Fantasy Football Week 11 Injury Update: DeAngelo Williams and More

The NFL released the early Week 11 injury report yesterday, so let’s take a look at which players are on it that fantasy owners need to be concerned about (and should quickly grab a replacement) and who you can safely leave in your line-up:

Ronnie Brown has been put on injured reserve, ending his season
He was one of the best running backs in the game and the most important player to the Dolphins offense. Will they utilize the Wildcat offense as much? Will Pat White get significant playing time? Clearly, Ricky Williams is now a must own for fantasy owners, but it will be interesting to see how the Dolphins offense operates moving forward.

DeAngelo Williams did not participate in practice due to a knee injury
According to the Charlotte Observer (click here to view), John Fox indicated that Williams was simply “resting,” despite being listed as questionable. With that said, he’s a must use in all formats.

Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood did not practice
The early talk was that there was no way that Turner would play this week, but they have apparently softened on that stance. Is it just smoke and mirrors? I tend to think so. Norwood is being mentioned as a “long shot” according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution (click here to view the article), meaning Jason Snelling will likely get the start. While the Giants likely got healthier during their bye week, I’d still consider using Snelling depending on your other options.

Carnell Williams was limited in practice due to a knee injury
He’s rushed for over 50 yards in three of his last four games (and in the one he didn’t, he added 28 yards through the air). He’s likely to play in Week 11, though is nothing more than a FLEX option.

Pierre Garcon and Anthony Gonzalez did not participate in practice
At this point is anyone surprised by the news on Gonzalez? I think the question is if he will return, not when. As for Garcon, he’s being listed with an ankle injury, though this is not a new thing. He’s played in every game this season, but hasn’t had more than five catches or 71 yards in a game. He’s only an option in the deepest of formats at this point, even in the high-powered Colts offense.

Todd Heap did not participate in practice due to a rib injury
He was injured this past week, but wasn’t among our Top 12 tight ends (click here to view) for the upcoming week against the Colts anyways.

Clinton Portis did not participate in practice due to a concussion
Given what is going on with Brian Westbrook, why would the Redskins rush him back at this point? Don’t look for him this week and honestly, it would be a surprise to see him in the near future. Make your plans accordingly, but keep him stashed away.

Jamal Lewis was limited in practice due to an ankle injury
I want to recommend using him in Week 11. I really want to, especially given his matchup against the Lions. However, he’s only had more than 16 carries in a game once this season and has yet to find the end zone. He’s averaging just 3.6 yards per carry and there seems to be little hope for him exploding any time soon. Leave him for those in FLEX formats only.

Jermichael Finley fully participated in practice
He missed the past three games with a knee injury but is expected to return to the field this week. While he developed into a sleeper option thanks to a huge Week Four performance (six catches, 128 yards, one TD), it’s impossible to use him for the upcoming week. Tight end is a crapshoot to begin with and you really just don’t know what you are going to get out of him.

Julius Jones has been ruled out for Week 11
That means that Justin Forsett will once again get the bulk of the carries. He’s coming off a great performance against the Cardinals, but runs into a Vikings team allowing just 94.6 yards per game on the ground, the sixth best in the league. With this matchup, he’s more of a low-end RB2, high-end FLEX option.

Bernard Berrian was limited in practice due to a hamstring injury
He’s clearly lost his spot as the top receiver in Minnesota to Sydney Rice and has been struggling in recent weeks. Even in deeper formats there almost has to be a more reliable option available to you.

Reggie Bush did not practice due to a knee injury
All indications are that he’s going to play, which certainly is a good thing. He had a season-high 83 yards on the ground as well as scored two touchdowns in Week 11. If things change and he appears likely to miss the game, then the potential value of Pierre Thomas increases significantly. At this point, coming off a game where he rushed for just 37 yards against a subpar Rams team, he’s a tough play in shallower formats.

Cedric Benson did not participate in practice due to a hip injury
According to bengals.com (click here for the article), Benson, hurting from a hip abductor strain, “reiterated what he said Tuesday about healing fast and that it’s not a major injury.” At this point, just monitor the news all week before making any kind of decision.

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

Need help setting your line-up for the week? Check out our rankings:

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

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