NFL Injury Report: The Key Injuries That Could Cripple Your Fantasy Team

It happens to fantasy football owners every year.

You're cruising along, minding your own business, destroying all who dare to play you in your long-time, local fantasy league when...

BLAMMO!

One of your best players zigs, but his left ankle zags and suddenly you find yourself short one stud and losing that guy threatens to derail your whole season.

Goodbye trophy. Goodbye fabulous cash prizes. Goodbye offseason trash talk.

The key of course, is adjusting, is having enough depth on your bench to overcome injuries and to keep your team on top.

However, there are some players whose production you just can't replace with a waive of your wand.

The following guys are that type of player—ones you can't easily replace off the bench, some you probably took high and were counting on to carry you all season long.

These are the guys it will suck to lose.

So say a prayer, light a candle and hope the MRI comes back free and clear.

Andrew Garda is a Staff Writer at Footballguys.com, providing more than 50,000 pages of content every year.

NFL Injury Report: Andre Johnson

Johnson's injury was one that just kept getting worse the more you heard about it. First, it's a pulled hamstring. That's a concern because we all know how long those can linger.

Then we find out that he's going to need surgery to repair the hamstring.

Next thing you know, Johnson will be joining Peyton Manning injecting whatever the heck Manning shoots into his neck, into Johnson's hammy.

Ok, maybe not.

Still this is a concern for Johnson owners and it should be. Johnson said on Friday that he wasn't ready to play, wasn't full speed and that his leg was "maybe 70-75 percent".

We were hoping Johnson would be able to start this past week. Now we're just hoping for him to not be hurt until the Texans Week 11 bye.* The problem is that the Texans may not be in a hurry to rush Johnson back.

While they aren't a shoo-in for the playoffs, they certainly are looking that far ahead. The truth is that the Texans will be very careful with Andre Johnson. They need him for the stretch run and do not want to risk re-aggravating the injury if it is close to healed. They would likely be just fine relying on all-universe running back Arian Foster, his backup Ben Tate and tight end Owen Daniels.

You might need Johnson now, but as we all know—franchises aren't worried about your fantasy team.

*special thanks to reader Khampy Kotalas for catching my bye week flub.

NFL Injury Report: Ahmad Bradshaw

Ahmad Bradshaw has been a top 10 running back in PPR leagues and even if you don't get a point every time he catches the ball, Bradshaw is giving you first round production for a third round draft pick.

So it's a concern to see him leave in the second half of the Giants' come-from-behind win against the woeful Miami Dolphins, going to the locker room not once but twice for X-rays. He came back into the game but didn't look the same.

Bradshaw has had his fair share of foot maladies in the past so owners are concerned and the Giants running back did nothing to alleviate those concerns.

It turns out that Bradshaw believes this is just an old injury he re-aggravated. This doesn't make me feel better as it sounds to me like the sort of thing that could be a recurring problem and nag Bradshaw all season long.

A foot injury to a running back is a very worrisome thing. Can Bradshaw play through it? Maybe.

I don't assume he'll be as effective though if every time he cuts a shooting pain goes through his foot.

NFL Injury Report: Hakeem Nicks

Speaking of Giants, Bradshaw wasn't the only one who left us feeling woozy after the game at Metlife Stadium.

Hakeem Nicks left the game against the Miami Dolphins with a sprained hamstring late in the fourth quarter so at least this week wasn't a loss—you got some productivity out of him.

Still, like Bradshaw, Nicks has a history of small dings and sprains which often add up to missed time.

In his postgame presser, Nicks said, "It felt like a cramp that didn't go anywhere in one spot in my hamstring, but we'll see how it feels in the morning." However it feels, Nicks will be getting an MRI to be sure.

Nicks has had some mediocre games, although he has faced one elite defensive secondary and his quarterback Eli Manning is prone to bouts of inconsistency. Regardless, he has been a top 10 receiver in PPR leagues and has been a very safe start most weeks.

It's concerning to think you might lose that over the next few weeks.

If Nicks can stay on the field, he would be one of the best receivers in the game. But he can't.

We're not sure if Nicks has a serious injury to his hamstring or just something we have to be aware of in case it flares up.

Cross your fingers and hope it's the latter, not the former.

NFL Injury Report: Sam Bradford

While you aren't starting Sam Bradford as an every week starter, he was having a very respectable season if not quite what he accomplished last year. Sure, the team won against the Saints without him but the Rams—and fantasy owners—know AJ Feeley isn't the answer to just about any question.

Bradford's injury will rob you not only of a good backup but risk the value of several other players. While Brandon Lloyd and Steven Jackson did well against New Orleans, overall defenses will not be too worried about Feeley. They'll start stacking the box on Jackson and then focus on shutting down Lloyd.

So while Bradford himself might not be a huge hit, if you own Lloyd or Jackson, you may want to watch this very carefully.

At least the schedule isn't too bad the next few weeks.

NFL Injury Report: Antonio Gates

Antonio Gates has been playing on a bad wheel for so long, I think we've forgotten what he looks like healthy.

I should have written the word "played" in quotes because he hasn't done much playing this season.

Assuming you haven't been killed by Gates' absence yet, you'll be watching Monday's game against Kansas City very closely. Probably chewing your nails to the quick.

Against the Jets he didn't seem 100 percent and he has admitted that the foot has bothered him off and on for some time. At this point he's just getting started and last week was a very good start despite some off moments.

However, if it hasn't healed by now when will it? Will it linger and if it does, how much will it hold him back?

If Gates stays healthy and you're still in the hunt, he will be heating up at the perfect time.

Then again, if Gates goes down again, you will be hurting as much—if not more than—you were just a couple of weeks ago.

NFL Injury Report: Honorable Mention

Here are a few more names you'll want to keep an eye on. Some of them seem fine but are a bit banged up. Some aren't studs per se, but have played well for the most part.

All appear to be accidents waiting to happen.

Matt Ryan: Already had one incredibly ugly ankle injury which has bothered him a little since. Low priority but still something to watch out for.

Matt Stafford: Banged up again, but emerged from his healing vat for a beat down on Denver. Still, he's hurt a lot and we have to worry when he starts looking bruised.

Jahvid Best: Best was having a solid season when yet another concussion happened. The more he gets hit, the easier it is to get those headaches. One hopes he can overcome but who knows how much longer he'll be gone?

Percy Harvin: If it's not the migraines, it's his ribs. Harvin was in and out of the Vikings game Sunday but he's another guy who just gets hurt or held out too much which dampens some tremendous upside.

Chris Johnson: OK, sue me. Johnson isn't hurt. He just stinks this season. I warned people that the hold out after a lockout was going to hurt him and it has. Now, I can't say I thought it would hurt this much but it has. Johnson looks like he has lost some speed and burst. If you spent a top five pick on him you are hanging on because you have to but it does not appear to be getting better. The Colts run defense still blows and all Johnson could do was 34 yards on 14 carries for a putrid 2.4 ypc.

If he isn't hurt.... he should fake it. At least then owners could stop throwing him in the lineup for nothing.