The doc is in…the playoffs, that is. Are you? Let’s grab the charts and see what injuries will impact your week 13 matchups.
Philadelphia RB LeSean McCoy is still out with a concussion as is Eagles QB Michael Vick. This wasn’t much of a surprise but it makes RB Bryce Brown a strong play for this week. It’s no surprise that Brown performed so well on Monday night. Remember that he was rated AHEAD of Trent Richardson in 2008 when both were seniors in high school.
Another Brown that’s a little black and blue is Giants RB Andre Brown. He has a broken left fibula and is down for the year. David Wilson looks to be the new backup although the G-Men signed Kregg Lumpkin this week as insurance. Ahmad Bradshaw, should he stay healthy, looks to not have anyone to vulture carries from him anymore.
Chicago RB Matt Forte injured his ankle in the Bears’ thrashing of Minnesota last week. He’s been limited in practice but is expected to play. The Bears will be a little short offensively with WR Devin Hester out this week. He also takes a bit of the luster off of the Bears DST but certainly not enough to bench them.
For the Vikings, WR Percy Harvin is listed as questionable right now for this week against the Packers. It would be a huge boost to Minnesota to get him back in the lineup but check today’s official injury report for a real indicator of his status for the weekend.
Green Bay WR Greg Jennings is back to full practice and will play this week. Look for his role to be limited as he gets back up to speed following abdominal surgery four weeks ago. He should be full speed ahead for your team as you start the playoffs.
San Francisco K David Akers has reportedly been suffering through pelvic issues. Nate Kaeding and Billy Cundiff have been brought in for tryouts if Akers can’t go. Either way, look in another direction as the 49ers head to the Show-Me State to take on the Rams.
St. Louis WR Danny Amendola is listed as questionable and is again wearing the walking boot he sported this time last week. Yes, he got in the game against Arizona and had 1 catch for 39 yards but he’s still up in the air as of now. Like Harvin, keep an eye on the official injury report later today to get clued in on his status.
Detroit RB Mikel Leshoure is officially questionable with an ankle injury. He missed Wednesday but was back at practice yesterday. This looks to be more of a preventative measure at this point in the season and he has a favorable matchup against Indianapolis. Expect him to start and be productive against the Colts.
Jacksonville is still without Maurice Jones-Drew and could be another week before he gets back in the lineup. With Jalen Parmele done for the year with a groin injury, Rashad Jennings will be the lead back against a soft Buffalo rush defense. Montell Owens will also be worked in so the situation isn’t as desirable as it looks on paper. Jennings is a desparation start while Owens shouldn’t be owned.
The final two stops on the injury tour for this week are Oakland and Pittsburgh.
In the Steel City, QB Ben Roethlisberger is questionable for this week’s game at the Ravens. Big Ben has been dealing with a significant amount of pain since his rib injury three weeks ago against Kansas City. Pain is what it all comes down to for Roethlisberger. Can he handle the pain in his body and the pain the Ravens want to inflict on him? I wouldn’t put it past the Steelers to try and play him but the smarter move is to hold him out this week. Either way, there should be other quarterbacks on your roster or the waiver wire to take his place.
Regardless of who is under center for the Steelers, they will have the services of WR Antonio Brown for this week. brown sprained his ankle against the Giants and is ready to roll. Brown should still be on your bench, if you have him. If you don’t, there’s no real reason to dash to the wire and look for him.
Over in Oakland, RB Darren McFadden is finally practicing. Â McFadden was hurt, again, and missed time, again, but is actually in the possibility of playing football in December. Just like the Steelers above with Big Ben, the Raiders would be prudent to wait another week before potentially bringing McFadden back. It would be easy for him to reinjure himself this weekend against Cleveland.
Not because of the fact it’s Cleveland but because of the weather. A heavy weather system is dumping inches of rain in the Bay Area this weekend and will make the field very swampy. Keep that in mind when contemplating Raiders and Browns this week. The point is the field at O.co is going to look more like O.no and there should be no way McFadden plays. If the Raiders go a little more conservative. They should being where they are in the standings.
There are no fantasy-relevant injuries in Carolina/Kansas City and there is little if anything fantasy relevant in Arizona against the Gotham Butt Fumbles. I mean the Jets. Really. I do. Naw. I just wanted to say Gotham Butt Fumbles.
Always keep on eye on the last-minute inactives as well. There are going to be a lot of people listed on the injury report and some of them will be decided Sunday morning.
On that note, leave your questions below and good luck on Week 13.
–Doc
