UPDATE (Thursday, 1:55 p.m. ET): Tevin Coleman is not practicing with the team for Thursday’s session.
Tevin Coleman could play with fractured rib, may return soon for Falcons, fantasy owners
The Falcons’ rookie featured back suffered a rib injury last Sunday vs. the New York Giants, but could return soon if he and his team’s staff can manage the pain. We break down the fantasy implications.
Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
Atlanta Falcons rookie running back Tevin Coleman exited Week 2's game vs. the New York Giants due to a cracked rib, and the initial prognosis was that it would take four to six weeks to heal.
That’s still the case; however, even if it isn’t fully healed, Coleman could return to game action, according to a report by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s D. Orlando Ledbetter. Coleman’s rib isn’t displaced, and therefore isn’t a threat to puncture his lung. As a result, Coleman’s availability will ultimately come down to pain tolerance and whether it hinders his breathing. There are several methods the Falcons may choose from to manage Coleman’s pain, including injections, medications and cryoanesthesia, which is a freezing of the nerve.
Fantasy impact: Ledbetter’s report also noted that the most severe pain comes during the first two to four weeks of the injury, and with one as severe as a cracked rib, it wouldn’t be out of the question for Coleman to opt to miss games. Coleman did not practice on Wednesday, and fantasy owners should keep Coleman stashed until he returns to the practice field at some capacity. The bottom line is Coleman is still likely to miss time, just less than what was initially anticipated.
Devonta Freeman will start in place of Coleman and have a workload that warrants flex consideration.
