Atlanta Falcons running back Steven Jackson plans to return to the field Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Jackson has been out with a hamstring injury since Sept. 15, after sustaining the injury in the first quarter against the St. Louis Rams in Week 2.
Steven Jackson plans to play in Week 8, fantasy value iffy for now
Atlanta Falcons running back Steven Jackson plans to play in Week 8. We break down the fantasy implications.
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Jackson has been called injury-prone in the past, so the last thing the Falcons want to do is rush him back too fast. Hamstring injuries are especially prone to re-injury if not given enough time to properly heal. Jackson is expected to return to practice on Wednesday and the team will go from there.
Without Jackson, the Falcons have the 30th-ranked rushing attack in the NFL. They put up just 68.3 rushing yards per game on average. On Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the team rushed the ball 18 times for a whopping 18 yards. Jacquizz Rodgers is their leading rusher, with 60 carries for 193 yards and two touchdowns.
Fantasy Impact: Fantasy owners knew of Jackson’s injury history when they took him this year, but the thought of Jackson on a potentially-successful team with a quarterback like Matt Ryan was too good to pass up. Who knows where he’d be at right now had he not been injured? Fantasy owners should obviously wait throughout the week to hear more, but Jackson is essentially a must-start if healthy.
• Week 8 fantasy football waiver wire: QB | RB | WR | TE | D/ST
