Coming Off Injury? Worry Not ... These Four Will Be Just Fine

Heading into fantasy football drafts, one of the main words that can strike fear into an owner's eyes is the word injury. Whether it's an injury-risk, a current injury, injury-history, or someone who suffered an injury last season. Everyone gets scared because you don't want to be saddled with a high draft pick that works his way into bust status, especially when you saw the warning signs. I'm here to alleviate these fears on four different players. All of these guys are tumbling too far down draft boards for one reason or another, and it needs to stop.

Fantasy Injury Comebacks

Even at the age of 36 and coming off injuries, Marvin Harrison is still one of Peyton Manning's favorite targets and has tremendous fantasy potential. See who else is coming off an injury with a vengeance.

Joe Robbins. Getty Images

Despite having surgery in the off-season, Jake Delhomme is looking to be in tip-top shape. Delhomme will flourish with an arsenal of wide receivers in his back pocket.

Scott Cunningham, Getty Images

Even though he's coming off an ACL tear, Ronnie Brown still has potential to challenge Ricky Williams for the starting RB spot and be a fantasy machine for the better part of the season. Besides, who knows how productive Ricky Williams will actually be.

Sean Gardner, Getty Images

Motivated by severed ties in New York, Jeremy Shockey is sure to take this and use it to his advantage. Back with Sean Payton, who coached Shockey his rookie season, this has the makings of a great relationship in New Orleans.

Joe Robbins, Getty Images

Marvin Harrison, Colts WR, coming off rare injury-riddled season and a slight legal brush
Don't even worry about the legal stuff. He would have been charged or at least questioned further by now, so he's completely in the clear. I mean, who doesn't own a custom-made Belgian piece anyway?

Now, if you don't want to draft Harrison, I want you to look at the stats from 1999-2006. Yes, I know he's 36. Jerry Rice was productive at age 40. Those who watch the Colts regularly know that Harrison has avoided injury quite well over years because of his knack for avoiding hits. Even when he catches a ball over the middle he finds a way to elude a highlight reel stick. Thus, his wear and tear is minimal for his age. Like Rice before him, he's not done at 36.

What about a chemistry standpoint? No tandem in the history of the NFL has had better statistical chemistry than Harrison and his QB, Peyton Manning. That doesn't just vanish into thin air because of his absence for the majority of one season. Sure, Reggie Wayne is going to be the top wideout. The point is, Harrison's being drafted in fantasy leagues like he's the Eagles number two option, not the Colts.

Finally, what about motivation? Elite professional athletes are a rare being, fueled by naysayers even when there aren't any. Harrison never had to hear a negative word about his on-field performance until now. The inner drive will rear its head this year for Harrison, and he'll return to the 1000 yard and 10 TD plateaus.

Jake Delhomme, Panthers QB coming off baseball surgery
All reports from Panthers camp have Delhomme as being in perfect health. The P-Cats have added Muhsin Muhammad and D.J. Hackett to bolster the receiving corps and take pressure off Steve Smith. The running game has been firing on all cylinders thus far with DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart as well.

Steve Smith is suspended for two games. I get that. So maybe you suffer through two mediocre weeks with Delhomme and then he's easily startable. That offense appears loaded with depth and talent (excluding Moose when it comes to talent, of course). So why am I seeing Jason Campbell, Vince Young, Jeff Garcia, Jon Kitna et al drafted ahead of Delhomme in fantasyland? When things like this start happening, just keep your mouth shut and grab Delhomme as your second fantasy QB.

You could grab him and Philip Rivers and just play matchups each week instead of wasting a much higher pick on Ben Roethlisberger while scoring nearly the same amount.

Ronnie Brown, Dophins RB1 -- or RB2? -- coming off ACL tear
Everyone is fawning over Ricky Williams now in fantasy drafts, meanwhile Brown's stock just falls and falls. So Scoop Mortensen said the Dolphins were gonna start with Williams atop the depth chart, oh no! We've seen his penchant for making things up in the past.

Brown led the NFL in yards from scrimmage when he tore his ACL last year. With training and technology the way it is nowadays, he should be back to full strength within the first few weeks of the season. By the end of the season, he'll be a beast again ... and he's being drafted after Willie Parker, Edgerrin James, LenDale White, and Matt Forte? Really?

Brown's going to end the season as a solid number two fantasy runner. The four names I just listed ... not so much.

What happened last time you relied on Ricky Williams, by the way? Fool me once ...

Jeremy Shockey, Saints TE exiled after a luxury suite party in the Super Bowl
Who do I want from the group of Dallas Clark, Chris Cooley, Tony Gonzalez, and Shockey? Gimme Shockey every time. He's a better bargain in fantasy circles, and I believe he'll outshine the others listed above anyway.

The bare bones are this:
- Shockey is motivated because of how things ended in New York and that they won without him. He's the type of player to take his vengeance out on the field by showing everyone that he can "still do it."
- Shockey's best season as a pro was his rookie year in New York when Sean Payton was calling plays. Well, Payton is calling plays for him again.
- Drew Brees loved to use his tight ends at Purdue, and he made a star out of Antonio Gates (mutual help, of course) in San Diego. He's surely missed the reliability of a quality tight end, and now he'll have an extremely athletic one.

Go ahead and take the elite tight ends. I'll fill up my other non-kicking starters and have Shockey in the seventh, please. A guy doesn't have to be nice to garner fantasy points.

Undervalued Fantasy Stars

Thomas Jones, New York Jets
After struggling mightily to find running room and only scoring two touchdowns last year, Jones will welcome the extra padding on his offensive line this season with open arms. Expect the New Yorker's touchdown total to rise.

Al Bello, Getty Images

Rudi Johnson, Cincinnati Bengals
Johnson was a consistent producer until he was derailed by a hamstring woes; he topped 1,300 yards and 11 touchdowns in three straight seasons prior. Now that he's healthy, Johnson should return to his workhorse form for the Bengals.

John Froschauer, AP

Marvin Harrison, Indianapolis Colts
Due to age, injuries and a legal scuffle last May, Harrison's stock has fallen in fantasy circles. But don't count out the NFL great just yet - he's reportedly looked sharp in training camp and could be a big bounce-back candidate.

Andy Lyons, Getty Images

Matt Leinart, Arizona Cardinals
It seems Arizona's Matt Leinart has done more party-going than playing football in his two years in the league. If he can finally earn the Cardinals' starting gig, he can be a viable fantasy threat, capable of throwing 25 touchdowns this year.

Dilip Vishwanat, Getty Images

Laurence Maroney, New England Patriots
Maroney went untested for most of his sophomore season, but when the training wheels came off, we saw how gifted he truly is. Maroney tallied 586 rushing yards and seven touchdowns over his final six games in 2007.

Elsa, Getty Images

Julius Jones, Seattle Seahawks
Jones will likely be passed up in many fantasy drafts this season because he only managed one 1,000-yard campaign in his four years at Dallas. But don't forget that Jones is only 26 years old and has a lot of mileage left.

Otto Greule Jr, Getty Images

Baltimore Ravens Defense
Ray Lewis wasn't the only one that was banged up last season. It was practically the whole defensive unit. With John Harbaugh taking the reins as head coach, the Ravens D is hungry again and out to prove something.

Jamie Squire, Getty Images

Marc Bulger, St. Louis Rams
Bulger is coming off a season to forget, but don't let that dissuade you from calling his name on draft day. With a healthy offensive line back and a talented coordinator calling the shots, Bulger is primed to return to starter status.

Alex Brandon, AP

Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons
It's easy to be overlooked when you play for the Falcons. White, who racked up 83 receptions and 1,202 yards last season, is a talented receiver under the radar because of doubts about the offense in Atlanta.

Alex Brandon, AP

Jake Delhomme, Carolina Panthers
It's been a tough road back from Tommy John surgery for Delhomme. But with receivers Steve Smith and D.J. Hackett, and the rushing tandem of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, he's got all the offensive tools in place.

Dilip Vishwanat, Getty Images

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

9-02-2008 @ 3:32PM

randy fuson said...

ricky williams will have a far better year than ronnie brown. dont fool yourself because he had a good 4 game stretch before his injury. he really was not much before it happened and he wont be after!

9-02-2008 @ 5:39PM

sportsmeddoc said...

Not so fast, Matt. The sports medicine literature is against you (both pro football and baseball). That research has shown that these pro players do NOT come back from injury to perform at pre-injury levels.

The most elite sports medicine journal in the world, The American Journal of Sports Medicine -- published by the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, the largest organization for sports team docs, certified athletic trainers, and others who work with athletes on all levels -- published an article in its December 2006 issue which proved that the performance of NFL RBs and WRs actually was reduced by a measurable one-third after returning from ACL injury. (Read the press release at: http://www.sportsmed.org/tabs/newsroom/AOSSMPressReleaseDetails.aspx?DID=369)

Additionally, at a recent (3/08) AOSSM conference, research was presented that showed only 45% of baseball players who returned from elbow or shoulder surgery returned to the same or higher level of play post-surgery. The study included data from the majors, AAA, AA and A level ball over four seasons for one team. Interestingly, those in the playing major league, AAA, or AA ball had the poorest comeback results. (Press release at: http://www.sportsmed.org/tabs/newsroom/AOSSMPressReleaseDetails.aspx?DID=489)

Maybe more SERIOUS fantasy league players ought to be monitoring the sports med literature before banking on their picks.

9-02-2008 @ 5:49PM

Matt Snyder said...

Doc:

Thanks for the input. The reason players are falling far in fantasy league drafts is precisely because of the literature you mention. Playing fantasy sports is a form of gambling, since no one can predict the future (obviously).

You saying 45% of the athletes return to a high level after TJ surgery means that there's a 45% chance Jake Delhomme returns to form. I'll take those chances for a backup fantasy QB.

On the ACL thing, I know. Ronnie Brown is a huge risk ... just like Edgerrin James was when he came back from it.

Again, I appreciate the feedback, but taking risks and making judgment calls is not the same as being uneducated. No guts, no glory. Anyone can sit here and tell you to avoid all injured guys no matter what.

9-02-2008 @ 6:23PM

byron said...

i agree never did care for ronnie that much ricky will be the man i think he is out to prove something

9-02-2008 @ 7:26PM

pcl said...

I saw Ricky rolling one yesterday

9-02-2008 @ 7:53PM

Douche McScroutey said...

Considering Williams history of sudden "retirement" and continued suspensions (which could happen again at any time), I think it's safe to just let someone else draft both of these guys. If you're looking for sleepers, look at Hightower in Arizona, Andre Hall in Denver, or even Kenny Watson in Cinci...like Chris Perry will remain healthy...

9-02-2008 @ 8:32PM

CarlPoehler said...

Nice job. Do you guys actually get paid for this?
Rudi was cut last week by the Bengal and is now with the LIONS and Leinart was benched in favor of Warner . . . also last week.
Get with the program!

9-02-2008 @ 9:59PM

Carl:
Thanks for your enlightening comment.

First of all, it always helps to check the date of when an article was posted.

Second of all, I didn't mention any of the names you did in this piece.

9-02-2008 @ 10:51PM

wushah said...

Usually RBs, like most other athletes, see an improvement in their performance post-ACL in year number 2. Either way, Brown will never be the same athletic beast he once was. He will likely go the way of WMac, who prior to his ACL was a prototype back (in fact I would have called him a supersized Brown), but afterwards became a good but not great back.

I think Ricky Williams stays off the mj this year, plays well, and secures a nice contract. He will end up getting the majority of the carries.

I agree with Shockey all the way Matt.

As for Delhomme and Rivers giving you similar points as Ben Roethlisberger...not this year. Ben is going to have a monster year. They are upgraded all the way around on offense. Expect a big, big, year from Big Ben.

9-02-2008 @ 11:07PM

arsh said...

they rock

9-03-2008 @ 12:49AM

andrew p. said...

if your seriously thinking that Ricky Williams is gonna take you to your league championship.......think again.
neither Williams or Brown will be all that great.

9-03-2008 @ 12:19PM

Jesse said...

To everyone posting on here saying this guy is dumb for saying take Ronnie Brown over Ricky - you people are dumb. I'm not saying Ricky will suck (im a die-hard Saints fan and have been so all my life and am pulling for the guy) because he will probably have a decent year. But honestly people if you put things together to make an EDUCATED guess Ronnie is by far the better decision. Besides all the things already mentioned (drug use, retiring) Ricky got hurt after 2 or 3 plays last year, is older then Ronnie, is playing at a lighter weight then he use to (Ricky got a lot of extra yards with his power and pushing a defender or 2 backwards), hasnt played a full season since 2003, and doesnt have ANY offensive help he use to (Chambers, McMichael,great defense to get you field position) besides maybe Ginn's speed (if he can be a consistent threat so the defense cant key in on the running game). Not to mention the only reason people are getting so hyped up about Ricky so far is because of how he has preformed in training camp and preseason, and i cant remember how many times i have heard about an older player either changing teams or something and everyone says how good they look and then the season starts and not so much the same kinda talk precedes. Like i said ..

9-03-2008 @ 12:24PM

im not saying he will have a bad year or anything but the facts point to Brown being a safer and better pick up then Ricky, but hey if the room late why not handcuff them and get them both. And randy and byron i dont know how yall can say Ronnie wasnt good before. With a crapy team he put up very good numbers for the amount of games he played and remember the guy has only been in the league three years and is only 26. If yall really want a sleeper get Robert Meachem!!!! And if Chad P. plays as well as he looks (big if) Ginn could be a sleeper as well....