NFL Player Injuries: 5 Injuries That Hurt Your Fantasy Team Most

The fantasy football season chugs on as we move towards Week 6. Injuries are a natural part of the game and a few stars have been injury plagued this year. 

The league has seen an abundance of hamstring injuries, and the usual amount of knee problems.

So which injuries hurt your fantasy team most in the hunt for the playoffs? 

1. Andre Johnson: Hamstring

The man is a fantasy staple. Andre Johnson went down in Week 4 with a hamstring injury and the timetable for his return is not set. Rotoworld has reported that Johnson is saying his return should be in as little as two weeks, but don't expect a full strength Johnson after that. 

After coming off three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and having five of those total in his career, he is regarded as the best receiver in the league, but drafters beware. Johnson missed the last few games at the end of last season and now a few games this season.

It will definitely hurt his future stock and the numbers he puts up this year. 

He hurts your fantasy team most because you most likely used one of your early picks to go up and get Johnson, who has been one of the most consistent fantasy performers in the NFL. Expect him to get back to full strength in two to three weeks and continue to produce big numbers.

He hurts your fantasy team greatly in the two to three weeks he is gone because we head into bye weeks and the bench can become thin. His hamstring shouldn't be a cause for season-plagueing concern.

2. Julio Jones: Hamstring

It was unknown how well he would produce coming into the season or how good he would be in the NFL, but Jones has been a solid producer thus far in the season. 

He currently has more yards than Andre Johnson on the season and left the fourth quarter of the game versus the Green Bay Packers with a hamstring injury. 

His timetable for return is unknown but it didn't look too serious. It hurts because after sitting on the bench for many games, he gained the start for what was thought to be a great matchup against a so-so Packers secondary. It ended up being his worst outing this year and he left the game early.

If the injury sidelines him next week it hurts teams that are in need of a solid WR2 in a pass-heavy offense. The presence of Roddy White allows Jones to gain good looks he otherwise wouldn't if he was the No. 1 receiver in Atlanta. 

The injury didn't seem serious, but if you have Jones as a backup to Johnson, or just at WR2 and it sidelines him, it hurts your fantasy team a lot. 

3. Mike Tolbert: Concussion

A solid flex start in all leagues, Tolbert left Sunday's game against the Broncos at halftime due to a concussion and we all know the treacherous road back from concussions. 

The procedure to getting back to practice and the field is long and requires players to pass cognitive tests, show no symptoms and get clearance not only from a team doctor but from an outside physician as well. 

Aside from the challenges to that, players usually struggle in their first games back from concussion. Tolbert has only two TDs on the year but gets a fair amount of touches and receptions and is a good start in PPR leagues. 

He hurts because it's hard to come by a solid flex starter that will produce and get looks week in and week out. If he doesn't return to the field, finding a replacement won't be easy and hurts your fantasy team.

4. LeGarrette Blount: Knee

This is one of the most intriguing injuries because the seriousness of it can't be gauged by when he came out. It was a blowout loss for the Bucs, so coach Raheem Morris could have hopefully been taking the precautionary route and nothing is wrong long-term with the knee of feature back LeGarrette Blount. 

On the other hand, we have no word from Morris or Blount about the injury. Both failed to comment about it and the only comment they offered Rotoworld was, "I just listen to what my doctors tell me." That is not exactly a positive statement, and if it wasn't a sidelining injury then why leave the press hanging?

It hurts because he had a breakout performance against the Colts, breaking the 100 yard mark and scoring a touchdown. Big things were expected against the 49ers, but falling behind early forced them to go to the passing game and limited touches for Blount. 

Many regard Blount as a Top 10 fantasy back in the league and this injury hurts your fantasy team because of the uncertainty of the injury and the fact that any injury to the knee can greatly hurt a player's stock.

5.Chris Johnson: Hamstring

Although he left the game as a precaution, Chris Johnson has had a disappointing season and has hurt any owner that drafted him. It's sad that we can compare his stats with Jamaal Charles, who was knocked out with an ACL tear in Week 2. 

He left the game after feeling a little tightness in his hamstring, not wanting to hurt anything. But it's alarming to fantasy owners because any setback is another reason he hurts your team. 

Although he most likely will return after the bye week, it causes concern because if it tightens up this game then in future games he could have the same problems. He is probably just getting into full Johnson shape after holding out in the offseason.

Have a good backup ready for Johnson in case this problem continues throughout the season.