Fantasy Impact Injury Report

This is a recap of the warriors who were injured on the gridiron battlefield of Week 13.
Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals – Injured his hip during Sunday’s blowout loss to Pittsburgh.
FANTASY IMPACT: Early indications are that the injury is not going to be an issue, and the club decided to take out Dalton for Bruce Gradkowski while trailing 35-7.
 
Kyle Orton, Kansas City Chiefs – Went down with a finger injury during his first passing attempt with Kansas City on Sunday at Chicago.
FANTASY IMPACT: Early indications are that Orton has a dislocated right index finger, but he was seen without any protective wrap or dressing after the game, and perhaps he will be able to play in Week 14 vs. the Jets. Hopefully so, as Tyler Palko has clearly proven he is not an NFL-caliber starter with a laughable 57.7 efficiency rating over 108 passes this season.
 
Colt McCoy, Cleveland Browns – Sustained a knee injury vs. Baltimore.
FANTASY IMPACT: McCoy was able to stay in the game and the injury doesn’t look to be an issue for Week 14 at Pittsburgh – but of course he should not be anywhere near fantasy lineups in a brutal match-up during crunch time of the fantasy campaign.
 
 

Matt Forte, Chicago Bears – Early indications are that Forte sustained a Grade 2 MCL sprain in Sunday’s loss to Kansas City.
FANTASY IMPACT: The estimated timetable for Forte’s absence is 2-4 weeks, but will undergo platelet-rich plasma treatment in a bid to return to action sooner. In the meantime, scoop up Marion Barber if dangling on the waiver wire, as he will carry the workload for Chicago with Forte out of service.
 
Kevin Smith, Detroit Lions – Aggravated his high-ankle sprain in Sunday night’s loss to New Orleans.
FANTASY IMPACT: While Smith admirably pounded out 80 yards on 12 touches, he looked sluggish and in pain leading up to his exit, and we aren’t putting high odds on him getting cleared to return to action for Week 14 vs. Minnesota.
 
Peyton Hillis, Cleveland Browns – Suffered an undisclosed injury in Cleveland’s loss to Baltimore.
FANTASY IMPACT: So the Madden Curse continues for cover boy Hillis. The 2010 standout wasn’t in the locker room after the battle, and looks uncertain to face Pittsburgh in Week 14 as of now.
 
James Starks, Green Bay Packers – Aggravated his sprained right ankle once again during Sunday’s win over the Giants.
FANTASY IMPACT: Ryan Grant would see more touches vs. a soft Oakland run defense if Starks can’t go in Week 14 – but won’t necessarily be a solid fantasy play with a measly 3.4 yards per carry average on the season. Undrafted rookie Brandon Saine would be in the mix as well after looking good in Starks’ absence, but it is not advisable to target him as a flier at this critical point of the fantasy season.
 
LaDainian Tomlinson, New York Jets – Aggravated his left knee injury at Washington.
FANTASY IMPACT: Tomlinson was able to return and finish the contest though, and expects to be good to go for Week 14 vs. Kansas City.
 

Andre Johnson, Houston Texans – Went down with another hamstring injury in Sunday’s victory over Atlanta.
FANTASY IMPACT: Houston is awaiting MRI results, but early indications are that the injury is not serious. It could force him to miss more games though, to the chagrin of fantasy owners that were stashing him for the stretch run to the playoffs. If the stud does go back on the shelf, Jacoby Jones moves into a starting role again.
 
Laurent Robinson, Dallas Cowboys – Injured his shoulder vs. Arizona.
FANTASY IMPACT: Robinson was able to play through the injury, and noted that his shoulder is fine. His fantasy stock is still going to take a hit when Miles Austin is ready to return though.
 
Nate Washington, Tennessee Titans – Sustained an ankle injury vs. Buffalo.
FANTASY IMPACT: Washington was able to return to action after missing just one series, but later aggravated the injury and you can clearly tell he was in pain. Damian Williams would get a boost in fantasy value if Washington is not deemed fit for Week 14 vs. New Orleans.   
 
Eddie Royal, Denver Broncos – Injured his neck during Sunday’s win at Minnesota.
FANTASY IMPACT: Demaryius Thomas hauled in four passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns in the contest, and would see a boost in fantasy value even if Royal can go in Week 14 vs. Chicago. Royal registered just one catch for seven yards prior to exiting.
 
Chaz Schilens, Oakland Raiders – Suffered a foot injury in Sunday’s disheartening loss to Miami.
FANTASY IMPACT: Despite being 6-4, 225 pounds, Schilens is among the most brittle receivers in the NFL, and Oakland continues to get bit hard by the injury bug at the position with Denarius Moore and Jacoby Ford still on the shelf. Schilens hauled in six catches for 89 yards before having his day cut short.
 
 

Kevin Boss, Oakland Raiders – Sustained a hip pointer in Sunday’s loss to Miami.
FANTASY IMPACT: Brandon Myers reeled in three catches for 33 yards, but you don’t take a flier on a No. 2 caliber tight end this late into the fantasy campaign, and should be ignored if Boss can’t go in Week 14 at Green Bay.
 
Scott Chandler, Buffalo Bills – Suffered a left ankle injury vs. Tennessee.
FANTASY IMPACT: If Chandler needs to miss time, fantasy owners shouldn’t even notice he is gone, as he hasn’t reached paydirt since Week 8 and averages a mere 46 yards over the last six games.
 
Andrew Quarless, Green Bay Packers – Suffered a significant knee sprain in Sunday’s win at New York.
FANTASY IMPACT: While the second-year Penn State product is a talented kid, he has just three catches over 10 appearances this season and won’t be missed in fantasy leagues.
 
Martellus Bennett, Dallas Cowboys – Sustained a rib injury in Sunday’s upset loss to Arizona.
FANTASY IMPACT: While Bennett has loads of talent, it generally hasn’t translated well to the gridiron, and he has been a non-factor as a fantasy tight end behind stud Jason Witten in Big D.
 


The injury bug was kind to kickers this week.
Brian Robison, Minnesota Vikings – Went down with a concussion in Sunday’s loss to Denver.
FANTASY IMPACT: Robison would be a key loss to Minnesota’s pass rush if forced to miss additional time, as he ranks second on the club with 5.5 sacks.
 
Nick Fairley, Detroit Lions – Rookie aggravated the left foot injury that shelved him for most of training camp and the first half of the season on Sunday night at New Orleans.
FANTASY IMPACT: With Suh suspended for one more game, Detroit could be highly vulnerable up front for Week 14 vs. Minnesota if Fairley is not able to go. Fairley notably collected his first career sack before exiting.
 


Patrick Willis, San Francisco 49ers – Went down with a hamstring injury in Sunday’s shutout win over St. Louis.
FANTASY IMPACT: The elite linebacker will undergo an MRI Monday, but the 49ers are optimistic the injury is not serious. But at 10-2 and a cupcake on the slate for Week 14 vs. Arizona, San Francisco can afford to get Willis some rest and prevent aggravating the injury. Larry Grant racked up six tackles (five solo) and a sack as Willis’ replacement yesterday, and Grant would be a decent IDP handcuff if Willis is not available next week.
 
Pat Angerer, Indianapolis Colts – Sustained a knee injury in Sunday’s loss at New England.
FANTASY IMPACT: This would be a brutal loss for IDP owners if forced to miss time, as Angerer was leading the NFL with 112 tackles heading into the contest.
 
Brian Cushing, Houston Texans – Injured his knee during Sunday’s win over Atlanta.
FANTASY IMPACT: Cushing missed some action, but was able to return and finish the game, which bodes well for his availability for Week 14 at Cincinnati.
 
LaMarr Woodley, Pittsburgh Steelers – Aggravated his hamstring injury vs. Cincinnati.
FANTASY IMPACT: Pittsburgh’s pass rush will lose some bite if Woodley is limited or can’t go in Week 14 vs. Cleveland, as he leads the club with nine sacks in just nine appearances.  
 


Charles Woodson, Green Bay Packers – Suffered a head injury vs. New York.
FANTASY IMPACT: The Packers are yet to determine if the veteran cornerback has a concussion. Green Bay’s weak pass defense would be even more porous if Woodson can’t go in Week 14 vs. Oakland, which would benefit Carson Palmer and Co.  

Jason McCourty, Tennessee Titans – Went down with a concussion at Buffalo.
FANTASY IMPACT: McCourty would be greatly missed by IDP owners if forced to miss more time, as he generated 87 tackles (70 solo), one sack, two interceptions and a forced fumble over 12 starts this season.
 
Kenny Phillips, New York Giants – Strong safety went down with a knee injury during Sunday’s slugfest with Green Bay.
FANTASY IMPACT: Early indications are that Phillips has a sprained MCL, and there is belief he will miss a few weeks – which would be a tough blow as a key contributor to New York’s already unstable defense.
 
 

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