Author: Scott Engel, Managing Director
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against the Bears, but he was able to finish the game and didn’t appear to be too hampered by the injury. He tweaked the muscle on a scramble in the second half when Hundley pulled up and slid head first. It’s a good sign that Hundley didn’t miss a snap, but hamstring injuries are notoriously tricky. According to the Inside Injuries algorithm, Hundley only needs a week of recovery time, which puts him on track to play in Week 11. He was a full participant in practice all week.
Philip Rivers LAC: concussion
Philip Rivers entered the concussion protocol on Monday and will have to get cleared by an independent neurologist in order to be eligible to play in Week 11. He was never tested for a concussion during Sunday’s game, and it’s not clear when he sustained the injury. Rivers was never sacked and was only hit once, though he was knocked down on a high-low combo early in the game that could have caused the injury.
The good news is that Rivers has never been diagnosed with a concussion in his 13-year career. The bad news is that once a player sustains a concussion, he is at a higher risk of having another one down the road. Even if he does clear the protocol in time for Sunday’s game, he will be an Elevated Injury Risk. Rivers was limited at practice on Wednesday but was upgraded to a full participant Thursday and Friday. He’s officially questionable for Sunday’s game, so he hasn’t cleared the final hurdle of the protocol yet.
Running Backs
Danny Woodhead BAL: torn hamstring
The Ravens are “not sure” if Danny Woodhead will be ready to play in Week 11 after being placed on IR with a torn hamstring in Week 1. This is the first week he is eligible to return, but he is still at least two weeks away from his Optimal Recovery Time according to the Inside Injuries algorithm. Woodhead himself was unsure about whether or not he would return for Sunday’s game. Given his Elevated Injury Risk and Below Average Health Performance Factor, Woodhead is still a few weeks shy of 100%. He might also need a few weeks after he returns to start looking like himself on the field again.
Woodhead will be a game-time decision. After such a long layoff, don’t expect Woodhead to play much even if he is active. He is not worth a start in any fantasy leagues yet.
Leonard Fournette JAC: ankle sprain
It looks like Fournette may have aggravated his ankle injury on Sunday. He was limited at practice on Wednesday and Thursday and then did not practice on Friday. Given his full participation in practice last week, it seems he suffered a setback. His lingering ankle and foot issues date back to his time at LSU, so any aggravation is worrisome. He is a High Injury Risk and his Optimal Recovery Time is two weeks according to the Inside Injuries algorithm. He won’t be healthy if he plays in Week 11.
Isaiah Crowell CLE: shoulder injury
Isaiah Crowell already injured his shoulder once this season, so we think this is an aggravation of a previous injury. He was limited at practice on Wednesday and Thursday, which lends us to believe that it’s not a serious aggravation. His Optimal Recovery Time is only one week, but given his history of shoulder injuries, he will remain an Elevated Injury Risk. Crowell was not on the Browns final injury report.
Ty Montgomery GB: ribs injury
Ty Montgomery suffered a multiple fractured ribs in Week 4 that held him out of one game. The injury has lingered throughout the season, and Montgomery aggravated the injury on Sunday, forcing him from the game. This is likely a cartilage injury in the same location as the previous fractures. It is very painful to play through, and pain-management once aggravated is a major challenge. He did not practice all week and is not expected to play this weekend. Montgomery has been an Elevated Injury Risk for the past few weeks and will remain that way if he tries to play through the injury. The Optimal Recovery Time for Montgomery is three weeks.
Terrance West BAL: calf strain
West hasn’t seen the field since injuring his calf in Week 5 but has returned to a full practice this week. This puts him on track to play Sunday against the Packers, but his role is uncertain with a crowded Ravens’ backfield. He isn’t worth a spot in any fantasy lineups.
Eddie Lacy SEA: groin strain
Eddie Lacy resumed practicing on Thursday after injuring his groin in Week 9 against the Redskins. He is expected to return for Week 11, but he is still two weeks away from his four week Optimal Recovery Time. Lacy is a High Injury Risk according to the Inside Injuries algorithm, which means he won’t be healthy if he plays on Monday.
Wide Receivers
Dez Bryant DAL: ankle and knee injuries
Dez Bryant did not practice on Wednesday due to the knee and ankle injuries he has been dealing with for the past few weeks. He was back as a limited participant on Thursday, so he will likely play again this week but won’t be healthy. Last week Bryant only got in a limited practice Friday before playing on Sunday against the Falcons, so we expect him to be available for Week 11. He is still a High Injury Risk, so if he plays through the injury again, he will continue to be less than 100%. Bryant’s Below Average Health Performance Factor also makes him someone to avoid in fantasy lineups.
Demaryius Thomas DEN: knee injury
Thomas played the entire game last week despite being limited in practice with hamstring injury. He then popped back up on the injury report on Wednesday with a knee injury. There doesn’t seem to be much concern about his Week 11 availability, but Thomas has been beaten up repeatedly this season. Multiple lower body injuries is not a good sign of overall health. He is a High Injury Risk.
Marqise Lee JAC: knee injury
While Lee hasn’t been getting in much practice time in recent weeks, he has been able to perform well come game-time. His knee injury has become a nagging issue, and continuing to play through it isn’t doing him any favors. It’ll be almost impossible to shake until he takes the time to rest and rehab, but we doubt the Jaguars will sit him if he’s still able to perform on Sundays.
Jordan Matthews BUF: knee injury
Jordan Matthew is always an injury risk, so it’s concerning anytime he winds up on the injury report. He was limited in practice this week with knee soreness, an issue that has become a chronic concern. It’s likely that the Bills are just trying to get him some rest by limiting his practice reps, but he still isn’t worth much this weekend against a solid Chargers secondary.
Julio Jones ATL: ankle sprain
Julio Jones has been limited in practice this week with an ankle injury that he has been battling for the past two weeks. There isn’t any concern about Jones missing Week 11, especially given his ability to play through injuries. Hip, back, and toe injuries have also hampered Jones this season.
Zay Jones BUF: knee injury
Zay Jones suffered a knee injury in Week 9 and tried to play through the pain before eventually being taken out at the end of the fourth quarter. He missed last week’s matchup to the injury but is expected to make a return for Week 11. Jones was removed from the final injury report. He practiced in full this week, but with Kelvin Benjamin taking over at No. 1 duties, he isn’t going to much of a fantasy option.
Kenny Stills MIA: back injury
Kenny Stills left practice on Thursday after suffering a back injury and was not at practice on Friday. While the Dolphins don’t believe it is a serious injury, he is in a race against the clock after injuring himself days before the game. Even a minor back injury comes with a two week Optimal Recovery Time. He was also hampered by a hand injury earlier in the season. Still could wind up being a game-time decision.
Danny Amendola NE: knee injury
Danny Amendola almost never puts in a full practice, so we aren’t concerned about his limited label for this week. His knee injury is still giving him problems, and he probably won’t be able to shake it until he takes two weeks off to rest it.
Alshon Jeffery PHI: ankle injury
He was a late add to the injury report this week, but Alshon Jeffery was limited in practice on Thursday and Friday with an ankle injury. He is officially questionable for Week 11. Coach Doug Pederson admitted that the injury has been “lingering for a while,” which is never good news. Jeffery has had back-to-back solid games, so he has proven that he can still put up a good performance even while less than 100%. According to the Inside Injuries algorithm, he needs two weeks of recovery time.
Tight Ends
Charles Clay BUF: knee surgery
Charles Clay was sitting out of Wednesday practices even before he underwent knee surgery, so it wasn’t much of a concern to see a DNP this week. He returned to practice on Thursday, which puts him on track to play in Week 11. He made his return last week after undergoing arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn meniscus and MCL sprain but didn’t put up great numbers. He remains two weeks away from his Optimal Recovery Time.
