I've added a few updates into my injury report below for week 2. The biggest news is the continuing problems that Tomlinson is having with his toe, and how it's turned into a situation that could keep him out of week 2.
*update* Despite negative news all week so far, LT has returned to practice and is almost certain to play on Sunday.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Saints WR Colston Undergoes Thumb Surgery
New Orleans Saints WR Marques Colston had undergone thumb surgery to fix a torn ligament. He is expected to miss 4-6 weeks.
Devery Henderson will likely assume the starting role opposite David Patten, with Lance Moore likely playing in the slot.
Fantasy Impact: This is obviously terrible news for Colston owners who likely drafted him as a WR1, so hopefully your depth is solid. Defenses will focus more on Jeremy Shockey, but he should receive more targets as a result. David Patten is the Saints WR most likely to emerge as a fantasy option as he finished 2nd on the team with 792 yards on 54 catches last season. Devery Henderson will be a deep threat, but he won't be targeted. Lance Moore will also see the field more often. Brees will likely spread it around, and both Shockey and Bush will likely be the most targeted receivers, but I feel Patten is worth a pickup if you need a 5th WR while Colston is out.
Drew Brees will be without his favorite target, but he should still post QB1 numbers. Colston is an elite talent, but the Saints offense has a way of making it work no matter who is on the field, and Colston has missed games before. The running game will also be used a bit more, giving Bush a bit more value, and the same for Pierre Thomas.
Devery Henderson will likely assume the starting role opposite David Patten, with Lance Moore likely playing in the slot.
Fantasy Impact: This is obviously terrible news for Colston owners who likely drafted him as a WR1, so hopefully your depth is solid. Defenses will focus more on Jeremy Shockey, but he should receive more targets as a result. David Patten is the Saints WR most likely to emerge as a fantasy option as he finished 2nd on the team with 792 yards on 54 catches last season. Devery Henderson will be a deep threat, but he won't be targeted. Lance Moore will also see the field more often. Brees will likely spread it around, and both Shockey and Bush will likely be the most targeted receivers, but I feel Patten is worth a pickup if you need a 5th WR while Colston is out.
Drew Brees will be without his favorite target, but he should still post QB1 numbers. Colston is an elite talent, but the Saints offense has a way of making it work no matter who is on the field, and Colston has missed games before. The running game will also be used a bit more, giving Bush a bit more value, and the same for Pierre Thomas.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Vince Young Situation
Seriously, what the hell is going on?
First of all, there was a report that came out this morning that Young was in a suicidal state last night and a call was made to Jeff Fisher. Fisher then helped track Young down. The team then towed the company line stating that he showed up to practice today, everything was fine, etc. Now, the Nashville Tennessean is reporting that Vince Young is again stating that he doesn't want to play football anymore, according to friends around him. He's reportedly battling depression, has seen a psychiatrist, etc. Reports questioning his own desire to play football also surfaced last year as well.
In a potentially related story, a friend passed this picture along to me:
http://brahsome.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/vince-young-shirtless.jpg
I don't want to take some picture off the Internet and blow something completely out of proportion, but it's very odd that he's out somewhere shirtless surrounded by a bunch of mostly shirtless guys. My friend and I got to talking about it, and if this picture is truly representative of his off-the-field lifestyle, it's possible that Vince Young is gay and having a horrible time trying to deal with it while playing in the NFL. This would explain his lack of desire to play football, his depression, etc. This is completely unfounded speculation on my part, but it's an interesting theory.
Fantasy Impact: Drop him. His injury will keep him out 2-4 weeks as is, and who knows what type of mental state he's in right now. It's completely up in the air how long it'll take him to get back on the field, if he does indeed play again. There isn't enough upside to warrant hanging onto him at this point and missing out on a player that will help your team. If I had to bet, we haven't heard the end of this story.
First of all, there was a report that came out this morning that Young was in a suicidal state last night and a call was made to Jeff Fisher. Fisher then helped track Young down. The team then towed the company line stating that he showed up to practice today, everything was fine, etc. Now, the Nashville Tennessean is reporting that Vince Young is again stating that he doesn't want to play football anymore, according to friends around him. He's reportedly battling depression, has seen a psychiatrist, etc. Reports questioning his own desire to play football also surfaced last year as well.
In a potentially related story, a friend passed this picture along to me:
http://brahsome.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/vince-young-shirtless.jpg
I don't want to take some picture off the Internet and blow something completely out of proportion, but it's very odd that he's out somewhere shirtless surrounded by a bunch of mostly shirtless guys. My friend and I got to talking about it, and if this picture is truly representative of his off-the-field lifestyle, it's possible that Vince Young is gay and having a horrible time trying to deal with it while playing in the NFL. This would explain his lack of desire to play football, his depression, etc. This is completely unfounded speculation on my part, but it's an interesting theory.
Fantasy Impact: Drop him. His injury will keep him out 2-4 weeks as is, and who knows what type of mental state he's in right now. It's completely up in the air how long it'll take him to get back on the field, if he does indeed play again. There isn't enough upside to warrant hanging onto him at this point and missing out on a player that will help your team. If I had to bet, we haven't heard the end of this story.
Week 2 Waiver Wire Possibilities
I'm going to discuss the top waiver wire players likely available in 10-12 man leagues by position each week this year. I know Yahoo has their waiver period end on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, and I think most other leagues work this way too, but sometimes waivers don't occur until until the following day. At any rate, Tuesday is the best day to discuss and analyze what players are worth going after.
QB:
Trent Edwards - Edwards did not have a huge week 1 (215 yards, 1 TD), but he proved to Lee Evans owners that he'll make a concerted effort to get the ball to him. The talent at the receiving position outside of Evans is still questionable, but Edwards is a decent QB2 who has a low ceiling, but a high floor.
Chad Pennington - Pennington posted a very solid week 1 (251 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT) and has always been a capable NFL QB who is an accurate thrower. He's surrounded by young WRs (Ginn, Hagan, Bess) and a good, young TE in Anthony Fasano, plus both Ricky Williams and especially Ronnie Brown are capable in the passing game. Much like Edwards, he's a low ceiling, high floor QB2.
Tavaris Jackson - Jackson appeared to be the same exact guy as last year, making questionable decisions and mis-firing on passes. However, much like with Vick, he was a big producer on the ground with 65 yards rushing. With Berrian and Rice both providing legit downfield threats and the defenses also keying on Adrian Peterson, Jackson should find consistent running room all season. He's still an interesting QB2 candidate, but one more likely to help you team in a very limited role in only the best of matchups.
RB:
Sammy Morris - He's back as Maroney's committee partner for a Patriots team likely to run the ball much more with Brady out for the season. He racked up 87 total yards and a TD, so he's worth stashing as a RB4/5.
Michael Pittman - Pittman emerged as the Denver goal line back, scoring 2 TDs, but Selvin Young also punched one in from 6 yards out late in the game. Shanahan madness is at it again, but Pittman is worth stashing as a RB5 to see how things shake out.
WR:
Greg Lewis / Hank Baskett - Both went over 100 yards against the Rams as McNabb had his way with the STL secondary. PHI will continue to rotate WRs all season long, making both guys very hard to count on in any sort of consistent fashion. It's a question mark as to when Reggie Brown will return, but I'd probably prefer Baskett as he's technically the starter opposite DeSean Jackson, and he's someone Philly has liked for a while. Lewis is a veteran who has never had much of a role. Oh yeah, and if DeSean Jackson is somehow available in your league feel free to use a top waiver spot on him.
Matt Jones - Jones has tantalized fantasy owners for the past several years with his freakish talent, but also his incredibly inconsistent play, which has lead to incredibly inconsistent playing time. With Jerry Porter ailing and no other WR stepping up, Matt Jones has a chance to finally cash in on his talent and emerge as a go-to option for the Jaguars. He's a very good WR5 to have stashed.
TE:
Week 1 was the week of the TE.
Anthony Fasano - Fasano is a Parcells favorite. Parcells drafted him in Dallas despite already having Jason Witten, and then traded for him after taking over in Miami, and Fasano was a favorite of Pennington last weekend. Fasano is a good blocker, so he's a true every-down TE. With the young and inexperience of the receiving core, Fasano could emerge as a primary option for Pennington despite him being young as well. I'd actually take him over Rosario.
Donte Rosario - Rosario stepped up huge in his 2008 debut with 96 yards and the game winning TD catch. Rosario is a legit TE that poses matchup problems, and he was talked about some during the preseason. He suffered a foot sprain during the game, but he's supposedly on track to start in week 2. He's worth speculating on to see what happens when Steve Smith returns. It's hard to call the injury-prone Hackett and the aging Muhammad legit number two options in this passing offense.
Bo Scaife - The least likely receiving option to top 100 yards in week 1. The Titans again have garbage at WR, and Scaife might post decent numbers for the passing game. I'm not sure what Crumpler was doing while Scaife was catching passes, but it's hard to imagine Scaife out-producing a healthy Crumpler. Don't waste your time.
David Martin - Martin also posted great numbers alongside Fasano with 53 yards and a TD, but Fasano is the clear starter and Martin isn't worth wasting a roster spot on.
Robert Royal - He posted a yard less than Martin with a TD. Royal had a couple solid games last year as well, but they were few and far between, so he's not worth grabbing either.
QB:
Trent Edwards - Edwards did not have a huge week 1 (215 yards, 1 TD), but he proved to Lee Evans owners that he'll make a concerted effort to get the ball to him. The talent at the receiving position outside of Evans is still questionable, but Edwards is a decent QB2 who has a low ceiling, but a high floor.
Chad Pennington - Pennington posted a very solid week 1 (251 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT) and has always been a capable NFL QB who is an accurate thrower. He's surrounded by young WRs (Ginn, Hagan, Bess) and a good, young TE in Anthony Fasano, plus both Ricky Williams and especially Ronnie Brown are capable in the passing game. Much like Edwards, he's a low ceiling, high floor QB2.
Tavaris Jackson - Jackson appeared to be the same exact guy as last year, making questionable decisions and mis-firing on passes. However, much like with Vick, he was a big producer on the ground with 65 yards rushing. With Berrian and Rice both providing legit downfield threats and the defenses also keying on Adrian Peterson, Jackson should find consistent running room all season. He's still an interesting QB2 candidate, but one more likely to help you team in a very limited role in only the best of matchups.
RB:
Sammy Morris - He's back as Maroney's committee partner for a Patriots team likely to run the ball much more with Brady out for the season. He racked up 87 total yards and a TD, so he's worth stashing as a RB4/5.
Michael Pittman - Pittman emerged as the Denver goal line back, scoring 2 TDs, but Selvin Young also punched one in from 6 yards out late in the game. Shanahan madness is at it again, but Pittman is worth stashing as a RB5 to see how things shake out.
WR:
Greg Lewis / Hank Baskett - Both went over 100 yards against the Rams as McNabb had his way with the STL secondary. PHI will continue to rotate WRs all season long, making both guys very hard to count on in any sort of consistent fashion. It's a question mark as to when Reggie Brown will return, but I'd probably prefer Baskett as he's technically the starter opposite DeSean Jackson, and he's someone Philly has liked for a while. Lewis is a veteran who has never had much of a role. Oh yeah, and if DeSean Jackson is somehow available in your league feel free to use a top waiver spot on him.
Matt Jones - Jones has tantalized fantasy owners for the past several years with his freakish talent, but also his incredibly inconsistent play, which has lead to incredibly inconsistent playing time. With Jerry Porter ailing and no other WR stepping up, Matt Jones has a chance to finally cash in on his talent and emerge as a go-to option for the Jaguars. He's a very good WR5 to have stashed.
TE:
Week 1 was the week of the TE.
Anthony Fasano - Fasano is a Parcells favorite. Parcells drafted him in Dallas despite already having Jason Witten, and then traded for him after taking over in Miami, and Fasano was a favorite of Pennington last weekend. Fasano is a good blocker, so he's a true every-down TE. With the young and inexperience of the receiving core, Fasano could emerge as a primary option for Pennington despite him being young as well. I'd actually take him over Rosario.
Donte Rosario - Rosario stepped up huge in his 2008 debut with 96 yards and the game winning TD catch. Rosario is a legit TE that poses matchup problems, and he was talked about some during the preseason. He suffered a foot sprain during the game, but he's supposedly on track to start in week 2. He's worth speculating on to see what happens when Steve Smith returns. It's hard to call the injury-prone Hackett and the aging Muhammad legit number two options in this passing offense.
Bo Scaife - The least likely receiving option to top 100 yards in week 1. The Titans again have garbage at WR, and Scaife might post decent numbers for the passing game. I'm not sure what Crumpler was doing while Scaife was catching passes, but it's hard to imagine Scaife out-producing a healthy Crumpler. Don't waste your time.
David Martin - Martin also posted great numbers alongside Fasano with 53 yards and a TD, but Fasano is the clear starter and Martin isn't worth wasting a roster spot on.
Robert Royal - He posted a yard less than Martin with a TD. Royal had a couple solid games last year as well, but they were few and far between, so he's not worth grabbing either.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Week 2 - Walking Wounded
I'll wrap up the injuries heading into week 2 here.
QB:
Tom Brady - Torn ACL (possibly more), out for the season. Drop him in all redraft leagues. Downgrade the entire offense, obviously, as the extra carries the running game is likely in store for will offset the scoring chances lost by a less productive offense. Hopefully you heeded my over-valued call on Brady this year. I obviously wasn't expecting this, but he certainly isn't matching last season's production now. Matt Cassel will be the starter unless he stinks up the joint.
Vince Young - Torn MCL, out for 2-4 weeks. I'd keep him if possible because there's still untapped upside and he is a hard worker and a winner. Don't sacrifice a valuable RB or anyone like that if you need a backup QB before he returns, though. I wouldn't adjust the Titans offensive players, really. Kerry Collins will fill in.
Brodie Croyle - Separated shoulder, out for 2-4 weeks. He shouldn't be on a 10-12 team roster anyways, but drop him if he is. Upgrade Chiefs offensive players as Damon Huard is a solid veteran who should move the offense more efficiently.
Alex Smith - Fractured shoulder, out for the season. Dunno why you'd have him, but drop him if you do.
RB:
LaDainian Tomlinson - Turf toe, day to day. LT mentioned after the game that he hurt his toe, but that it wasn't serious. This doesn't seem to be a big issue at the moment, but keep an eye on it. *update* LT returned to a full practice on Friday and looks likely to play on Sunday. I'd have Sproles lined up just in case, but it looks like the worries thus far should prove fruitless.
Marion Barber - Bruised ribs, day to day. I have him on both my teams, so I was obviously concerned when he left the game and didn't return. X-Rays were negative, all reports have been positive so far, and Barber himself stated that he didn't expect to miss any time. Keep an eye on his practice schedule, but he should be good to go on Monday night. *update* Practiced without any problem. No issue here anymore, and Barber is ready to go in week 2.
Joseph Addai - "Head injury", day to day. Lance Briggs about decapitated him last night, and he didn't return. Given his penchant for suffering minor injuries, keep an eye on his practice schedule. This shouldn't be a major concern, though. *update* Addai has practiced all week and will be ready to go in week 2.
Maurice Morris - Knee sprain, out for week 2. Morris is scheduled to undergo a MRI today to find out what's wrong with his knee. There's still no news on exactly what is wrong, but he won't play this coming week. Julius Jones is a potential RB2 option.
Darren McFadden - Neck stinger, day to day. McFadden left Monday night's game in the 2nd half with a shoulder injury and did not return. Given the nature of the blowout that was happening, that's probably why he was kept out. It doesn't appear to be a big concern. *update* McFadden has practiced without problems and is ready to go in week 2.
Pierre Thomas - Ankle injury. Thomas left the game with a minor ankle injury, and shouldn't have any problems. *update* Thomas hasn't missed practice time and will be ready to go in week 2.
WR:
Nate Burleson - Torn ACL, out for the season. Burleson's knee buckled on him as he came out of a cut in a route, and he tore his ACL. He was easily the most consistent WR for Seattle on Sunday, so the passing game is now without a proven wideout on the entire team. This is horrible news for Matt Hasselbeck.
Drew Bennett - Fractured foot, out 6-8 weeks. Drop him. Bennett took an awkward hit and was immediately in a lot of pain. He might eventually be placed on IR depending on what happens to the roster during his recovery. Bennett was the only capable WR the Rams have outside of Holt, so this is bad news for the Rams passing game. Expect Holt to face double-teams almost every down.
TE:
Dallas Clark - Knee sprain, unknown. Like others above him, Clark left the game with a knee sprain and did not return. *update* There is no timetable on Clark's return, and he is questionable for week 2. He appears unlikely to play, however. Look elsewhere if you haven't picked up someone like Rosario or Fasano already. John Carlson is another option.
OL:
Vince Manuwai/Maurice Williams - Manuwai tore his ACL while Williams tore his biceps. Manuwai is gone for the year, and Williams is gone for at least two months, possibly the season as well. These two were the starting guards for the the Jaguars. Plus, top G backup Uche Nwaneri also suffered a knee injury. This is horrible news for the Jaguars offense, especially Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew.
QB:
Tom Brady - Torn ACL (possibly more), out for the season. Drop him in all redraft leagues. Downgrade the entire offense, obviously, as the extra carries the running game is likely in store for will offset the scoring chances lost by a less productive offense. Hopefully you heeded my over-valued call on Brady this year. I obviously wasn't expecting this, but he certainly isn't matching last season's production now. Matt Cassel will be the starter unless he stinks up the joint.
Vince Young - Torn MCL, out for 2-4 weeks. I'd keep him if possible because there's still untapped upside and he is a hard worker and a winner. Don't sacrifice a valuable RB or anyone like that if you need a backup QB before he returns, though. I wouldn't adjust the Titans offensive players, really. Kerry Collins will fill in.
Brodie Croyle - Separated shoulder, out for 2-4 weeks. He shouldn't be on a 10-12 team roster anyways, but drop him if he is. Upgrade Chiefs offensive players as Damon Huard is a solid veteran who should move the offense more efficiently.
Alex Smith - Fractured shoulder, out for the season. Dunno why you'd have him, but drop him if you do.
RB:
LaDainian Tomlinson - Turf toe, day to day. LT mentioned after the game that he hurt his toe, but that it wasn't serious. This doesn't seem to be a big issue at the moment, but keep an eye on it. *update* LT returned to a full practice on Friday and looks likely to play on Sunday. I'd have Sproles lined up just in case, but it looks like the worries thus far should prove fruitless.
Marion Barber - Bruised ribs, day to day. I have him on both my teams, so I was obviously concerned when he left the game and didn't return. X-Rays were negative, all reports have been positive so far, and Barber himself stated that he didn't expect to miss any time. Keep an eye on his practice schedule, but he should be good to go on Monday night. *update* Practiced without any problem. No issue here anymore, and Barber is ready to go in week 2.
Joseph Addai - "Head injury", day to day. Lance Briggs about decapitated him last night, and he didn't return. Given his penchant for suffering minor injuries, keep an eye on his practice schedule. This shouldn't be a major concern, though. *update* Addai has practiced all week and will be ready to go in week 2.
Maurice Morris - Knee sprain, out for week 2. Morris is scheduled to undergo a MRI today to find out what's wrong with his knee. There's still no news on exactly what is wrong, but he won't play this coming week. Julius Jones is a potential RB2 option.
Darren McFadden - Neck stinger, day to day. McFadden left Monday night's game in the 2nd half with a shoulder injury and did not return. Given the nature of the blowout that was happening, that's probably why he was kept out. It doesn't appear to be a big concern. *update* McFadden has practiced without problems and is ready to go in week 2.
Pierre Thomas - Ankle injury. Thomas left the game with a minor ankle injury, and shouldn't have any problems. *update* Thomas hasn't missed practice time and will be ready to go in week 2.
WR:
Nate Burleson - Torn ACL, out for the season. Burleson's knee buckled on him as he came out of a cut in a route, and he tore his ACL. He was easily the most consistent WR for Seattle on Sunday, so the passing game is now without a proven wideout on the entire team. This is horrible news for Matt Hasselbeck.
Drew Bennett - Fractured foot, out 6-8 weeks. Drop him. Bennett took an awkward hit and was immediately in a lot of pain. He might eventually be placed on IR depending on what happens to the roster during his recovery. Bennett was the only capable WR the Rams have outside of Holt, so this is bad news for the Rams passing game. Expect Holt to face double-teams almost every down.
TE:
Dallas Clark - Knee sprain, unknown. Like others above him, Clark left the game with a knee sprain and did not return. *update* There is no timetable on Clark's return, and he is questionable for week 2. He appears unlikely to play, however. Look elsewhere if you haven't picked up someone like Rosario or Fasano already. John Carlson is another option.
OL:
Vince Manuwai/Maurice Williams - Manuwai tore his ACL while Williams tore his biceps. Manuwai is gone for the year, and Williams is gone for at least two months, possibly the season as well. These two were the starting guards for the the Jaguars. Plus, top G backup Uche Nwaneri also suffered a knee injury. This is horrible news for the Jaguars offense, especially Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew.
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