It's time for the Week 12 Injury report as we get close to playoff time and each spot in your lineup could mean the difference between making a run for your league's title and sitting on the couch watching the rest of the games from home.
Matt Forte: Forte left last week's game after suffering an ankle injury to the same right ankle he injured earlier in the season forcing him to miss a game. Although he was spotted practicing today, it was on a limited basis and I wouldn't get my hopes up for him to be ready to start come Sunday. Of course he may be in the lineup and after all may even get the formal start, but I would predict that Bush would get a larger portion of carries and would ultimately be the workhorse.
What does all this mean to your fantasy football team? This is something that will further develop as the week continues and we'll see the true extent of his injury by how Forte is able to practice. I would of course keep Forte on your lineup but you may want to consider a different RB to start this week if you have anything decent on your roster.
Desean Jackson: Jackson left last week's game with an injury that later was disclosed at fractured ribs. He was placed on the IR.
What does all this mean to your fantasy football team? You will need to find a replacement for Jackson the rest of the year. This is unfortunate for someone who actually had a pretty solid year despite the miserable season the Eagles have had.
Jonathan Stewart: Stewart was forced out of last weekend's game with a high ankle sprain. We all dread this injury because the time table for return can be so variable although it pretty much lets us know that you can count on him out of the lineup for at least a couple weeks. Realistically, none of the running backs for the Panthers have been worth a consistent start as a shared backfield with 4 running backs (Newton, Stewart, Williams, and Tolbert) will make it hard for anyone to consistently put up numbers.
What does all this mean to your fantasy football team? He's riding your bench for a couple weeks with some potential come fantasy football playoffs although I would not count on it.
Miles Austin: Can this guy stay healthy? He exited last week with a hip injury which appears to be a hip strain and could sideline him for this weekend's games. We'll really have to wait and see how he progresses but I would be cautious in starting him even if he does get the go this weekend as he could easily play only a couple snaps or just not be effective at all and be just a waste of a starting lineup spot for you in a potentially huge week for fantasy leagues.
What does all this mean to your fantasy football team? I would look for a replacement this week with only a slim chance that he plays and is productive.
Michael Vick and LeSean McCoy: These two Eagles are still battling concussions and their weekend status is up in the air. I think Foles really played bad enough that I would expect when Vick is healthy that he will be inserted back into the lineup. Regarding McCoy, there was not really any doubt that he'd be the starting running back once he recovered but his replacement Bryce Brown actually had a pretty impressive night on Monday…..until he had two awful fumbles to taint a rookie-record setting evening. McCoy also seems to still be dealing with some post-concussive symptoms which may give Brown a chance to redeem himself in the "holding onto the ball" category.
What does all this mean to your fantasy football team? Both players will likely be starting once they recover and while it seems Vick is closer to recovery, McCoy appears to still be dealing with symptoms. Given that the Eagles aren't going to the playoffs, the Eagles were surely give McCoy the appropriate time to recover and be conservative with him rather than rush him back for a meaningless game. He's too good for that.
Follow me on Twitter @DoctorKenton for more updates/injury analysis in the upcoming games this week. Feel free to leave comments/questions about players.
Wishing all your players quick recoveries,
DoctorKenton