2012 Fantasy Football Injury Report: Week 6

Posted by Michael A. Stein on 10/10/2012 | 0 Comments

Tags: Hakeem Nicks, Dominik Hixon, Ramses Barden, Rueben Randle, Eli Manning, Robert Griffin III, Alshon Jeffery, Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall, Jermichael Finley, Cedric Benson, James Starks, Alex Green, Javon Ringer, Chris Johnson, Matt Cassel, Danny Amendola, Aaron Hernandez, Beanie Wells, Ryan Williams, fantasy football

One interesting aspect about this week’s Injury Report is that it is not as star-studded as it has been thus far this season.  That doesn’t lessen the impact that these injuries have on your team, but you should be able to get by this week assuming you have accumulated depth on your roster.  So without further adieu, here is the Week 6 edition of the walking wounded for fantasy football.

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1. Robert Griffin III (QB-WAS).  Fantasy owners held their collective breaths last week when Robert Griffin III took a vicious hit on a scramble play against the Falcons.  RGIII sustained a concussion but has been cleared to practice which is a good sign.  That doesn’t guarantee he will play this week as Mike Shanahan could choose to be overly cautious with his franchise quarterback.  Keep a close eye on this situation as the week progresses, but chances are he will play since he passed all of his concussion tests and is back on the practice field.

2. Hakeem Nicks (WR-NYG).  Giants star wide receiver Hakeem Nicks has been a fixture on the Injury Report this season.  After missing the past three games with foot and knee injuries, Nicks’ status is still unknown for this week’s game against San Francisco.  If he plays then he is obviously a must start option for your fantasy team.  But in the event he misses another game, his backups have filled in nicely.  Ramses Barden, Rueben Randle and Dominik Hixon are all viable options because Eli Manning continues to spread the ball around with success.

3. Cedric Benson (RB-GB).  It has been a disappointing season thus far for the Green Bay Packers.  While they did get screwed by the replacement referees in the debacle a couple weeks ago, it doesn’t change the fact that they are now 2-3 and the offense has yet to click on all cylinders.  Starting running back Cedric Benson sustained a Lisfranc injury to his foot in last week’s crushing loss to the Colts.  Early reports are that he will be out approximately 6-8 weeks.  Look for James Starks and Alex Green to share the carries in Benson’s absence.

4. Aaron Hernandez (TE-NE).  Another fixture on the Injury Report this season is Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez.  There were rumblings that he might play last week, so now it appears that he is on the verge of returning from his ankle injury.  New England’s offense has exploded since the second half of their game against Buffalo in Week 4, so Hernandez could join the parade if he is able to make it back this weekend.  Given the lack of productive tight ends, he is worth starting on the off chance he plays half the game.

5. Jermichael Finley (TE-GB).  The hits keep on coming for the Packers after tight end Jermichael Finley had to leave last week’s game against Indianapolis with a shoulder injury.  Head coach Mike McCarthy indicated that Finley could play next week’s game against Houston, but his status remains uncertain as of now.  When healthy Finley is a viable fantasy option.  But you may want to begin planning for an alternative in the event Finley is inactive on Sunday night.

6. Ryan Williams (RB-ARZ).  Well that didn’t take long.  After Arizona’s incumbent starting running back Beanie Wells went down with a season-ending injury, Ryan Williams became a fantasy darling with the opportunity to shine.  However, he sustained a shoulder injury last week against St. Louis that now will require season-ending surgery as well.  The Cardinals don’t have any viable options worth a fantasy pick-up right now, so you can skip over their roster when looking for a replacement.

7. Alshon Jeffery (WR-CHI).  Bears rookie wide receiver Alshon Jeffery sustained a hand injury that could keep him out 4-6 weeks.  Chicago does have a bye week in Week 6 which could slightly minimize the impact.  However, don’t count on him for at least a month.  He has been a decent option as Jay Cutler’s second option behind Brandon Marshall, so stash him on your bench if you have the room.

8. Danny Amendola (WR-STL).  It was a scary situation for Rams wide receiver Danny Amendola who sustained a separated clavicle which could have been life threatening.  Fortunately his clavicle was popped back into place and he can focus on rehabbing with a hope to return within 6-7 weeks.  Amendola has become a valuable PPR receiver so he should be stashed if you have the roster spot and flexibility.

9. Matt Cassel (QB-KC).  It has been a nightmare season for Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel.  After struggling all season long, he sustained a head injury in last week’s game and had to be taken out.  This prompted the fans at Arrowhead Stadium to cheer for his removal which led to some justifiable outbursts from various Kansas City players.  His status is up in the air for this weekend, but Cassel should not be a consideration to start anyway.  If this is an issue for you, then you likely have an awful fantasy team.

10. Javon Ringer (RB-TEN).  Tennessee backup running back Javon Ringer suffered a MCL injury which could cost him approximately 4-6 weeks.  He hasn’t been much of a fantasy factor this year, but with Chris Johnson struggling so badly it seemed inevitable that Ringer would see an increase in workload at some point.  At this point you can take him off your radar and look elsewhere for running back depth.