Free Fantasy Football Injury Report & Draft Information

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Injury News September 24th

Dwayne Bowe was limited in practice on Thursday when he was favoring his right knee. He was able to ride the bike, but really didn't do a lot the rest of the day. The Chiefs weren't saying much, and it doesn't appear to be serious. As of now I would say expect Bowe to play, but just monitor the news for the next couple of days to be sure that this situation doesn't worsen.

DeSean Jackson has a groin strain which he played through last week (quite well I might add) and it looks as though he will play again. He did not practice on Thursday, but is saying that he is feeling better and will play. I would go into this Sunday with him back in your lineup.

Adrian Peterson is nursing a slight back injury but all signs are pointing that this is no big deal. He was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday, but was back fully on Thursday and he should be fine for the matchup with the 49ers on Sunday.

Percy Harvin might have the Swine Flu. Ok, he probably doesn't, but when asked about it head coach Brad Childress basically said that he wasn't a doctor. He did not participate in drills in practice on Thursday, but he is a third receiver that I would expect to play. With the technology that team's have at their disposal nowadays, I would be shocked if they couldn't get him healthy enough to play a game three days from now.

LaDanian Tomlinson has now missed two consecutive days of practice with his ankle injury and I have to say that I am starting to get concerned that he will not play again on Sunday. I would start making alternate plans for Week 3, as it appears that he will miss another game. If he doesn't practice on Friday he will be a longshot to play.

Marion Barber and his injured thigh have not quite been ruled out of the Monday night game against the Panthers, but I still think that he won't play. He was a limited participant in practice on Thursday, and the Cowboys are still saying that there is a chance that he will play. I'm not counting on it, but I would make alternate plans.

Matt Hasselbeck also didn't practice with his cracked rib and I would be completely shocked if he played this week. This should be a 2-3 week injury at the least, and plan on Seneca Wallace being behind center on Sunday. He shouldn't be in your lineup because he won't help you in fantasy, so get your backup ready if Hasselbeck is your guy.

Wes Welker was back to practice, even though it was on a limited basis. He did not practice on Wednesday, but at least participated in some drills on Thursday. Trying to figure out if he is going to play and getting info from the Patriots about injuries is crazy. Hopefully he will play, and the fact that he is back at practice is encouraging.

Jamal Lewis was not at practice on Thursday as he tries to recover from a hamstring injury he suffered last week against the Broncos. Even if he does play at this point, which looks unlikely, the Browns are playing Baltimore, so do you really want a less than 100% Jamal Lewis in your lineup going against the Ravens? I think not.

Donovan McNabb is still not at practice nursing that cracked rib and it is all but assured that he won't play on Sunday. Kevin Kolb should get the start again.

Antonio Bryant has been able to practice, but on a very limited basis and he shouldn't play again in Week 3. Bryant has a bone bruise in his knee, and I really think that this is going to hold him out longer than the Bucs are letting on.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Injury News September 18th

LaDainian Tomlinson will not play this Sunday due to that ankle injury, and Darren Sproles will start in his place but expect Michael Bennett to also get some carries. Tomlinson had his foot in a boot to try to get himself ready for Sunday, but he has officially been ruled out. Might not be a bad thing against a very physical Ravens defense. This likely will be a one week injury, but keep your eye on the news for this one.

Greg Jennings was limited in practice all week with a wrist injury, but head coach Mike McCarthy admitted that they were just being cautious with Jennings and he doesn't expect this to effect his play on Sunday.

Matt Cassel is listed as being questionable after he was limited in practice all week long, and will again be a game time decision. Brodie Croyle will start again versus the Raiders if Cassel can't go. He is still healing from the MCL sprain that he suffered during the preseason, and if he doesn't get in there this week, you can plan on him being back in Week 3.

Pierre Thomas is listed as questionable for the game on Sunday as he is still recovering from the MCL injury he suffered during the preseason. Given the good game by Mike Bell last week, I would speculate that Thomas won't play, but again, that is a gut call. Even though there have been some rumors that Thomas might be worse off than the team is letting on, I would be surprised if he missed more than this week.

Donovan McNabb is listed as doubtful for the game Sunday with the fractured rib, and there is almost no chance that he will play. Andy Reid has said that McNabb has shown improvement each day of the week, but it is still a long shot to see him in there. The improvement makes you feel optimistic that he won't miss extended time, but look for Kevin Kolb to be under center this week for the Eagles.

Wes Welker is listed as questionable, but was also questionable last week and pretty much did the same amount at practice. The way the Patriots operate, don't be surprised if he is on the injury report for months. Look for Welker to play on Sunday against the Jets.

Antonio Bryant will be a game-time decision for Sunday but is considered a huge long shot to play on Sunday. In fact, word is they are worried about his health going forward and they may have rushed him back from his preseason torn miniscus. Not good news if you own Bryant, get him out of your lineup.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh was back to practice on Friday after having back spasms all week long, he is listed as probable and you should expect him to play.

Deion Branch doesn't look good as he is still suffering from a hamstring injury he suffered in practice before the season started. He did not practice on Friday, and you should likely look for another option this week. He will more than likely miss the game.

Shonn Greene looks like he will play on Sunday as he is listed as probable. Greene has been dealing with a rib injury, but expects to see the field against the Patriots. If you have him I wouldn't start him this week in his first game of the year, I don't expect him to see many carries against New England.

Bo Scaife will not play on Sunday due to swelling in his knee from an injury he suffered during the opening game of the season. Look for Jared Cook to get more playing time.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Injury News September 12th

Wes Welker is questionable for Monday's game against the Bills with a hamstring injury, but he has been practicing on a limited basis. Welker hasn't played since the second preseason game, but it looks like he will be in there Monday night. If you had to make a decision on Welker in time for the Sunday games, I would assume he will be in there.

Anquan Boldin will be a game time decision for Sunday's game against the 49ers with his hamstring injury. He has been limited in practice all week long, and it seems like there is a decent chance he won't play. Check out Jeff Mans inactive blog to see if Boldin will be in there. If he doesn't play, Steve Breaston becomes a must play.

Pierre Thomas will not play on Sunday with a knee injury. Look for Reggie Bush and even Mike Bell to get some carries against the lowly Lions. Bush also becomes a must play in my opinion, while Bell is only play him if you are in dire need of an RB.

James Davis is questionable after a one car crash on early Saturday morning. Davis suffered an unspecified head injury and right now it is 50/50 whether he plays on Sunday. I would sit Davis for Week 1 anyway since the Browns are facing one of the better run defenses in the NFL in Minnesota. Look for more information Sunday morning on Davis, but right now, expect Jamal Lewis to get the majority of the carries.

Kyle Orton has not been named the starter for tomorrow's game against the Bengals yet, but he has practiced and looked pretty good all week long, so expect him to be in there on Sunday. Orton had a wicked finger injury in which his bone was sticking through his skin, but it appears that he will play, so if you were planning on it (and I hope you weren't) keep Orton in your lineup.

Matt Cassel says he is ready to go, but he will see if the coach feels the same way as Cassel is a game time decision against the Ravens. Even if he is able to play, his matchup against Baltimore isn't one that I would want to have to play. Try to find a better matchup for Week 1.

Matt Schaub has participated fully in practice over the last three days, and is listed as probable and should play on Sunday versus the Jets. Get him right into your lineup if you were planning on playing him.

Kevin Walter on the other hand doesn't look promising to play as he has not practiced all week long. Walter also has an injured hammy and if I had to bet right now I would say that he wouldn't be playing. Andre Davis stands to gain the most playing time from Walter's injury.

Marc Bulger just started taking snaps on his broken right pinkie, but is listed as probable and should play on Sunday against the Seahawks. Bulger didn't play in the Rams last three preseason games, but it now seems that he will be ready for the season opener. Keep your expectations low for the St. Louis signal caller.

Deion Branch is going to be a game time decision after injuring his hamstring on practice on Monday and barely being able to practice since. He will go through some pre-game drills to determine if he can play Sunday morning. Again, check out Jeff's inactive blog to see if Branch will be in there.

Bernard Berrian will be a game time decision with an injured hamstring, and hasn't played through most of the preseason. Berrian has been limited in practice all preseason, and if I were a betting man, I would assume that Berrian will not be in there on Sunday.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Injury News 9/9/09

Maurice Jones-Drew was back at practice on Wednesday, in pads, and participating in all the drills. He showed no signs of the injury he suffered in the team's last preseason game, and appears to be ready to go for the season opener on Sunday. Start him as your RB1.

Pierre Thomas on the other hand, did not practice on Wednesday, and if he doesn't practice on Thursday he might not be able to play this Sunday against the Lions. His sprained right knee is still giving him trouble, not to mention that he had to have stitches in the same leg that he cut on a fence while chasing his dog that got into his neighbor's yard. Are you kidding me? Looks like Thomas might not play, leaving Reggie Bush and Mike Bell to man the backfield in N'awlins.

Steve Breaston is still recovering from a bruised knee cap but is expected to be ready to go against the 49ers on Sunday. Breaston said that he is not back to normal, but will be in the lineup for the season opener. He did go through a full practice on Wednesday and you can play him this weekend if you were planning to originally.

Anquan Boldin, on the other hand, is still not back to practice, but Coach Whisenhunt said that there was a very good chance that Boldin will play on Sunday, and given his history I would put my chips down on it. The Niners defense isn't horrible, but I could see a big day for Boldin to start the year.

Johnathan Stewart returned to practice on Wednesday with his Achilles problem, but even if he does play on Sunday, I am skeptical of what his contribution will be. Stewart hasn't practiced in nearly a month, and now is just starting to do some work only days before the season starts. Unless you seriously don't have any better options, I would sit Stewart this week.

Matt Cassel is still hopeful to play in the first game, but if I were him, I would wait for Week 2 when my team wasn't playing the Ravens. Cassel injured his knee a few weeks ago and was supposed to miss some regular season time. He was in full pads in practice on Wednesday, even though he didn't participate in all the drills. Look for Cassel to get the starting nod, but not perform to expectations.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Injury News September 8th

Knowshawn Moreno is back to practice and will play this Sunday against the Broncos. He likely won't be 100% and will likely share carries in the first game, but nonetheless it is good to see the rookie back on the practice field and I am very interested to see how he does. He has a favorable matchup this week and could find the endzone, but he is a risky play for Week 1. After that he should be good to go.

Kevin Walter missed the final preseason game with a preseason game and will likely be deemed questionable for this Sunday's game against the Jets but I still believe he will play. There should be some more concrete info by this weekend, but right now I would figure on playing Walter this week.

Matt Schaub returned to practice on Tuesday, but coach Gary Kubiak still has not definitively said that he will start on Sunday against the Jets. Schaub took about half the snaps in practice, the first time that he had done that since hurting his ankle in the preseason game a couple of weeks ago. Rex Grossman would start in his place, but my guess is if you own Schaub you have a better option than Grossman.....at least I hope so. I still expect Schaub to play, but this is not the way his owners wanted to start the year.

Anquan Boldin missed practice today with a hamstring pull, and he will be listed as questionable for Week 1 against the 49ers. Personally, I would be very surprised if Boldin were to miss this first game, but Steve Breaston owners just got pretty excited reading this post. I will update this situation when something more concrete is available.

Clinton Portis missed the last preseason game with a rib injury, but the team is saying that he will be fine for the season opener. However, I don't like a running back having a rib injury, not to mention that he is playing against the Giants who have a stout defense.

Matt Ryan is dealing with some sort of undisclosed injury and missed practice, but this should have absolutely no effect on him playing in Week 1. If you are planning on starting him no Sunday, you can do so with no hesitation.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Injury News September 3rd

Maurice Jones-Drew will have an MRI on Friday on his injured lower leg after he left the preseason game in the first series. X-rays were negative, but Jones-Drew was clearly not happy when he left the field. We will have to wait for the results of the MRI, but it seems he will be less than 100% to start the season. In case you were wondering, Rashard Jennings is his backup.

Willie Parker was absent from the last two preseason games with hamstring and back injuries and he appears he will be ready for the first game, but it is against the tough Titans defense anyway, so he isn't a good play anyway. Parker has had his injury concerns the past couple of seasons, and this doesn't bode well for his season.

Reggie Bush missed his third straight preseason game with a calf injury, not to mention he is coming off offseason knee surgery. He is likely to be ready for Week 1, but considering his history, you can't feel very good about the fact that he is already hurt and the season hasn't even started yet.

Santonio Holmes didn't play in the Steelers last preseason game with a back injury, but he is supposed to be ready for the season opener. He had just one catch this preseason, but that shouldn't have any effect on where you draft him.

Carson Palmer sat out the team's final preseason game with that ankle sprain, but he is expected to be ready for the opening game. He was in uniform for the game, but knew that he wasn't going to play. Palmer has a chance, if he is healthy, to be a number one QB again.

Wes Welker missed another preseason game with an undisclosed injury. There is a chance that he might not be available for Week 1, but it is impossible to predict because the Patriots never give out any real information in the public.

Tom Brady didn't play in the team's last preseason game, probably because of that shoulder injury, but trying to get injury information is like trying to figure out the Matrix. There is no reason to think that he won't be ready for the team's first game.

Clinton Portis missed the Redskins final preseason game with a rib injury, but this is not considered serious and you can expect Portis to be ready for Week 1. Start him with confidence.

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