A.J. Green Injury: Updates on Bengals WR's Week 16 Status and Fantasy Value

The Cincinnati Bengals are still alive and well in the AFC playoff race and it sounds like they will be playing their last two with their stud rookie receiver, after a real scare on Sunday.

AJ Green had created separation on St. Louis Rams corner Rod Hood as he was streaking down the field. Hood unintentionally kicked Green’s foot and the No. 4 overall pick landed on the turf with his shoulder taking the brunt of the damage.

He was down on the field for a minute or two and did not return until the third quarter, where he visibly was trying to hide the injury.

After the game, he was icing down his shoulder and the team told the media Green had a Grade 3 sprain on his right shoulder.

UPDATE: Saturday, Dec. 24, 12:20 p.m. ET by Ryan Rudnansky

According to Rotoworld.com, AJ Green is active for Saturday's game against the Arizona Cardinals.

The star rookie receiver was able to practice twice during the week and evidently his injury wasn't as serious as it appeared early on.

UPDATE: Friday, Dec. 23, 1:00 p.m. ET

you can fire up that last bit of hope you had for AJ Green to start on Saturday. Here is a tweet listing the doubtfuls and probables for this weekend's game from The Enquirer's Joe Reedy.

That is as good as it will get until game time. The Bengals need every last weapon in a must-win game. The only way I sit Green is if I have a perfectly good replacement at backup. If things are iffy in your subs, get Green in. Something tells me he is going to lay, and play well.  

UPDATE: Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2:00 p.m. ET by Donald Wood

The Cincinnati Bengals are sitting rookie wide receiver A.J. Green out of practice Tuesday, but fans of the team and fantasy owners shouldn’t fret. Yet.

Cincinnati Bengals team website editor Geoff Hobson is reporting on twitter:

While the receiver has said his shoulder would be fine for Sunday’s game, the lack of practice makes this situation a must watch through this week.

UPDATE: Tuesday, Dec. 20, 12:30 p.m. ET by Donald Wood

When the Arizona Cardinals take on the Cincinnati Bengals this week, their secondary will have to cover stellar young wideout A.J. Green who will play through his nagging shoulder injury.

Cardinals Beat writer for the Arizona Republic Kent Somers is reporting on twitter:

This is the kind of dream news fantasy owners have been dying to receive since the star went down last week. While he got up and continued to play, fantasy owners of AJ Green will look for continue success in the fantasy finals.

Injury Update:

Contrary to the original report, Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports that the injury is an AC separation:

The acromioclavicular joint is an injury that typically doesn’t require surgery and Green is still on track to play on Sunday.

When He’s Ready to Return?

Barring some sort of setback in practice this week, Green is going to play and will be Andy Dalton’s top target like usual.

If the Bengals win their final two games and the Jets lose one of their last two, Cincinnati will make the playoffs. With so much at stake, Green can ill-afford to miss any of the action.

Fantasy Impact:

Green didn’t have a great second half after the injury, but he still finished with six receptions for 115 yards. It was a big day for Green, who became the first rookie receiver in the league to register 1,000 yards since New Orleans’ Marques Colston in 2006. Green is now only five catches and four yards away from surpassing Cris Collinsworth’s rookie marks of 65 catches and 1,009 yards in 1981.

If you are still alive in your fantasy postseason, don’t worry about Green. He’ll be fine and ready to roll against an Arizona Cardinals secondary that ranks 24^th in the league against the pass.

What They’re Saying:

The Cincinnati Enquirer spoke with orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache about how the injury may affect Green on the field:

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If that is truly the injury then the issue primarily is pain. As long as he can get his arm up over his head he should be fine. It’s not an uncommon injury. For a receiver it is better compared to a cornerback like New England’s Devin McCourty who suffered the same type injury. With the impact that defensive players make and how they use their shoulder, he was out for a couple weeks. As long as they can give Green a shot to help with the pain he should be able to play.

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Judging by the comments Green made after the game, I think it’s safe to say he is going to deal with the pain:

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I had it before and it’s nothing serious. I’m definitely not going to miss these last two games for nothing.

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