Fantasy Football: Projecting Impact of Matt Schaub and Other Rehabbing Stars

Nothing can derail a fantasy football campaign faster, or send a remote control flying through the air with more velocity, than watching in horror as one of the stars of your fantasy team goes down with a serious injury.

2012 was no exception, as prominent players at every position, including a consensus top-10 overall pick, all saw their seasons cut short by injuries, leaving huge holes in fantasy rosters that many teams were unable to recover from.

Those stars have been diligently rehabbing in an effort to get ready for 2012, and here's a look both at how that rehab is progressing and the 2012 fantasy prospects for this batch of walking wounded.

Matt Schaub, QB, Houston Texans

The Houston Texans had the most successful season in franchise history in 2012, winning 10 games and advancing to the postseason for the first time.

This success is all the more remarkable given that the team achieved much of it without starting quarterback Matt Schaub, who suffered a Lisfranc injury that ended the ninth-year veteran's season after 10 games a year ago.

Schaub's rehab has progressed well, and although the team intends to rest Schaub during organized team activities this month it's believed he will be all systems go for opening day.

Matt Schaub was a top-10 fantasy quarterback in both 2009 and 2010. However, Schaub has also missed at least five games in three of the past five seasons, so fantasy owners drafting Schaub in the middle rounds as a low-end QB1 need to be sure to invest in a capable backup.

Jamaal Charles, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

There may well have been no more significant fantasy football injury last year than that suffered by Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles.

The fifth-year pro was a top-five pick in many fantasy drafts a year ago after exploding for over 1,900 total yards in 2010. However, a torn ACL ended Charles' 2011 season after all of 12 carries and caused the unfortunate demise of approximately 3,100 laptops that were thrown from windows by his fantasy owners.

Charles is reportedly ahead of schedule in his rehab, recently telling the Kansas City Star via ESPN that "If you're worrying about me not being the same, just look out for me this year. I'm hungry. I want it this year. I've got the passion for it. I just can't wait to play football."

Charles is currently ranked ninth in my fantasy running back rankings, but if the 25-year-old hits the field at or near 100 percent come September there's an excellent chance that he'll outperform his second round draft position this season.

Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota Vikings

If there was a running back that left fantasy owners cursing even more loudly than Jamaal Charles last year it was undoubtedly superstar Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings.

Peterson not only missed three games down the stretch a season ago but followed that up by tearing his ACL in Week 16, which just so happens to be the week that most fantasy football leagues hold their championship games.

An injury that severe that late in the season would seem to put Peterson's early availability for 2012 in jeopardy. However, the sixth-year pro is known to be a remarkably fast healer, and Peterson recently told USA Today that "I will be very surprised (if I don't play Week 1). I've been ahead of the schedule since Day 1."

The injury is of course a concern, and handcuffing Toby Gerhart to Peterson in fantasy drafts is a must. With that said Peterson is going as late as the third round of some early fantasy drafts, and given his tremendous upside, "All Day" could be the steal of the draft in that slot if he returns to form in 2012.

Kenny Britt, WR, Tennessee Titans

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Kenny Britt was one of the leading candidates in 2011 for the third-year "breakout" that many fantasy football enthusiasts look for in wide receivers.

Britt's season barely got off the ground though, as the talented yet injury-plagued wideout tore his ACL and MCL in Week 3, limiting him to only 17 receptions for the season.

The news hasn't gotten a whole lot better of late regarding Britt's rehab either. The 23-year-old underwent an arthroscopic procedure on the knee this week after experiencing swelling after workouts.

The surgery is reportedly supposed to help Britt's rehab, but after missing 17 games over the past two seasons, this latest news knocks a lot of the "sleeper" potential off Britt for 2012 and leaves him as a very risky choice as a fantasy WR2.

Tony Moeaki, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

If you're looking for a reason to delay your fantasy league's draft as long as possible look no further than the case of Kansas City Chiefs tight end Tony Moeaki.

After catching nearly 50 passes and finishing among the top 20 players at his position in 2010, many fantasy pundits were expecting big things from Moeaki in his second season in the NFL.

Those expectations went for naught when Moeaki tore his ACL in the Chiefs' last preseason game.

Moeaki told the Kansas City Star that he intends to be "at full strength" by the time training camp gets underway in July. The addition of free agent Kevin Boss may cost Moeaki a few targets, but the third-year pro still presents intriguing upside for fantasy teams that don't choose to use an early pick on an elite option at the tight end position.