The NFL season began this past week…..and so did the injuries! Let's talk about a few of the key players that sustained injuries in Week 1. I will discuss a few of the injuries and of course welcome comments with questions you may have about the injuries as well as certain players you are concerned about on your fantasy team that I did not address.
Fred Jackson: In Sunday's game against the NY Jets, Fred Jackson sustained an injury to his knee that at first glance seemed to be pretty significant. However, one must note that while his left leg was the one that appeared to be significantly injured, it was in fact his right knee that had the injury. The injury per MRI results (that apparently were inconclusive) was a sprain of his Lateral Collateral Ligament, or LCL. The mechanism of his injury is consistent with this LCL sprain however it is important to note that it is definitely rare to have an isolated injury to the LCL. The fact that this injury is rare and that the MRI was inconclusive combined with the statement that he will be reevaluated in 7-10 days makes me think that the team doctors are not sure if it is in fact just an LCL injury. Other structures that are associated with an LCL injury include injury to the ACL, PCL, the posterolateral corner which is an area of complex anatomy including the popliteus tendon, biceps femoris, iliotibial band, popliteofibular ligament, or also the lateral meniscus. Many times when an MRI is obtained right after an acute injury, it is difficult to visualize these intricate structures and the exam may also be difficult because of the pain experienced which makes it difficult to tease out the injury.
What does all this mean to your fantasy team? Just because Fred Jackson says he will definitely be back in 4 weeks, I would be very cautious in this situation and I think in the next week we will have better information regarding the true extent of his injury as it could be just an LCL injury (Grade I=1-2 weeks for recovery, Grade II=4-6 weeks for recovery) or it could be much more significant that could have him out for even a couple months. Hold onto him because he's too good to give up on now, but keep an eye out this time next week and I'll likely have a much better assessment for you once they can get a better exam and/or MRI.
Pierre Garcon: While he scored an 86 yard touchdown reception, he somehow came out of it with a "foot injury" although from watching the tapes, it's hard to tell at what point he actually sustained the injury. While Shanahan is not the best person to get accurate information from, it was a little telling when he described the injury as "it's kind of like when you have turf toe, but it's not the toe". To me, this represents a likely midfoot sprain combining the fact that turf toe is a sprain and he had an xray of his foot that was negative. If this is in fact Garcon's injury, owners should be a little concerned as these injuries can be nagging for many weeks (ask Darren McFadden and how that worked out for him last year). While he may attempt to play this week, I would not count on him being nearly as effective as he was in week 1 and he may even reinjure the foot and could lead to him being out for a few weeks or at least making him a game-time decision for several weeks to come.
What does all this mean to your fantasy team? If you have another option at WR, I suggest you go with the safer play rather than take the chance that Garcon starts the game and is out by halftime. Stay tuned though, things could change in the next couple days as more information comes out and may shine new light on his injury.
Greg Jennings: Greg Jennings suffered a groin injury late in the game against the 49ers. This doesn't look good for owners especially with the short week. I don't expect Jennings to play on Thursday against the Bears and even if he does, I wouldn't count on him posting Jennings-like numbers. What is more concerning is that it is a groin injury, these usually don't go away in just 1 week and will effect Jennings with cutting movements which are obviously important in route running for a WR.
What does all this mean to your fantasy team? Unless you're desperate, Jennings should be riding the pine for your fantasy team. Keep an eye out for this injury lasting into even next week's game with him being a game-time decision even for next week and a risk for reinjury which goes with all groin injuries.
Jeremy Maclin: Supposedly he is suffering from some hip injury which is either a hip flexor strain or a hip pointer which are two different injuries. While I normally don't like any strains likelihood of being a go come Sunday, I don't think Maclin's injury is as concerning as the others mentioned above. The reason I say this is because he was able to finish the game further demonstrating that while these injuries are painful, players usually can play thru them. Of course we are talking about two different injuries but it appears he actually has a hip pointer which is a contusion to the iliac crest (top of the pelvic bone). While Andy Reid may try to let him fully heal and give him the week off, I don't really see this happening and expect him to be in the lineup ready to go.
What does all this mean to your fantasy team? As long as they are dressing him and putting him in the starting lineup, expect him to be productive while he's in there.
Antonio Gates: He appeared to suffer a rib injury and was being evaluated on the sidelines for this during the Monday Night game against the Raiders. Was he guarding this injury when he appeared to miss an easy catch along the sidelines when he didn't fully extend his arms to catch the pass from Rivers? Maybe. All I know is that if he played thru plantar fasciitis for many games over the past few years, he will not be missing time for a rib injury.
What does all this mean to your fantasy team? Start him and expect him to once again be the primary target for the Chargers.
Ryan Mathews: He suffered a broken clavicle that was surgically repaired after the first game of the preseason, that puts him at just under 6 weeks since the injury. Don't expect him in the lineup this week. I would even go as far as to say don't expect him until week 4 at the earliest. It's clear that the Chargers running game desperately needs him after watching the performance they had in the run game against the raiders but you can't rush this guy back. When he returns, he'll have to prove he can take a hit and also hold onto the ball after sustaining such an injury.
What does all this mean to your fantasy team? Obviously if you drafted him you're keeping him around, but there are many questions up in the air and it's not just about his ability to run the ball but whether or not his clavicle is going to be an issue for the first half of the season.
Follow me on Twitter @DoctorKenton for more updates/injury analysis in the upcoming games this week.
Wishing all your players quick recoveries,
DoctorKenton