Fantasy Football Injuries: 7 Biggest Fantasy-Killers of All Time

Injuries can kill an NFL franchise. We've seen it happen.

However, injuries may have more of an impact on a person's fantasy team than anything else.

I mean, there is no worse feeling than watching your first-round pick tear an ACL in Week 4 and seeing your team left for dead a quarter of the way into the season, right?

Let's be honest, I would care about that more than my actual paying job.

Looking at an array of players, I've narrowed it down to seven studs—who in the last 15 years—were dealt a devastating blow that crippled your fantasy team.

Note: All players looked at were from the online-scoring era. So, post-1995. And if you feel I missed someone, shoot me a comment, there's such a wide number of players to choose from I'll probably agree with you.

Terrell Davis, 1999

However short-lived his career may have been, Terrell Davis was one of the finest running backs the league has ever seen.

He was also one of the most beneficial to fantasy owners.

In 1998, he produced then the third-highest yards total in NFL history with 2,008 yards.

According to databaseFootball.com, Davis' average draft position in 1999 was 2.5 overall. So when fantasy owners watched his Week 4 game with the Jets, they were none to pleased.

Terrell Davis would tear both his ACL and his MCL that week and be lost for the season, leaving his fantasy owners befuddled as to what is next.

The man who made the Mile-High Salute famous would never be the same player.

Priest Holmes, 2004 and 2005

In his first three years with Kansas City, Priest Holmes lit up stat sheets everywhere.

He ran for over 4,600 yards and 56 touchdowns from 2001-2003 causing him to be taken on average third overall in fantasy leagues in the '04 season.

Now even though he started off on the same pace in 2004, his season was cut short by a knee injury.

In 2005, fantasy owners had the same expectations—drafting Holmes at an average of seventh overall.

However, once again his season would be cut short when Shawn Merriman landed a hit on him that would injure his spinal column.

Holmes went from fantasy stud, to injury report regular in a matter of two plays.

I still to this day own his football jersey.

Daunte Culpepper, 2005

The caption of the picture shown should read as such, "The Demise of Daunte Culpepper's Career".

2004 was a year-for-the-ages for young quarterback Daunte Culpepper. He threw for over 4,700 YDS, 39 TDs and only 11 interceptions.

Apparently, the following season fantasy owners responded by taking him on average as the second quarterback overall behind only Peyton Manning.

Daunte responded by putting up free-agent numbers in the year's first six games, followed by sustaining serious knee damage in game seven. He would be lost for the season and become a perfectly good waste of a top-10 pick.

He would later leave the Vikings after a contract dispute. However, he'll never leave our minds as one of the hardest falls from glory in NFL history.

Shaun Alexander, 2006

Shaun Alexander's 2005 season was one that we'll never forget. His offseason was another one that I'll never forget.

I was wise enough to trade for Alexander in my dynasty league in '05—his MVP season with the Seahawks. However, when he was selected for the Madden '07 cover during the offseason, I freaked out.

Simply put, Shaun Alexander's 2006 season became a byproduct of the "Madden Curse."

He only played 10 games in 2006 and didn't break 1,000 yards.

The following years after that Alexander was never the same.

His decline isn't as dramatic as a Terrell Davis', but it's as well documented and surely disappointed fantasy owners everywhere.

Clinton Portis, 2006

Clinton Portis' decline from NFL star is as much accredited to Joe Gibbs as it is to his nagging injuries.

In 2006, coming off of another 1,500 yards season, Portis was taken on average at 11.9 overall in leagues.

However, his 2006 would be plagued with injuries. In Week 1 of the preseason, Portis dislocated his shoulder trying to make a tackle.

While he didn't miss much time, when he returned he wasn't the same runner.

Later that season, he would break his hand and land himself on Injured Reserve.

Making Portis' 2006 season one of the biggest disappointments in recent fantasy history.

Tom Brady, 2008

I don't think I need to go into too much detail about what happened to Tom Brady in Week 1 of the 2008 season. I mean, there is an actual NFL rule about it now.

What you should realize is that Brady's injury is the single biggest fantasy-killer of all time. Hands down. No questions asked.

The importance of a quarterback in most league formats caused so many owners to scramble and find a replacement.

On average, he was taken with the 6th overall pick and was the consensus No. 1 overall quarterback. 

Brady's knee killed fantasy teams. Brady's knee killed my fantasy team.

Arian Foster, 2011

Foster beats out Peyton Manning for draft-killing injury of the year for one reason. Foster's injury came after some leagues were already able to have their drafts. Meaning owners were able to plan for Peyton's problems.

Those who drafted early surely snagged Arian Foster with a top-three overall pick. I mean, who wouldn't after the year he had last year.

According to Fantasy Football Calculator, when it was all said and done, and all leagues had drafted, Foster was still taken at 2.9 overall.

Now, while it's unclear to the extent of Foster's injuries, he's already giving fantasy owners headaches.

If the hamstring is nagging, as I believe it to be, Foster's 2011 is going to go down as one of the most disappointing fantasy seasons in recent history.