The Dynasty Doctor: Week Thirteen Injury Report

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.

Justin Hunter, WR TEN

Hunter lacerated a spleen on a big hit and was hospitalized after the game. He will likely be placed on injured reserve, ending his season. Hunter has been a huge disappointment after generating much hype before the year began. He ends the 2014 season with just 27 receptions for 480 yards and three touchdowns. The good news is I don’t think this injury will adversely impact his dynasty value.

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Andre Ellington, RB ARI

Ellington left the game after taking a shot to his hip and was diagnosed with a hip pointer. Hip pointers are painful injuries but are not necessarily season-ending. Initial reports are it is not serious. It is possible Ellington could miss a game or more from it, but we will have to see how it plays out this week. Ray Rice and Jarius Byrd are two players who sustained hip pointers yet were able to play without missing a game, so it’s possible Ellington could return quickly. We’ll see if he can get in some practice time this week.

See this article I wrote on hip pointers for more information on the specific injury.

Roddy White, WR ATL

White was scratched from the Falcons’ game against the Cardinals with an ankle injury. He missed a few games in 2013 with a high-ankle sprain as well. It’s unclear whether this injury is to the same ankle. It sounds like White was close to suiting up, although NFL clubs are loath to be truthful on injuries. Monitor whether White can return to practice next week and hopefully he will play in week 14. White will turn 34 next year and his NFL performance is winding down, along with his dynasty value.

Jerick McKinnon, RB MIN

McKinnon was inactive this week with a back injury. Per a report on ESPN, McKinnon injured his lower back while lifting weights. I’m not advocating an overreaction to this news, but I do think it’s a red flag for a running back to have a lower back injury significant enough to miss a game. Hopefully it’s not a disc herniation. He is only 22 years old and presumably has a lot of football left in his career. Still, it gives me pause about him. I’ve been an advocate to sell McKinnon, given the hype and metrics-driven obsession with him as a dynasty asset. This news gives me more reason to unload him for solid value.

Marlon Brown, WR BAL

Brown sustained a concussion when he made a nice catch, but unfortunately his head impacted the ground. Brown will be enrolled into the NFL concussion protocol and will need to be cleared by his medical staff before returning to play. Brown hasn’t been a factor in fantasy this season, with only 11 receptions for 107 yards and no touchdowns. I don’t expect this to adversely impact his dynasty value, which isn’t very high right now.

Julius Thomas, TE DEN

Thomas was inactive in the Broncos/Chiefs game on Sunday Night Football. Thomas was held out of his second game in a row, but reports suggest he could return soon. Monitor is ability to practice next week and we will cross our fingers. For what it’s worth, Thomas feels the injury isn’t as serious as prior ankle injuries. We’ll see if he can return to practice this week. I don’t think this adversely impacts his dynasty value, either.

Zach Mettenberger, QB TEN

Mettenberger was diagnosed with a grade 1 AC joint sprain. He felt he could potentially be back next week, but that remains to be seen. Grade 1 AC sprains are not long-term injuries, but notably this was to his throwing shoulder. Mettenberger has had a decent start to his career, with 58.8% completion percentage, 8.1 yards-per-attempt, seven touchdowns and five interceptions. I don’t expect this injury to be a concern for his dynasty value, but whether he can play week 14 is uncertain.

Larry Fitzgerald, WR ARI

Fitzgerald was inactive for the second week in row, recovering from a grade II MCL sprain. Grade II MCL sprains can take 4-6 weeks or longer to recover from, and as tough as Fitzgerald is, it might be expecting too much for him to return this fast. Whether he can practice next week will go a long way in determining his playing status for week 14. I’m not optimistic that Fitzgerald will be a useful option for the remainder of the 2014 fantasy season.

DeSean Jackson, WR WAS

Jackson suffered a lower leg contusion and was unable to finish the Redskins’ game against the Colts. It doesn’t sound like a serious injury and getting trounced by the Colts may have contributed to his early exit. We’ll see if he can practice this week, but I don’t expect him to miss much time from this injury. Notably, Jackson gets the Eagles in week 16, and he should be properly motivated to get back his old team, thus rewarding fantasy owners who start him.

Miles Austin, WR CLE 

Austin sustained a kidney injury and was hospitalized after the game. He had a decent game with seven receptions for 86 yards. He’s quietly been a decent start in PPR leagues, with 21 receptions for 229 yards the past four games as well. We will see how this evolves, but his status for week 14 is uncertain. The dynasty value for Austin is minimal, but he could be a surprisingly decent option in deep roster PPR leagues if he can return from this injury soon.

Latavius Murray, RB OAK

Murray is apparently close to being back from his concussion, but has not been officially cleared. Given Murray last played 11 days ago, it is a red flag he hasn’t been cleared yet. Most concussions resolve in 7-10 days. We’ll see how this plays out, but dynasty owners may want to consider selling Murray if the price is right.

DeAngelo Williams, RB CAR 

Williams has a broken hand. This isn’t so much important for Williams’ dynasty fortunes, as his value has essentially eroded to an insignificant level. Jonathan Stewart may get more touches and he has looked decent. Stewart has a solid 4.3 YPC, two touchdowns, 408 yards rushing and 20 receptions for 148 yards in 2014. There may never be a better time to unload the oft-injured and disappointing Stewart in dynasty formats. Even though I’m skeptical about Stewart’s dynasty value, he could prove useful for re-draft and daily fantasy sports formats for the remainder of 2014. Sell, sell, sell Stewart in dynasty.

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