Dynasty Injury Impact: Week Ten

Not too bad this week, folks. A couple of tight ends picked up some potentially long-ish term injuries and Tyler Lockett suffered a new injury I had never heard of. Oh, and Devonta Freeman is going to have to sit and watch Brian Hill outproduce him. Regardless, take a gander at the breakdowns below to see how your guys are looking going forward.

PSA: When I list a player in the “notable, but less significant”, it can be for one of two things. Either the injury is insignificant or the player is. Can I say that?

All info contained in this article is from the great Matthew Betz, follow him @TheFantasyPT. He’s an orthopedic physical therapist and does injury analysis for The Fantasy Footballers. So, he is a great resource to follow for injury updates.

Quarterbacks

Matthew Stafford, DET

Injury: Tranverse process fracture

Timeframe: Week to week

News broke on Sunday morning that Stafford would be out for the Lions’ matchup with the Bears. The injury actually occurred last week but due to soreness, Stafford sat out. The good news is that this should not be a long-term injury. Expect the Lions to allow him to rest for the next couple weeks until the soreness settles down.

Running Backs

Devonta Freeman, ATL

Injury: Foot sprain

Timeframe: Two to four weeks

Devonta Freeman left in the first half and is expected to miss at least two weeks with a grade II sprain in his foot. Usually this injury has a month-long recovery so two weeks may be optimistic especially considering Freeman dealt with a foot injury early last season too. If he returns too soon, then there is real risk of re-injury.

Other notable injuries, although less significant for fantasy: Saquon Barkley (Shoulder), Ty Johnson (Concussion), Giovani Bernard (Knee sprain)

Wide Receivers

Tyler Lockett, SEA

Injury: Compartment syndrome

Timeframe: Week to week

After reports surfaced that Lockett had to be taken to the hospital following the Monday night games, things started to sound dire. Pete Carroll told the press that Lockett was suffering from a lot of swelling and bruising, which according to Matthew Betz, sounds like compartment syndrome. Resulting from a severe impact to the leg, compartment syndrome is the compression of nerves and blood vessels due to swelling. In mild cases, there is unlikely to be any long-term impact, but in severe cases surgery is required to relieve that pressure. Reports on Tuesday suggest he has avoided the need for surgery so he may be back in a couple weeks.

Emmanuel Sanders, SF

Injury: Rib cartilage

Timeframe: Week to week

Sanders took a big hit to the ribs and on the next play he was clutching said ribs and ended up leaving early in Monday night’s OT thriller. The good news is that this is a pain management injury. He will return to the field as soon as he can bear the pain so keep an eye on the injury reports. He’ll likely receive some injections and a flak jacket to keep it protected once he does return.

Tight Ends

Austin Hooper, ATL

Injury: MCL sprain

Timeframe: At least one week

What a season it has been for Hooper. Unfortunately, he took a hit where his knee bent inwards resulting in an MCL sprain. He did receive an MRI and the results will dictate the timeframe for recovery. A mild grade I sprain means he likely only misses a week, but a grade II sprain would keep him out for two to four weeks.

Chris Herndon, NYJ

Injury: Fractured rib

Timeframe: Multiple weeks

This is not how Herdon truthers foresaw his season going. First the suspension, then a hamstring strain, and now a fractured rib. He couldn’t even escape with a fracture to a middle or lower rib which is a pain management issue. The fracture was actually to the upper part of his ribcage which puts him at risk for injuring his lungs. Either way, don’t be surprised to see him out till December.

Other notable injuries, although less significant for fantasy: Rhett Ellison (Concussion)