The Dynasty Doctor: Week Ten

Posted on November 15, 2016

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.

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Jordan Howard, RB CHI

Howard may have an Achilles tendon injury, per reports by Bears head coach John Fox after the game. Howard denied it. Howard had a nice game in limited action (15 carries for 100 yards, 6.7 YPC) against a solid run defense (Buccaneers are 8th in the NFL against the run). It seems unlikely that Howard tore his Achilles, as he would be done for the year without a doubt. Monitor his practice participation this week and we’ll see if he can play week 11. Good luck trying to get any useful injury information from Fox. The dynasty value for Howard is climbing fast, and his November ADP is 62 (RB15). I might be inclined to consider taking offers for Howard, if his price continues to rise.

Larry Fitzgerald, WR ARI

Fitzgerald had a huge game, supporting that his demise in dynasty is overstated (12 receptions for 133 yards on 18 targets). Fitzgerald reportedly is getting an MRI for knee soreness. It doesn’t sound serious but we’ll see how the MRI turns out. Fitzgerald is the WR8 and a solid starter for fantasy teams. Fitzgerald is the WR51 based on November ADP, behind players like Tyrell Williams, Quincy Enunwa, Dorial Green-Beckham and is one pick ahead of Sammie Coates. I’d take that value all day long, no matter how old he is, and I’m a buyer of Fitzgerald in dynasty leagues.

Will Fuller, WR HOU

Fuller was inactive with a leg injury that needed more time to heal after the Texans’ week 9 bye. Looking back at the injury mechanism, it wasn’t clear the nature of this injury. He had been dealing with a hamstring injury. No word on whether it was an aggravation, though. I don’t think this injury adversely impacts his dynasty value. Fuller is the WR56 in PPR leagues, with an ADP 39, and that seems to be a fair price for him. I’m not seeking to acquire him, but he could represent good value at his current price. Nobody seems to have benefited from Fuller’s absence on the Texans, as Braxton Miller could only managed 1 catch for 10 yards this week.

Trevor Siemian, QB DEN

Siemian reportedly has persistent pain in his non-throwing shoulder. Siemian has a sprained AC joint and depending on severity these can be painful injuries. If he is having persistent pain, that would imply something more than a grade 1 injury, and those can take 6 weeks or longer to heal. For fantasy owners, watching Siemian play has been painful, especially for those who own Emmanuel Sanders or Demaryius Thomas. I was surprised to see Siemian is the QB25 this year. Brock Osweiler is the QB29, and that just shows how bad he’s played this year, that he’s behind Siemian. It seems obvious that Siemian is holding back the Broncos offense, and it will be interesting to see when rookie Paxton Lynch gets a second chance this year. Siemian has nearly no value (undrafted in November DLF mock draft), even in superflex leagues.

Doug Martin, RB TAM

It’s worth nothing that Martin is back. Martin had a lackluster return. The good news is, he had 16 carries. The bad news is, he had 33 yards (2.1 YPC). Peyton Barber didn’t fare much better (12 carries for 38 yards). At least Martin got a rushing touchdown and 1 reception for 13 yards to save those who started him. Given the state of the Buccaneers backfield, Martin should have ample touches to close out 2016, if he can stay healthy. Tampa Bay gets to face the New Orleans Saints defense weeks 14 and 16, so Martin might have a nice finish to this season. Martin is the RB16 in the November ADP data. I’m not a buyer, given his age and inability to stay healthy.

Dion Lewis, RB NEP

Lewis was activated from PUP, so that’s good. However, he was inactive this week. Monitor his practice participation to see if he can play this week. The Patriots have a decent schedule to finish off the 2016 season (Jets twice, Rams, Ravens, Broncos), and Lewis could be productive in the passing game. LeGarrette Blount is playing out of his mind, so expectations might have to be tempered on Lewis, but he could have solid RB2 value in PPR this year. I’m not a buyer in dynasty, given his inability to stay healthy.

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