Fantasy Football Injury News, Week 3: Peyton Hillis, Arian Foster Won’t Play

A hamstring injury is always tough for an athlete, but wide receivers in particular given how important their legs are. More importantly, a hamstring injury can linger if it is not allowed to completely heal. The Eagles will likely see what Maclin can do in practice this week before making a decision, but I would suspect he’ll be no better than questionable when final injury reports are unveiled on Friday.

It’s a shame for fantasy owners as Maclin had put together a monster effort in week two and looked solid in week three. He hauled in 13 receptions for 171 yards against Atlanta before his five catch day on Sunday. He was settling in as a solid WR2, but will now miss some time. More than likely you’ll want to sit him this Sunday, but we’ll wait and see how his hamstring responds to treatment and in practice. Check back for updates on Maclin throughout the week.

Britt was off to a strong start in 2011 with back-to-back 100+ yard receiving games and three touchdowns in those games. The loss is a huge blow to the Titans and fantasy owners alike. Britt slipped a bit in drafts due to some of his off-field issues, but rewarded those who did draft him.

In single season leagues you’ll want to hold on to Britt until we get official word on the nature of the injury. Although most expect an ACL and/or MCL tear, it’s remotely possible that Britt gets good news of a sprain. I’m not holding my breath for good news, but you might as well wait a day or two before releasing Britt.

Gore has gotten off to a slow start in 2011 and has fantasy owners wondering what exactly is going on with him. Through three games he has rushed 42 times for 106 yards and one touchdown. His longest run is a 16-yard scamper, but otherwise he has been held in check. Possible reasons range from the idea that he is losing a step to the poor performance of the offensive line. Whatever the case, it is not pretty for Gore right now.

Kendall Hunter has emerged as Gore’s primary backup, and if he is available in your league, I would recommend trying to grab him as your handcuff to Gore, or simply to have a guy with upside if you don’t have Gore. Given Gore’s history, there is an excellent chance Hunter starts a game before the end of the 2011 season and it could very well come this Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles.

What does this mean for fantasy football owners? Much like last week you are stuck waiting through the week. Although the break is on his non-throwing hand, that still leaves question marks about taking the snap from center if he has any sort of brace on that hand.

For more on the Eagles, check out Bleeding Green Nation. For more on fantasy football, check out Fake Teams.

The St. Louis Rams would love to have running back Steven Jackson healthy for today’s game against a tough Baltimore Ravens defense. Jackson has been sitting out practice all week, and most think that he won’t play even though the team lists him as a game time decision. Jackson’s agent, Steve Caric, sent a signal today that his client’s status may be better than expected.

Jackson’s agent, obviously, has nothing to do with the final decision. Jackson himself will not make the final call either. The Rams coaches and training staff get to make that decision. If history is any guide, they may opt to be cautious with Jackson, as they’ll need him later in the season.

Hardesty hasn’t seen much action this year -- he’s tallied a grand total of eight carries for 19 yards in the first two games -- but he told reporters Friday that he’s ready to fill in for his ill teammate. From the News-Herald:

Hardesty, a second-round pick in 2010, was originally expected to be the Browns’ feature back last year before an ACL injury in the preseason landed him on the IR. In his absence, Hillis enjoyed a breakout season. For at least one week, though, Hardesty will have a chance to prove himself in the role he expected to have coming out of college.

For what Texans fans are saying before their game at the Saints, head to Battle Red Blog.

Meanwhile, the veteran McGahee has filled in admirably with 32 carries for 104 yards and one touchdown along with six receptions for 37 yards. All but four of those carries and three of those yards came last week against the Bengals.

The Titans’ run defense ranks 14th in the NFL, so McGahee will have to work those yards.

To be fair, Simpson hasn’t been convicted of anything, even if the evidence seems overwhelming. And as Mike Florio points out at Pro Football Talk, the NFL, not the Bengals, is ultimately responsible for deciding if Simpson will be suspended. Despite the potential distraction that his presence with the team may cause, it won’t be a surprise if he evades any punishment by the league until his legal situation takes its course.

For more on the Cowboys, check out Blogging The Boys.

After being cleared to play by the Eagles’ medical staff earlier in the week, Vick was back at practice on Friday, showing no lingering effects from the concussion that knocked him out of last Sunday’s loss to Atlanta. There should be no significant impact on Vick’s level of play this afternoon.

Hillis developed a fever on Friday and has missed practice since, having been diagnosed with strep throat. The symptoms of strep throat, which include sore throat, fever, and swelling of the lymph nodes of the neck, typically last 2-5 days, with patients no longer contagious after 24 hours of treatment with antibiotics. As with any febrile illness, the key will be Hillis’s ability to control the fever and avoid dehydration. One would expect he should be able to take the field this afternoon, but keep a close eye on his status as game-time approaches.

That last comment about walking is of significance because earlier in the week he said he was feeling the injury when he walked. Prior to Monday he had only felt the injury on the field but this week he was feeling it when he walked and it was apparently noticeable. If the injury is no longer noticeable, he would appear to be on the road to recovery.

For more on the Bills, check out Buffalo Rumblings.

Generally speaking, Kellen Winslow is more often than not going to be included on the Bucs injury report more as precaution than anything else. If something jumps out we’ll make sure and let you know, but generally speaking, his inclusion on the injury list as probable or questionable is not a red flag.

For more on the Bucs, check out Bucs Nation.

Houston Texans running back Arian Foster, who’s been nursing a nagging hamstring injury, is not expected to play against the New Orleans Saints Sunday, NBC Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reports:

Ben Tate, who’s racked up 10will take Foster’s place at running back. If Tate rushes for 100 yards Sunday, he will become the second back in NFL history to rush for 100 yards in his first three starts.

If for some reason Vick cannot go, back up quarterback Mike Kafka would be the expected starter for the Eagles. Kafka finished last weeks game against the Falcons, posting some pretty impressive numbers. Kafka completed 7 of 9 of his pass attempts for 72 yards late in the fourth quarter.

A questionable status typically denotes a player has a “50-50” shot of playing in the game. If the Eagles were not going to start Vick on Sunday, I would think they’d have ruled him out already or listed him as a game time decision.

For more on the Jets, check out Gang Green Nation.

While Ryan is sure to start against the Bucs, if there is another viable quarterback on your fantasy bench you might want to consider playing them over Matt Ryan. While Ryan is 5-1 in his career against the Buccaneers, he has thrown eight interceptions and only five touchdowns against them with a passer rating of 65.9. The Bucs are simply the bane of Matt Ryan, at least statistically.

On the season, Ryan is completing 64% of his passes, but has only four touchdowns and three interceptions so far. I wouldn’t expect Ryan’s typical type of game against the Buccaneers to change this week, given his mediocre start to the season.

Whatever the case, McFadden remains a must-start as long as he is healthy. He is an incredibly dynamic back who adds tremendous value in the passing game. There’s no reason to bench him for the foreseeable future. If you added Michael Bush thinking there would be some value there, you’re just going to have to wait and see what happens with McFadden.

For more on the Raiders, check out Silver & Black Pride.

Lewis looks like a good play in fantasy against a Panthers team missing two of their three starting linebackers, and who’ve gotten killed by tight ends in the first two weeks of the season.

For more on the Jags, head over to Big Cat Country.

Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson was a full participant in practice on Friday and is expected to start against the Denver Broncos. Johnson was listed as probable on the injury report with sore ribs. Even with sore ribs, Johnson should be licking his chops as he’s set to face a Denver Broncos defense that has struggled to stop the run. The Broncos are currently ranked 28th against the run, allowing over 130 yards per game on the ground.

Johnson has had a frustratingly slow start to the season with just 33 carries for 77 yards with a dismal 2.3 yards per carry after missing the entire preseason while trying to get a new contract. While Johnson has struggled to get going, the match up with the Broncos is a fantastic opportunity for him to get going. If Johnson’s ribs become a problem in the game, expect back up running backs Javon Ringer and Jamie Harper to get a lot of touches.

For more on the Titans, head over to Music City Miracles.

“I feel really good. Went out there, practiced today, ran around, felt good,” Moreno told The Denver Post. “But it all comes down to whatever the coaches want.”

For more on the Broncos, visit Mile High Report.

Turns out, the “illness” was a temporary stomach-related issue and Harvin returned to practice on Friday.

”Man, it was a stomachache...I’m fine, fine, fine. Anything else?,” Harvin said on Friday via Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com.

Update: Steven Jackson’s agent tweets positive news.

This week, Jackson did not practice on Wednesday before being limited on Thursday and Friday.

Rice is officially listed as “Probable” on the Seahawks’ final injury report of the week.

Signed to a five-year, $41 million contract that included $18.5 million in guaranteed money, Rice played sparingly in the preseason before missing the first two games of the regular season. Rice was expected to add a deep threat element to the Seahawks’ offense, which ranks 32nd in the NFL entering Week 3.