle to keep Aaron Rodgers upright. WIth little time to throw, Rodgers and Jennings can not work their magic on deep routes, and defenses can sit back in Cover 2 and limit any damage after the catch. Until or unless the Packers get better play out of their offensive line, downgrade their offensive stars.
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