The Dynasty Doctor: Week Nine Injury Report

Scott Peak Posted On November 10, 2015

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Editor’s Note: Injuries are a huge part of winning and losing each year in fantasy leagues. Staying abreast of 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 a Senior Writer for 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.

Dion Lewis, RB NE

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Lewis has had an excellent season thus far, but injuries have limited him in recent years. He hurt his left knee when he planted it, and it bent inward. He immediately favored it rather than driving on the leg, and it was a non-contact injury. Unfortunately our worst fears were realized as he has a torn ACL. He’s looking at surgery, rehabilitation and a six-nine month recovery. It’s unfortunate, but he should get the chance to bounce back next year. Still, Lewis is a player with a long history of injuries, and at this point it may difficult to count on him remaining healthy even if he does return from this injury. LeGarrette Blount had 29 carries for 129 yards and a touchdown. Brandon Bolden had one carry for 12 yards, three receptions for 27 yards and a touchdown. James White was inactive, so we’ll see if Bolden, White or another player fills in for Lewis. This situation may prove difficult to predict on a weekly basis, unless one player clearly gains a role, similar to Lewis.

Ben Roethlisberger, QB PIT

Roethlisberger had a defensive player fall on the back of his foot while it was planted in the ground, driving it into the turf. This injury mechanism is consistent with a foot sprain. He was unable to walk on it, but more recent reports expect him to only miss two weeks. If that’s the case, the Steelers must have evidence that he won’t need surgery for it, so that’s good news. That time range also suggests it’s not a Lisfranc injury, as even when nonoperatively treated these injuries can take six-eight weeks to heal. There are studies to support a short period of time missed from a grade one or two mid-foot sprain. One study on midfoot sprains for NFL players showed nonoperatively treated grade one midfoot sprains missed two days, whereas grade two sprains missed 26.1 days, for a mean of 11.7 days missed. Based on Roethlisberger’s reported missed time of one-two weeks, this seems consistent with a grade one-two sprain. In this study, 92% were able to successfully return to play. This is good news for Roethlisberger, and hopefully he will be able to return after the Steelers week 11 bye week. Landry Jones seems likely to be his replacement.

Eddie Lacy, RB GB

Lacy’s frustrating season continues. He left the game with a groin injury, although a fumble may have had more to do with it. No word yet on the severity of his groin injury. He had another poor performance, rushing only five times for ten yards. James Starks managed ten carries for 39 yards. The Packers schedule lightens up from this point on, with two games against the Lions plus matchups with the Vikings, Bears, Cowboys and Raiders. It’s hard to trust Lacy, but at least his schedule appears more promising. His dynasty value is dropping fast, and he should be available at a significant discount. Given lack of depth and injuries wreaking havoc on the running back position, he may be worth acquiring, but only if the price is right. Starks is the likely beneficiary for Lacy’s struggles, but consistency on the field and staying healthy have been issues for him as well. If Lacy can be acquired on the cheap, I’d consider it in dynasty formats.

Lesean McCoy, RB BUF

McCoy left the game with a shoulder injury. He was tackled and landed hard on his right shoulder. A shoulder sprain (acromioclavicular joint) is conceivable based on the manner in which he fell on it. If it is a grade one injury it is possible he could play on Thursday Night Football, but monitor his practice participation closely. Grade one shoulder sprains can heal sufficiently in as little as a few days, but sometimes this can stretch out to two weeks or more, depending on pain tolerance. If he is truly day-to-day, that would make it unlikely to be a clavicle fracture. McCoy had a nice game, rushing 16 times for 112 yards and a touchdown. He also had two receptions for seven yards. It doesn’t sound like a severe injury, and he seemed to downplay it after the game. Karlos Williams returned from a concussion and had a big game, with nine rushes for 110 yards and two touchdowns. We’ll see if McCoy can play on Thursday Night Football. Williams may be the running back to own in this backfield for dynasty formats.

Teddy Bridgewater, QB MIN, Latavius Murray, RB OAK and Sean Lee, LB DAL

All three sustained concussions and will be enrolled in the NFL concussion protocol. They will need to have resolution of symptoms and be cleared by their medical team before returning to play. We’ll see if they can play next week, but most concussions resolve in seven-ten days. We have seen some players take longer to be cleared, such as Luke Kuechly, Josh McCown and Karlos Williams, so we will have to monitor both situations closely. In particular, this is the second concussion for Lee this year, and that is a concern. I think he is a strong sell in IDP leagues given his history of repeated concussions and risk for future recurrences. Murray likewise has a history of concussions, and most recently November 2014. I wouldn’t necessarily sell him in dynasty for this reason yet, but it is a red flag and a factor to keep in mind when thinking about acquiring him in trade or start-up drafts. I have no concerns about Bridgewater and don’t expect this to adversely impact his dynasty value.

Allen Hurns, WR JAC

Hurns has a sprained foot and was reportedly wearing a walking boot on Monday. This is a concern, but we’ve seen TY Hilton play through a sprained foot without missing time. Still, we will need to monitor Hurns’ ability to practice before inserting him into our line-ups this week. It doesn’t sound like an injury that will adversely impact his dynasty value.

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