NFL Injury Report -- Fantasy FanHouse

Brandon Jacobs Out for Sunday Showdown Against the Cowboys

Posted: Dec 12th 2008 3:43 PM ET by Shane Bacon (RSS feed)
Filed Under: Fantasy Football, NFL Injury Report

It wasn't "shoots self in leg," but it might be just as big a blow for the NFC-leading New York Giants.

Running back Brandon Jacobs, who has rushed for 1,002 yards this season, will not play this Sunday night against the Cowboys because of an injured left knee, says Ralph Vacchiano over at The Blue Screen.

Tom Coughlin made that announcement (earlier today) after Jacobs missed his third straight practice with an injured left knee.

"We just didn't feel like he'd be ready to play," Coughlin said.

Derrick Ward, who is second on the team in rushing and sports an impressive 4.8 yards per carry, will replace Jacobs with Ahmad Bradshaw helping out with the load.

How big is this for the Cowboys' chance of winning? In their first meeting of the season, a 35-14 Giants win, Jacobs carried 17 times for 117 yards and a touchdown. The Cowboys already have a rather stingy rush defense, so missing Jacobs will only give the front line a better chance to disrupt Eli Manning and the passing game.

(H/T PFT)

Eye on the Prize: The Brutus Boys Set You Up and Will Knock You Down

Posted: Dec 10th 2008 11:30 AM ET by Matt Snyder (RSS feed)
Filed Under: NFL Position Rankings, Fantasy Football, NFL Injury Report

6 COMMENTS

Et tu, Brute?

It's one of the most famous phrases in the history of literature, and it's appropriate in this fantasy football playoff season.

Much like Brutus was a loyal friend to Caesar, helping him all way the to the top, he conspired to stab his former-friend in the back when it mattered most (kind of, just stick with me).

In fantasy football, you've likely had the pleasure of riding some studs to the playoffs. Some of them are primed to pull a Brutus on you and handcuff your team in the playoffs.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Brutus Boys:

Brandon Jacobs, Giants - My fantasy football affection for Jacobs hasn't been a secret, but ever since he tweaked his knee he's been unreliable. The Giants could easily hold him out of the rest of the regular season, as they'll easily walk to the top overall playoff seed.

Marion Barber, Cowboys - He hurt his calf favoring his injured toe. All of a sudden Tashard Choice is coveted in fantasy circles. Even if Barber plays, he won't be 100 percent -- which is really bad in light of his punishing run-style -- and faces the stout Giants and Ravens defenses.

Fantasy Backfield Shakeups

Posted: Dec 9th 2008 10:45 AM ET by Ryan Dembinsky (RSS feed)
Filed Under: Fantasy Football, NFL Injury Report

0 COMMENTS

Just in time for the fantasy playoffs, Week 14 provided fantasy owners with plenty of heart palpitations and an awful lot to think about. Going into Week 15, the most nerve-racking of all fantasy weeks in my opinion, we have no less than five superstar running backs with totally uncertain futures after suffering injuries.

At this point, we at Fantasy FanHouse do not know much more than you about these situations, but we will attempt to shed some light on how to approach them (with more definitive updates coming later this week).

Broncos: Peyton Hillis / Tatum Bell - You can't paint a turd. Sure, Peyton Hillis is officially on the injured reserve, which will inevitably lead many fantasy players to jump all over Tatum Bell, but the problem with this situation is you are still talking about Tatum Bell -- the same guy who got cut by the Detroit Lions. It is conceivable that cutting Bell was another event in a long line of boneheaded moves by the Lions, but I wouldn't stake my fantasy playoffs on Bell if I were you. He may have looked decent against the Chiefs, but temper the expectations against better run defenses in Carolina and Buffalo. In fact, if you insist on starting Bell, I have a red hot investment portfolio for you that includes sub-prime mortgages and Lehman Brothers stock that I'd like you talk to you about as well.

Injuries to Watch: Turkey Day

Posted: Nov 26th 2008 3:33 PM ET by Ryan Dembinsky (RSS feed)
Filed Under: Fantasy Football, NFL Injury Report

1 COMMENT

Be careful folks; don't let that Tryptophan spin you into a snooze on Thanksgiving Day before carefully setting that fantasy lineup. There are a couple of critical injuries to keep an eye on for Thursday, so take note as you prepare your for your last hurrah before the fantasy playoffs. As always, please feel free to chime in with opinions, updates, and rumors in the comments.

The Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals are sitting pretty from a fantasy perspective. Everybody is good to go.

The Dallas Cowboys

Tony Romo - Tony Romo went back to wearing a splint on his finger during practice on Tuesday, but he will play on Turkey Day. Whether or not he plays with the splint is unknown at this point, but regardless, after last week's gigantic numbers, start him no matter what, because he should pick apart the porous Seattle defense.

Jason Witten - Witten continues to nurse his sore ribs, but he will definitely play on Thursday. The real question is do fantasy owners stick with Witten despite his one catch per game average over the past four games? I would say yes, start Witten on Thursday, because the Seahawks have a below average pass defense and he should return to form. Witten also has a tendency to score touchdowns on Turkey Day (two TDs in three years), so keep him in there.

Dolphins Lose Greg Camarillo for Season, Now Lack Depth at Wide Receiver

Posted: Nov 24th 2008 1:15 PM ET by Ryan Wilson (RSS feed)
Filed Under: Fantasy Football, NFL Injury Report

0 COMMENTS

Twenty-four hours ago, the Dolphins were 6-4, and one game out of the wild card race. A 20-point loss and some Sweet Valley High action later, Miami is 6-5, wondering where it all went wrong, and have a lot of work to do to keep (the playoff) hope alive for January.

Making things tougher: the team will be without its leading receiver, Greg Camarillo, who's done for the year after suffering a knee injury in the fourth quarter. Head coach Tony Sparano was very matter-of-fact about the whole thing: "It's hard. You don't want to lose a player like him. Somebody has to pick up the slack.''

Not sure who that somebody will be; Ted Ginn is the obvious choice, but who becomes the No. 2 option, Ernest Wilford? That was a joke. Of course he doesn't. Rookie Davone Bess has been a pleasant surprise, hauling in 24 passes in spot duty.

Fantasy Alert: Brandon Jacobs Will Not Play Today in Arizona

Posted: Nov 23rd 2008 2:57 PM ET by Matt Snyder (RSS feed)
Filed Under: Fantasy Football, NFL Injury Report

1 COMMENT

Jay Glazer, disputing an earlier report from, um, Jay Glazer, is reporting that Brandon Jacobs will not be active for today's game against the Cardinals in Arizona.

The Giants have the best rushing offense in the NFL, and that's not entirely due to Jacobs. The offensive line is stellar, and the duo of Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw will be more than adequate in attempting to replace the production of the studly Jacobs.

Jacobs will be fine moving forward, and probably could have played this week. The Giants just figured to play it safe and make sure he's completely healed before bringing him back. The 9-1 record and the abilities of Ward and Bradshaw had to have made the decision much easier.

Fantasy Spin:
I'd definitely get Ward active in almost all formats, and Bradshaw is a quality flex play or RB3 in larger leagues. I still expect the Giants to lean heavily on the run, but this does bump up the value of Eli Manning a hair.

Injuries to Watch: Week 12

Posted: Nov 21st 2008 5:18 PM ET by Ryan Dembinsky (RSS feed)
Filed Under: Fantasy Football, NFL Injury Report

0 COMMENTS

Every week when the dinner bell rings on Friday evening, we'll be here to provide you a comprehensive commentary of the key injuries for the NFL weekend to follow. For those injuries that go right down to the wire, drop by our Fantasy Fanhouse expert live chat from 10:30am to 1pm EST every Sunday and we'll take care of you on those bloody game-time decisions. As always, please feel free to chime in with opinions, updates, and rumors in the comments.

The Atlanta Falcons

Roddy White - This season's superstar bust-out receiver missed Wednesday and Thursday practice with a back injury. The deep back bruise is not expected to cause White to miss time and he practiced on Friday, but keep him in the corner of your eye just in case.

The Baltimore Ravens

Derrick Mason - Despite a partially dislocated shoulder, Mason made good last week with seven catches for 82 yards. He should be good to go this week as well.

The Cleveland Browns

Kellen Winslow - Quickly becoming one of this year's leading fantasy frustrators, Kellen Winslow has not returned to practice despite an MRI indicating no structural damage in his shoulder. While normally the positive MRI would be a good sign, Coach Crennel says the only way he sees the field is if he shows full motion in the shoulder, which I assume means actually practicing. You might be wise to plan on another option should Junior disappoint yet again.

Brady Quinn - Quinn suffered a small fracture his right index finger last week against the Browns. While Quinn played with the injury and should play again this week, this is enough to bench him if you previously considered him for the starting spot this week.

Beware of Brian Westbrook This Week

Posted: Nov 21st 2008 4:22 PM ET by Matt Snyder (RSS feed)
Filed Under: Fantasy Football, NFL Injury Report

0 COMMENTS

We already covered what might be ailing usual super-stud Brian Westbrook, but this week things are getting more and more bleak.

Philadelphia Eagles running back Brian Westbrook on Friday missed his third consecutive practice, putting his availability in doubt for Sunday's game at the Baltimore Ravens.

You never like to hear the word, "doubt," associated with your first-round draft pick.

Further clouding matters is the fact that the Eagles square off against the Ravens' beastly run defense.

Thanks to getting shoved around by the Giants -- easily the best running team in football due to their offensive line and three talented backs of varying skill sets -- the Ravens dropped all the way down to (gasp!) third in the NFL in run defense. Going into the game, the Ravens had only allowed one rushing touchdown all season and were the top-ranked run defense. Just because the Giants were able to pile up 207 rushing yards and two touchdowns doesn't mean the Ravens' run defense is all of a sudden suspect.

If anything, the Ravens are going home in a very foul mood. As little success as the Eagles have had running lately, and considering Westbrook's sitting out practice this week, I don't think I'd be starting the usual must-start-as-long-as-he's-playing stud in many leagues. If any at all.

Colts Still Unsure About Bob Sanders' Status

Posted: Nov 21st 2008 2:13 PM ET by Matt Snyder (RSS feed)
Filed Under: Fantasy Football, NFL Injury Report

1 COMMENT

It's been well-documented by pretty much everyone who's ever watched a football game that the Indianapolis Colts' run defense is a sieve when Bob Sanders doesn't play. Even though they won last week, the Colts were shredded on the ground by the Houston Texans, specifically rookie Steve Slaton. Slaton went for 156 rushing yards on only 14 carries.

This week, the Colts get to face LaDanian Tomlinson and the San Diego Chargers. I don't think it would be overstating things to say that the game hinges upon whether or not Sanders -- the reigning defensive player of the year -- is able to play. Sure, the defense still isn't great against the run when he plays, but they are able to make enough stops to win the overwhelming majority of their games.

As of today, it's still up in the air:

The status of Sanders won't be determined until Saturday or Sunday. He hasn't practiced since experiencing swelling in his right knee in practice leading up to last Sunday's game with Houston.

Fantasy Spin:
I'd be starting Tomlinson regardless, but if Sanders doesn't play, LdT is easily the top fantasy player for the weekend.

What Is Wrong with Brian Westbrook?

Posted: Nov 18th 2008 2:41 PM ET by Matt Snyder (RSS feed)
Filed Under: Fantasy Football, NFL Injury Report

6 COMMENTS

Over the course of the past few seasons, whenever Brian Westbrook is on the field, he is an absolute monster when it comes to compiling fantasy football points. So when he returned from injury earlier this season, we naturally let him glide right back towards the top of our weekly rankings. He paid instant dividends against Atlanta, shredding them for 209 total yards and two scores.

Since then, though, he's been mediocre. In the last three games, Westbrook has only totaled 147 rushing yards and 79 receiving yards. That's an average of only 75 all-purpose yards, and that's not our Brian Westbrook. He has also failed to find the end-zone.

Let's sort through some possible explanations:

1. He's just not that good. Um, no. Move on, and how dare you for even thinking that.

2. He's injured. He is still a bit banged up, and he's admitted as much. The only thing is, he destroyed a good Atlanta defense in his return from injury, and he's played well when playing through injuries in the past. Are we really to believe it's worse this time around and he's getting worse? I don't buy it.