James Starks Injury: Update on Packers RB's Knee Injury

Green Bay Packers running back James Starks suffered a knee sprain in the Packers' 35-26 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

Tweeted Rachel Nichols of ESPN:

Starks had 503 yards rushing and one touchdown on 109 carries before Sunday's contest.

He rushed for 38 yards and caught six balls for 53 yards before going down to injury against the Buccaneers.

Fantasy Impact

Starks wasn't much of a fantasy asset this season anyways, but he was being used as a flex option.

He averaged about 13 carries a game given the Packers' pass-happy offense behind quarterback Aaron Rodgers and wasn't much of a receiving threat.

Ryan Grant will receive the bulk of the load if Starks is forced to miss time, but given he wasn't favored over Starks, he will probably not be much of an asset for fantasy owners.

This may force the Packers to air it out even more.

Can't say that's a bad thing given Rodgers is calling the shots.

Who's the Backup?

After being the starter in Green Bay for years, Grant isn't the same player he used to be, battling injuries the last couple of seasons and seeing Starks, a second-year pro, steal carries away from him.

Even if he gets back to full health, don't expect the Packers to utilize him a whole lot.

Devastation Scale

Starks' injury would be a hit to the Packers in the sense that they wouldn't have as much balance as before, but it's not like they were relying on the run  that much.

I would put this as a 3 out of 10 on the devastation scale.

The Packers would certainly like to have Starks on board, but if he is forced to miss significant time they still have a legitimate shot at the title.

Timeline for Return

Right now, the Packers will do tests on Starks' sprained knee, but it doesn't look serious. Stay tuned for further updates. 

What They're Saying

Packers head coach Mike McCarthy underscored the appreciation for Starks' work this season.

Said McCarthy, via the official Packers Twitter account:

Averaging 4.6 yards per carry headed into Sunday, Starks has been a decent player for the Packers to provide balance.

His absence won't be devastating, but he's certainly a contributor in the Packers' well-oiled machine.