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

Another week is in the books and while the *M*A*S*H* list of casualties isn't as bad as it has been in the past, there are concerns which remain.

Some of the folks on this list are newly banged up while others are lingering from last week and a few may have longer term concerns.

What they all have in common is the potential to negatively affect the rest of your fantasy season.

What they all have in common is the ability to test the strength of your bench.

Here are the key injuries you should be most concerned by after another Sunday is in the books.

Andrew Garda is a staff writer at Footballguys.com. Check them out for rankings, projections and player analyses. More than 50,000 pages of content every year to lead you to the championship.

NFL Injury Report: Dallas Clark

Admittedly, Clark hasn't been tearing up the league this year. Like the rest of the Colts, he has been suffering from Manning Removitis or the removal of the linchpin for the entire offense.

The transition to back-up quarterback Curtis Painter has been less than smooth and Clark, like everyone else, hasn't been on the same page as the backup now starter.

Until last week when Clark was targeted a season high ten times and caught six passes for 77 yards. It was the second game in the last three where Clark was a huge part of the game and while he was non-existent against New Orleans in week seven, it seemed as though for the most part that Painter was finally noticing what Clark was capable of.

That Painter should have known that after being on the bench watching for a few years is besides the point.

Clark went down with a lower leg injury and didn't return. However the injury, coupled with a lack of production, puts the kibosh on the hope that Clark might be rising back up the fantasy ranks.

He may return, but at this point if you were depending on him to round back into form, you seem to be hoping in vain.

NFL Injury Report: Chris 'Beanie' Wells

After being a game time decision against Baltimore and then dropping 83 yards and a touchdown on that top-ranked defense, Wells looked just fine going up against a pretty awful Rams team.

After all, if he could do that against the Ravens, the Rams won't give him much trouble.

Even though his knee bothered him all week, he didn't practice Wednesday and only partially practiced on Thursday and Friday, we didn't sweat. The match-up was too good to pass on.

After his twenty yards and ten carries effort Sunday (with a pair of receptions for 13 yards), maybe not.

I watched the Arizona-St. Louis match-up closely because I had to do a write-up for Footballguys.com and I can say for sure Wells isn't right. I don't know if he tweaked his knee early on or if he just wasn't feeling well but he ran with very little power, and no explosiveness or speed.

Something is off with Wells and right when it appeared he was getting back on track.

Wells has some good matches down the stretch but it's hard to rely on a guy you know is battling knee issues, especially a running back.

Your RB2 needs a new body to fill the spot because Wells isn't in any shape to carry your or his team to victory.

NFL Injury Report: Ahmad Bradshaw

You're probably asking yourself "Why does Garda have Bradshaw on this list when he wasn't even with the team in New England?"

Well, if you were paying attention last week, you'll recall that the injury news on Bradshaw got increasingly worse as the week wore on. The good news is, he won't need surgery on his foot. The problem is, this is the same foot he has hurt before.

These sort of things add up and let's face it—any foot injury for a running back, much less one who makes a living cutting and juking, can be a bad one. Bradshaw is expected back sometime in the next couple of weeks but how much do you trust he won't re-injure the foot again?

Bradshaw was a top 10 running back in both points per reception (PPR) leagues and standard non-ppr leagues and it's likely you were aiming to use him heavily on a run towards the fantasy playoffs. 

I know I was.

At this point you can be cautiously optimistic he will be back and as close to 100 percent as anyone can be at this point in the season.

However, you have to be at least a little concerned with how much misinformation there has been about this and the cumulative affect of repeatedly injuring the same foot.

NFL Injury Report: Peyton Hillis

How many people took Hillis high this preseason, expecting to ride him all season long like they did in 2010?

Even if you didn't take him high, no way did you foresee the utter desolation of his fantasy season thus far.

First it was a contract issue, then there was the strep throat, then there are the rumors his teammates are sick of his act and now there are rumors that the team might place him on injured reserve or maybe even let him walk in free agency.

He has a hamstring injury that could have quotes around it because we already know he's unhappy with his contract and sat out with strep in part to prove a point.

Overall this "injury" (there are the quotes) could linger and for more than just health reasons. The Browns' ground game is atrocious without Hillis, but the Browns may be content to let him stew while they slosh through with players who are healthy and want to be there.

That high pick you used on Hillis? It's burning a hole in your roster.

NFL Injury Report: Plaxico Burress

I'll be honest—I follow the Jets pretty closely and I have no idea what they are doing with their passing offense. Why they won't throw to Santonio Holmes is as baffling as some of quarterback Mark Sanchez's coverage reads.

However, Plaxico Burress has finally clicked with Sanchez even if Holmes has lost that loving feeling.

Burress has now had two very good games in a row and seems poised to finish the season on a nice streak.

That's if his back holds up.

Plax was questionable on the injury report after the back began spasming during last week and he himself didn't think he'd play against Buffalo.

Luckily for the Jets—and fantasy owners—Burress was able to loosen his back up in warm-ups, but this is a guy who has battled back injuries for huge chunks of his career.

It could be that just when he finally clicks in the Jets' offense, his back gives out on him.