2015 Draft Guide Sampler: The Fantasy Football Injury Report
Published: Aug 27, 2015
Without fail every NFL season a fantasy star gets hit with the injury bug which causes panic from his owner and sends everybody to the waiver wire in an effort to grab the next man up who is going to see an immediate boost in production. Already this season we have seen three major players in Jordy Nelson, Arian Foster and Kelvin Benjamin suffer serious injuries that will alter fantasy drafts for those who have yet to draft and send owners who unfortunately already own these players to depression. In the Fantasy Alarm 2015 NFL Draft Guide Michael A. Stein takes a look at some players who are coming back from injury during the offseason and what can be expected of them for this upcoming season.
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Draft Guide: The Fantasy Football Injury Report
By Michael A. Stein
One of the most important aspects of preparing for your fantasy football draft is to keep a close eye on players that are coming back from serious injuries. That is because injured players can sometimes fall off of other GM’s radars and allow you to draft them for tremendous value. In 2014, there was no shortage of injuries to impact players, which likely had some effect on the outcome of your league. So let’s take a look at some of the biggest names coming back from injury or dealing with current injuries that you should keep tabs on.
Odell Beckham Jr. (WR-NYG)
The emergence of Odell Beckham Jr. in his rookie season was unprecedented as he went from injury bust to future first round beast with 91 receptions, 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns. He did all of that despite missing the first four games of the 2014 season with a torn left hamstring. Now he is dealing with tightness in his right hamstring and will likely be shut down until training camp.
Outlook: The Giants are wisely being cautious with their prized possession because they want to avoid a similar recurrence as last year. Beckham is a legitimate first round pick in any format thanks to his elite production, but there has to be some level of concern about his hamstrings. He is still worth the risk because very few other receivers have the ability to compile statistics such as his.
Sammy Watkins (WR-BUF)
Despite some growing pains and a couple bouts of immaturity, Sammy Watkins had a successful rookie season in 2014. He compiled 65 receptions for 982 yards and six touchdowns (it should have been seven but for a “Leon Lett moment”) playing in all 16 games. Normally those numbers would stand out for a rookie, but Watkins’ performance was outshined by fellow rookie receivers Odell Beckham Jr., Mike Evans and Kelvin Benjamin.
Outlook: Watkins is expected to be 100 percent healthy for the regular season and is entrenched as the Bills primary wide receiver. However, his fantasy value took a significant hit when Rex Ryan and LeSean McCoy shuffled off to Buffalo. Ryan notoriously relies on the running game, and now he has the former rushing champion at his disposal to run into the ground. In addition, the Bills quarterback situation is a disaster. Expect a regression from Watkins in his sophomore season.
Victor Cruz (WR-NYG)
Cruz suffered a patellar tear in his knee during Week 6 last year which required season-ending surgery. This is a very serious injury but Cruz has made tremendous progress in his rehab as he has begun running routes and building up strength and endurance. There were legitimate concerns whether Cruz would ever be able to play again after sustaining this injury. The fact that he has progressed so well bodes well for his ability to be on the field in Week 1.
Outlook: Cruz will be a risk simply because of the nature of his injury. As a slot receiver, Cruz will put a lot of torque on his knee running routes, so the Giants could limit his snaps to try and keep him healthy. He will benefit from Beckham’s presence commanding double coverage from opposing defenses. Don’t reach for Cruz too early but absolutely have him on your radar in the middle rounds.
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