The Dynasty Doctor: Week Eleven Injury Report

Scott Peak Posted On November 18, 2014

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Editor’s Note: Injuries are a huge part of winning and losing each year in fantasy leagues. Staying abreast of the injury situations is key as knowing what to expect from your players health-wise in the short term can help you make educated decisions in managing your team. Lucky for us, we have a Doctor in the house. Dr. Scott Peak is an ABPN board certified neurologist and neuro-oncologist. He is also a dynasty football addict and huge friend of Dynasty League Football. He’s excited to lend his expertise in medicine with hopes he may help the DLF Team and its followers better understand medical conditions and injuries that may impact NFL players and dynasty football owners.

If you have a question for The Dynasty Doctor, just click here. Please remember The Dynasty Doctor is geared towards questions regarding medical science, injuries to players and their collective impact in fantasy football. Stay tuned each week as we’ll post his thoughts each and every Tuesday.

Julius Thomas, TE DEN

Thomas sustained an ankle injury and was unable to return to the game. Initial reports are it isn’t a high-ankle sprain or as bad as initially thought. Thomas has a history of ankle injuries dating back to 2011, so there’s reason to be cautious. Jacob Tamme finished with four receptions for 31 yards on a whopping ten targets (tied with Demaryius Thomas and C.J. Anderson for the most targets in the game). Chances are pretty good that Tamme is available on waivers, and if Thomas is out, he could provide decent production.

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Ahmad Bradshaw, RB IND

Bradshaw sustained a foot/ankle injury and left the game in the fourth quarter. Bradshaw pushed through a pile of defenders at the goal line and his left foot/ankle took the brunt of it. His left ankle appeared to get twisted a bit and a fractured ankle has been confirmed. This injury will likely land him on injured reserve and I doubt he returns this year. Trent Richardson managed to reach a new low, rushing seven times for zero yards. That’s not a typo. Zero. Were it not for a meaningless 21 yard reception in garbage time, Richardson would have a goose egg, despite nine touches. Now that’s awful. Dan Herron might be worth adding, as Richardson gives no confidence of a performance boost if Bradshaw misses time. Now may be a great time to trade Richardson to an owner for RB2 value.

Dwayne Allen, TE IND

Allen was carted off with an ankle injury. He can’t seem to shake the injury bug, having missed nearly all of 2013 with a hip injury. Head coach Chuck Pagano is calling him day-to-day, and that is good news, considering initial fears of a more serious injury. Coby Fleener rose from the depths of fantasy despair with a big game (seven receptions for 144 yards). Fleener owners may want to keep expectations in check. Despite being the only useful tight end on the Colts roster in 2013, he couldn’t crack the top 12 at his position in PPR or standard-scoring leagues. Now might be a great time to trade Fleener for low-end TE1 value. I don’t think this injury adversely impacts Allen’s dynasty value, and he is one of my favorite young tight end prospects. Still, his penchant for getting nicked up has me slightly concerned.

Emmanuel Sanders, WR DEN

Sanders sustained a concussion and is enrolled in the NFL concussion protocol. He will need full recovery of concussion symptoms, advance through non-contact exercises, sport-specific activity and be cleared by medical providers before returning to play. Pay attention to his practice participation and we’ll see if he can make it back next week. 85% of concussions recover in 7-10 days, so he has a good chance of returning.

Jordan Reed, TE WAS

Reed was listed as having a hamstring injury after the game and that is a concern given he previously suffered a hamstring injury week 1. The severity is not yet known. I’ve had Reed as a sell since last year. He cannot stay healthy. I would consider trading him, even at a discount. I’m also not looking to acquire him in dynasty leagues, no matter how far his price drops.

Montee Ball, RB DEN

Ball aggravated his groin injury and is estimated to be out 2-3 weeks. C.J. Anderson had a solid game (nine carries for 29 yards, eight receptions for 86 yards), and would presumably have a lock on the starting job. Ronnie Hillman isn’t close to returning, and that leaves Kapri Bibbs as the only other healthy body at running back for the Broncos. C.J. Anderson gets a nice boost and could potentially gain significant value in dynasty formats if he runs away with the job.

Calvin Johnson, WR DET

Johnson may have an elbow injury, although reportedly doesn’t think he will miss any playing time. Matt Stafford had a poor performance, peppering Johnson with 12 targets, yet Megatron could only finish with five receptions (41%). Johnson is still a dominant force when he can stay on the field, but I think he’s a sell-high in dynasty. Johnson still carries top 5 start-up value based on Ryan McDowell’s excellent ADP data and I would strongly consider trading him for maximum return now. Cash in on his name value and let someone else deal with the risk of declining performance.

Larry Fitzgerald, WR ARI

Fitzgerald sustained a knee injury, but was able to return to play. He has a grade 2 MCL sprain and recovery can take 2-3 weeks. Fitzgerald expects to play through it, although this could impact his production. It is encouraging he was able to re-enter the game but monitor his practice participation this week. Fitzgerald continues to show underwhelming results with Drew Stanton at quarterback, finishing with just two receptions for 33 yards on Sunday. With Stanton at quarterback in 2014, Fitzgerald is averaging 3.5 receptions for 43 yards and 0 touchdowns on 28 targets. Fitzgerald’s cap hit soars to $23.6 million in 2015, and unless he restructures, the Cardinals stand to lose $14.4 million if they cut him. The Cardinals had to restructure Fitzgerald’s contract before the 2014 season and that temporarily saved them from cap hell. Fitzgerald and the Cardinals front office have stated their desire for him to retire in Arizona. His 2015 $23.6 million cap number would comprise 31% of salaries for all offensive players and is that money well-spent for a player with declining statistics? Fitzgerald’s last 1,000 yard season was 2011. For dynasty owners, it will be an interesting off-season. The Cardinals are in a bind, taking a huge cap hit if they cut Fitzgerald, but might not have enough money to pay him if he stays. I’m not looking to acquire Fitzgerald in dynasty leagues.

Philip Rivers, QB SD

Antonio Gates thinks Rivers is dealing with a significant rib injury, but he still hasn’t missed a game since 2005. Rivers’ production has cooled off considerably the past three games, with declining passing yards and touchdowns combined with rising interceptions. His schedule won’t do him any favors as he gets St. Louis, Baltimore, New England, Denver and San Francisco through game 16. Fantasy owners relying on Rivers may want to look elsewhere.

Todd Gurley, RB Georgia

This is a developmental league bonus. Gurley is a heralded prospect out of the University of Georgia and a potential 1.01 pick in 2015 dynasty drafts. Unfortunately, he tore an ACL and is out for the year. ACL reconstructions carry a 6-9 month recovery, so Gurley should be ready by training camp, if all goes well. I’m not overly concerned about the ACL repair. If anything, Gurley might become a value in dynasty drafts, if he falls far, similar to Eddie Lacy’s free-fall given concern for a toe injury. Gurley does have a long history of injuries and his durability is at least in question. The best move might be to trade a top pick for a ransom and let someone else take the plunge on Gurley. It’s possible Gurley returns for his senior season, but I think that’s unlikely given he’s draft eligible, is an elite talent and risking another injury seems unwise.

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