Fantasy Football 2012: 4 Reasons Michael Vick Owners Should Monitor Him Closely

Philadelphia Eagles QB Michael Vick is an incredible and rare fantasy football talent. If Vick stays healthy and performs to his fullest potential, he just about guarantees any fantasy team a shot at a championship. 

However, it's crucial to carefully monitor Vick the entire season, as he presents the highest risk out of any starting quarterback out there. 

If you own Vick, make sure to keep a close eye on him and splurge on a solid backup.

Here's why. 

Injuries to Desean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin

While DeSean Jackson (hamstring) and Jeremy Maclin (hip) played on Sunday, they both battled injuries throughout the week and missed practices. They once again find themselves on this week's injury report. This week, the Eagles tweeted:

"

Injury report: Colt Anderson, King Dunlap & Jeremy Maclin did not practice. Riley Cooper & DeSean Jackson had limited participation.

"

In the near term, this is a non-issue as long as they are on the field. However, their health is definitely something to monitor. If one or both of them go down with injuries, Vick no longer has options down the field and his passing numbers will suffer.

Carefully monitor both Jackson and Maclin throughout the season. Try to avoid owning Vick and one of the two receivers, because an injury to just one of them could mean a sure-fire loss for your team.

Injury-Riddled Past

While Vick's play-making in the open field is one of his best assets, it's also his greatest risk and your biggest reason not to trust him.

Vick plays recklessly and has a long history of refusing to slide. He takes big hits in what seems like every game, which, of course, takes a huge toll on his health.

Last season, he broke several ribs while attempting to power through two defenders into the end zone and battled other issues throughout the year.

Essentially, the situation is lose-lose. If Vick plays conservatively, he stays healthy but puts up weaker rushing yardage. More likely, Vick will continue to use his legs and risk getting injured.

This play-making ability is why you drafted him, but it's also your biggest reason to have a solid backup ready (Ben Roethlisberger, Andrew Luck and the like).

If Vick goes down after another big hit, make sure you are prepared to replace him with a solid, lower risk QB.

Unsustainable Passing Performances

From a fantasy perspective, Vick has been solid through his first two games. He's put up a more than respectable 36 fantasy points, which puts him sixth among all QBs.

This pace won't continue. Vick is scoring most of his points through the air and is on pace for over 5,000 passing yards, while his career high is about 3,300. He has, more importantly, thrown six INTs this season—tops in the NFL.

It's impossible for Vick's passing rate to continue, especially with his career averages and how many mistakes he's been making.

Expect a drop in passing production from Vick. The only way he can maintain this level of point-scoring is on the ground, which puts him at risk for injury.

Age

While Vick's not entirely over the hill just yet, his age will catch up with him one day. It could even be this season.

Most running backs fizzle out before they hit 30, and with all the hits Michael Vick takes on a regular basis, 32 years old seems ancient.

Vick's best asset is his mobility. If his legs slow down or his body decides it can't take any more open-field hits, Vick could fizzle faster than most people expect.

Once again—if you own Vick, it is vital to splurge on a good backup.

One day, Vick will start playing his age.

On the chance that it's this year, owners need to be prepared.