Andre Johnson Injury: Updates on Texans Star's Week 5 Status and Fantasy Value

Andre Johnson went down with an injury to his right hamstring yesterday, falling untouched and clasping at his leg in the second quarter.

Luckily for the Houston Texans, it does not seem that Johnson’s injury will put him on IR and the team still has a great chance to get him back soon as they continue the first playoff push in franchise history.

UPDATE: Sunday, Oct. 9 at 12:01 p.m. EDT by Donald Wood

Star wide receiver Andre Johnson will not be available for the Houston Texans today following surgery on his injured hamstring.

The Houston Texans official twitter page is reporting about the inactives for today’s game, including Andre Johnson:

As hard as it is to do, you have to take Andre Johnson out of your starting lineup. With the star receiver out for a few weeks, look to replace him with someone on your bench or through the waiver wire with a player like Eric Decker or Nate Washington.

UPDATE: Saturday, Oct. 8 at 3:05 p.m. EDT by Donald Wood

The Houston Texans are going to be without their star wide receiver Andre Johnson for at least two weeks after he suffered a hamstring injury and had surgery to fix the problem. Johnson will return soon and should be as good as he was before.

NFL Fantasy Guru is reporting on twitter about Andre Johnson’s status as a buy low trade option:

While I am usually never for making blockbuster trades with big risk, this is one of the times I would trade a big name for an injured big name. I would need depth at wide receiver, but I Would trade Roddy White for an injured Andre Johnson any day.

UPDATE: Friday, Oct. 7 at 4:00 p.m. ET 

The Houston Texans top wideout was asked when he thinks he'll be back, and HoustonTexans.com has his answer. 

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"If I had to pick a date, I would give it a couple weeks,” Johnson said. “You really can’t put a timeframe on it, but just my gut feeling right now, I would give it a couple weeks. It just depends on how it feels once the stitches come out.”

Out of any procedure I’ve ever had done, this is probably the best I’ve felt after I’ve had one done,” he said. “I’m pretty confident about this one."

“As far as my rehab, I haven’t felt any pain with any of the exercise I’ve been doing. I’ve been walking around normal. So actually, I’m pretty pumped. I wish I could go out there and try to run around today to see how it feels, but I have to just wait to get the stitches out and then we’ll go all out." 

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This is really good news to hear. Fantasy owners know that Johnson will be out, but the fact that he's feeling good about his return has to bring a smile to your face. 

As mentioned in previous updates, pickup Jacoby Jones as a replacement for Johnson because he's going to get a lot of looks on Sunday. 

Johnson will be back before you know it, and it sounds like there won't be much of a delay once these few weeks pass. 

UPDATE: Thursday, Oct. 6 at 8:45 a.m. ET by   Matt Faulconer

Stephanie Stradley of the Houston Chronicle has confirmed that Andre Johnson did have a surgical procedure on his hamstring.  

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He did have the procedure done yesterday. We’re not putting any timeline on anything right now. We just know that everything went well. The doctor feels good about it. Andre feels good about it. He should be back here sometime maybe this afternoon and we start our rehab and move forward. We’re going to miss him for a period of time. We’re going to have to have some guys step up and play well.

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If there is any good news to take from this, the club believes the surgery went well. Other than that, things appear a bit grim for fantasy owners, and Texans' fan.

Johnson is going to miss some time, but how much time? At this point no one is quite sure, but a surgery doesn't bode well for a quick recovery.

UPDATE: Wednesday, Oct 5 at 3:12 p.m. ET by Eric Bowman

The official Twitter page of the Houston Texans tweeted head coach Gary Kubiak's latest news on his top receiver. 

As mentioned in previous updates, Johnson underwent what was called a surgical procedure and not a medical procedure. 

This whole injury update about Johnson is very hush-hush, which the Texans have the right to do, but it is certainly frustrating to Johnson's fantasy owners. 

Johnson will be out at least three weeks, and we all hope he recovers well. Houston isn't likely to let up and reveal when they think he'll actually be back. For now, they'll take their time because that's what they need to do with the best player on their team.   

UPDATE: Wednesday, Oct 5 at 11:40 a.m. ET by Eric Bowman

Stephanie Stradley of the Houston Chronicle states that Johnson's time out will depend on how well he recovers from a surgical procedure.  

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Depending on how fast he recovers after undergoing a surgical procedure to prevent scar tissue from forming around a slight tear in his right hamstring, there's an outside chance Johnson might be ready for the Oct. 23 game against the Titans.

For what it is worth, I was told through a trusted source that Andre Johnson received Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy. I have not received confirmation from anyone with the team or his agent, given their stance that they are not going to comment on the specific procedure.

I have no idea on the details of the injury other than what has been reported "a slight tear in his right hamstring." That a player received PRP therapy can tell you nothing about how quickly they will return. All I know

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This is not what fantasy owners of Johnson want to hear, but they'll just have to deal with it. Houston can afford to take some time with Johnson and his hamstring injury because he is the most important player on the roster.

There is no need to rush his return because he is needed more later in the season, and if he gets back too early he could further injure himself. Houston doesn't need that, and neither do Johnson's fantasy owners. 

If you haven't already, go ahead and move Johnson to your bench as it looks like that will be his home for the next three weeks. Pickup Jacoby Jones if you can because his numbers should increase with Johnson on the sidelines. 

UPDATE: Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 6:47 p.m. EST by Brandon Galvin

Andre Johnson could miss three weeks after undergoing a procedure for his injured hamstring, according to Houston Chronicle's John McClain. 

Jacoby Jones is clearly a must-own for all fantasy owners. Matt Schaub's value takes a massive hit. Also expect teams to gear up to stop Arian Foster. Owen Daniels will be the primary target for Schaub. Thank the Football Gods Johnson will only miss about three weeks.

According to the Houston Chronicle, Texans head coach Gary Kubiak stated,

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"The way he went down was deflating because it was like he just got shot, and that scares the heck out of you. It's very difficult. He's the leader of our team and has been the leader of this franchise for a long time."

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Update: Tuesday, Oct 4 at 2:40 p.m. ET by Eric Bowman

Evan Silva covers the NFL for NBC Sports, and he tweeted today some on ESPN senior writer John Clayton's words. 

If Johnson's out for that long then this is a huge blow to the Texans. They're definitely not the same without Johnson on the field of play. However, it is best for him to sit a few weeks to rest up for the meat of their schedule.

The AFC South is Houston's for the taking, and they must beat up on their division foes. It will be harder without Johnson out there, but they can still win games because of Matt Schuab and Arian Foster.

Go ahead and put Johnson on the bench for at least Week 5 because it's very unlikely that he plays.  

Update: Tuesday, Oct 4 at 12:30 p.m. ET by Eric Bowman

ESPN senior writer John Clayton tweeted yesterday some conflicting news on Andre Johnson. 

The fact that they haven't ruled Johnson out is great news, but Clayton still doesn't think he will play. 

Johnson's time table has been up in the air from the start, and this certainly doesn't help. It's likely that Johnson will be a game time decision, so make sure you pay attention on Sunday if he's on your fantasy team.

It looks as though Johnson will be sidelined for this week, which is probably the safe move for the long run. After all, why risk him for the whole season just to play against the Raiders?  

Update: Monday, Oct. 3 at 6:05 p.m. EDT

Texans head coach Gary Kubiak confirmed on Monday that Andre Johnson would miss an "undetermined amount of time," via HoustonTexans.com.

Kubiak said Johnson was "still in the evaluation process" after undergoing an MRI on his right leg on Sunday night. He said he could be out anywhere from "three or four days" to "a few weeks" and the team is currently seeking a second opinion.

Johnson went down untouched on Sunday on a short reception up the middle in the second quarter of the Texans' 17-10 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was clutching behind his right knee and ended up leaving the game for good.

In Johnson's absence, No. 2 receiver Jacoby Jones would step into his shoes and Kevin Walter, Bryant Johnson and David Anderson would fill in at the No. 2 spot.

-Ryan Rudnansky

Update: Monday, Oct. 3 at 4:50 p.m. EDT

Two big updates for you guys on the Andre Johnson front.

Paul Kuharsky of ESPN is reporting that Johnson is going to get a few different options but he will definitely miss some time. 

On the fantasy news front, the Texans Official Twitter feed is reporting that coach Kubiak is going to use Jacoby Jones in Johnson's spot.

He is the most capable playmaker and has the best chance of replicating his production. 

Johnson is to undergo an MRI today at some point and we will report the results as soon as we have them.

According to Mike Freeman of CBSSports.com:

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“Some in the organization were privately saying they felt Johnson's chances of playing this week were extremely slim.”

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Adam Schefter, speaking on ESPN’s Monday edition of SportsCenter basically said that the team is not yet sure if it's a hamstring pull or strain and the extent of his injury should be revealed after the MRI. His status is completely unknown for Week 5 right now.

Even if Andre does not play next week, the team has a relatively easy matchup at home against the Oakland Raiders.

Arian Foster is apparently 100 percent healthy and played like it against the Steelers. Having both Foster and Johnson on the field would be incredible for the team but they will be able to manage for the time being.

It’s much more important to have Johnson healthy for a playoff run rather than an early season game against an inferior opponent.

Keep it tuned here for the latest news on Andre Johnson and his hamstring injury that will have a definite impact on his Week 5 status.