Before anyone begins to get too comfortable with their rankings and pages upon pages of draft notes, you might want to take a deep breath, grab some Tylenol and gaze upon the ever growing injury report coming out of the NFL right now.
I know, and we only completed one freaking preseason game. Between the injuries and training camp battles, there's enough information to keep anyone busy.
The only comfort I can offer all of you is the fact that, at least this list isn’t entirely comprised of the fantasy elite (well maybe one or two are on this list, but I promise you no more).
I tried to mix in 5 players for those of you in IDP leagues, and 5 offensive players but remember, this list is actually a lot longer, it's just not comprised of any more Top 100 fantasy players.
Let’s take a look.
| Caveat: All injury information is the latest information available as of August 16th, 2010 |
| 10. CB Al Harris – GB: The cards are stacked against a miraculous return for Harris, opening the door for Tramon Williams and even Morgan Burnett. Harris tore 5 major components in his knee last year; a very rare injury, so the likelihood of a return this year is very low reports The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. |
| 9. LB Thomas Davis – CAR: Davis was hoping for a return in December—at best—as he continues to heal from a torn ACL procedure, but either way Davis will be a non-factor in the 2010 fantasy season. Any linebacker that plays in the Carolina system at WLB is bound to have good fantasy numbers, so Davis’ replacement Jamar Williams could have some sleeper value moving forward. |
| 8. RB Marshawn Lynch – BUF: Lynch was diagnosed with an ankle sprain after he went down in the Bills’ preseason opener, and is slated to miss 3 to 4 weeks reports Buffalo News. The problem here is a double edged sword. One the one hand, we don’t know what type of sprain; therefore, we won’t know how it will affect his explosiveness off the line of scrimmage. |
| 7. WR Torry Holt – NE: Well it’s official: Holt is done for the 2010 season. The Patriots have put the seven time Pro-Bowler on injured reserve with a knee injury which will shut down his season. There was a rumor that Holt wasn’t going to even make the team, despite many fantasy owners holding out hope for the contrary, so it may be time to even say goodbye to Holt altogether in fantasy. |
| 6. DB/S Darren Sharper – NO: The New Orleans Time-Picayune is reporting that there is no set time table for Sharper’s return from micro-fracture surgery on his knee. While this can be read as a good thing because there is no pressure, keep in mind it also could mean that Sharper could be put on the PUP list shutting him down for the first six weeks of the season. When we know, you’ll know. |
| 5. RB Fred Jackson – BUF: Jackson has been diagnosed with a broken bone in his left hand and will miss at least 4 to 6 weeks reports Buffalo News. The injury is definitely better news from the earlier speculation of a season ending injury, but it could also mean that C.J. Spiller’s stock could rise just a bit on most draft boards. |
| 4. DB/S Louis Delmas – DET: There has been little change for Delmas as he is dealing with a significant groin injury that continues to give him trouble. He was limited in 7 on 7, he’s been limited in individual drills, and the likelihood of playing in a preseason game is very low right now. Until things improve, Delmas could wind up being a risky IDP pick. We have Delmas currently ranked 13th. |
| 3. RB Ben Tate – HOU: Tate is done for the season after suffering what coach Kubiak described as a “very significant” ankle injury that will require surgery. This injury will send the fantasy stock of Arian Foster through the roof, and he should be climbing up the ranks at a torrent pace since Steve Slaton is still very much turnover prone. |
| 2. WR Steve Smith – CAR: Smith’s fractured arm is coming along nicely, and the WR is looking towards a possible return before Week 1, but until there is confirmation, we won’t know for sure. Coming back in Week 1 against the Giants and Michael Johnson (the guy who fractured Smith’s arm) is a top priority for Smith. We’ll keep you posted. |
| 1. LB Elvis Dumervil – DEN: Probably the biggest name on the injury list; Dumervil’s pectoral tear is likely to keep him out for the entire 2010 season, but beat writer Mike Klis believes Dumervil could return late in the season reports The Denver Post. The issue for fantasy owners is there is zero value in Dumervil this year, even if he does make it back by December. |
