Dez Bryant Injury: Fantasy Risk Too Great to Play Cowboys' WR Against 49ers

Right now, Dez Bryant's status for Sunday is unknown. Actually, if he ends up playing this weekend, we probably won't know it until Sunday.

Here's the problem. Let's say that an hour before kickoff, the Cowboys say that Bryant won't play. Your options are limited at that point. In some leagues, your actually can’t pick up anyone after the week’s games have started.

But even if that’s not the case, the Cowboys vs. 49ers play in the second fleet of games on Sunday, so your options for replacing Bryant would be limited.

You would only have people also playing at that time, or on Sunday or Monday night, to choose from.

Do yourself a favor and keep Bryant on the bench.

Wide receiver is a deep position. If you drafted well, then you should have a competent receiver available to you on the bench. Even if you didn't, it's not a position without options on the waiver wire.

So, let's say that you activate a guy who plays in the early games. Then, Bryant is actually able to play, but you can't activate him. That's a downgrade, right?

Well, it's probably not much of a downgrade. If it is, it's not as much as you think.

The 49ers' defense and secondary isn't incompetent. A big game from Bryant isn't exactly bankable. Could it happen? Sure it could, but it's not worth the risk of activating a player who doesn't play.

If Bryant does play, he will probably not be 100 percent healthy. A quad injury will greatly impact the effectiveness of a receiver.

Gregg Rosenthal of NBC Sports reports here that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones doesn't know what to expect from Bryant.

Earlier in the week, Jones said that Bryant will play. Now, he's saying it's a situation that needs to be monitored. That's regression, not progression.

Bryant is missing practices and the injury isn't progressing enough. Will it progress in enough time for Sunday? It could, but probably not to a point where Bryant would be terribly effective.

If you're looking at a guy to pick up, look at Devery Henderson. He's owned in fewer than 50 percent of ESPN leagues. With Marques Colston out and Lance Moore banged up, Henderson should factor into the Saints' offensive plan.

LIFE HURTS. THIS INJURY UPDATE BROUGHT TO YOU BY DICKIES.