By The Hudsonian, Joshua Hudson
If it’s not one thing, it’s another, am I right? Football is a brutal sport. Let’s take a look at how brutal it was for members of your fantasy teams.
WR Sammy Watkins (LAR) – After what was one of the most exciting Thursday night games I’ve seen in a long time, hidden in the excitement was Watkins’ exit with a concussion. As I said with Danny Amendola’s concussion after Week One, this occurred on a Thursday so he has time to get his head right before the Week Four contest at Dallas. After a break out performance with his new team, I’m sure fantasy owners everywhere are itching for a repeat performance against a rather pedestrian Cowboys secondary. If Watkins can’t go, look for Robert Woods to pick up the slack in his absence after having a solid game vs. the 49ers on Thursday.
WR Jeremy Maclin (BAL) – This was an abysmal game for the Ravens. And Maclin got his bell rung. He left briefly and was put through the concussion protocol but did return to the game. I mention this simply because he’s likely to be limited in practice, and therefore listed as questionable throughout the week. The Ravens face the Steelers this week so you know the team wants their best WR healthy, so they’ll limit him this week. He should play, but keep an eye on him.
RB Darren Sproles is likely delaying his retirement, a la Steve Smith Sr. in an effort to not end his career on a season-ending injury. Sproles broke his arm and tore his ACL in Sunday’s win over the Giants. (Photo from http://www.theeaglewire.usatoday.com)
RB Darren Sproles (PHI) – This hurt me in my soul. Not just because I’m an Eagles fan, but I love Darren Sproles. The little engine that kept on truckin’, Sproles suffered a double whammy in what was/is to be his final NFL season. He broke his arm and tore his ACL. On the same play. Could you have worse luck? In his absence, the Eagles are down to LeGarrette Blount, Wendell Smallwood, and the undrafted rookie Corey Clement. Look for Smallwood to see more of the pass-catching downs, making him a top waiver add this week.
WR Kelvin Benjamin (CAR) – Did you see the way Benjamin got tackled on Sunday? It wasn’t pretty. It’s actually miracle he didn’t suffer any structural damage to the knee. He left Sunday after only 2 catches for 8 yards. With no structural damage, he’s not likely to miss a ton of time, but I certainly would not count on him for at least Week 4. The Panthers have Devin Funchess and Curtis Samuel as next in line, but look for Christian McCaffrey to pick up even more receiving numbers after his 100 yard day against the Saints.
WR Michael Crabtree (OAK) – If facing the Redskins secondary wasn’t daunting enough, Crabtree exited the game with a chest injury. He didn’t return after taking x-rays in the locker room. Not much is known about the injury yet, but if Crabtree is forced to miss any time, Seth Roberts is a prime candidate to see opportunities opposite Amari Cooper. Roberts has 70 catches and 10 TDs the last two years, so he should be able to fill in for Crabtree nicely.
RB Samaje Perine (WSH) – A lot of hype surrounded the former Oklahoma Sooner (I admit, I was part of it) after the injury to Rob Kelley, and Perine didn’t do much to warrant it with only 49 yards on 19 carries. In the game, he suffered a bruised hand and did not return. He is considered day-to-day. But let’s be honest, the Redskins RB you want at the moment is Chris Thompson. The team is throwing and he’s catching so put two and two together everybody.
WR Doug Baldwin suffered a quad injury against the Titans on Sunday. Never a good injury for skill players who rely on speed. (Photo from http://www.12up.com)
WR Doug Baldwin (SEA) – Baldwin had himself a field day on Sunday, catching 10 balls for 105 yards and a TD. And then he injured his groin and that’s all she wrote. The team is still assessing how serious it is. Fantasy owners can’t afford to lose Baldwin, so hopefully he takes a page out of Jordy Nelson’s book and has a quick recovery. If not, Tyler Lockett and Paul Richardson are the top pass catchers for Seattle. And RB C.J. Prosise, who I like most of the three.
RB Matt Forte (NYJ) – Forte injured his toe and it was so severe, he didn’t return to the game. He’s scheduled for x-rays. If Forte misses significant time, that Bilal Powell breakout people were expecting should start to take shape.
K Cairo Santos (KC) – In a bit of Monday breaking news, the Chiefs added Cairo Santos to IR with an undisclosed injury. Kind of hard to report on it if the injury isn’t known, right? You all know I’m not overly fond of kickers, but Santos has been a reliable one, so hit the wire for the next man up.