Matt Forte Injury: Updates on Bears RB's Week 14 Status and Fantasy Value

The Chicago Bears planned on riding out Jay Cutler's injury with stingy defense and a heavy dose of Matt Forte.

Those dreams didn't last very long as Forte injured his knee on Sunday and the Bears dropped their second straight game.

Forte's injury isn't a season-ending threat, but he could miss extended time. Stay tuned throughout the week as we update you on his status. 

UPDATE: Friday, Dec. 9 at 1:15 a.m. ET 

Please don't think for a second that Matt Forte is not doing everything in his power to come back and help his team make the playoffs. 

The Chicago Tribune reports Forte has been given permission by buddy, Chargers defensive tackle Tommie Harris, to use his hyperbaric chamber. 

The $20,000 device will aid in the healing process and is just an added measure Forte is taking to get back quickly. Now this is not a miracle device, so don't expect him to come back this week, but it's a positive sign that Forte is working his tail off to heal. 

UPDATE: Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 10:55 a.m. ET 

Sean Jensen covers the Bears for the Chicago Sun-Times, and he tweeted the latest on Forte's health. 

Forte doesn't know enough about the situation to tell others when he'd be back. Of course he'd like to be back right away, but an MCL sprain is serious business, and the Bears would regret rushing his return. 

He's going to be out for at least a couple weeks, but it's good to know he's taking the steps to get a quicker recovery. 

Forte is all the Bears had left on offense, but the team hopes Marion Barber can return to form and help get a win. 

If Forte was on your fantasy team then you need to pick up Barber. If he's unavailable, look to Toby Gerhart of the Minnesota Vikings, but only if Adrian Peterson doesn't play.

Another possible player to add would be Donald Brown of the Indianapolis Colts or Dexter McCluster of the Kansas City Chiefs 

UPDATE

Beat writer Michael C. Wright of ESPN Chicago tweeted:

Rotoworld breaks down the "PRP" situation and Forte's replacement writing:

"

Forte plans to undergo platelet-rich plasma treatment in an effort to beat the early timetable. PRP has worked for some players, and not worked for others. Marion Barber will be the top waiver wire pickup for Week 14.

"

The Bears desperately need Forte back on the field, or their trip to Tim Tebow Land will be a nightmare.

Chicago currently sits in a four-way tie with Atlanta, Detroit and Dallas at 7-5. Ironically enough, all four teams lost yesterday as did the now-6-6 New York Giants.

They are very much in the playoff race, but can see things change quickly with another loss.

With Forte out, the Bears will turn exclusively to former Cowboys running back Marion Barber.

He's carried the ball only 68 times all season (Forte's carried 198), but he's seen an increased workload in recent weeks, earning double-digit carries in three of the last four outings.

He's an experienced back with the ability to make plays out of the backfield. He is not, however, the same back that once starred for the Dallas Cowboys. That said, he could muster up some magic as he has relatively fresh legs on the year.

The Broncos are on a five-game winning streak, but their defense came back down to earth against the Vikings and allowed backup running back Toby Gerhart to run for 91 yards and the team to total 489 yards.

Denver still won because of that guy named Tebow.

The Bears are going to be without Cutler and Forte in Week 14, and possibly a few more weeks. We'll keep a close eye on the situation and update Forte's status when more is known. 

Go ahead and place that waiver claim on Barber now, though.