Darren Sproles' Knee Injury Makes Him Even Bigger Fantasy Football Risk

Owning Darren Sproles in fantasy football this season has been something of a roller coaster, but it may finally be time to step off the ride.

Sproles injured his knee against the New York Giants on Sunday night, and it appeared rather serious. Fortunately, Geoff Mosher of Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia had some good news:

Coach Chip Kelly added more clarity to the situation, via Phil Sheridan of ESPN.com: “He’s got an MCL sprain, so we’ll see how long it’s going to be. It could be a week or two. We have a week off, he’ll get treatment and we’ll assess him when we get back.”

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

Sproles looked like a fantasy football superstar in the first two games but has not exactly lit up the stat sheet since then. Owners are likely hesitant at this point when any unfortunate news comes down the wire regarding Sproles, even if it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

Sproles tallied 71 rushing yards and a touchdown in his first game against the Jacksonville Jaguars and then followed that up with 152 receiving yards and a rushing touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts. In the past four games, though, he only has 114 combined rushing yards, 32 combined receiving yards and a single touchdown.

The worst part is that he only had 17 carries in those four games. It is impossible to score fantasy points without touching the ball.

The preseason assumption that Sproles would be a star in Kelly’s fast-paced offense may have been off, although the entire rushing attack has struggled at times this year. The Eagles are still only 15th in the league in rushing yards per game even after LeSean McCoy dashed New York for 149 rushing yards, and the offensive line has been suspect.

What's more, Sproles’ game is largely predicated on making quick cuts in space off of screen passes or kick returns. Yes, it is encouraging that the injury was not more severe, but there is no guarantee that he is going to be quite as explosive when he returns to the field. Knee injuries are tricky for shifty players, even if they aren’t particularly severe.

There are other fantasy options out there besides Sproles. In fact, there seems to be a new breakout running back every week in the NFL, whether it is Andre Williams, Branden Oliver or someone else. Even Storm Johnson found the end zone for the Jaguars on Sunday.

If you are in a fantasy league that gives individuals points for kick return yardage and touchdowns, then there is far less risk owning and starting Sproles when he recovers from this latest setback. The return game is where he offers the Eagles and fantasy owners the most value.

However, if we are to assume that you are in a standard league and only get points for your special teams and defense when it comes to returning stats, Sproles is just not worth the risk. It is best to look elsewhere or pounce on the next running back that gets an opportunity because of injury than to rely on Sproles. 

He was inconsistent at best before getting injured, and it is difficult to see any type of improvement if he is less than 100 percent moving forward. Trade Sproles while you have the chance.

Follow me on Twitter:

Follow @ScottPolacek