Danny Amendola Injury Update: How Is Rams Star's Elbow?

The St. Louis Rams lost their season-opening game to the Philadelphia Eagles 31-13 Sunday, but that wasn't even the worst news.

No fewer than three offensive stars, including wide receiver Danny Amendola, sustained injuries. Amendola's suffered a dislocated elbow during the fourth quarter. 

Injury Update

After the game, it was confirmed that Amendola's injury was, in fact, a dislocated elbow.

Based on how Amendola was bracing his arm as he walked off the field in Sunday's game, there was some speculation that it was more of a shoulder injury. That turned out not to be the case. 

When's He Ready to Return?

There are several conflicting reports speculating when Amendola will return. Head coach Steve Spagnuolo ruled him out for next week immediately after the game, but he declined to speculate any further than that.

Rotowire.com passed along a report by Adam Schefter of ESPN that said that he thinks Amendola might be able to return after the Rams' bye week in week six. Rotowire also referenced a report that put Amendola's time missed at eight to ten weeks.

The blog at NFL.com speculated earlier Monday that Amendola might miss the entire season.

Clearly, we will have to wait and see how quickly Amendola takes to rehab to truly know how long he will be out. 

Fantasy Impact

Amendola will leave gaping holes on many fantasy teams, particularly in PPR leagues, where he was a top receiver.

If you are in desperate need of a replacement, take a look at Greg Salas. Salas is bigger than Amendola, but he is a similar type of receiver.

Mike Sims-Walker's value will increase as well. Last week he didn't get very many looks. But he will in Amendola's absence, particularly if he gets some time at Amendola's slot receiver position. 

What They're Saying

Steven Jackson put all the injuries in perspective. In an Associated Press story on WashingtonPost.com, Jackson was quoted as saying, “Quite a few of us went down. Hey, if we’re going to have our injuries, let’s get them out of the way now, I guess.”

Given how inevitable injuries are during the NFL season and the relative short term nature of Amendola's injury at least, that seems like a smart way to look at it.