Fantasy Football Friday Morning Injury Update: Maurice Jones-Drew and More

As we head into the weekend, let’s check out the injury status of some of the top fantasy options:

Marques Colston was limited in practice due to an illness
The early word is that he will be practicing in full come Friday, so keep a close eye on that.  If he isn’t, there will be some mild concern heading into Sunday, but not enough.  He was the No. 1 WR on our early rankings (click here to view) and should post big numbers against the Rams.

Maurice Jones-Drew was limited in practice due to a knee injury
Yeah, he’s been limited in practice, but there has been no indication, at least at this point, that he’s going to be hindered come Sunday.  He has six touchdowns and 407 yards in his last three games.

LaDanian Tomlinson did not practice Wednesday with a hip injury
He was given Wednesday off, but did practice on Thursday.  That leads us to believe that he will be in the line-up on Sunday against the Eagles, a team that allows under 100 yards rushing per game.  He was ranked 16th in our initial RB rankings (click here to view).  The injury concern could drop him a few spots, but he is still usable as a RB2 for this week.

Roddy White was limited in practice due to a knee injury
The injury has lingered for a few weeks, but he’s still performing like one of the best receivers in the game.  He may have been held in check in Week Nine against the Redskins (3 catches for 27 yards), but he had at least one TD in five of his six games before that.  Look for him to have another strong game against the Panthers.

DeAngelo Williams was limited in practice due to a knee injury
There is no reason to expect him not to be in the line-up on Sunday, where he will take on the Atlanta Falcons (allowing 123.5 yards per game on the ground).  He’s rushed for 149 yards or more in three of his last four games, so it’s pretty clear that he’s one of the hottest backs in the league right now.  He’s an RB1 in all formats, injury concerns or not.

Matthew Stafford was limited in practice due to a knee injury
He’s been back for two weeks, but the results have been unspectacular to put it mildly.  He’s thrown six interceptions and completed less than 50 percent of his passes while throwing just one touchdown.  He’s not usable in any format at this point, so just keep him stashed on your bench until he gets things back on track.

Calvin Johnson practiced in full
He returned last week, catching two passes for 27 yards, but it is easy to point to Matt Stafford’s performance as a reason for his lackluster performance.  Now that he’s practicing in full, you have to be more comfortable with him.  He’s a must use option in all formats.

Lance Moore did not participate in practice due to an ankle injury
It’s been a few weeks since he’s practiced, so it appears that he is once again not going to be on the field come Sunday.  Robert Meachem, who had five catches for 98 yards and a touchdown in Moore’s absence in Week Nine, becomes a solid option as a WR3 if you are in need of a fill-in there, especially taking on the Rams.

Terrell Owens did not participate in practice due to a hip injury
He has been pretty bad this season, though the matchup against the Titans would have been a promising one.  While he’s just a potential WR3 for the upcoming week, I would not yet write him off.  Follow the news in the coming days before ultimately making the decision.

Trent Edwards practiced in full
I know, this is exciting news, right?  He returns from a concussion after struggling over the first few weeks.  The Titans defense has been coming around of late, so I certainly wouldn’t trust him at this point.

Justin Gage did not participate in practice due to a back injury
He’s expected to miss the game after it was discovered that he actually fractured a few small bones in his back.  Kenny Britt steps into his spot and while he’s not a very good option, in deeper formats he is potentially usable. 

The biggest concern with the Titans trio is that you never know who is going to be the main focus of the offense, but with Gage out, Britt and Nate Washington should see a few extra looks.  If you had the choice, I would look at Washington over Britt, however.

Brandon Marshall practiced in full
There is absolutely no reason to worry about him.  He was a monster on Monday night against the Steelers, catching 11 passes for 112 yards, and could easily follow that up with a strong game against the Redskins.

Ladell Betts did not participate in practice due to an ankle injury
With Clinton Portis out this week due to a concussion Betts was expected to see the lions share of the carries.  Unfortunately, this news detracts from that hope, at least a little bit.  It’s hopeful that he still starts on Sunday, but we are going to have to carefully watch the news over the weekend and his ability to practice today.  If he plays, he’s a potential RB2 or definitely a FLEX option in all formats.

Anquan Boldin practiced in full
Upset after being scratched last week, he’s going to start this week.  I think there’s little doubt about that.  He’s a must use in all formats.

Steve Breaston was limited in practice with a knee injury
This is par for the course with him in 2009.  He should certainly be on the field this week, returning to his No. 3 receiver role.  Against the Seahawks, that makes him a low end WR3.

Jermichael Finley did not participate in practice with a knee injury
While he may play, he’s been out since Week Seven.  Couple that with the lack of practice to prepare for the game and it is hard to imagine gambling on him this week.  He could return to be usable in Week 11, so just wait and see what happens.

Brian Westbrook practiced in full
A concussion has kept him out of the line-up for two weeks, he now appears primed to regain his role in the Eagles offense.  However, LeSean McCoy is sure to remain in the mix, having rushed for 136 yards and added 71 in receptions in his absence.  Keep that in mind.

Antonio Gates did not practice on Wednesday with a foot injury
He returned to practice yesterday, having missed Wednesday’s practice.  It has been par for the course, so there is nothing to worry about.

Jamal Lewis was limited in practice with an ankle injury
Does anyone care?  Even when healthy he’s just a borderline option, so there is no need to be adjusting your rankings based on this news.  He’s more of a FLEX option than anything.

What are your thoughts on the injury news?  Which do you find most troubling?  Who are you not concerned about?

Need more help in trying to decide who to start this week, check out our Week 10 Rankings:

• Quarterbacks
• Running Backs
• Wide Receivers
• Tight Ends
• Kickers
• Defenses

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