Every year there are injuries in the NFL that drastically affect fantasy football. This year is no different with injuries already changing drafting methods and Week 1 starters.
NFL Injuries: How They Could Affect Week 1 Of Fantasy Football
Every year there are injuries in the NFL that change fantasy rosters across the league. This year is no different. Here’s a look at a few of the injuries around the league and how they might affect fantasy football.
Here are a few short-term and long-term injuries and what it might mean for fantasy owners.
QB Byron Leftwich - knee
He was scheduled to be the starter for the Steelers while Ben Roethlisberger serves his four-game suspension. Then he suffered a sprained MCL keeping him out 2-4 weeks.
He's going to miss the opener which means young Dennis Dixon will get the start.
Dixon’s not going to throw for 400 yards but because of his running ability he’s probably a better option than Leftwich as far as fantasy owners are concerned.
QB Donovan McNabb - ankle
Donovan McNabb was once considered questionable heading into the first week of the season against the Cowboys. He's been getting back on track and it now appears he'll play after having an injured ankle.
There aren't many players who are as important to their team as McNabb is to the Redskins. Without him, they're struggling to score any points at all.
With him and they're a solid NFL offense, even if Joey Galloway is a receiver on their team.
McNabb is back at practice and should be ready for Week 1. The only question is how much or whether he’ll be limited.
RB Fred Jackson - hand
He's expected to be ready for the season opener but he's been out for a while nursing an injury. If Jackson is unable to go, then that's good news for C.J. Spiller, according to SB Nation's Buffalo Rumblings.
Spiller was always going to play a lot, and his being atop an unofficial depth chart shouldn't diminish the roles that Jackson and Lynch are likely to get, either. Still, the Bills aren't being shy with Spiller; he's front and center in virtually every way imaginable. Just add this one to the growing list.
Bills coach Chan Gailey has said Jackson will be limited early in the year with his fractured hand meaning Spiller and/or Lynch could be seeing more opportunities early.
WR Dez Bryant - ankle
He’s expected to be OK heading into the season. In fact, Jerry Jones said he could have played last week in the final preseason game but decided not to risk it.
The only concern regarding Bryant is that a high ankle sprain is one of those things that can linger if you don’t give it enough time to heal. Bryant has had time to recover but you wonder if he may need an extra week or two in order to get comfortable with the speed of the NFL game.
This injury kept him out for a good chunk of training camp and all the preseason games so we haven’t really seen him on the field in real action.
The Cowboys are so deep at receiver they could ease Bryant in, which would be bad news for fantasy owners.
WR Wes Welker - knee
Welker tore his ACL and MCL at the end of the 2009 season meaning many thought he’d be unavailable for most of the 2010 season.
Wrong.
Welker somehow returned to the field during non-contact stuff in June and later saw some action in the preseason. It’s becoming clear that he’ll play.
If Welker does play, fantasy owners must proceed with caution. This is a significant injury he’s coming off of. It sounds like he’s worked hard to return but that doesn’t deny that his knee was shredded before this.
He’s definitely a major boom or bust because, when healthy, he’s among the best in the league but that knee injury makes fantasy owners nervous.
Brett Favre -- ankle
Yeah, yeah. Favre is the iron man who hasn’t missed a game in 19 years.
But looking at it realistically he had offseason ankle surgery and has consistently said since then that he’s injured. Just because he’s played 19 years without missing a game doesn’t mean he’ll stay healthy this year.
If I'm a Favre owner, I'm picking up Tarvaris Jackson just in case. If Favre is injured, Jackson wouldn't be the same but he would still be the quarterback of a team with a ton of weapons.
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