Miles Austin Injury: Does Hamstring Hurt Dallas Cowboys or Fantasy Owners More?

There are a lot of NFL fans upset with the latest Miles Austin news.

The Dallas Cowboys receiver is dealing with a hamstring injury that ESPN’s Adam Schefter believes will keep Austin out until mid-October after the team's early bye week.

While Austin is listed as day-to-day on the injury report, most people assume he’ll be out for at least one game and probably two.

It begs the question...who is hurt more by the injury: the Cowboys or fantasy owners?

Dallas will be without their No. 1 receiver against their arch-rival Washington Redskins in front of a national Monday Night Football audience.

Both teams enter the contest at 1-1 and the winner gets a virtual two-game lead over the other when tiebreakers come into play.

With WR Dez Bryant also banged up, the Cowboys were forced to rely on a guy that needed a reality TV show to get him on the team.

With the running game currently in shambles, the offense is in deep trouble without Austin.

From a fantasy perspective…this is a huge blow.

He was the leading receiver in the entire NFL in standard ESPN leagues and was turning into the most reliable receiving option available. Losing the best fantasy receiver in the entire game is a huge blow for teams that are already trying to mix and match flex options.

Austin is a must-start every week after putting up huge numbers against the New York Jets and fantasy fans were beginning to give Austin the crown Roddy White and Andre Johnson used to wear.

Now Austin is a wasted roster spot for the foreseeable future and the waiver wire turns into your best friend.

Verdict: Cowboys

The offense is already unbalanced with a weak O-line and the shoulder injury of Felix Jones. QB Tony Romo has to have Austin to stretch the field and come up with the big play when the team begins to struggle.

It’s a tough blow to replace him in fantasy…but he is irreplaceable for the Cowboys.