Fantasy football season is just around the corner. Below you will
find a list of fantasy-relevant NFL wide receivers, tight-ends
and defensive players that have injury concerns for the upcoming
2015 season. With training camp approaching, now is the time to
learn which injured players you should keep an eye on as they
try to return to the field for Week 1.
Reports have been positive on Victor Cruz
but owners need to keep a close on eye on his progress.
Cruz suffered a non-contact injury to the patellar tendon in
his right knee during the Week 6 contest against the Philadelphia
Eagles. Recovery for such injuries take six months on average,
though the injury is known to have lingering effects that make
a full return even lengthier. Cruz suffered the injury in mid-October
and has reportedly experienced no setbacks. Training camp begins
on July 30th for the Giants, which means Cruz will be nearly ten
months removed from his surgery. Considering his progress, the
Giants are expecting Cruz to be ready for the start of camp, as
head coach Tom Coughlin has indicated. The concern for fantasy
owners involves the severity of the injury. Many players have
recovered successfully from patellar tears, like RB Carnell “Cadillac”
Williams (2007) and Oakland’s SS Nate
Allen (2010). Recently, though, Dallas’s RB Ryan
Williams has spoken out regarding Cruz’s injury, stating:
“Growing up I thought the worst injury you could have is the ACL.
No, when you tear that patellar tendon and you kneecap shifts
to your thigh, that’s something I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.”
Nevertheless, there has been nothing but positive comments coming
from New York regarding Cruz’s rehabilitation. Starting opposite
Cruz for the Giants at WR is Odell
Beckham Jr., who is also battling an injury this offseason.
If the two can make it through the season in good health, they
can possibly be the top WR tandem in the league.
Injury Severity: High
Outlook: Plans to be full participant in training
camp
Recovery Speed: As expected
Fantasy Take: The injury is a cause for concern
for fantasy owners expecting a full return-to-form from the five-year
veteran. Many have taken Williams’ recent quote above and run
with it, lowering Cruz in their rankings significantly. The situation
needs monitoring as training camp and preseason contests near.
Cruz is expecting to be fully involved from the start of camp.
The injury has potential to affect his explosiveness, especially
his vertical leap, which could be a huge issue.
Hopkins had wrist surgery to repair a torn ligament in late February.
The injury was the same issue that placed him on the injury report
in the final week of the regular season last year. Originally,
he was expected to be back “in a couple weeks,” though
Hopkins has sat out practice ever since February. It’s almost
five months removed from the surgery and there is still cloudiness
surrounding his health. Head Coach Bill O’Brien expects
Hopkins to come back at some point during training camp, which
starts July 31st for the Texans. Though the minor surgery should
not put Hopkins’ chances of playing in any danger, the situation
is worth monitoring through the remainder of the offseason.
Injury Severity: Low
Outlook: Plans to be full participant in training camp
Recovery Speed: Slower than expected
Fantasy Take: Those pessimistic on Hopkins point to his quarterback
situation rather than his health. QB Ryan Mallett had an unexceptional
showing of 400 yards, 2 TDs and 2 INTs last season as a two-game
starter but, he doesn’t have much NFL experience. Despite
the Texans troubled quarterback play in 2014, Hopkins was able
to post a respectable 1,210 yards on 76 catches with 6 TDs.
Parker had surgery in early June on his left foot. During his
senior season at Louisville, he missed the first seven games due
to a broken toe that required surgery. His repair treatment this
off-season was on the same foot. The original plan for Parker
to be ready for the start of the NFL regular season and as of
now (late July) that plan remains the same. He likely will miss
some, if not all, of the preseason contests as he continues to
rehabilitate his foot from what is known as a Jones’ Fracture
(fifth metatarsal). This is the same surgery that Julio Jones
had. It was not made public whether the Dolphin’s 14th overall
pick needed a bone graft to solidify the repair of his foot. If
so, his length of return is expected to be slightly longer, around
three months.
Injury Severity: High
Outlook: Out at least until preseason, more likely until Week
1 of regular season
Recovery Speed: As Expected
Fantasy Take: The surgery is precautionary and Parker would be
playing through the pain if it weren’t the offseason. Regardless,
now that he had surgery, Parker will need recovery time anywhere
between two and three months. His agent and the Dolphins expect
him to be ready for Week 1, but they are less confident that he
will return for any preseason games. Parker’s health status
should be addressed on the day of your fantasy draft.
Watkins had hip surgery in early February to shave off a labral
tear that was causing him nagging pain. Watkins could have played
through the injury, and did for part of last season, but decided
to have the procedure considering his young age and soreness.
The injury occurred on Novermber 30th in a game against the Browns,
but Watkins did not miss any action. Following labral surgery
of the hip, patients typically need four to six months to fully
recover. Watkins’ main difficulty now, five months removed
from the surgical procedure, is regaining the strength in his
legs. In mid-July, he stated that he would be ready for the first
day of Buffalo’s training camp, which begins July 30th.
It appears the injury will not be of much concern for sophomore
moving forward. With Watkins expected to be healthy and the additions
of RB LeSean McCoy, TE Charles Clay, and WR Percy Harvin to the
team, the Bills offense could be more productive than any unit
they’ve had this past decade.
Injury Severity: Low
Outlook: Plans to return for training camp (July 30th)
Recovery Speed: As Expected
Fantasy Take: The nagging pain Watkins had in his hip should be
a non-issue as we approach the season. The Bills new head coach
Rex Ryan and new offensive coordinator Greg Roman, share run-first
philosophies, which could limit Watkins’ targets. The Bills
hope to improve their poor quarterback play from last year. They
added QB Matt Cassel via a draft day trade from the Minnesota
Vikings. Although he was projected to start over EJ Manuel, Cassel
now finds himself at risk of not making the final roster, per
reports by ESPN. If the quarterback play doesn’t improve,
Watkins’ new teammate LeSean McCoy could be getting the
rock more than Watkins owners desire.
Notables:
Jordy Nelson (Green Bay Packers) had a “clean-up”
hip surgery performed this offseason. The exact date of the injury
was not made public but it was after the Pro Bowl contest (Jan
25th) likely sometime in February. The recovery time for the surgery
was projected as 6-8 weeks, per head coach Mike McCarthy. Nelson
resumed practicing in early June and he expects to be a full participant
in training camp.
Odell
Beckham Jr. (New York Giants) has remained sidelined by a
right hamstring injury this offseason. A left hamstring injury
forced him to miss the first four games of the 2014 season, though
this time the injury appears less serious. Beckham stated that
he would practice now if the NFL season were underway, so it appears
this rest is merely a precaution. Let’s hope this isn’t the start
to a cursed season for the Madden cover boy.
Kelvin Benjamin (Carolina Panthers) strained his hamstring in
mid-May, but returned to practice in mid-June. It was only a partial
tear to the muscle and is no serious threat to his health for
the upcoming season.
Paul Richardson (Seattle Seahawks), a rookie last year that was
drafted in the second round, tore his ACL in the playoff game
against the Carolina Panthers in January. He had reconstructive
surgery on January 27th, but it remains questionable whether Richardson
will return by the first regular season game. His rehabilitation
seems positive; Richardson took the time earlier in July to post
a video to his Instagram of him doing a cone-drill workout involving
athletic cuts on his reconstructed knee. Head coach Pete Carroll
expects him to return sometime in training camp.
Miscellaneous
Ryan Clady OT, Denver Broncos
In late May, the Broncos lost a key piece to their offensive line
due to an ACL tear in practice. Clady will not have a chance to
return in 2015 as the Broncos placed him on Injured Reserve. Clady
has been a four-time Pro Bowl player since joining the league
in 2008. With the loss of Clady, the Broncos seek to replace three
of their starting lineman from last season. The other two starters
that will need replaced include Orlando Franklin, who signed with
the Chargers via free agency, and Manny Ramirez, who was dealt
to the Lions. These three linemen started in all 16 regular season
games last season. Rookie Ty Sambrailo, who the Broncos drafted
in the second round, will look to replace Clady at left tackle
this season.
Injury Severity: High
Outlook: Out for 2015 season.
Recovery Speed: Not Applicable
Fantasy Take: The Broncos O-line has taken a large regression
this offseason loosing three of their key starters. Of the current
starters, only two of the five had any starts in the NFL last
year. This should be a cause for concern for fantasy owners, particularly
for those high on running back C.J. Anderson.
Amidst the Fourth of July celebrations, Pierre-Paul suffered
a serious hand injury when trying to light a firework. In aftermath
of the accident, the Giants premier pass-rusher needed his right
index finger amputated and “numerous” additional surgeries,
per ESPN’s Ed Werner. His right thumb was also fractured.
The status of Pierre-Paul is elusive to the media and team officials,
as he has made it difficult for anyone to contact him. It seems
a safe bet that he will miss most of training camp and potentially
some preseason action. The primary concern is with his thumb,
which needed pins to be repaired. There is also speculation that
the Giants will remove the franchise tag from Pierre-Paul due
to the incident.
Injury Severity: High
Outlook: Out at least 6 weeks; cloudiness surrounding details
Recovery Speed: Unknown
Fantasy Take: The injury may have impact on whether Pierre-Paul
will be ready for the season. Missing his right index finger may
hinder his ability to grab a jersey to tackle or catch a ball.
In addition, he underwent several surgeries including a procedure
to place pins in his fractured thumb. It is unlikely the Giants
will sign Pierre-Paul to a long-term contract as they recently
rescinded their $60 million deal after hearing of the accident.
Clowney’s rookie season was anticlimactic as he went down
with a meniscal tear in his knee in the 2014 season opener. That
surgery took place in early September, then Clowney’s knee
required microfracture surgery in early December, three games
after his first return. Microfracture surgeries intend to regenerate
cartilage by making holes in the bone, and can lead to a lengthy
recovery process. This major surgery typically takes nine months
for recovery. So, we are nearly eight months removed from the
surgery and the expectation is that Clowney will be able to play
in Week 1 of the regular season. The Texans plan to ease him back
to action and will likely limit his minutes if Clowney is healthy
Week 1.
Injury Severity: High
Outlook: May be able to play Week 1
Recovery Speed: Slightly faster than expected
Fantasy Take: Clowney’s stock is particularly of interest
to IDP fantasy leagues. Like all injuries that require recovery
time that coincides with the start of the regular season, this
situation will need monitored throughout the next several weeks.
If your league drafts team defenses, the Texans D/ST is less of
a risk (than IDP) with regard to Clowney’s health as they
have a solid unit regardless. The Texans upgraded their D-Line
by signing Vince Wilfork this offseason, as well.
